1 of 11
Photos by Perry Mack
Drumheller Inhabitants
2 of 11
3 of 11
4 of 11
5 of 11
6 of 11
7 of 11
8 of 11
9 of 11
10 of 11
11 of 11
Story and Photos by Perry Mack
Ford claims the number one spot in Canada in the half-ton segment based on number of units sold by selling over 100,000 trucks in 2012. That doesn’t mean they’re the best truck – it just means they sold the most.
From the outside, the truck looks the best it has in years with an aggressive styling that looks ‘Ford Tough’ from every angle. There are a plethora of exterior accessories available as options or built in to different trim levels – from bedsteps to tailgate cargo racks to tonneau covers to tailgate ladders. Most options can be purchased in the aftermarket where there is a wider range of choice and quality; in my opinion they shouldn’t overly influence your decision.
The interior is well done with comfortable seats, a sensible dash layout and well-appointed trim levels like the Limited, Platinum, and especially King Ranch are available to rival any domestic luxury car. The infotainment/GPS/climate control system I found a challenge to navigate from the screen and but traditional buttons and oversized knobs provide redundant ‘analog’ style controls.
One of the few companies not to need a bailout during the recent economic collapse, Ford was able to bring new powertrains to market before their competitors. The most significant is the 3.5l, 6-cylinder EcoBoost engine which we tested in the Alberta Badlands in and around Drumheller.
According to Ford, it provides the benefits of a diesel engine without the downsides. They achieve the broad torque range (pulling power at low engine rpm) by using new technologies to build a turbo-charged, direct injection V6, which generates this amazing amount of power using less fuel. More power to tow and lower fuel costs – pinch me, I must be dreaming.
The numbers are impressive for a 6-cylinder engine – 11,300 lb. towing capacity, 3100 lbs payload, 365 hp and maximum 420 ft/lbs of torque generated at a low 2500 rpm.
But so far this is all Ford talk – how does it perform in the real world?
Towing Performance
The trailer held a bobcat and provided a total trailer weight of 10,000 lbs. We were driving an F150 with the 3.5l EcoBoost engine. Switching to tow-haul mode and connecting the trailer enabled a number of trailering specific functions.
Leaving our staging area, the road from the stampede grounds is a descent with a 7% grade. The built in trailer brake controller functioned as it should. The control switch to increase and decrease is located comfortably on the dash to the bottom right of the steering wheel and the amount of pressure applied is clearly displayed in the 4.2" display on the drivers dash. Moving on to flat highways, this small 3.5l engine felt as powerful as my Dodge with a 5.7L Hemi engine pulling strongly through the badlands highways. I expected to be disappointed but wasn't. Good acceleration from stop lights and through the crucial 30 to 100kph, enabling you to reach merge speeds comfortably.
The last test was to pull back up the 7% grade we drove down to start the test. Again, there was a solid performance from the little 3.5L. Did the RPM fall as we climbed, yes. Did it down shift, of course. But it did pull up the 3 km hill at 90kph without being forced into the passing gear to make it? It most certainly did.
Payload Test
2,000 lbs of treated fence posts were loaded into the bed for this test drive. Power isn't a problem for the EcoBoost at this weight. More importantly the handling was relatively unaffected. Cornering at highway speeds didn't produce any excessive roll; hard braking was controlled and stable. The payload truck was the 2-door and a half version. No doubt chosen to keep the load centred on the frame for better balance.
Ford offers the greatest number of bells and whistles for the towing population with some truly useful innovations. You should visit your Ford dealer to see for yourself what is important to you and what is just excessive decoration. I recommend that in choosing your tow vehicle, place your power train requirements first (what you need to tow/haul), your comfort behind the wheel second and the Christmas decorations last.
Before you lay down your hard earned dollars for the new Ford, there are some dark clouds on the horizon for this Cinderella story. Firstly, lawsuits have recently been launched by owners who claim the EcoBoost is defective, which has resulted in an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the USA. Owners claim the engine suffers from reduced power (turbo lag) and that the fuel efficiency numbers that Ford claims can’t be duplicated in the real world.
One final word of advice when comparing advertised towing capacity; only Toyota complies with the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) J2807 truck towing standard – other manufacturers including Ford, General Motors and Dodge essentially make up their own numbers. The number is still important as it is the legal limit for the towing capacity of the truck. However, when speaking with an engineer from the big three he admitted their ratings are probably 200 lbs higher than what they would be under the SAE standard.