Redesigning a vehicle that failed is easy, because you can figure out what went wrong and fix it. Yet when your vehicle has been sitting on the top of the sales charts for years, like Ford's F-150 has been, replacing it with a new model can be a difficult task.
And yet, with each new generation, the F-150 keeps getting better. Ford's full-size pickup may be the best vehicle the company builds, since they put so much time and effort into developing it.
Just so you know, there are 54 variations of the F-150 for 2009, including 3 cab configurations, 3 bed lengths and 8 trim levels, and we won't even mention the countless options and colours. More versions will certainly turn up pretty soon, too. In short, there is an F-Series for everyone that is in the market for a pickup.
The F-150's new look is smooth and keeps the slab-sided sheetmetal of the previous generation. However, it looks a little feminine when parked alongside the macho Dodge Ram.
Low on go, high on tow
Our SuperCrew Lariat test truck boasted the largest engine you can get in an F-150 for 2009. The 5.4-litre, 3-valve V8 produces 310 horsepower and 365 lb-ft of torque on regular gasoline. Fill the tank with ethanol, and output rises to 320 hp and 390 lb-ft, but good luck finding an E85 fuel pump.
In comparison, all other full-size pickups offer more available horsepower: 317 for the Nissan Titan, 381 for the Toyota Tundra, 390 for the Dodge Ram and 402 for GM's Silverado/Sierra duo. Zero to 100 km/h sprints in the F-150 take 9.5 seconds, which is about 2 seconds slower than with the more-powerful trucks.
Then again, we're not comparing sports cars here, so straight-line acceleration is irrelevant. Real performance figures for a pickup are payload and towing capacity, and in that regard, the F-150 redeems itself nicely.
Properly-equipped, the Ford can haul up to 5,126 kg or 11,300 lbs, which is more than any other light-duty pickup mentioned above. The F-150 can also be equipped with a factory-installed trailer brake controller, which was previously offered only on Super Duty models.
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| There are 54 variations of the F-150 for 2009, including 3 cab configurations, 3 bed lengths and 8 trim levels. |
And yet, with each new generation, the F-150 keeps getting better. Ford's full-size pickup may be the best vehicle the company builds, since they put so much time and effort into developing it.
Just so you know, there are 54 variations of the F-150 for 2009, including 3 cab configurations, 3 bed lengths and 8 trim levels, and we won't even mention the countless options and colours. More versions will certainly turn up pretty soon, too. In short, there is an F-Series for everyone that is in the market for a pickup.
The F-150's new look is smooth and keeps the slab-sided sheetmetal of the previous generation. However, it looks a little feminine when parked alongside the macho Dodge Ram.
Low on go, high on tow
Our SuperCrew Lariat test truck boasted the largest engine you can get in an F-150 for 2009. The 5.4-litre, 3-valve V8 produces 310 horsepower and 365 lb-ft of torque on regular gasoline. Fill the tank with ethanol, and output rises to 320 hp and 390 lb-ft, but good luck finding an E85 fuel pump.
In comparison, all other full-size pickups offer more available horsepower: 317 for the Nissan Titan, 381 for the Toyota Tundra, 390 for the Dodge Ram and 402 for GM's Silverado/Sierra duo. Zero to 100 km/h sprints in the F-150 take 9.5 seconds, which is about 2 seconds slower than with the more-powerful trucks.
Then again, we're not comparing sports cars here, so straight-line acceleration is irrelevant. Real performance figures for a pickup are payload and towing capacity, and in that regard, the F-150 redeems itself nicely.
Properly-equipped, the Ford can haul up to 5,126 kg or 11,300 lbs, which is more than any other light-duty pickup mentioned above. The F-150 can also be equipped with a factory-installed trailer brake controller, which was previously offered only on Super Duty models.
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| The 5.4-litre, 3-valve V8 produces 310 horsepower and 365 lb-ft of torque on regular gasoline. |