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New Car Test Drive - 1998 Ford F Series Trucks
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| By Don Fuller |
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| Updated |
Jun 3, 2004 17:19:56 |
| Rating |
 29 ( -6 -20.68% ) |
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Description:
The trendiest of the trucks.
Base Price $15,375
As Tested $31,450
Ford's F-Series pickups are proof that barnyard workhorse trucks will never be their squared-off selves again.
Aerodynamic outside, luxurious inside, overhead cam performance under the hood, and safety and convenience features
that only a few years ago weren't available on cars, let alone trucks, the Ford F-Series pickups are as modern as
trucks get.
Ford's F-Series line is composed of the lighter-duty F-150, medium-duty F-250 and heavy-duty F-350, but only the
F-150 and F-250 share the sleek appearance introduced last year; the big F-350 is due for a complete, big-guy remake
for the 1999 model year.
Walkaround
F-150 and F-250 trucks are offered in both regular cab and extended SuperCab body styles with smooth Styleside or
nostalgic Flareside bodies. Wheelbase lengths of 119.9 in., 138.5 in. and 157.1 in. are available (4X4 models are
0.3 inches longer), along with a choice of two-wheel or four-wheel drive and three engines: a 4.2-liter V6 producing
210 horsepower and 255 foot-pounds of torque, or a pair of overhead-cam Triton V8s, a 4.6-liter of 220 hp and 290
lb.-ft., and a 5.4-liter of 235 hp and 330 lb.-ft. These are the world's first and, so-far, only overhead-cam V8
truck engines.
Then there are four trim levels: Standard, XL, XLT and Lariat, in ascending order. Not all possible combinations
are available; there's no F-250 Flareside, no F-150 Flareside four-wheel drive in Standard trim, and all F-250 models
are on the 138.5-in. wheelbase, which means all F-250s are either extended cabs or long cargo beds. But, by and
large, there ought to be something here for just about anybody. Just counting Styleside or Flareside, two-wheel
drive or four, regular cab or SuperCab, wheelbase choices and trim levels, we arrived at dozens of choices -- and
that was before we got into the multitude of options
Our subject vehicle was an F-150 SuperCab Flareside in XLT trim, powered by the 5.4-liter V8, with four-wheel drive
The lowest-priced F-150, a regular cab, two-wheel-drive Styleside in Standard trim with V6 engine has a retail
price of $15,375 (all prices include $640 destination charge). The base price for our loaded four-wheel-drive
Flareside F-150 was $25,135. The XLT trim includes several items that might otherwise be options. In addition,
ours had cruise control, air conditioning, limited-slip differential, floor mats, electronic shift for the four-wheel
drive, a trailer towing package, power mirrors, an off-road package, power driver's seat, remote keyless entry, and a
CD changer. The total for this high-line truck came to $31,450. That may seem like a lot, but remember that you
could have a more typical truck, say a 2WD Styleside F-150, with a nice level of equipment, in the low- to mid-$20,000
range.
The Triton engine is one of the best aspects of the F-Series, especially the 5.4-liter version. In smoothness,
it embarrasses every other full-size truck engine on the market. The power delivery is crisp and responsive, and
to good low-end power it adds excellent mid-range and higher-speed power to make short work of real-world demands
such as quick acceleration to freeway speeds. Whether around town or on the open highway, the Triton makes you
forget there are big reciprocating parts down there; it feels more like some kind of giant sewing machine
The F-Series also has a new front suspension with upper and lower control arms. It replaces the ancient Twin
I-Beam, and we're thankful. With this suspension, the ride is far better, handling is superior, steering feel is
drastically improved and directional stability, such as when traveling at highway speeds in a severe crosswind, is
immensely enhanced. We would expect that tire wear would also be better, as this was one of the many weak points
of the Twin I-Beam. In ride and handling capability, we would have to rank the Ford F-Series as superior to the
other full-size competition
The standard towing capacity for an F-150 4x4 with 5.4-liter V8 is 6100 pounds, but with the trailer towing
package (as ours had), towing capacity goes up to 7800 pounds
The Inside Story
To fully appreciate all the interior features of the F-Series SuperCab you'll have to make a trip to your Ford
dealer, but we'll give you the high points. With the 40/60 split-bench front seat, driver and passenger have
individually reclining backrests. What can serve as the center backrest is also a folding armrest; when folded
forward, it provides a large cupholder and capacious bin. Inside this storage bin are places for coins, cassette
tapes and so forth, and a divider which, when removed, allows space for an 8 1/2 x 11 tablet. You could store
notebooks, calculators, small tissue boxes, even a cordless drill. Our test truck had captain's chairs, which are
more stylish, but the split bench front seat is definitely more versatile and offers six-passenger seating
The driver is faced with clearly legible instrumentation, and important controls are close and easy to operate.
There are a pair of cupholders in the instrument panel, and a goodly number of the expected storage compartments and
map pockets here and there
The view outward is superb, as the F-Series styling includes a low beltline and big windows all around. Even fairly
short drivers should have decent forward visibility. The only vision-related gripe we had was a vertically narrow
inside rear-view mirror, which cut down on the view to the rear
All SuperCabs include a third door on the passenger's side for entry to the back seat. This door is operable
once the passenger's door is open, and can be opened from inside or out. Two adults should be reasonably comfortable
on longer trips in the back seat. With the rear seat folded forward there's a flat, sturdy steel surface, great for
carrying toolboxes or large amounts of luggage
Ride and Drive
People familiar with trucks, particularly those familiar with Ford trucks, will find the driving experience in
the new F-Series greatly enhanced. Whether traveling straight ahead or negotiating twists and turns, the F-Series
offers good steering feel. A high degree of directional stability adds to safety and comfort because it keeps the
vehicle headed down its intended path
Ride, too, is remarkably good. One big problem with pickup trucks has always been how poorly they tend to
ride when empty; this can become really annoying on long trips down concrete interstates where trucks can bounce
ceaselessly. We drove our F-Series pickup over bouncy concrete highways for several hours and the ride was car-like
and comfortable, mile after highway mile
The smooth, quiet overhead-cam engine adds to the driving pleasure. There's no truck-like roar or rumble, no
feeling that it starts thrashing at higher speeds. Whether driving around the city or taking an extended highway
cruise, the 5.4-liter Triton engine is the most velvety full-size pickup truck engine we've encountered. The smaller,
4.6-liter version is equally smooth, but it's less powerful, and we highly recommend the stronger 5.4-liter V8. It's
$665 more, but we think it's money well spent and, besides, you'll probably get most, if not all, of it back at
trade-in time
Final Word
It's a little bit of a contradiction in terms to th |
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