Cold air intakes are one of the most popular engine mods for good reason, and made my list of the 5 best 3.5 EcoBoost upgrades. This is especially true on turbo engines like the Ford F-150 3.5 EcoBoost. Intakes offer solid power gains along with plenty of other benefits. They’re also inexpensive making cold air intakes a popular choice. In this guide, I discuss the benefits of intakes and list some of the best 3.5 EcoBoost cold air intakes.
F-150 EcoBoost Upgraded Intake Performance #
The Ford 3.5 EcoBoost intake is effective on stock engines running stock boost. However, once you begin tuning and modding the F-150 EcoBoost the intake becomes restrictive. Increasing boost and power requires a lot of extra air-flow, which can quickly overwhelm the OEM intake system. Efficient cold air intakes for the 3.5L twin turbo engine are able to meet the demands. A few benefits of cold air intakes include:
- 0-15whp
- Similar torque gains
- Easier maintenance
- Quicker turbo spool
- Sound improvements
Again, the stock F-150 EcoBoost intake is pretty effective on stock trucks. In these cases an intake upgrade may provide little to no power gains. However, once the 3.5L engine is tuned an intake will likely offer about 5-10whp. Those pushing the limits of the EcoBoost turbos or opting for upgraded turbos will possibly even see 10-15+whp. Torque gains are also pretty similar. Quicker turbo spool is yet another improvement. Though, it may not be noticeable since the F-150 3.5 turbos are already quick to spool.
A good cold air intake can also save some space and make maintenance a bit easier. Most filters with 3.5 EcoBoost intake upgrades are easy to clean and maintain. Sound improvements are another awesome benefit of intake mods – in our opinion. You’ll likely notice a lot more turbo and induction noises.
Intake Designs #
Alright – we’re guilty of it, too. We’ve been referring to 3.5 EcoBoost intake upgrades as cold air intakes (CAI). Technically a cold air intake reroutes the stock intake piping to a lower point outside the engine bay. The idea is to pull in the coldest air possible. However, most Ford 3.5 intake upgrades aren’t truly cold air intakes. Even if they are true CAI it’s a load of crap on turbo engines.
Once the air enters the filters it continues on to travel through incredibly hot turbochargers. Air also heats up as it’s compressed by the turbos. It’s then cooled by the F-150 3.5 EcoBoost intercooler. The temperature entering the intake filters has very minimal to 0 affect on the intercoolers ability to cool the charge air. Cold air intake is primarily a generic term for performance intakes.
Anyways, the whole point of this topic was to lead us to the next point. The main difference between 3.5 EcoBoost intake upgrades is open vs closed systems.
Open vs Closed Intakes #
An open air intake design does not use an air-box. There may still be some form of housing on the intake, but the intakes remain open to the engine bay. They’re going to generally pull in warmer air, especially at idle. However, it’s a moot point on turbo engines. Closed intakes utilize an air-box that protects the filter from the engine bay.
Our preference is an open intake system for the 3.5 EcoBoost. We come from the BMW world and open dual cone intakes have been the go to choice on twin turbo engines for over a decade. They generally offer the best flow, loudest induction and turbo sounds, and are often cheaper.
Regardless, most quality intake systems for the Ford F-150 EcoBoost will offer similar performance benefits. However, those shooting for bigger power numbers will definitely find the most potential in an open dual intake for the 3.5L EcoBoost. If you don’t want loud induction sounds then a closed intake might be the best choice.
Best F-150 3.5 EcoBoost Cold Air Intakes #
In this section we’ll discuss a few of our favorite cold air intake options for the Ford F-150 3.5 EcoBoost. A few quick notes before diving in, though. This is by no means an exhaustive list. Tons of intake options exist for the F-150 EcoBoost engines. We’re simply listing a few that we believe offer a great balance of price, quality, and performance.
Additionally, different year F-150’s require different intakes. 2011, 2012-2014, 2015-2016, and 2017+ models all have their own unique fitment. We may link to a few products that only fit a specific year. We’ll also clarify if any intake systems aren’t available for certain F-150 EcoBoost models. Always verify fitment before purchasing anything, though. That said, let’s discuss a few of the best F-150 3.5 EcoBoost cold air intake upgrades.
1) Boosted Performance Dual Cold Air Intake #
We manufacture a cold air intake system under our Boosted Performance brand for the 3.5L EcoBoost F150 and Raptor. Our intake uses larger 3.5″ piping with dual 8″ air filters resulting in >60% increases to airflow.
Our intake includes the vent-tube insert to prevent CELs which most companies charge an extra $30+ for. Our intake is a simple bolt-on easy to install upgrade for all 2015-2024 F150 3.5L’s and Raptors from 2017-2024.
Ultimately, our Boosted Performance intake offers the best combination of price, quality, and performance on the market.
Price: $299
Buy Here: Boosted Performance 3.5L EcoBoost F150 Cold Air Intake
2) CVF Dual Filter Intake #
CV Fabrication – or CVF for short – is a newer company in the EcoBoost upgrades space. Despite being a young brand, CVF has already made a splash in the industry. They offer some awesome, high-quality upgrades for the 3.5 EcoBoost at killer prices. That hold true for their 3.5 EcoBoost dual-filter cold air intake.
The intake system includes two 8-layer 3.5″ dry filters and an aluminum tube with an H-pipe to maximize flow. This F-150 CVF dual intake outflows the factory intake by 45% and 65% for 2012-2014 and 2015-2016 models, respectively. It also features a heat shield and CVF lifetime warranty.
As a dual open intake design this CVF intake offers incredible flow and power gains. For $299.99 it’s really hard to go wrong with this F-150 intake kit. We are big fans of CVF products, so we took the time to develop a relationship with the company. As a result, we were able to get a 5% coupon code (TUNINGPRO) for our readers.
Price: $299.99 (5% off with code TUNINGPRO)
Buy Here: 2012-2014 F-150 3.5 EcoBoost CVF Dual Intake
2015-2016 3.5L EcoBoost CVF Dual Cold Air Intake
2017-2020 3.5 EcoBoost F150 CVF Dual Intake
3) Livernois Motorsports Intake Upgrade #
We’ve referenced Livernois Motorsports multiple times when it comes to Ford, Mopar, and GM vehicles. They design, test, and manufacture all their products in the United States. While the Livernois team builds some awesome products, the intake systems certainly come at a bit of a premium. It’s far from the cheapest option on this list at $499.99.
This cold air intake is a fully closed design with a one-piece rotationally molded air box and a redesigned intake tube. The clear view cover on the 3.5 EcoBoost intake also looks great. Again, the Livernois intake does come at a bit of a premium but it’s a well designed and quality option.
Price: $499.99
Buy Here: Livernois 3.5 EcoBoost F-150 Cold Air Intake
F-150 3.5 EcoBoost Cold Air Intake Summary #
Performance intake systems are among the most popular aftermarket upgrades for good reason. They offer a good balance of performance, sounds, and price. This is especially true on the 3.5 twin turbo EcoBoost engine where air-flow is essential. Power gains can even be as high as 10-15whp peak on tuned and modded F-150 3.5L engines.
We prefer open intake systems as they usually offer the best improvements in flow and sound. However, on a modest tune or upgrades open and closed systems will offer similar benefits. Those looking for maximum flow should consider a dual filter open system.
Boosted Performance offers excellent intake options for the F-150 EcoBoost. Their dual intake system offers some of the biggest airflow increases on the market. aFe, K&N, and S&B are big brand names in the industry and it’s hard to go wrong with their products as well. Regardless of your specific choice – mod away and have fun! The Ford 3.5 EcoBoost is an excellent twin turbo engine that responds well to basic bolt-on mods like a cold air intake.
Looking for more content? We have tons of individual mod guides including 3.5 EcoBoost downpipes, FMIC, twin turbo upgrades, and more.
