It's interesting that just as diesels are disappearing from the passenger-car market, they're making a big comeback in trucks.
Ford is the latest to bring one back, joining the Dodge Ram — which offers one in the Ram 1500 — and anticipating Chevy, which will offer one later this year in the 2019 Silverado 1500.
But there's one other thing the 2019 F-150's got that its rivals don't — and likely won't: a V-6 that's stronger than any of their V-8s.
What It Is
The F-150 is Ford's full-size 1500 series pick-up. Like its main rivals — the Silverado and Ram 1500 — it's now available with a high-mileage turbodiesel V-6.
The wild card is the F-truck's new 450 horsepower twin-turbo V-6.
Equipped with this berserker, the F-150 can launch itself to 60 mph in 5 seconds.
Prices start at $28,155 for the base XL trim regular cab with 3.3-liter V-6, six-speed automatic transmission, 6-foot bed and two-wheel drive.
A top-of-the-line Limited Super Crew with 4WD and the Raptor's V-6 costs $70,560.
What's New
FordPass Sync Connect is now standard in the XLT and higher trims. It allows remote access to the vehicle via smartphone. You can use Sync Connect to remotely lock or unlock the vehicle, check maintenance reminders and even schedule the engine to start automatically at whatever day/time you select.
What's Good
It's a truck that pulls — and hauls.
It has the most engine choices (four gas, one diesel) of any current half-ton truck.
Regular cab/long bed configuration still offered.
What's Not So Good
The aluminum body saves weight but is more vulnerable to damage than steel.
Under the Hood
The standard 3.3-liter V-6 has 290 horsepower and 265 foot-pounds of torque, and comes paired with a six-speed automatic and your choice of 2WD or 4WD.
Next up is a 2.7-liter V-6, which is physically smaller but made functionally larger by a pair of turbos, which boost its output to 325 horsepower and 400 foot-pounds of torque. This engine is paired with a ten-speed automatic with three overdrive gears, in order to improve fuel economy.
Equipped with this combo, the F-150's mileage is 20 city and 26 highway — slightly better than the base 3.3-liter V-6's 19 city and 25 highway.
Next up is a 5.0-liter V-8. It has 395 horsepower and the same 400 foot-pounds of torque as the 2.7-liter engine but without the turbos. Mileage is 17 city and 23 highway, a negligible difference.
The F-150's strongest engine is a smaller engine, just 3.5 liters. But its output isn't small. There are two versions. The first has 375 horsepower and 475 foot-pounds of torque. The ultimate version — previously available only in the Raptor — has 450 horsepower and 510 foot-pounds of torque.
Equipped with the latter version, the F-150 is the quickest way to haul a stack of 4-by-8-foot sheets around. It gets from zero to 60 mph in 5 seconds or less. It can also pull 13,200 pounds, the highest tow rating in the half-ton class.
There's one more engine to consider. It's the new 3.0-liter PowerStroke diesel V-6, which has 440 foot-pounds of torque (more than the 5.0-liter V-8) and 250 horsepower. It can pull 11,400 pounds — more than some rivals' V-8s — while using significantly less fuel.
Ford says the 2WD version can achieve 30 mpg on the highway.
On the Road
The F-150 can do more work than its ancestors, but it isn't work to live with it. It is so nice to be in that you don't need a car for when you're not working.
Ford sent me the new Raptor engine-equipped Limited, which is also one of the quickest vehicles on the road. Period.
A new Mustang GT is only negligibly quicker (count out one second) despite being a third of the size and weighing at least 1,000 pounds less. And though all kinds of fun to drive, it does not seat five comfortably, cannot pull a max. 13,200 pounds and is as useless in the snow as an empty pistol at a gunfight.
At the Curb
The F-truck has the same general shape as other 1500s — with Ford-specific styling cues — but the thing that makes it not only different but also unique is what it's made of.
Every other 1500 series truck is steel-bodied. The Ford's body is made entirely of aluminum. This shaves several hundred pounds of weight off the bottom line, which is part of the reason for its quickness, as well as its capabilities.
The less of itself the drivetrain has to haul around, the more cargo it can cart in its bed, and the heavier the trailer it can tow.
The downside is what happens if you hit something — or something hits you (like a deer). Aluminum is more easily bent than steel, and harder to fix once it is.
The Rest
All trims, even the base XL, come with air conditioning, Trailer Sway Control, trailer pre-wiring and a 4.2-inch LCD display screen in the center stack.
And you can order almost inconceivably luxurious amenities, including heated and massaging seats.
The Bottom Line
It outpulls, outruns and out-luxes other trucks ... and nearly everything else, too.
Eric's new book, "Don't Get Taken for a Ride!" is available now. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
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