Review Of 2009 Ford F-150

Remember when you were a kid, you must have had those tiny little trucks with big but flimsy plastic tires, the reason I saying this is because Ford have taken that ‘ hot wheels’  kind-a truck and built the F150. It is, without a shadow of a doubt, an enormous pick up truck, it is so big that it good put up good fight with most of the full-fledged trucks, maybe even send them packing. Ford have employed their engineers to design a pick-up truck that could move the earth while having the comfort of  your everyday luxury sedan, the result, competitors wet their pants and are forced to hit the drawing board.

What drives this monster, is a 4.6Liter, 16-valve V-8 pumping out a 248bhp at 294lb/ft of torque; there also are engine variants such as a 4.6Liter SOHC 24-valve V-8 giving a 292-hp @ 320lb/ft; and a 5.4Liter  SOHC 24-valve V-8  churning out a 310 to 320-bhp @ 365-390lb-ft of torque.

The engine is mounted in front but is a rear-wheel-drive or a four-wheel-drive depending on what you choose. There is a choice in transmissions too, a four speed automatic or a six-speed automatic.

The cabin sits on a fully boxed frame to act as a more rigid fully-flat platform. The suspension concepts from the previous models are carried forward, the front suspension consists of coil-over shocks with double A-arms. The lower control arm is made of stronger stamped-steel. The rear-suspension consists of leaf-springs that are six inches longer.Depending on which wheelbase and towing option is selected, Ford has introduced two separate steering ratios to minimize the numb feel.

I think ford have tried to provide all their customers with their own unique F150, because there are millions and millions of configurations. The engine was one of them then; there are the seven different trim packages with three types of grilles, three cab configurations and three bed boxes. There might be around 60 different packages depending on how you count.

The ford also features new technologies like Eco-Boost (a V-6 with V-8 power) .The vastly improved Gen-II SYNC technology helps provide updates and directions to the cheapest gas-stations , the year schedule of your favorite football team, a seven-day weather report about the local area and plenty of music options. The pop-out tailgate step and arm-hold sidesteps for easy access into the bed are nice and handy to have plus, there is a new cargo management system that has separators to clip in which make it simple to load your stuff, along with tool and storage boxes.

Moving into the performance of the F150, Ford say, the F150 can do 0-60mph in less than 8 seconds which is bloody fast. The sound train of the F150 is pretty darn good too.

It has the largest payload capability at 3030 pounds and the highest towing capacity of 11,300 pounds, way more than any vehicle in the segment. The advanced integrated brake controller also includes an anti-sway design.

The four-wheel-drive system features a push-button rear-locking differential for more traction, and also much bigger, standard all-terrain tires with custom wheels. There are four 20 inch wheel choices. The shock absorbers worked brilliantly. All these features had tackled the rocky off-road terrain with ease.

The average fuel consumption was not bad either for the amount of lugging and carrying it does and the massive engine it has. Recently released EPA numbers list the 5.4-liter V-8 rated at 14mpg in the city and 18mpg on the highway and with its new Super Fuel Economy F-150 rated a 15 on city roads and the highway recorded 21mpg. Plus, there are the Eco-Boost V-6s should raise the mileage bar even higher. Ford wanted to achieve more mileage on the F150 and they got it.

All in all, it is a pick –up truck that has become a milestone in its category. The F150 has a price range of $22,270-$44,860.

Ford is also planning on a 2010 F150 model called the F150 Raptor, which is more for adventure sports and mad-ass off-roading, because it is based on the BAHA series. Some of the specs released by ford are: 5.4 liter V8, same FFV engine putting out 320bhp @ 390lb/ft of torque and also a 6.0liter V8 blasting out 400bhp @ 400lb-ft of torque; Fox racing shock absorbers and a cast aluminum SVT front control arm. This car will be able to drill holes in mountains and treat the Grand Canyon like child’s play. Can’t wait to see it in action.