Camster

Putting aside your testosterone and any notion of performance,which is the best,most reliable engine offered? The turbo 4 seems to have some teething problems-it would probably be my first choice otherwise.The 5.0 should be bug free by now,is it?.Is the six a trouble free unit with good longevity? Sure,I like power,but I'm perfectly happy with just a cruiser type convertible.My current 04 GT vert fills that role now,is never stomped on.Thinking about a new 16 in the spring.Cost isn't an issue.

Spork3245

The 4.6L v8 (when left naturally aspirated) is probably the best Mustang engine produced in regards to longevity, IMO. With the newest batch it's a tough call, definitely not the i4. That leaves the v8 Coyote or the v6 Cyclone, the problem with the v6 being that it seems Ford is phasing it out and you can't get premium options on it with the 15s/16s and thus parts may be hard to come by in the future since less people are buying them... That being said, I'd vote Coyote.

Camster

Thanks for the response.I'm driving a 4.6 now,which seems pretty good,now that I know the manifold issue and know how to change it.It's also hard for me to change my thinking of poorer days long ago,when the notion of a car requiring premium gas seemed crazy,and the 4.6 is fine with regular..
Strange as it sounds,I'd be fine with a I4 without the blower and blower issues..In days gone by,we put hundreds of thousands on 2.3s in Pintos,and they held up well.
Perhaps my thinking would change,but I prefer the clutch pedal resistance of my 04 over the new ones.As much as I like stick,I'd probably go with an automatic for a new ride.

jz78817

I'm not aware of any real issues with any of the engines. Ecoboost 2.3s have been out there for a bit now, in both the Mustang and Lincoln MKC, and it's been turned up to 350 hp in the Focus RS.

the 3.7 has been in production for a while now, and is good enough for F-1150 duty apparently.

the 5.0 is still in the Modular engine family. The only "known" issue I'd heard of is the #8 cylinder ran a bit hot on early model years, but usually wasn't a concern unless you started mucking around with ECU tunes or forced induction.

Spork3245

The 5.0s do not require premium gas. They run at 405 horsepower with 87 octane instead of the 435hp you get at 91+.

Spork3245

It's not so much "issues" with the i4 (in regards to my reply), he asked about longevity of the engine and forced induction tends to wear out engines faster is all.

jz78817

Tell that to every 18-wheeler made in the last 50 years.

Spork3245

You can't compare a car engine to that of an 18-wheeler. They are diesel which is a whole different beast. If Mustangs ran diesel engines then yea, sure, a turbo charged model would last just as long as a non-forced induction model.

redass02gt

Since we don't have a crystal ball, it'll either be the 6er or the 5.0. Both have been in mustangs for the same amount of time now. I haven't heard of either one having major issues. The ecoboost is new, so you can't draw any conclusions because there's no data. All three engines have knock sensors iirc, so fuel grade doesn't matter. That said, the cost of fuel is almost nothing compared to insurance and the cost of the car unless you drive a ton.

SCCAGT

I cant say with certainty, but isn't the 2.3 the same engine as the 2.0? Just different bore/stroke? if so, then its made excellent headway in the Escape and Fusion.