Customization is key
You might not think personalization is important when you're dealing with something like a pickup truck, however, it can truly make or break a sale when it comes to customizing
your pickup the way
you need it. Trucks are workhorses, and if you have a specific job to do you want a specific tool to get it done. An
F-150 is that specific tool.
There's a reason the Ford F-150 outsells every other pickup by an astonishing amount. Take for example sales numbers for 2013 so far. While Chevrolet and GMC have sold collectively close to 26,000
Silverados and
Sierras, Ford has crushed them with the F-150 hitting close to the 38,000 mark in just the first four months of the year.
Living in the city, I would never need a pickup, however, should the desire ever arise I know which model I'd be heading to the showroom to purchase.
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| (Photo: Colin Styker) |
What is a Ford F-150?
More aptly, the question should be; What is the Ford F-Series? 65 years ago, Ford released a pickup that would become one of the bestselling vehicles in North America. Also known as the Ford Bonus-Built, the F-Series was designed as a “working vehicle” and was available with different cabs and chassis from the beginning.
The F-150, in particular, is the “baby” of the F-Series lineup. Amongst the likes of the F-250, F-350 and the SuperDuty trucks, the F-150 might be the smallest but it is still the mightiest in terms of sales and popularity.
Technicalities
There's an F-Series for everyone and anyone, and one to do every job, big or small. At the “bottom” sits the Ford F-150 XL with a starting price of $19,999. A the very top (excluding the specialized Ford F-150 SVT Raptor) sits the very pretty and very well-equipped Ford F-150 Limited. In the middle of the pack is my tester, a Ford F-150 XLT SuperCab 4x4 with a base price of $38,099 (and as-tested price of $44,504).
My particular 2013 F-150 XLT had the potent-enough 3.7L V6 good for 302 hp and 278 lb-ft of torque. The most powerful in the lineup is the 6.2L V8 (standard in the Raptor) which pumps out 411 hp and 434 lb-ft of torque. In between lies the 3.5L V6 EcoBoost -- Ford's shining star in the F-150 lineup - as well as the 5.0L V8. All of these engines are mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission.
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| My particular 2013 F-150 XLT had the potent-enough 3.7L V6 good for 302 hp and 278 lb-ft of torque. (Photo: Colin Styker) |
Driving the Ford F-150
As a city-dweller, driving a pickup can sometimes be challenging, but here's the thing with the Ford F-150: it doesn't matter. City, country, concrete, mud, grass, parking garage, field, it's at home anywhere. Even something as daunting as a pickup's size and girth is forgiven in the Ford F-150 thanks to its ease of movement, even in tight spaces (the back-up sensors help with that, of course).
Traversing rougher country roads was just as easy in the 2013 Ford F-150 XLT. With a transmission that performed rather like a sporty sedan, holding revs close to the 7,000 limit when my right foot tried to find the floor, this F-150 can seriously boogie. And that V6 sounds fantastic.
I often dislike the “disconnected” feel between the cabin and bed on pickups, and it's usually especially apparent when travelling over uneven terrain at speeds. However, thanks to Ford's fully boxed frame constructed of hydroformed high-strength steel, that disconnect is absent.
Forget about rocky, bumpy, loud truck suspension too in the Ford F-150. This thing rode like the Cadillac of pickups. With heavy-duty shocks as well as independent front and leaf spring/solid axle rear suspension, this truck was a pleasure to drive.
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| City, country, concrete, mud, grass, parking garage, field, the 2013 Ford F-150 XLT SuperCab 4X4 is at home anywhere. (Photo: Colin Styker) |
Inside and Out of the Ford F-150
The 2013 Ford F-150 XLT is a workhorse, it's not meant to be plush or luxurious, so it's not. There are models that are (King Ranch and Limited come to mind), however, in general the Ford F-150 cabin is purpose-driven. With large everything (seats, knobs, switches, steering wheel, door handles), the F-150's interior is spacious for occupants and items.
With seating available for six thanks to the bench seat up front that converts into the largest middle armrest ever, the 2013 Ford F-150 proved a great family truck. As this was only the SuperCab version, legroom is not enormous in the back seats, and the suicide doors are a bit obnoxious in crowded parking lots (since the front doors must be open a fair amount to get the rear doors open).
From the outside, the Ford F-150 is as handsome as ever. Pickups should have a presence on the road, and the determined masculine look of the F-150's front grille is both attractive and utilitarian.
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| With seating available for six thanks to the bench seat up front that converts into the largest middle armrest ever, the 2013 Ford F-150 proved a great family truck. (Photo: Colin Styker) |
Comparing the Ford F-150
In my mind, there is no comparison with the F-150. I've written about the
Go-To Car before, and the F-150 is the go-to truck. It is the “father” of the pickup, the one every other pickup tries desperately to be like. If you're in the market you could look to the Chevrolet Silverado or even the
GMC Sierra, but why?
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