2009 Ford F-150

America's favorite pickup has been redesigned, with a smoother ride, more power, and better gas mileage

By Thane Peterson

Editor's Rating:

The Good: Better fuel economy, quieter ride, bigger crew cab, rebates

The Bad: No hybrid version, engines still not as powerful as rivals'

The Bottom Line: America's top-selling vehicle gets better for '09

Reader Reviews

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Up Front

There's one market in which the Detroit Three remain the clear leaders: full-size pickup trucks. In small pickups, Toyota's (TM) Tacoma has all but destroyed the domestic competition: Last year, Toyota sold 144,655 of its little pickups despite a 16.8% drop in sales, only slightly less than the combined total sales of Ford's (F) Ranger, General Motors' (GM) Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon, and Chrysler's Dodge Dakota.

The situation is reversed when it comes to large pickups. Last year, Ford's F-Series was once again America's top-selling vehicle, even though sales fell 25.4%, to 515,513. The Chevy Silverado was No. 2 at 465,065, down 24.8%, but if you include the very similar GMC Sierra, GMwas the leader with full-size pickup sales of 633,609. Dodge was way behind but still managed to sell 245,840 Ram pickups last year, down 31%.

The best-selling non-Detroit model, the Toyota Tundra, is an also-ran by comparison. Last year, the Tundra's U.S. sales fell 30.4%, to a mere 137,249, even though the Tundra is newly redesigned and made in Texas. The other main contender, Nissan's (NSANY) Titan, saw its sales drop by almost half, to just 34,053. And no car model came close to matching the F-Series: Toyota sold only 436,617 of the No. 1 Camry last year.

So, if you're shopping for a full-size pickup, should the newly redesigned '09 Ford F-150 be at the top of your list? In a word, "Yes." Ford did a masterful job of improving the F- Series (which also includes the heavy duty F-250, F-350, and F-450) without making any radical changes that might alienate loyal longtime buyers. The styling is more macho, the interior a bit nicer, the engines slightly more powerful, mileage an average of 8% better, and the ride noticeably smoother. The company also added a number of cool new features while maintaining the F-150's enormous number of combinations of features, bed lengths, cabin sizes, and four-wheel versus rear-wheel drive.

There are three choices of engine in the '09 F-150, all V8s. The previous entry-level V6 has been replaced by a 4.6-liter, 248-horsepower V8 paired with a four-speed automatic. Far more desirable for most shoppers are a 4.6-liter V8 that generates 292 hp and a 5.4-liter V8 rated at 310 hp, both coupled with smooth-shifting, fuel-efficient six-speed automatics.

Starting prices range from $22,540 for an entry-level rear-wheel-drive XL with the small engine to $45,330 for the luxurious Platinum F-150 with a crew cab, four-wheel-drive, and the big engine. However, you'll pay less than list price if you buy anytime soon because Ford is offering $3,000 rebates on the '09 F-150 through March 31.

Ford claims the F-150 is now the safest truck in its class. The '09 earned five-star government crash-test ratings in every category except rollovers, where it got only three stars. It comes standard with stability and traction control, antilock brakes, and a full complement of airbags, including head-protecting side curtain bags.