It seems every full-size pickup truck we’ve gotten for testing in recent years comes in a mega-plush luxury version that’s fitted with hand-stitched leather upholstery and packs every amenity, at sticker prices that reach way into the $50,000 range.
Thus it was with a certain degree of anticipation we recently spent a week driving a rather unspectacularly adorned 2015 Ford F150 in XLT trim, which is one step up from the base model. Still big and beefy looking, the F150 was dramatically redesigned this year with extensive use of light-yetdurable aluminum — including the body panels — to help reduce the truck’s sheer mass for the sake of better fuel economy and overall performance.
Ford says it’s shaved about 700 pounds off the F150’s curb weight with no loss in its abilities, and it’s immediately noticeable in how lively this otherwise huge vehicle suddenly feels. It’s considerably more manageable than before, both around town and through twisty roads. Nobody would ever call it sporty, but the truck no longer rolls and leans its way through the curves, leaving the driver to hold onto the steering wheel for dear life. It’s wide turning radius, however, is still measured in lane widths rather than feet, which can make parallel parking challenging.
Ours came fitted with the new 2.7-liter turbocharged “EcoBoost” V6 engine (optional at $795) that delivered surprisingly willing acceleration with 325 horsepower and 375 pound-feet of torque. A few years ago those would have impressive numbers for a big and thirsty V8. At that the 2.7 is the fuel economy leader in the line at an EPA rated 19/26-mpg city/highway (we averaged around 20 mpg in combined driving).
This engine is equipped with a start-stop function that shuts itself down while at idle to save fuel; we switched this feature off most times for smoother operation, and because it also cuts the air conditioning down to a trickle while the engine de-powers.
Other variants include a ho-hum base 3.5-liter 282-horsepower V6, a peppier 3.5-liter 365-horsepower turbocharged V6 and, for rugged traditionalists, a 5.0-liter 385-horsepower V8; all come mated to a smooth-shifting six-speed automatic transmission. Towing capacity maxes out at 12,200 pounds with the 3.5-liter turbo-six and is still a stalwart 8,500 pounds with the 2.7 we tested.
The XLT we drove was a four-wheel-drive SuperCab model that features a smallish back seat, reached by either of two narrow clamshell-opening access panels. It’s not nearly as accommodating as a full-blown SuperCrew version with a full back seat and four conventional doors, but it’s more practical than a Regular Cab model, in that it affords lockable storage and modest room for the kids (the Regular Cab is the only way to obtain a full 8-foot cargo bed, however). Unfortunately we found ourselves frequently popping open the rear access panel inadvertently by hitting the large handle with our left elbow with the front door open.
A long list of newly available features includes lane departure and blind spot warning systems, adaptive cruise control, airbag-equipped rear seatbelts and a 360-degree external video monitor, along with leather upholstery, navigation and more. Our tester included none of those, though it was equipped with a lockable tailgate that included a handy foldout step into the cargo bed (both optional).
While the XLT’s interior was nicely designed with large and legible gauges flanking a configurable information display, tall air vents and huge conventional buttons and knobs for the audio and climate control systems, it was plagued by cheapfeeling plastics and upholstery. And though we appreciated the fully analog controls (accessible while wearing work gloves no less), it left only room for a tiny 4-inch display that, while sufficient for the audio system, is too small for use as a backup camera display. A larger 8-inch screen, and even more logical control placement, comes with the optional navigation system.
Front seating is Barcalounger-like, and while our tester had power controls on the driver’s side, the seatback angle (which one might adjust most frequently) was only manually operated.
We might chalk all this up to the old adage “you get what you pay for,” except that our F150 4X4 XLT SuperCab stickered out at a steep $44,585 that included over $6,000 in options including the 2.7- liter engine, nominal upgrades and a $1,695 Chrome Appearance Package.
Of course that might be considered cheap compared to the top Platinum SuperCrew edition which, with all option boxes checked, commands nearly $65,000.
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