Power of the pickup truck

Ford F-150 ups the ante for auto industry

America's "gone country," and for the past 21 years Ford has had the enviable "problem" of having to produce country's most popular vehicle, the F-150 pickup. The typical American closet holds a least one pair of cowboy boots, and it seems the typical driveway hosts at least one pickup truck. I knew something was up when my BMW-driving hair stylist threw a plastic sheet over me last week and said, "Steve, I want a pickup truck. I know I don't need one, but I just want one." If he shows up with cow doo-doo on his boots one of these days I'll know I'm behind the times.

Last year Ford sold about 800,000 pickups. If you do the math, that's 2,192 trucks rolling off the assembly line every day, or about 1.5 trucks every minute, 24 hours a day, seven days a week! To make sure that trend continues, Ford has totally redesigned the F-150. It's all new from grill to tailgate. "What," you ask, "is new about the tailgate." When I tell you what Ford's done to the tailgate you'll wonder why nobody thought of it sooner. Henry's company has hidden a counter-balancing torsion bar in the rear of their truck, and closing the heavy tailgate no longer requires a degree in physical education -- it's now a one-handed affair.

First impression

When I walked up to my test vehicle, a top of the line Lariat, I was a bit intimidated by its size. It stands tall, like a three-quarter-ton F-250. An extra two inches of truck bed height gives the vehicle a more massive appearance. Open the door and your eyes fall on an interior like nothing you've seen in a truck before. Luxury car buyers will have no trouble transitioning to this truck. Modern yet functional, the new interior promises to entertain your eyes for years to come, while the supportive, leather covered seats and steering wheel bathe you in a level of comfort previously unknown in a work vehicle.

On the road

Just about everything is electronically controlled on this truck, including the throttle. The steering, which is now sports car-like rack and pinion, is your only mechanical connection to the highway. Like it or not, computers, not your foot, are in control. When your right foot asks the new Triton 300-horsepower V8 for more oomph, it is actually "requesting" additional torque from the power management computer. Depending on how hard you press the accelerator and what the vehicle is doing a that point in time, the computer will determine how much fuel to inject into the engine, where to set the ignition and valve timing, and even which of four gears to select in the transmission. If the vehicle is sitting on dry pavement when you tromp on the go pedal you will rocket forward with tires screeching while teenagers give you a thumbs-up sign of approval. But if the pavement is wet and the tires are lacking traction, the computer will go into what I call its "enhanced maturity" mode and will ignore your request for full throttle. Likewise, the computer gets into the act when the anti-skid system is activated, and can modify the throttle, pump the brakes and redistribute braking force between the front and rear brakes all at the same time.

While the computer is looking after your safety, Ford's new suspension and frame are looking after your comfort. The frame rails are now fully boxed affairs, and cross members now pass through holes and are welded on the outside of the rails. Ford says this design makes the frame 50 percent more resistant to bending. Next, Ford widened the track and relocated the shock absorbers to the outside of the frame, giving the shocks a 25 percent mechanical advantage. The rear leaf springs are now 3 inches wide, instead of two, and the front end now rides on coil springs and forged aluminum control arms, for lower unsprung weight. All this means a very quiet, rattle-free, car-like experience on the highway.

New F-150s range from about $21,000 to over $40,000. There are five different models, three different bed lengths, three different cab styles, even roll down windows in the back doors! All models, even the standard cab, which is 6 inches longer than the old F-150, have four doors and a power sliding rear window option. If you are among the growing number of American cowboys and girls looking for a hip way to haul everything from horse trailers to groceries, this pickup will do it with style. Ford's even provided enough headroom to wear that Stetson you've always wanted!

Steve Robertson of Robertson's Creative Photography is a car enthusiast and former staff writer/photographer for the Southeast Missourian.