2015 AutoGuide.com Truck of the Year: Part 1
2015 Ford F-150
By now you have likely heard about Ford’s use of an all-aluminum body for the new F-150, but there is so much else to talk about that it’s difficult to pick a starting point.
If there is one area where the F-150 disappoints me, it’s the interior. The materials are all upgraded and it feels modern, but the center stack is still overwhelmed with buttons, the trailer brake controller is situated low (near your right knee) and overall, the new dash isn’t as visually appealing as its competitors. It still feels the most utilitarian of the big three half-tons, mostly thanks to how many black plastic surfaces there are.
FAST FACTS
Engine: 3.5L EcoBoost with 365 HP 420 lb-ft of torque.
Transmission: Six-speed automatic.
Max. towing: 12,000 lbs.
At tested price: $61,485.
Base Price: $26,615 ($22,994 CDN).
That’s pretty much where my complaints end because the F-150 feels like something brand new in the half-ton segment. Nimble is the first and most appropriate word to describe how the truck performs without a load. Unlike other half-tons that tend to push wide in corners, the F-150 tucks in and feels planted. Extremely progressive steering helps to keep things light at low speeds and tight on the highway with a feeling of connection between the steering wheel and the road.
Besides being a handling champ, the amount of new technology features fitted to the F-150 make it an extremely useful tool. A new 360-degree camera that can show you what is in front of your truck along with a bird’s eye view is a massive help with parking in tight spots, while spotlights on the mirrors can illuminate the area to either side of the truck if you’re navigating a job site after sundown. It’s helpful technologies like these that go a long way toward selling trucks.
All of the traits that make the F-150 such a good truck when it’s empty carry over to it as a towing tool. The 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 seems to be getting better with age. It produces so much of is torque at low RPM that the motor never seems to breathe hard when you ask for more power, but the power is always there when you want it.
The FX4 package my test truck had comes with upgraded shocks that let it eat up rocks and bumps reasonably. On the downside, there is a new plastic air dam underneath the front bumper that is meant to improve fuel economy, but it also decreases ground clearance.
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