‘Party up front, business in the back’
Top of the line F-150 offers luxurious cab detailing and truck-stop good looks
You may be aware Ford’s F-150 pickup trucks have been the bestselling vehicle in Canada for an astonishing 47 years. This stalwart workhorse has earned a special place in the hearts and minds of the country’s cowboys, farmers and construction workers. With roots going back to the 1948 FSeries truck, more than 34 million units have been sold through 12 generations. The early 1948 models replaced Ford’s passenger car-based pickups that predated the Second World War.
The F-150’s goals have come full circle in a certain way. The workhorse capabilities are still there but many buyers are no longer satisfied with just impressive cargo and towing capacities. They want luxury car accoutrements in the cab, truck-stop good looks, hybrid-car manners at the fuel pump and load-carrying ability out back. Dare I call it a reverse Mullet truck — “all party up front and business in the back?”
For this review of the 2014 F-150 Lariat 4X4 Limited, I had a specific mission to accomplish before my week with the truck was done. There was a 1950s-era Logan metalworking lathe waiting for me in North Andover, Mass., 20 minutes northwest of Boston. This 800-pound chunk of industrial cast iron would provide a modest load for the F-150 and I was sure to haul home some extra tooling and metal for a final tally of approximately 1,200 lbs., not far off the 1,900-lb. limit (with the Trailer Tow Package).
That payload limit can be raised to 2,620 lbs. with the optional Heavy Duty Package.
The trip down to New England would offer a few hours of interstate highway cruising to assess the creature comforts of this luxurious man cave on wheels.
First, let’s take a look at the styling of Ford’s top-of-the-F-150-line truck. In the battle of the grilles among the domestic pickups, Ford reigns for the biggest, baddest mass of chrome seen since the 1950s. This is a trucker’s dream, with a bold surround and beefy crossbars flanked by high-intensity discharge headlights. There’s more chrome, thanks to the front bumper that also contains a pair of fog lights.
Did you ever notice how truckers love lights? The limited doesn’t disappoint, with a double set of turn indicators, with the second pair incorporated into the giant side mirrors.
The rest of the F-150 has the aerodynamic lines of a big box. There are massive wheel arches at each corner to house the 22-inch aluminum alloy wheels, which are fitted with P275/45R22 Pirelli Scorpion all-season tires.
The Limited offers a choice of two power plants under the broad hood: the standard 3.5L V6 EcoBoost wonder, or the optional 6.2L V8. The EcoBoost uses twin turbochargers to deliver almost the same horsepower rating and torque but with better fuel mileage, 365 hp at 5,000 rpm vs. 411 hp at 5,500 rpm, 420 lb-ft of torque at 2,500 rpm vs. 434 lb-ft at 4,500 rpm.
The difference in those numbers that you can feel in the saddle are the torque numbers.
The EcoBoost is more willing at lower engine speeds, such as when driving around town or when pulling a heavy load.
Out on the open road heading toward Boston, the Limited serves up plenty of comfort. The perforated leather seats, heated or cooled at the touch of a button, are akin to a pair of La-Z-Boy recliners in your rumpus room at home. Generously sized proportions and unlimited adjustments
The Limited serves up plenty of comfort. The perforated leather seats, heated or cooled at the touch of a button, are akin to a pair of La-Z-Boy recliners in your rumpus room at home.
ensured our comfort, and a wide centre console ensured no elbow fights with my passenger.
For extra cargo space during our rain-filled trip south, we flipped the back seats up and kept our luggage dry. Only the audio system’s subwoofer interrupted the Ford’s flat floor.
I’ve had issues with the overly complicated instrumentation that Ford has been pushing and I was pleased to see some actual tactile buttons returning to the HVAC and audio. It just feels awkward to me to interrupt the conversation to talk to my vehicle, asking for more heat or a different radio station. The F-150 handled like a long truck with a high centre of gravity.
The view from the front seats is commanding because of the ride height but the boxiness of the hood and cargo box mean you can’t see close to the truck. A backup camera helps, as does the sonar parking aid, but there’s no substitute for learning where the four corners of your F-150 are.
To aid with ingress and egress to the Limited’s cab, Ford has given us automatically deployed power running boards. These supply endless fun to the casual spectator but I’d prefer a set of solidly mounted steps. Do you ever open your door to reach in for something in your vehicle? Zing, bang! The F-150 will give you a swift kick to the shin every time, like a grumpy old horse being shod. The ride on the smooth Interstate asphalt of Vermont and New Hampshire was fine with the unloaded F-150 but around Montreal, it was without a doubt a large pickup truck — we were reminded as each expansion joint on the Champlain Bridge was announced with a profound ha-boom, ha-boom. Rough pavement is hard to hide.
Overview: A fully capable cargo hauler with the bonus of a luxurious cab
Pros: EcoBoost 3.5L V6, spacious cab, cargo box access
Cons: Annoying powered running boards, bed extenders not easily removed, average fuel consumption when loaded