Ford F-150

The F-Series is a series of full-size pickup trucks manufactured and designed by Ford, and have been sold for over six decades. The F-150 is the most popular variant of the F-Series. For over 20 years it was the best-selling vehicle in the United States. The Ford F-150 was rated 8.6 by U.S. News, and ranked number 2 out of 10 Full Size Pickup Trucks. With a vast range of equipment levels, body styles, and engines, critics suggest the F-150 as a top choice for people who want a full-size pickup.

Performance

U.S. News gives the Ford F-150 an 8.5 performance rating. Critics enjoy the F-150’s wide engine lineup, stating the base V6 has enough power while the other engines are excellent choices to make hauling and towing heavy loads easy. Critics also like the six-speed automatic transmission, which delivers decent fuel economy and offers smooth shifts. The F-150 offers four different engines, each of which comes with a standard six-speed automatic transmission. The base engine is a 3.7-liter V6 with 302-horsepower. There are also two V8s, a 6.2-liter with 411 horsepower and a 5.0-liter with 360 horsepower. When properly configured and equipped with either the 6.2-liter V8 or Ecoboost V6, the F-150 can tow up to 11 300 pounds and haul up to 3200 pounds in its bed.

Interior

The interior received a 9.1 rating from U.S. News, which is extremely high. The F-150 can seat between three and six people, depending on the configuration and cab. The base XL trim offers vinyl seats, with cloth optional. Mid-level trims and top trims have power seat adjustment capability. Cooled and heated front seats are available on upper trims. Available features on upper trims include Ford’s SYNC (with MyFord Touch), navigation, and satellite radio. Other available features include a power sunroof, dual-zone climate control, and a Sony stereo. The F-150 is also available with Ford Work Solutions, a system tailored to suit the needs of business owners. It comes with a printer that can be hooked up to print invoices, an on-board computer with Internet connection, and tool tracking.

Pros/Cons

The F-150 has respectable but not great fuel economy numbers. The transmission shifts very smoothly. Reviewers are very impressed with the F-150’s ability to act as a work vehicle. It has a sway control and brake controller to help make towing safe and easy, and comes with plenty of power. Seats are spacious and comfortable to sit in, and there is a lot of legroom. The interior is rugged enough to withstand the abuse of being a work truck, but is built with high-quality materials to maintain good-looks. The large buttons are excellent, and the controls are easy to learn and use. Some critics have complaints about the brakes, although others say they are firm and have quick stops. Ford has also improved sightlines, which helps improve poor visibility, a common feature on most large trucks.

Other Features

The Ford website lists the base price of the F-150 at $24 000. While this may seem like a great deal, buyers shouldn’t get too excited. U.S. News says the average price for the F-150 was over $35 000, and can run as high as $50 000 depending on the trim level and additional features. U.S. News gave the F-150 a 9.4 safety rating, and it was the only full-size truck to achieve good scores in the rollover-related IIHS roof-strength test, one of the most important safety tests. As such, it earned a spot on the safe-trucks list. There have been various new features added for the model, including power-folding trailer mirrors and power-telescoping steering.