F-150 excels with new tech, features
Ford continues the rolling reinvention of America’s bestselling vehicle with the 2021 F-150 full-size pickup. The last entirely new F-150 revolutionized pickup bodies with the 2015 model year switch from steel to aluminum bodies. For 2021, the big changes are tech under the skin, though a crisp design, creative lighting and can’t miss ‘em grilles ensure nobody will mistake Ford’s new showpiece for last year’s model.
The F-150’s dimensions are nearly unchanged, out of respect for the fact that it’s easier to get a new truck than a bigger garage.
The 2021 F-150 doesn’t skimp on growth in other areas. It’ll be one of the first vehicles – alongside the Mach-E electric SUV – to offer Ford’s new hands-free highway driving system later this year. Standard connectivity for over the air updates will add other new features throughout the F-150’s working life.
The hybrid has three big selling points: It’s the most powerful F-150 with 430 horsepower and 570 pound-feet of torque, most fuel-efficient at an a EPArated 25 mpg combined city/highway and can power your house or a full work site without the racket of a portable generator. An all-electric F-150 is in the works, but not due to hit the road until 2022.
The interior features a 12-inch, landscape-oriented touch screen. The shifter stows flat in the center console – only when the truck’s in park – creating a flat work surface big enough for laptops, invoices or a large Detroit-style pizza. Front seats can recline flat for naps at the end of the shift or middle of a long drive.
Towing capacity tops out at 14,000 pounds.
The F-150 isn’t just about new tech, though. A few deceptively simple features will have competitors smacking their foreheads for not thinking of them first: running boards that extend slightly
behind the cab for easy front-of-bed access, and a work-friendly tailgate with built-in measuring stick, cellphone holder and c-clamp receivers.
The 2021 Ford F-150 also gets my vote for North American Truck of the Year.
At a glance
● Full-size pickup
● Model range: Rear- and fourwheel-drive; regular, extended and crew cab; 5.5-, 6.0- and 8-foot beds
● Six engines, including hybrid; 2.7l and 3.5L twin-turbo V6; 5.0L V8, 3.3L V6 and 3.0L V6 diesel
● 10-speed automatic transmission
● Price range: $28,940-$74,250
● Hybrid EPA estimated mpg: 25 mg city/26 highway/25 combined (reardrive)
● Available safety/assist features: Auto brake hold; automatic high beams; forward collision warning and brake support; hill start assist; pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection
Second place: 2021 Ram TRX
Ram engineers over-performed developing the 702-hp Ram 1500 TRX. They could’ve shoehorned a supercharged 6.2L Hemi into a pickup and called it a day.
The result would’ve been hugely profitable, barely drivable, point-andshoot unguided missiles, but Fiat Chrysler would have sold every one on curiosity value alone.
Instead, Ram’s overachieving engineers built what’s very nearly an allnew truck, packed with chassis, suspension and electronic updates. The TRX is unique: a tractable grocery getter that can also leap off sand dunes, crawl over boulders, accelerate to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and negotiate slick pavement sans spinouts.
Interior upgrades make the TRX special even when it’s standing still: perforated leather seats, suede and carbon fiber trim and 900-watt Harman Kardon audio are just some of the available features. Functional goodies include a TRX-exclusive console shifter, launch control and multiple drive modes and off-road performance pages.
At a glance
● Full-size high-performance 4WD crew cab pickup
● Base price: $69,995
● Supercharged 702-hp 6.2L Hemi V8 engine
● Eight-speed automatic transmission
EPA estimated mpg: 10 mpg city/14 highway/12 highway
Third place: 2021 Jeep Gladiator Mojave
“Desert-rated” to leap over sand dunes in a single bound, according to Jeep, the Mojave tops off the lineup for the Gladiator midsize pickup alongside the Rubicon, which specializes more in low-speed rock-crawling.
Fox shock absorbers deliver a pleasant ride on paved surfaces, a side effect of being developed to land without knocking your teeth loose in high speed desert jumps. The sum is a suspension that’s probably better suited for comfort in everyday driving than the rockclimbing setup Jeep usually leans toward.
Other revisions include a low-range of gears that lets you hit 50 mph – insanity on twisty boulder strewn mountain trails, but exactly what desert racers want. You can also dial in a little wheelspin for controlled slides through deep sand.
The Mojave also offers Jeep’s popular removable roof panels and soft top options.
At a glance
● Midsize, crew cab off-road 4WD performance pickup
● Price range: $43,895
● 2-85 hp 3.6L V6 engine
● Eight-speed automatic transmission
● Base model EPA estimated mpg: 16 mpg city/23 highway/19 combined