Originally Posted By: columnshift
Well yeah that's what i'm trying to figure out. Where is the 'sweet spot' for the Ecoboost, at what point does it make sense to get the 3/4 ton diesel instead of going Ecoboost?
Definitely not a one-size fits all answer. Are you concerned about initial cost, lifetime cost, comfort, etc? The obvious answer is when you need the capacity of a 3/4 ton or are using most of the capacity of the 1/2 ton on a very regular basis. The other side is how comfortable you feel as a driver. Some people want the extra security from having the bigger truck, others are just fine in the smaller truck.
Originally Posted By: columnshift
Lots and lots of lots of either apples and oranges talk here, trying to compare trucks instead of engines, or "I drive an ecoboost and it's great" or "look at the POWER" when I was asking exclusively about MPG under load, not power, wasn't disagreeing with that, it wasn't what I was asking. All i'm trying to find is actual evidence that the Ecoboost is doing what it's advertised as doing, and it's not just some marketing point to claim superior BSFC under all normal driving conditions. The Mazda Skyactiv-G for instance is doing that just without a turbo and only in sedans.
Everything works as a system so you can't directly compare engines that are in different trucks. your initial post asked about cylinder deactivation vs Ecoboost which automatically makes it a conversation about different trucks. The gearing, aero, and weight all play large roles in how an engine has to be tuned to work in order to meet emissions and other requirements. If we start looking at 1/2 ton vs 3/4 ton trucks it gets tougher to make good data based comparisons since they are tested to different specs. The testing pickuptrucks.com does is going to get you closest to what you are seeking.