Is the best Ford can do good enough?
Written: Nov 10 '03 (Updated Jun 20 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Refinement, upscale interior, taut handling, seats, innovation everywhere
Cons: Overweight, overly taut ride, rear doors do not open 180 degrees, high price
The Bottom Line: The new F-150 amazes with its refinement, most notably the most upscale interior ever to grace a pickup. Will this be enough to justify a premium price?
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| mkaresh's Full Review: 2004 Ford F150 SuperCab 4WD |
I’ve never owned a pickup, and possibly never will. But I just had to drive the redesigned Ford F-150 as soon as it appeared on dealers' lots.
Why? Ford's financial health has been shaky lately, and no product is more critical to this health than the company's full-size pickup, the F-150. This truck, the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. for the last quarter-century, contributes a major chunk of Ford's sales and profits. Consequently, as goes the new truck, so goes the company. Well aware of the stakes, Ford spared little when fully redesigning its large pickup for 2004. (Partly as a result, the new F-150 is much more expensive to build than the old one.) Given the importance of the new F-150 and the amount of effort Ford put into it, I felt compelled to check it out. Since I’m not used to how large trucks drive, I also drove a Chevrolet and Dodge for comparison.
Note: This review is identical to that posted under the general F-150 heading, except that I've added a section on reliability.
Ford F-150 Reliability
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First-year designs from domestic brands are often troublesome. Will this be true of the new F-150? On the one hand, if Ford could get any product right straight out of the box it would be this one, as they no doubt threw scads of their top talent at this truck. On the other, this was a very complex program, and recent first-year Fords (Focus, Escape) have been especially troublesome.
If the truck does prove troublesome, I hope Ford dealers know more about this product than the Contour I recently disposed of. Even in the Detroit area I experienced much difficulty finding a dealer with a skilled and personable service department. I once asked a dozen Ford owners if they knew of a good Ford service department, and they all said no.
Many, Many Choices
But which one? The new F-150 comes in five different models: base XL (work truck), low-end sporty STX, midrange XLT (which will probably be most popular), high-end sporty, off-road ready FX4, and luxurious Lariat.
Trim lines are just the beginning of the choices. Three bodies are available: regular cab, SuperCab (rear seat accessed by rear-hinged half doors), and SuperCrew (larger rear seat accessed by four conventional doors). Going up one size cab will cost you about $2,500. Three bed lengths are available: 5.5, 6.5, and 8 feet. The 6.5 comes in both regular and Flareside styles. Going up a bed size costs $300, while the Flareside will set you back another $845.
For 2004 two engines are available, both V8s: a largely carryover 231-horsepower 4.6-liter and an extensively upgraded 300-horsepower 5.4-liter. The latter, with three valves per cylinder and variable timing for higher efficiency and a broader torque curve, produces 365 foot-pounds of torque at 3750 RPM. For 2005 there will be additional engines, includes a V6 and a supercharged V8. A manual transmission should also be available in later years. For now, either engine hooks up to a four-speed automatic. Although this automatic is supposedly “new,” I would expect another before too long, as Dodge and (soon) Nissan offer five-speed units.
Drivetrains include rear-wheel-drive, mechanical shift-on-the-fly four-wheel-drive, and electronic shift-on-the-fly four-wheel-drive. Unlike in Ford’s large SUVs, automatically engaging all-wheel-drive is not available. As in other large pickups, many different axle ratios with and without limited slip are available to suit different needs (highway economy, towing, etc.). Although the new truck is only available in light-duty, “half-ton” form, suitably configured it can carry up to 3,000 pounds or tow up to 9,500.
The FX4 and Lariat come standard with a 40/20/40 bench like other F-150s, but as an option they offer buckets separated by a full center console that flows cleanly into the dash and mounts the shifter, a first in this class. (Even the performance-oriented Chevy Silverado SS has a column-mounted shifter.) This option is less practical, but to a car guy like myself it takes full-size pickups in a whole new direction.
Although every possible combination of the above is not available, the range of variants is staggering and will only become more so in later years as additional powertrains are added.
Further complicating matters this year, the old F-150 will continue to be sold alongside the new one. Ford did this the last time the truck was redesigned, for the 1996 model year. At least this time around the aesthetic jump is not as drastic.
I’m not going off-road, so the faux-wood trimmed, city slicker Lariat probably best fits how I would use such a vehicle. But I prefer the rugged yet sophisticated styling of the FX4. I also felt that the SuperCab with 6.5-foot standard bed represented the optimal combination of functionality and maneuverability. (I suspect this configuration will be most popular with non-commercial buyers.) The SuperCrew is available only with the shortest bed, and the 8-foot bed is available only on the XL and XLT and makes for one ungainly 248-inch long truck when paired with the SuperCab. At 230 inches, the SuperCab with 6.5 bed is already a lot of vehicle. As luck would have it, the only F-150 I could find to drive was this configuration. (Even this one might have been pre-sold—one salesman thought so, but the other was willfully ignorant of its status.)
Styling
The F-150’s styling has been updated much like the Explorer’s was for 2002 and the Expedition’s was for 2003. Almost too prissy for a truck curves have given way to a more formal, more massive, broader-shouldered look. Unlike the last time around, the new truck is not clearly a step ahead of the old one, it’s just different. The new sheetmetal is much less striking than the Dodge Ram's (click for my review), and even less distinctive than the aero-influenced old truck’s, but to my eye it is the most refined and handsome among large pickups. It is hard to imagine it ever looking old or dated, already the fate of GM’s current pickups. Like on Ford’s heavy-duty pickups the front side window dips down to lend the styling one brand-specific detail and perhaps permit the large side mirrors to be mounted a bit lower. The largest wheels are 18s, and though no match for the cartoonish 20s available on the Ram they further enhance the truck’s bold stance.
While the exterior styling is clearly evolutionary, the interior is revolutionary. I’ve already mentioned the available full center console. In comparison, the center console in GM’s trucks, clumsily integrated with the instrument panel, looks even more pathetic than it already did. The tall, cylindrical, chrome-trimmed shift lever might be a bit too space-age, and it could feel smoother, but it catches the eye and demonstrates the extent of Ford’s desire to reinvent the pickup cabin. The click, square-edged styling of the leather-trimmed buckets looks very upscale. The pebbled texture of the FX4’s black “sport” leather further connotes this is one tough yet ritzy truck. (Want leather in something other than black? Tan leather is available only in the Lariat.)
Although the XL and STX share a non-tach instrument cluster, the other three trim lines have six-gauge clusters that not only differ in graphics (cream faces in the Lariat, for example) but in the location of the gauges. Varying the latter can be costly, and I don’t see the point. Some subtle differences in preferences might be involved, but I imagine any of the three gauge layouts would have been fine with pretty much everyone. So perhaps they tried too hard, and have added unnecessary cost as a result.
Aside from these interior features, what most impresses is the level of fit and finish in the interior. The materials might not be suitable for a Lexus, but they’re nicer than any other Ford I’ve been in. Fits and seams appear very precise, which is rarer than it should be in domestic vehicles. After test driving this truck and wondering why Ford doesn’t outfit its cars this well I read a review (in Automobile? that ventured the same question. Between the styling and the materials, the new F-150’s interior shames those in other domestic pickups.
Accommodations
The front buckets first impress with their size. They feel like thrones. Then there is the matter of design. The comparison between them and the front seats in the competition resembles that between modern furniture and a traditional American sofa. Okay, maybe not quite that large a difference, but it’s getting there. These seats are considerably firmer than the pickup norm, such that you sit on them rather than in them. They possess side bolsters, but these are too widely spaced to serve any function for all but the widest people. I found these seats comfortable, but traditional pickup buyers might find them somehow foreign.
As expected in such a vehicle, visibility forward and to the sides is excellent. To the rear it’s not so good owing to the tall, distant rear end. I would highly recommend the optional reverse sensing system. I don’t see the point of such systems in most cars, but here I see the point. The truck I drove lacked this option, but based on similar systems in other vehicles I’ve driven it should work well.
The driving position is the most carlike of the domestic trucks. The Chevrolet is similar, while the Dodge seat is mounted so high I found myself planting my left foot flat on the floor—no need for a dead pedal. In the Ford you could almost be in a car, if one with large seats positioned well above the ground. In the Dodge you’re clearly in a truck.
Given the truck’s height off the ground, the optional tubular steps were a great help getting in and out. The Chevrolet and Dodge trucks I drove lacked such steps (though they are available either from the factory or aftermarket), and getting in and out was much harder, especially with the latter. (The Chevrolet’s seating position is the lowest of the three.) Especially if you are short or have kids, you’re going to want some form of step with any of these trucks.
When Chevrolet introduced fully redesigned pickups five years ago they eclipsed the competition in rear seat comfort, for the first time offering a rear seat in an extended cab with enough knee room and enough angle to the backrest to seat adults in adequate comfort. Well, the GM product is now the granddaddy of the bunch. When Dodge introduced its new truck last year, it offered an even roomier rear seat. Now it’s Ford’s turn to offer the best of the bunch. Unlike Ford and Chevrolet, Dodge offers only a single extended cab model with four conventional doors. Although the Ford SuperCab still uses rear-hinged half-doors, it contains a roomier, more comfortable rear seat than the Dodge. The SuperCrew rear seat offers another six inches of rear legroom, but unless the front seats will be most of the way back (i.e. for tall people up front) the SuperCab’s rear seat provides enough room for medium-sized adults, and more than enough for children.
The SuperCab’s rear doors might be rear-hinged, but unlike before (and still in the GM products) they contain windows that fully retract rather than just pop out. One major innovation was missed, however. I’ve been told that rear-hinged doors can be difficult to use in parking lots, as you end up with insufficient room to move about alongside the vehicle when parked next to another vehicle with both doors open. Nissan’s upcoming large pickup solves this problem with a rear-hinged door that opens 180-degrees. The Ford’s just opens about 90. Could be an argument for the SuperCrew…
An optional power sliding rear window is another first with this truck. No power folding rear seat (yet), though.
As in all large pickups beginning with the 1993 Dodge Ram, cargo compartments within the cabin are generously sized. Ford offers an innovative track system that fits various accessories as well as storage on the ceiling, but this was replaced in the truck I drove by an optional sunroof. Yes, a sunroof in a large pickup. They must really be targeting people used to cars…
Even regular cabs have small rear-hinged doors to provide better access to an enlarged internal cargo area.
Unlike the Chevrolet but like the Dodge the SuperCab’s folding rear seat is split 60/40. Unlike the Dodge, there are no nifty storage compartments beneath it, but this frees up a big more volume.
The new pickup beds are a couple of inches deeper than the norm. To my eye this significantly enhances their cargo volume. However, one review I’ve read suggested this together with the Ford’s height (GM products sit a bit lower) makes it hard to reach into the bed and grab stuff. Unfortunately, I did not check this out, but will the next time I have the chance. An innovative torsion bar makes the tailgate easier to open and close than other pickups.
On the Road
The styling and interior comfort of the new F-150 suggest a better-driving truck. Is this accurate?
The FX4 comes standard with the three-valve, 5.4-liter V8. In comparison, the GM 5.3-liter produces five fewer horsepower and 35 fewer foot-pounds of torque. The latter seems an especially significant difference. The touted “Hemi” 5.7-liter in the Dodge kicks out 45 more horses, but only ten more units of torque—so in the midrange the two engines aren’t far apart. The Dodge also has another gear ratio to play with. How does all of this shake out? Well, even though I tested the GM engine in the Avalanche, which is heavier than the Silverado, it felt the perkiest of the three in normal despite having the weakest stats. Both the Ford and the Dodge have to be prodded more to get them to perk up. At full throttle the Dodge might well have the edge, but based on the seat of my pants the difference is too close to call. I suspect differences in mass counterbalance those in power. The truck I drove weighed about 5,700 pounds. (Glass sunroofs, step bars, the FX4’s standard skid plates, the stiffer longer frame…such features can add serious mass.) In comparison, a base GM 4WD extended cab truck weighs under 5000 pounds, though the 4WD Avalanche clocks in around 5,700. The Dodge falls between the two.
I also drove the Chevrolet Silverado in 345-horse SS form. It’s quicker.
Bottom line: Even with the revised 5.4 and optional 3.73 axle the Ford is hardly quick. I especially expected more passing power on the highway. What the Ford V8 is is quieter and smoother than the others. The Chevrolet produces considerably more intake roar with little provocation, while the Dodge’s Hemi produced so much mechanical noise at idle that I almost thought the salesman had grabbed the keys to a Cummins diesel by mistake. (The Hemi engine will later be available in Chrysler’s large cars; that should be interesting given its very trucky character.)
EPA ratings are 14/18 with four-wheel-drive (15/19 with rear-wheel-drive), similar to GM’s 15/18 and one mile-per-gallon better than Dodge’s 13/17. However, word-of-mouth suggests that real world fuel economy is best with the GM trucks. People I know with GM trucks typically report fuel economy in the 14-15 range, those with Fords in the 11-12 range (or worse). I suspect the additional weight of the Ford trucks, which forces their engines to work harder, is to blame.
Ford claims major frame and suspension improvements for better ride and handling. The frame is nine times stiffer than the old one, while the cabs are twice as stiff. The rear springs are wider, while the shocks are mounted outside the frame. The steering is rack-and-pinion, a first for four-wheel-drive trucks. (The Dodge uses rack-and-pinion with the rear-drive chassis only.) But how does it all pan out?
In character the new F-150 resembles the current Expedition: body motions feel more precisely and tightly controlled than in the competition, and the steering is firmer and also more precise. Lean in turns feels more restrained than in the others, especially the non-SS GM products. “Taut” comes to mind.
That said, the GM products handle more responsively and intuitively. They feel somehow more natural despite their overboosted, less precise steering. The Ford in comparison feels technically superior but distant.
Another downside the large Fords share: a faintly jiggly ride over minor pavement imperfections. “Taut” has a price. Granted, I drove the F-150 in FX4 form, which includes a stiff, off-road-ready suspension. But the Expedition feels much the same, and the current Explorer does as well, so I suspect this jiggle is inherent in Ford’s suspension philosophy. Throwing some mass in the back might help. I’ve long noted in Consumer Reports that, unlike most cars, Ford’s cars often ride better when heavily loaded. If this is true for the cars, it must also be true for the trucks, which are designed to carry loads. In short, Ford’s suspension philosophy might include optimizing the ride with the vehicle heavily loaded.
Noise of all forms is unexpectedly low in the new Ford. This is the common finding from my test drive: refinement, refinement, refinement. Did the Blackwood come a generation too soon?
I did not evaluate off-road performance, given that this was a test drive. I lack the skills at any rate. I would be surprised if the new FX4 did not perform well off the pavement, though. One nifty feature: the electronic throttle is more progressive in 4-low.
Safety
Like the GM trucks but unlike the Dodge, four-wheel anti-lock brakes are standard. On the other hand, side airbags (of the curtain variety) are only available in the Dodge. Traction control and stability control are not yet available on any of these four-wheel-drive trucks.
Pricing
As you might have noticed, I drove a truck with most of the available options. They add up. The sticker on my truck, which still lacked a few minor options (and the pricey Flareside bed), read $37,770. Go with the SuperCrew and check every box, and the sticker will easily top forty. Edmunds suggests dealers will discount the truck I drove to $35,000. Currently no rebate is available, though low-interest financing is.
Since many features on this truck are not even available on the competition, to get a sense of relative pricing it is better to look at an SuperCab XLT 4WD with the 5.4-liter engine, automatic, electronic 4WD, limited slip differential, rear defroster, power driver’s seat, alloy wheels, and towing package. I expect this will be a popular combination. This truck would list for $33,105, and $30,700 after the typical discount. (Note: Doing without four-wheel-drive would cut the price by over $3,000.)
A similarly equipped Chevrolet Silverado LS extended cab with 5.4-liter V8 lists for $32,080 with a heavily discounted “light duty power package.” (I suspect this package is intended to counteract Ford’s new truck.) After the typical discount and a $1,500 rebate, the cost drops to about $27,600.
A similarly equipped Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab with 5.7-liter V8 lists for $34,500. The typical discount and a $1,000 rebate take this down to about $30,600. So about dead even with the Ford.
The Chevrolet is the oldest truck here, and GM has priced it to compensate: the other two are $3,000 more, quite a difference. I see lower transaction prices from Ford and Dodge in the future, but in the case of the former perhaps only after it stops selling the old F-150 in 2005. Until then, the old truck can be used to keep price-sensitive buyers from defecting to GM.
Update: I ran the above numbers assuming that the Ford's electronic four-wheel-drive system (optional on XLT, standard on 4WD FX4 and Lariat) is a ful-time system, as the salesman claimed as much. But I see no such claim in the brochure, and Consumer Guide states that Ford offers only a part-time system in the F-150. If so, then I have overstated the price of the Chevrolet and Dodge by about $400. The new Ford just seems pricier and pricier.
Last Words
The new Ford F-150 impresses with its style, fit and finish, and all-around refinement. I cannot recall ever finding a standard full-size pickup so appealing. The truck's major weakness is too much poundage even for its new, stronger engine. Overall, the new pickup shows what Ford can do when it pours talent and money into the development of a vehicle.
But can the new F-150 recoup its large investment and relatively high manufacturing costs? Can it bring good times back to Dearborn? That remains to be seen. The Chevrolet and especially the Dodge seem very trucky after a drive in the Ford. But the new Ford is priced far above the Chevrolet, and I’m unsure how many people will be willing to pay the premium. A few months will tell.
To learn more about my reliability research and sign up to participate in it, visit www.truedelta.com.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 37,770
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