When it comes to full-size trucks, Ford’s F-150 is one of the best. Part of the automaker’s F-Series family of pickups, it forms the absolute bedrock of Ford Motor Company, adding untold millions of dollars to the firm’s balance sheet every year.
Underscoring this point, the F-Series range, which was introduced way back in 1948 and currently runs from F-150 to F-750, has been America’s best-selling truck family for the past 42 years and the nation’s most popular vehicle for 37. In 2018, the automaker delivered nearly 1.1 million F-Series trucks, a huge number of which were F-150s, though, unfortunately, they don’t break those sales figures out from the overall total.
Offered in some seven trim levels from the bare-bones XL version, to XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, the off-road-focused Raptor, Platinum and even top-shelf Limited, there’s an F-150 for practically everyone, even drivers that are accustomed to owning a luxury sedan.
Matching this great model variety, Ford offers a huge range of engines in this truck, from a naturally aspirated V6 to a gasoline V8, a turbo-diesel to a mighty 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, there’s a powerplant suited to any purpose. Additionally, there are three cab styles to choose from and even three bed lengths.
Back in the 2015 model year, Ford revolutionized its segment-leading F-150 by switching to an all-aluminum body, including both the cab and bed (the frame is made of high-strength steel). This bold design change raised quite a few eyebrows at the time because it was viewed as an incredibly risky move. Aluminum is expensive, challenging to work with and thought to dramatically inflate collision-repair costs. But this engineering move paid huge dividends, allowing Ford to remove more than 700 pounds from certain models, increasing fuel economy and capability along the way.
This generation of F-150 has won critical praise, including our own AutoGuide.com Truck of the Year award in 2015 and again two years later when the ridiculously fun second-generation Raptor model came out. Even though brand-new versions of its primary rivals, the Ram 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado, have both been introduced for 2019, the F-150 is more than able to keep pace in most areas.
Proudly waving Ol’ Glory, this blue-oval pickup is built in Ford’s hometown Dearborn Truck Plant as well its Kansas City Assembly facility.