T My workhorse is a thoroughbred
Ford’s immensely popular F-150 is also a luxury vehicle
ALK about a runaway success story. The Ford F-Series has been North America’s best selling vehicle for decades and this year it cements its market leadership with a host of improvements. Just how dominant is Ford’s full-size pickup? Try these stats: More than 32 million F-Series have been made to date and on average two are sold every minute. Last year, the F-Series business was worth $41 billion, bigger than Coca-Cola, Facebook and Nike.
What’s more, Ford’s perennial sales champ is effectively among the best-selling luxury brands in the US, second only to MercedesBenz. That’s because the average cost of the F-Series Super Duty range is $53,000, which qualifies as luxury-vehicle territory.
Overall, in 2017, Ford sold nearly 900,000 F-Series, comfortably outpacing the combined 800,000 total of GM’s Chevrolet Silverado and GMC’s Sierra. (However, GM’s new generation full-size trucks are on the way later this year — see story below.)
For the 2018 model year, Ford introduced a number of important upgrades. The design is refreshed with a new grille, bumpers, lighting, tailgate and wheels. A new 3.3-liter V6 engine replaces the previous 3.5-liter motor, and is joined by a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 and 5.0-liter V8, with more power and torque.
The beefiest F-150 gasoline engine remains the 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V6, with 375 horsepower and 470lb foot of torque. A new 3.0-liter diesel engine, boasting 440lb foot of torque and 30 mpg potential, joins the lineup. All powerplants except the 3.3-liter are now paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. (The base engine has a sixspeed automatic.)
The performance king of the F-150 range is the Raptor, a 450 horsepower monster that has been dubbed the Porsche 911 of off-road vehicles. The Raptor started life as a side project for Ford on a shoestring budget, but has turned into a big hit and happens to outsell Porsche’s entire range in the US market.
The 2018 upgrade story on the F-150 interiors focuses on new colors, materials and options. Ford’s original Sync infotainment system has gone from a laughingstock to front-runner in the form of today’s Sync 3, now buttressed by optional 4G LTE Wi-Fi connectivity and Bang & Olufsen audio.
A slew of driver aids and active safety features, from adaptive cruise control to forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, bring a level of sophistication that one would not expect in a full-size truck.
So compelling is the Ford truck that this auto writer decided to purchase one. With a 30-acre horse farm, I have a clear need for a full-size pickup truck.
The purchase process, however, is not exactly straightforward. The number of body, cab and engine choices, options and variations is staggering. One learns that the more desirable options (advanced infotainment, comfort, driver aids and safety features) are usually expensive, so it makes more sense to purchase the packages, which leads to selecting higher trim levels. In going upscale, I followed a path trodden by many F-150 buyers who want their vehicle to fill two primary roles — as a capable utility vehicle and as comfortable, well-equipped long-distance transport for up to five adults.
So far, my Ford experience is living up to expectations. My F-150 Limited is serving double duty as a workhorse and a quiet and comfortable luxury vehicle. Like millions of other consumers, I am a happy F-150 owner.