The Ford F150 would proudly sit high in the pickup truck hall of fame if it existed. It hails from Ford's F-Series lineage, which has been in production for three-quarters of a century since 1948. Today, the Ford F-Series is among the best-selling cars globally. The F150 itself never misses the list of the top 10 best-selling vehicles globally. No other pickup truck ranks that high. How much is a Ford F150? 2023 Ford F150 prices start at $35,000 on average for a base model and go up to close to $110,000 for the menacing 700-horsepower F150 Raptor R. What makes the F150 such a great truck? The numerous trim levels and engine options put it on another level above its competitors, which, for the longest time, have tried to measure up to the F150. Speaking of competitors, which are the F150's alternatives? Consider the Toyota Tacoma, GMC Sierra 1500, Toyota Tundra, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, or RAM 1500.
Initially, the Ford 150 was not among the offerings in the Ford F-Series lineup. Ford only offered the F100, F250, and F350 and introduced the F150 in 1975 while producing the F-Series' sixth generation. The F150 was designed to be a heavy-duty version of the F100, so it still had the F100's half-ton payload capacity. With a larger and wider bed due to a new chassis, the F150 started selling better than the F100. Appearance-wise, the first-generation F150 was larger than the F100 but smaller than the F250. Ford later introduced a 4x4 trim level with an upgraded suspension and higher ground clearance, thus driving sales higher. Like the current F150, it was the perfect all-round pickup even though it was not available with a double cab.
The current Ford F150 generation represents a modern approach that Ford started using with the 4th-gen F150 in 1992. It has a rounder body for enhanced aerodynamics, meant to improve fuel consumption, enhance stability, and reduce drag in pickup trucks. Performance F150 models started becoming a thing in 1991 when Ford released the Nite Edition, a sportier version of the third-gen F150. Over the years, we've seen various F150 performance models, including the 5th gen F150 SVT Lightning, known for featuring in the first Fast and Furious movie in the franchise. Ford still makes performance F150s, the F150 Raptor, and the F150 Raptor R. But before we look at these, let's do a general review of the Ford F150.
The F150's exterior is rugged on the entry-level to mid-level trims then enters more into the luxury arena with the Platinum and Limited models. However, with Ford's appearance package, a mid-level F150 will stand out amongst other pickup trucks. What is the appearance package in the F150? To make the F150 standout, Ford offers various appearance packages for the F150. These include the Black, STX, Chrome, Sport, and Special Edition packages. These appearance packages are available depending on the trim you choose. For example, the Special Edition Package is only available in the F150 XLT. Each package adds different visual enhancements to the F150, not only on the exterior but also in the interior. Some options, such as fog lamps and window defrosters, are not just aesthetic upgrades since they are very much functional. For instance, the F150 XL STX package adds the following to the F150 XL:
Click here to view all Ford F150 standard equipment and appearance packages for the 2024 Ford 150 trim levels.
The Ford F150's interior offers excellent comfort, and the quality is solid, especially on higher-trim level models. Interior optional features in the Ford F150 include heated and ventilated front seats, heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel, wood trim accents, and a twin-panel moon roof. However, some of these features are standard in high-spec models, such as the F150 Limited and F150 Raptor. As standard, the floor is covered in vinyl, which makes it easy to clean when your crew jumps in the car with muddy boots. But can you blame them? After all, it's what a pickup truck, in this case, the Ford F150, is meant to do. What's the seating capacity in the Ford F150? The two-door models only seat two, but the four-door crew cabs can seat five or six passengers if you get a unit with a split-folding front bench. What we like most about the Ford F150's interior is its practicality. There's enough space in the front to function as a lunch spot or a workstation to place your laptop on, fill out forms, or do work sketches. To increase the practicality of this space, the gear lever is foldable, allowing you to extend the armrest on the center console.
Work pickup trucks usually have the bare minimum tech features since they spend most of the time doing what they're built for. But as technology advances, the need to have the latest tech features has risen, including in work pickup trucks such as the Ford F150. In the F150 interior, you get an 8-inch infotainment display with Ford's recently unveiled Discover SYNC 4 that offers advanced wireless integration (Android Auto and Apple CarPlay). You also get satellite radio, Bluetooth Connectivity, voice recognition, real-time traffic, and weather updates as standard with Discover SYNC 4. The Ford F150 doesn't have G.O.A.T mode like the Ford Bronco but has terrain assist features that make driving comfortable across different surfaces. A knob on the dashboard near the infotainment screen allows you to switch between normal, slippery, deep snow/sand, mud/ruts, rock crawl, tow haul, eco, and sport modes.
Driver-assist features in the F150 are plenteous. Some of the driver assist features you get as standard include cruise control, automatic emergency braking, automatic high beams, speed sign recognition, and lane centering. The most innovative driver assist feature soon to be available in the F150 is the Ford BlueCruise hands-free driving feature. What is BlueCruise? It's a more advanced version of cruise control that uses the vehicle's cameras and radar system to keep the car in its lane. When BlueCruise is activated, the vehicle's computer system controls acceleration, braking, lane centering, and automatic lane changing. Also, the system monitors the driver's attention since it requires them to keep their eyes on the road despite not having their hands on the steering wheel. BlueCruise is not standard but worth paying an $800 annual or $75 monthly subscription fee, especially if you are constantly on the road. The system is unavailable in older F150 models, but the 2024 Ford F150 is among the cars that will get BlueCruise.
The Ford F150 is available with five engine options for the ordinary variants. A 290-horsepower 3.3-liter Cyclone V6 is the base engine, but buyers can scale up to a 325 horsepower 2.7-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 or 400 horsepower 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6. There's also a 5.0-liter Coyote V8 with similar horsepower figures as the 3.5-liter EcoBoost but with lower torque at 410 lb.ft compared to 520 lb.ft.
A 3.5-liter PowerBoost hybrid V6 ends the engine option list and is available in the F150 hybrid. Would you buy the F150 Hybrid over the F150 Lightning? The F150 Lightning has a 337 kW battery with 452 horsepower or a 433kW 580-horsepower battery. In the standard model, the battery can power the car for up to 240 miles, but the extended range F150 Lightning can do 320 miles, while the Platinum spec is capable of 300 miles on a full charge.
In the F150 Raptor, you get a higher output version of the 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6, making 450 horsepower. It's nothing close to the supercharged 5.2-liter Predator V8 engine in the recently unveiled Raptor R, which churns out a whopping 700 horsepower!
All F150 models are available with 4X2 or 4X4 drivetrains except the F150 Raptor and Raptor R, which come with 4x4 drivetrains. What transmission is in the Ford F150? Unlike the Ford Bronco, which gets a manual transmission option in the base model, Ford only makes the F150 with a 10-speed automatic transmission. But regardless of the transmission and the drivetrain option you choose, the Ford F150 is designed to handle any terrain thrown at it with ease.
For the suspension, Ford offers different suspension combinations for the F150. But most F150s, especially newer units, have an independent front suspension instead of a double-wishbone suspension. Only one suspension type is used in the rear, a 5-link leaf spring/solid axle setup with Panhard rods. The F150 Raptor and Raptor R retain the suspension setup used in other models but with upgraded supporting components and more rigid parts. Some of these upgrades and enhancements include stiffer springs, FOX shocks, more robust carrier casings, and electronic damping. The significant difference between the F150 Raptor and Raptor R beside the engine is that the Raptor R has a stiffer front suspension due to the extra engine weight. However, this doesn't seem to affect ride quality.
Shelby American, known for taking Fords to the next level, also plays around with the F150. They take the 5.0-liter Coyote V8, attach a Whipple supercharger, and voila, a 775-horsepower Ford F150 Shelby Super Snake! But they don't stop at that. The F150 Shelby Super Snake gets exterior aesthetics, interior, suspension, and drivetrain upgrades, befitting of its 775 horsepower. You can opt for a lifted off-roading suspension or a lowered sport-tuned suspension if you want to give supercar and sports car owners hell on the drag strip.
The Ford F150 is not just equipped with features that make living with one easier, but it also has unique features that make ownership a bliss, thus giving the F150 a higher consumer score than its competition. For starters, the optional generator and auxiliary power outlets in the side bed make the F150 an excellent tool. In the F150 Lightning, the battery pack can power a home for three days on a fully charged battery. With power rationing, the F150 lightning battery pack could power a home for as long as ten days. If you're charging or powering a device and wondering where to place it, the tailgate serves as an excellent workbench that you can also use to do some woodwork. Ford even included measurements etched onto the plastic molding, a cupholder, and C clamp cutouts in the tailgate. Speaking of cup holders, the Ford F150 has thirteen cup holders, including the one in the tailgate.
Underneath the rear seat is a storage compartment that you can use to store tools or necessities such as work boots and overalls that you don't want messing up the car's interior. Last but definitely not least, the Ford F150's tow mode makes towing a whole lot easier by allowing you to program the system according to the trailer you have. This makes backing into tight spots and highway monitoring hassle-free, even for a beginner. The towing mode software also maps a route for you depending on your trailer's dimensions to avoid stopping and turning back at low bridges and overworking the car in high mountain passes.
The Ford F150 has long been a popular choice in the pickup truck market, and for good reason. Its proven outstanding track record for durability, versatility, reliability, and toughness is well-deserved, making the Ford F150 a solid option for individuals who require a reliable workhorse that can handle anything they throw at it.
The Ford F150 has an outstanding track record for durability, versatility, reliability, and toughness, which makes it desirable to any car buyer seeking a pickup truck with these attributes.
A new Ford F150 will tow any load between 7,000 and 14,000 pounds. However, the F150 Raptor and Raptor R do not have the highest towing capacity. Towing capacity is the highest in any Ford F150 with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbocharged V6 engine.
The Ford F150 is available with seven engine options for the ordinary variants, including the high-performance 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbocharged V6 engine variant in the Raptor and the supercharged 5.2-liter Predator V8 engine in the recently unveiled Raptor R.
No. Ford canceled the diesel engine option for the Ford F150 in 2021, with the 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 engine being the last diesel engine they used in the F150.
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