E250 w/ V-10 vs. E350 w/ Powerstroke

I work for a Ford dealer and if you can afford it, do not waste your money on the V10. In the long run the powerstroke is better on fuel and is very depenable, we rarely work on either in our shop. The V10 is a dog there is no comparison!!!

last I heard you must order the "empty" cargo version to get the pwr stroke in the ext van. For some reason it isn't offered in window (passenger) models.AS far as a van being best option, I whole heartedly agree. My '83 Ford E350 ext with rear bed/bench seat removed is the best all-around bike hauler. Good luck!

Originally posted by ktmdad
Best route for us is an extended body van. Have heard that the powerstroke's in the Van body is not as good as it is ihe PU's due to a more restrictive exhaust. Any truth to this?

Any input on mileage & power with V-10 vs. powerstroke?

Thanks

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I've heard that too, that there is a different exhaust and intake on the van vs. the pickup, and that the PS in the van runs hotter and makes less power compared to the PS in a pickup. So I'm told. I do know that the PS is rarely used in vans, or class C motorhomes, they almost exclusively use the V10.

I personally have an E350 w/ V10, and have no complaints. Cant really compare it to a diesel since I've never had one, but I get ~14-15 mpg on the freeway at 75mph (3.73 rear, the optional 4.10 would hurt mileage, increase towing capacity). My driving is low mileage (around 5k/year), so I can't comment on reliability yet, but at 50k (bought used with 30k) it hasn't had a problem yet. (knock on wood).

Although I have a powerstroke F250 Crew cab I feel that I can offer some issues to think about.

The powerstroke is a great motor, the version used in the vans are tuned to have less power than in the pickups. Even with the "de-tuned" version, it will flat out haul whatever you want down the road with ease. From my experience and from what I've read, the auto trans is the weak link in the drive train. My transmission went out after 1,000 miles. If your OD light on the gear shift lever starts to blink, take the vehicle to the dealer ASAP.

A couple of things that turbo deisels need is proper warm up and after highway crusing, proper cool down. Let that baby idle and warm up before you take off. After you pull off of the highway let the engine idle for 5 minutes or so and let the turbo cool down. This will add to its life. I'm not talking about around town driving but when you driving down the highway and the engine is pulling hard enough so the turbo is working. I used to pull my 16 foot trailer with a chevy 1/2 ton with a 350 engine. I would get 7 to 9 miles to the gallon depending on the terrain. I'll get 12 to 14 miles to the gallon with the powerstroke depending on terrain and how fast I go.

All in all I'd recommend the powerstroke in the van. It's more money but that baby will flat out cruise down the road.