Posted on Feb 26, 2018 in
AUTO REVIEW
absolutely! AUTO REVIEW | By Steve Kursar –
The 2018 Ford F-150 is the current Truck of Texas as voted on by the Texas Auto Writers Association. This latest generation was introduced in 2015 with an impressive military-grade aluminum body that reduced weight without sacrificing capability. Now, for the 2018 model year, Ford introduced a powertrain lineup for the F-150 that puts this pickup truck a clear step ahead of its closest competitor.
It may be hard to believe but the latest F-150 is the thirteenth generation of this Ford truck. The very first F-Series pickup was introduced in 1948. Comparatively tiny by today’s standards, the F-Series trucks were built for work and were relatively sparse when it came to the type of creature comforts that car owners enjoy today. Truck owners cared about capability and towing ratings and not much else. Today’s truck owners demand much more, and this Ford certainly delivers in a very big way.
What pushes this latest version of the F-150 in front of the competition are the powertrain offerings giving buyers a range of engine options not offered by any other company. The base model, with an MSRP of $27,610, was configured for fleet buyers so most consumers won’t get to drive its 290 hp, 3.3 liter V6 engine. Most truck buyers will have the option to begin their choice of engines with the 325 hp, 2.7 liter EcoBoost V6 engine. This relatively small powerplant will astonish any veteran pickup owner used to driving only big V8 engines. Able to deliver EPA estimated fuel economy numbers of 20 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway, this engine is powerful and lively.
For those of you old-school pickup owners who need that V8 sound and feel, the 395 hp, 5.0 liter (17 mpg city, 23 mpg highway) will do nicely. The next engine available is the 375 hp, 3.5 liter EcoBoost V6 that gets 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. The iconic F-150 Raptor gets the roaring 450 hp, 3.5 liter High-Output EcoBoost V6 that’s about as close to a racing engine as you can get in a street legal truck. All F-150 engines, except for the base engine, are mated to a new 10-speed transmission.
Ford’s F-Series trucks have been the best selling U.S. vehicles for the past 40 years in a row. This latest F-150 is sure to help make it 41 years.
