1 of 5
Budd Stanley photos
EcoBeast - Ford's New F-150
Despite not ideal clearance angles, the F-150 soaked up off-road terrain with impressive comfort.
2 of 5
Francis Vachon
EcoBeast - Ford's New F-150
With the aid of the BFG KO2’s, the F-150 conquered steep inclines on loose rock with ease.
3 of 5
Francis Vachon
EcoBeast - Ford's New F-150
After a decent off-road course, a little deep snow was of no concern.
4 of 5
Budd Stanley photos
EcoBeast - Ford's New F-150
While the cab has a fresh new look, its real quality is in its refinement.
5 of 5
Budd Stanley photos
EcoBeast - Ford's New F-150
For those looking to go upscale, the King Ranch will make its return.
Story & photos by Budd Stanley
Fords new F-150 is living up to expectations
When I drove the pre-production versions of the 2015 F-150 in Texas back in October, it wasn’t the all-aluminum body that impressed me, it wasn’t the masses of new technology that Ford crammed into this all-new full-size, no, it was the new 2.7L EcoBoost V-6 that blew me away. Now that I’ve had the chance to get behind the wheel of the full-production Canadian spec version of the F-150, I’m happy to say I’m still blown away with the smallest engine available in a full-size truck.
The 2.7L EcoBoost is an absolute gem of a powerplant that sits extremely comfortably in the F-150’s engine bay. But as impressive as it is, it is not the only option on the list. I was also privy to have a go with a 3.5L EcoBoost and 5.0L V-8 powered F-150. The 5.0L V-8 is still going to be the go to engine for the blue-collar crowd, providing direct throttle response and V-8 grunt. However, I still think the 3.5L EcoBoost is likely the greatest engine ever put into a truck. No mater what engine you choose, each is a beast and will leave nothing on the table.
Talking to Larry Queener, Program Manager for the F-150, he informed me that the 2.7L EcoBoost really should be compared with the 5.0L V-8. The 2.7L is only 60 hp, but more importantly, 12 lb-ft away from the 5.0L and accelerates nearly as hard. So the tip of the week. If you are going to be towing 4,000 to 7,000 lb everyday, go for the 5.0L. If you are going to tow that weight, 5 or 6 times a year but drive a lot of km’s, the 2.7L is your ace in the hole to make the most out of fuel efficiency and towing capability.
Fuel efficiency wise, I was not able to give the F-150 a fair shake. Extremely hilly terrain, minimal urban driving and extremely cold temperatures did take their toll. With the 2.7L EcoBoost, I could only manage 11.8L/100km on the highway, 13.4L/100km with the 3.5L EcoBoost and 15.4L/100km with the big V-8. While I’ve never really been able to get very close to Fords published numbers even in the best of conditions, I’m going to chalk up the poor performances to the harsh environments, as I know these trucks have more to show. We’ll get our hands on one later in the year to do some more real world testing to get a more accurate number.
I did get to take the new F-150 off-road once again, although while this truck might be a production version, the tires it was wearing were not. Instead of the standard Goodyear Wranglers, we were given a set of BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2’s. Even if they weren’t the standard tire, these things were absolutely incredible, handling sharp rocky terrain with a breeze and pulling the F-150 up some pretty ignorant inclines with relative ease. The BFG’s almost gave the F-150 an unfair advantage, complimenting the drivetrain beautifully, but they also gave us a sneak preview of how the upcoming 2017 Raptor will perform off-road as it will come standard with these tires when it hits the market next year.
Something that will not change between now and when we get another tester is the F-150’s interior. It is one of the best in the segment, in terms of design, thought and build. The seats are comfortable and the cabin is anatomically well designed to have all controls in easy reach while driving. The dash layout is very pleasing to the eye, and while the gauge cluster may have a lot going on, it gives the driver a massive amount of information about the vehicle, the environment and travel; something I really like in a truck. The deletion of the transmission tunnel in the rear makes a massive difference in how the rear seating area can be used. Whether it’s piling in kids or difficult cargo you don’t want to see out in the elements, folding seats and a flat floor just makes carrying stuff easier. However, what must be the most understated positive for the cab must be the refinement in sound deadening. Even at freeway speeds, there is very little noise that gets transmitted into the cab from either wind or the tires.
Not everything was bright sunshine and rainbows with the F-150 though. In the colder climate, I noticed that the doors did not close as nicely as they did in Texas. You really have to give them a bit of back to get them to close flush. Both EcoBoost and the V-8 engines emit an impressive noise at full chat, however F-150’s that are equipped with the high-end Sony sound systems plumb synthetic engine noise through the speaker system to add to the atmosphere. I hate fakers, and this is just another gimmick that creates undue theatre where there really doesn’t need to be.
The biggest annoyance with the F-150 has to be the sheer amount of technology Ford has crammed into this thing. While technology sells trucks these days, it just seems to be an unneeded distraction from work and driving. The luxury of a tailgate that lowers at the push of a button seems more civilized, but I just don’t trust the long-term reliability of a touch buttons and electric actuators over a simple manual hinge. Its throwing technology into each facet of the truck for technologies sake. My biggest pet peeve of all is the infotainment system and centre stack dash. While the third generation of the MySync is much improved over the previous two, it is still needlessly complicated and requires too much attention while driving. Its saving grace is that the voice command will navigate you through what ever you might need while keeping hands on the wheels and your eye’s on the road.
Ranting out of the way, I really like the new F-150. It is a truck that is changing the entire segment at a minimally invasive cost to the customer. While steep terrain and non-standard tires may have spoiled real world testing of fuel efficiency and off-road driving manners, I can still see that the new F-150 is every bit deserving of its Truck of the Year award. Every time I get into it, I start to like it a little more each and every time. I’m definitely looking forward to a longer-term test later in the year.
SPECIFICATIONS:
- MSRP: Starting at $21,399
- Price as tested: $64,999
- Engine: 3.5L V-6, 2.7L V-6 Turbo, 3.5L V-6 Turbo, 5.0L V-8
- Power: 283 hp, 255 lb-ft (3.5L) – 325 hp, 375 lb-ft (2.7L Turbo) - 365 hp, 420 lb-ft (3.5L Turbo) – 385 hp, 387 lb-ft (5.0L)
- Transmission: 6-speed Automatic
- Curb Weight kg (lb): 1,837 (4,048) - 2,261 (4,985)
- Wheelbase mm (in): 3,099 (122) – 3,988 (157)
- Ground Clearance mm (in): 239 (9.4)
- Approach Angle Deg: 25.7
- Departure Angle Deg: 26.8
- Ramp Breakover Angle: 22.1
- Wading Depth mm (in): NA
- Tow Capacity kg (lb): 3,447 (7,600) – 5,534 (12,200)
- Fuel Efficiency (L/100km): 12.2 City, 9.2 Hwy, 10.9 Comb. (2.7L turbo V-6); 14.2 City, 10.4 Hwy, 12.5 Comb. (3.5L turbo V-6); 13.9 City, 10.5 Hwy, 12.4 Comb. (3.5L V-6); 16.0 City, 11.3 Hwy, 13.9 Comb. (5.0L V-8)
Click here to watch Ford's video of the new F-150.