evident

I have very little experience w/ pickup trucks besides from the beater ones i rented for a few hours to move stuff.

I landed in MSY airport and they gave me an option of a 2016 malibu, 2016 fusion, or a 2016 F150 for the same price. decided to give the F150 XLT a try.

driving from new orleans to gulfport on I10 i got about 22MPG on the highway going 80 mph. everything about this car is so comfortable and while the materials arent as nice as Lexus, they seem to be built to withstand abuse (as it should!) This car gets better hwy gas mileage than my 07 RX350 AWD.

what really impressed me about the f150 and infuriates me about my IS350 is how awesome the navigation system is. it simply just works. no fumbling with the stupid mouse thing, just use the onscreen keyboard and enter in a partial destination and it will present you with the correct choices. it was almost as good as my standalone garmin or google maps. the audio interface is very good too. stereo sucks compared to my ML audio though. I've been really impressed with the MPG and car so far and looking forward to driving it for the rest of the week.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

congrats for trying something different and keeping an open mind about a vehicle so different from your rx and is!

there's a reason ford sells some 50k+ of those a month! they're comfortable, quiet, smooth, extremely useful, and have most modern conveniences!

you're also right the interior is built for durability and utility (even with gloves on, seriously), over pure luxury. the top end models though are pretty nice inside!

the suspensions on the f-150 is still 'trucky' on uneven road of course, but you can't help but feel how solid and well put together they are (no squeaks, creaks, nothing).

i don't currently need one, but if i did i'd have an f-150 in a hearbeat!

and you're right, for a such a huge blunt vehicle, the fuel economy is pretty amazing!

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Very nice. Was it the base 3.5L V6 or the 2.7L V6 EcoBoost in that XLT?

mmarshall

True, it's not as silky-smooth as the newer Dodge Ram 1500s (Dodge engineers have really done an amazing job on the Ram's suspension and sound insulation)...but it is noticeably smoother and less trucky than the last-generation F-150, despite the lighter weight which would otherwise stiffen the ride.




That's at least partly because they took an average 700 lb. off the latest version with the new aluminum body.

evident

I have a feeling it's the base NA 3.5. From the reviews i read that the 2.7L and 3.5L Turbos are pretty snappy. The engine i'm driving definitely isn't underpowered but it's nothing to write home about so i'm thinking it's the base. I'll open the hood tomorrow and take a look.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

the 3.5L turbo is neck snapping snappy.

SW17LS

They are nice trucks! All these big pickups are nice, my father in law has a 2012 I think (I think its a year newer than our first Jeep which was a 2011) Dodge Ram that I've driven, I was very impressed by what a nice vehicle it is.

Fizzboy7

I'm impressed with the new F-150's I'm seeing on the road. Not so much with GM's latest rigs, which are retro-dated already.
One thing that worries me with the Ford is something I keep running into on the road. While driving next to many, I always hear the bed squeak as it goes over normal road imperfections. It's the same exact tone, coming from the same exact spot. I think I've heard this on a good half-dozen times in the last few years. I wonder if it's a known thing and if others have commented about it...

evident

Drove it around all week in mostly suburbia traffic and got 20.6mpg. It is the non turbo base 3.5 v6.

My first impressions have been accurate. I really love this truck. The infotainment system is light years ahead of Lexus and the gas mileage is great. The ride is very comfortable and I don't see much of a difference in comfort between my rx and this.


Apparently the turbo gets even better economy. May have to pick this up in a few years when it depreciates

chikoo

and you just confirmed why all of TX drives the F150!!!!

tex2670

I was given the option for an F150 rental a few years ago when my IS was in a crash. I had a few meetings in the city that week, and was afraid to navigate parking garages, so I took the Corolla. I have regretted it ever since.

evident

I don't think I would ever drive a pickup without a back up camera. I probably would get used to it eventually bit still

FrankReynoldsCPA

It's not that bad. I grew up driving a longer F350 that didn't have a backup camera(or power locks and windows). You eventually just learn it.


And park in the north 40.

Aron9000

Just have to remember if you have a trailer hitch on it if you're backing into spots/parallel parking. I've seen some pretty gnarly damage from one of those things where somebody was backing in their truck.