In the world of pick ups, it’s getting harder and harder to decide which brand to choose.
Luckily, the new 2018 F150 has a few tricks up its sleeve to help you make that decision.
With a slightly new facelift, the F150 maintains the new aluminum alloy body introduced in 2015. On certain configurations it can save up to 700 in weight. To help move that along, Ford has brought an updated 3.5L ecoboost to the table, making it still to this day the only manufactures to use turbos in a pickup. There is also word they are releasing a diesel engine for the half tonne in the coming year.
If you venture into the dark parts of the internet you may find forum after forum bashing the turbo and calling them unreliable. It’s difficult to take this as gospel when the F150 is still, after many decades, the best selling half tone truck on the market.
The vehicle I️ took out was equipped with a 5.0L N/A V8, also upgraded for the 2018 model year. With a decent amount of pickup (no pun intended) I️ was surprised to find how quickly it could get moving, making it easier to get up to speed on a on ramp or overtaking someone.
The interior sees no new changes from the previous model year. It does however pack a massive amount of tech. With optional 360 degree camera, blind spot monitor, massage seats and auto high beam headlamps, it’s anything but “bare bones”. How long these accoutrements are expected to last in a vehicle that you're supposed to beat up is beyond me. That being said, every driver aid and comfort worked perfectly while I️ had it.
When I️ think of a truck I️ think of nitty gritty, bare bones, get the job done. It’s there for one purpose and it’s to work. Its difficult to justify 70 - 90K on a truck that has an entire roof made of glass (not the best for job sites I imagine). However, if you look across the board, every company is going in the same direction and Ford seems to be the trailblazer.
Driving downtown was a big learning curve for me. I’m used to my little hatchback, so driving down narrow city streets was very daunting at first. It gave me an idea of what driving one every day would be like, or would have been like. Cursing under your breath and flinching every time you try to perform a tight maneuver. Fortunately, the 360 degree camera shows every angle, giving you the confidence to enter that ally you didn’t think you’d fit in or the narrow parking garage you thought more than twice about entering.
Ultimately, when it comes down to it, Ford and other companies have figured out that some people just want to buy a truck, even if they don’t need one. They’ve added more and more creature comforts throughout the years, enabling a once work horse to become a daily driver to an office job.
