2015 Ford F-150 Road Test | Edmunds

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2015 Ford F-150 Road Test | Edmunds

We test-drive the all-new 2015 Ford F-150, the latest redesign of the best-selling pickup truck that's full of new thinking...and aluminum.

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seppoboy

This is an important new truck for Ford and the total market. It looks encouraging that they have made very worthwhile improvements in the packaging and interior. While aluminum body is a big risk for Ford, any time this many extensive changes happen in a high volume product line, there are many small details that can be problematic in early production. Here's hoping it is a sturdy and successful truck in the real world, lots of people depend on them. We got more than a dozen good years of use out of our old F150, but all the full-size trucks have grown so large since that one was made. The size difference is about the only thing holding us back from ordering a new one, probably larger than we need these days.

throwback

I hope Ford moves to aluminum for its cars and SUVs also. an aluminum Taurus could see a 300-400lb weight drop. It would do wonders for handling and of course economy.

darthbimmer

The weight reduction is astonishing. The trend in autos for many years has been to lard on the pounds, as designers "embiggen" each successive generation and add ever more comfort and safety equipment. Kudos to Ford for bucking this trend with the new F150. Losing the weight should pay great dividends in better acceleration, better maneuverability, and better fuel economy.

I'm curious to see performance test results for the 2.7L TT engine. Its rated power numbers seem pretty high. How well does it deliver? And real-world fuel economy is always a question with small displacement turbo-charged engines in big vehicles.

rdollie

Ford better wake up and pay attention here because the Ram 1500 DIESEL is very popular...
A diesel with the new lighter aluminum body F150 should be a killer combination. Maybe they're concerned that a diesel version will start to undercut the Superduty in payload/towing capacity on the low end?

pip2

You need to remove the part from the section "and when can I get one" because you actually do not even speak of "when".

dgcamero

darthbimmer said:

The weight reduction is astonishing. The trend in autos for many years has been to lard on the pounds, as designers "embiggen" each successive generation and add ever more comfort and safety equipment. Kudos to Ford for bucking this trend with the new F150. Losing the weight should pay great dividends in better acceleration, better maneuverability, and better fuel economy.

I'm curious to see performance test results for the 2.7L TT engine. Its rated power numbers seem pretty high. How well does it deliver? And real-world fuel economy is always a question with small displacement turbo-charged engines in big vehicles.

Yeah, I wonder what the actual fuel economy will be on the 2.7TT. It does have a liquid cooled exhaust manifold, which should allow it to make due with an enriched (high load, turbos at full boost) air:fuel ratio of 12:1 at the worst vs. 10.5:1-ish and still keep exhaust gas temperatures in check. That's a 17.5% fuel savings at full load if that's the mapped afr programming. I'm just guessing that's the afr, as that's what VW's gas turbo DI engines went to when they added liquid exhaust manifold cooling.

mitt_zombie1

A little v6 turbo and aluminum body?
Ford sure wants to lose the work truck market...

But the 5 foot American men that commute to office jobs alone in large trucks will still like this.

ab348

I have to think that if the pricing on these is not too much different from the 2014, that Ford's profit margins will be significantly reduced because of the use of aluminum. I also am concerned that the use of thinner high-strength steel in the frame will leave these trucks prone to premature frame rust-out in the salt belt, just like the old Ranger. I also find the new instrument panel/dash design very unattractive.

Really, are we not again at the point with full-size pickups that we were with full-size cars in the mid-1970s? These vehicles are needlessly huge, and resorting to aluminum for them to save weight is ignoring the real problem - they are just too bulky. Will someone be brave and introduce a downsized pickup that does not trade off capacity and space, the way GM did with their full-size cars in 1977? We need a return to sanity.

nicholasc4

I still don't see the 2015's on the lots, it's the end October....where are they? Nick

cassidy23

I called my local dealership Saturday to inquire the arrival and was told by February-NJ

riverrat49

I tow a fair amount so have loved the F150's stability when towing. And the 3.5 EcoBoosts power when climbing mountains or steep river canyons. One advantage reviewers don't mention is that the 3.5 (and it sounds like the 2.7) have such a broad torque curve that even when towing the transmission doesn't continuously shift up/down when climbing steep grades like some of my friends trucks. I have a 2015 ordered to replace current truck and can't wait to experience all the improvements firsthand

pavelbonev

I got mine end of December 2014, model: 2015 Ford F-150 4X4 SUPERCREW XLT SPORT 3.5L and I absolutely love it!
The only thing I cannot achieve is the advertised EPA rating - the best I got was 17.9 MPG

stever

How many miles? I wouldn't start to get too worried until around 4,000 miles or so of "break-in".

jasonbt

Where is there any mention about the full time 4-wheel drive system? According to the current owner's manual there is one, designated as '4A' on a close-up of the knob and referred to as '4x4AUTO'. But every XLT model I have seen does not have this, there is no mention of it on the stickers, the sales people don't even know about it, and no one has ever mentioned this on any search I have done, including Edmunds and Ford themselves. It's not mentioned in the 101, 301A, or 302A packages, and I see no separate option for it.

This is a critical feature for anyone who drives on gravel, sand, light snow, rain, and general intermittant conditions like here in MN. Yet no one seems to know anything about it. Anyone? Anyone?