The new F150

[phucheneh]

Not to beat a not-sure-if-dead horse, but, c'mon...

Who can look at that and not say 'hey, look, it's a wrecker. That thing must be pulling an enormous flatbed...pride of the fleet, I bet. And it's being driven by a hobbit!'

 

[slag]

The Explorer (and EDGE) still has physical HVAC and radio controls. They're "spread out" under the screen, but they all exist. I use those on my wife's Edge Sport more than the touchscreen.

Note: the F150 does have more physical buttons for the various functions for radio/HVAC, but that's probably more due to it being a truck. It does look better than the EDGE/Explorer sans-touchscreen, seen here: http://www.proclipusa.com/images/image.aspx/media/images/products/dashmounts/854719-4.jpg-440x330

I drive a 2013 explorer. It has "some" physical buttons, but not all that are needed to control the radio and HVAC.

 

[midwestfisherman]

The newer trucks are ok. I mainly drive a Chevy but have owned Ford trucks in the past. My favorite truck that I have ever owned was my 1998 Silverado Extended cab. That truck just felt right! Not to mention lasting over 300,000 miles for me. It was a no nonsense dependable every day truck that did it's job well!

 

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

The current F150 weighs anywhere from 4800lbs (regular cab short bed) to 6000lbs (Raptor with 6.2L V8). I want to see the weight savings across the board. Up to 700lbs generally means the entry level 2WD model is 700 lighter. The others less.

 

[foghorn67]

The current F150 weighs anywhere from 4800lbs (regular cab short bed) to 6000lbs (Raptor with 6.2L V8). I want to see the weight savings across the board. Up to 700lbs generally means the entry level 2WD model is 700 lighter. The others less.

I think 700 lbs would be mostly across the board, since it's mostly body work. However your it's effect is reduced when you laden the truck with options.

 

[railer]

My memory could be off..

It is. My 2001 F150 crew 4x4 weighs around 54xx lbs. 2014 F150 crew 4x4's with the 5.0 weigh around 57xx lbs. The 2015 F150's are supposed to weigh from a few hundred to up to 700 lbs less than the 2014 models. I fully expect the 2015's to weigh less than my 2001, a platform which was redesigned in 1997. I don't know how far back you'd have to go to find an F150 that was lighter than the 2015's will be, but it's a pretty good stretch.

 

[phucheneh]

I was talking more in terms of the outward appearance. The weight thing actually makes it even more confusing, TBQH...why do they feel the need to make such a huge, imposing beast of a truck when they seem to be admitting that the goal is a lighter, more streamlined truck?

Shit, maybe I'm just all kinds of wrong...I'm trying to find dimensions for the previous few gens, and they all seem to have pretty similar ranges...it just boggles the mind to think that this:

is technically no bigger than the 2015 pictured.

 

[railer]

I think it's mostly the grille that gives that impression. All 1/2 ton trucks will eventually look like this in the front:

 

[tweakmonkey]

The front's pretty hideous.

700 lbs is huge though! Weight is everything, so this truck will be a lot faster than the heavier previous generation even with the same power, it'll have better braking, cornering, less wear on its parts and better gas mileage for sure. Aluminum works great for cars, it's surprising it's not used in more vehicle constructions but this is by far the biggest production of one yet. I don't know much about the F150 in particular and on trucks, but for cars, aluminum has proven to make great chassis with less weight than steel, the only real side effect being cost.

Too bad it's still bigger than ever. I realize this is the F150 so it's going to be big but why even bigger... On a side note, imagine if they made something the size of those old Rangers from the 90s for example, from aluminum and with one of those new turbo V6s. It'd be like a lighter-weight version of the Syclone with modern comforts

 

[master_shake_]

still take a titan over the f-150

 

[LTC8K6]

Hopefully this big F-150 is an indication of the return of a Ranger sized pickup.

 

[OVerLoRDI]

I think it looks pretty darn sharp. I think it would look great in white or blue.

No interest in a truck though.

 

[yottabit]

I'll be amazed if they can do 30 MPG like rumors on the internet (has Ford every claimed that?)

The only shot they would have had at it IMO is if it was a gimped EcoBoost 4 HFE+++ edition, the fact that it's an EcoBoost 6 means they are going for something more practical and with slightly worse MPG numbers (which is the right way to go IMO)

Losing 700 lbs should affect highway mileage close to zero since highway is predominantly overcoming aero and rolling resistance and your BSFC

I find it extremely unlikely they'll touch 30 seeing the Ram diesel is only 28, and diesel is both more efficient and has a higher energy content... I think they'll be able to get 24-26 MPG hwy, with a big improvement in city MPG

With the frontal area of full size pickups I think it will be a while before we see 30 on gas motors. They'll also have to get over the zOMG HUGE SQUARE GRILL trend... First 30 MPG truck will probably be a hybrid 4 cylinder I bet. We need to see some bigger electric motor hybrids! It's happening with high end sport car hybrids... but it has huge implications for trucks. I'd love to see something like a 180 HP gas 4 cyl with a 100 HP electric motor in full size trucks.

 

[LTC8K6]

Ford already has a ~300 horse 2.3L EB 4 cylinder going in the Mustang. A version of that could probably go in the F-150, matching the NA V6 output, with better economy. Especially when they get more gears in the trans.

 

[yottabit]

Ford already has a ~300 horse 2.3L EB 4 cylinder going in the Mustang. A version of that could probably go in the F-150, matching the NA V6 output, with better economy. Especially when they get more gears in the trans.

That's the motor I had assumed was going to be going in the F150 (a variant of it) but if they developed the 2.7 Ecoboost V6 then I don't see that happening

Not a bad thing though. I think this new F150 will probably have a lot more solid performance in all variants. The base V6 will hopefully be a lot more viable thanks to the weight loss (even despite the displacement shrink) and the Ecoboost 2.7 will give all the capability most people need with I'm guessing best in class fuel economy for a few years to come.

 

[LTC8K6]

Well, the 2.0EB in the Explorer is rated 28mpg highway.

Seems hard to believe a 2.7 in the F-150 could get near that, but maybe Ford will surprise me.

 

[QueBert]

I'll take the Raptor version please. Fuel economy aside the grill on the Raptors have always made me smile.

 

[Meghan54]

Ford F150, reg. cab, short box, 2wd dimensions over last three generations:


10th Gen ('95-'03)

Wheelbase--119.9"
Length--202.2"
Width--78.4"


11th Gen ('04-'08)

Wheelbase--126"
Length--211.8"
Width--78.9"


12th Gen ('09-present)

Wheelbase--125.8"
Length--213.1"
Width--78.9" ('09-'11)
--79.2" ('12-present)


The F150 is the only American pickup that's had such bloat growth. RAM and GM's Siverado/Sierra twins have grown nowhere near as much as the F150.

I wish I could find hood heights for the various years of pickups, but that measurement seems not to be done anywhere. My '03 Silverado, 2wd, has a hood that measures 43" to the top leading edge of the hood....about the level of my navel when I'm standing in front of the truck. I've stood in front of current F150's and the hood height is much higher. The overall height of the trucks seems to have remained fairly constant (all three US truck lines in 2wd form have overall heights around 73"-74"), but the hoods/grilles have grown higher with smaller windshields to compensate.

As a comparison, the 2014 Silverado, reg. cab, short box, 2wd....

Wheelbase....119"
Length.....205.57"
Width.....80"


First gen. Silverado ('99-'07)

Wheelbase....119"
Length.....203"
Width.....78.5"

 

[franksta]

I'm really into it. I'd like to replace my '97 regular cab with one of these in a crewcab. The new ecoboost is of mild interest.

 

[skyking]

weight is far less important than aerodynamics in most operating scenarios. In start stop around town environments it will show up. The active grille will show at freeway speeds.
Where I see the weight benefit is in superior ride comfort across the board.

 

[foghorn67]

still take a titan over the f-150

You and no one else. Not being sarcastic, Nissan abadoned this truck for a while. Why would you want an old truck with a puny diff?

 

[Pulsar]

still take a titan over the f-150

Then you need to educate yourself on trucks. Why anyone would willingly take a total POS over one of the best on the market is really a question that has no good answer.

 

[Meghan54]

Then you need to educate yourself on trucks. Why anyone would willingly take a total POS over one of the best on the market is really a question that has no good answer.

So very true, because to choose a Titan over the "Big 4" pickups is just idiocy.

 

[slag]

still take a titan over the f-150

Not me. Its a design that hasn't changed in 10 years.. yeah, yeah, i know, 2015 they get the diesel, but still.. 10 years of the same design, same engine, same transmission.. whoop whoop.. its great for people like me that have an earlier model as it looks relatively new still..

 

[DaTT]

Hopefully this big F-150 is an indication of the return of a Ranger sized pickup.

So people can continously say to you, "You know, they make those in adult sizes now."