It’s hard to argue with a success story like the Ford F- Series. It has been North America’s best selling vehicle for decades and this year it cements its market leadership with a host of improvements.
Just how dominant is Ford’s full-size pick-up? Try these statistics; more than 32 million F-Series have been made to date and on average two are sold every minute.
Obviously US buyers love the F-Series, and so does Ford. Last year, the F-Series business was worth $41 billion, that’s bigger than Coca-Cola, Facebook or Nike.
What’s more, Ford’s perennial sales champ is effectively among the best selling luxury brands in the US, second only to Mercedes-Benz. That’s because the average transaction cost of the F-Series Super Duty range is $53,000, which qualifies as luxury vehicle territory. So, with more than 340,000 highly profitable Super Duty models bought annually, Ford is riding high.
Overall, in 2017, Ford sold nearly 900,000 F-Series, comfortably outpacing the combined 800,000 total of GM’s Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra models. However’s GM’s new generation full-size trucks are on the way later this year, and they will be out to steal Ford’s thunder.
So far in 2018, however, the F-Series’ popularity continues unabated. “March represented a strong start to the spring selling season for both Ford and the industry. We saw incredible demand for our trucks and SUVs, selling over 87,000 F-Series pickups,” said Mark LaNeve, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service.
For the 2018 model year, Ford introduced a number of important upgrades to the F-150. The design is refreshed with a new grille, bumpers, lighting, tailgate and wheels.
Under the hood, a new base 3.3-liter V6 engine replaces the previous 3.5-liter motor, and is joined by a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6 and 5.0-liter V-8, both updated with more power and torque.
The beefiest F-150 gasoline engine remains the 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V-6, with 375 hp and 470 lb ft of torque. A new 3.0-liter diesel engine, boasting 440 lb ft of torque and 30-mpg potential, joins the F-150 line-up for the first time this spring. All these powerplants, but the 3.3-liter, are now paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission (the base engine has a six-speed automatic).
The performance king of the F-150 range is the Raptor, a 450-hp monster that has been dubbed by the media as the Porsche 911 of off-road vehicles. The Raptor started life as a side project for Ford on a shoestring budget, but has turned into a big hit and happens to outsell Porsche’s entire range in the US market.
The 2018 upgrade story on the F-150 interiors focuses on new colors, materials and options. Ford’s original Sync infotainment system has gone from an embarrassment to a front-runner in the form of today’s Sync 3, now buttressed by optional 4G LTE Wi-Fi connectivity and a deluxe Bang & Olufsen audio system.
A slew of driver aids and active safety features, from adaptive cruise control to forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, bring a level of sophistication that one would not expect in a full-size truck.
The total package is sufficiently convincing that most reviewers have declared the F-150 the best of today’s full-size trucks, even as GM and FCA’s Ram division ready their latest competitors.
Evidently many consumers share press enthusiasm for the F-150. So compelling is the Ford truck that this auto writer decided to join the crowd and purchase one. With a 30-acre horse farm, I have a clear need for a full-size pick-up truck. My 2011 Chevy Silverado has served well for towing and hauling duties, but it was showing its age and it made sense to give Ford a chance to prove its mettle.
The purchase process, however, is not exactly straightforward. Whether you’re buying a new full-size truck from GM, Ford, Ram, Nissan or Toyota, the number of body, cab and engine choices, options and variations is staggering. And it’s little surprise that Ford, as market leader, offers probably the widest spread of models of all. For a newbie, the ordering process was a bit baffling at times, with numerous features and packages to consider.
One learns that the more desirable options – advanced infotainment, comfort, driver aids and safety features – are usually expensive options so it makes more sense to purchase the packages, which leads to selecting higher trim levels. In my case I started with the XLT but progressed up the ranks to the Platinum version, and eventually the Limited model. My version had the SuperCrew cab, 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine, with leather seating, trim and the short bed. As equipped, the purchase price had crept well into the $60,000 range, but several thousand dollars of incentives helped trim the final tab.
In going upscale on the trim and features on my truck, I followed a path trodden by many F-150 buyers who want their vehicle to fill two primary roles; as a capable, utility vehicle and as a very comfortable, well-equipped long distance vehicle for up to five adults. One benefit of the SuperCrew cab is that the voluminous rear compartment can carry lots of bulky cargo instead of passengers with the seats folded up.
As for the truck bed, it made sense to improve its functionality and security by adding a folding, lockable cover. There are several aftermarket covers available but we decided the best option was the G4 Elite model from Michigan company, Steffen Enterprises (www.foldacover.com). It’s easy to install and the folding top can be completely removed if necessary for carrying taller items.
Beyond a cover there are many interesting and useful items – bed extenders, ramps, tie down systems, you name it – sold by manufacturers and aftermarket companies to make the truck more useful.
So far my Ford experience is living up to expectations. My F-150 Limited is serving double duty as a workhorse and a quiet and comfortable luxury vehicle. Like millions of other American consumers, I am finding the F-150 is a smart choice.
