I came across this video today. Simply, it shows four comparably-equipped 2009 full-size trucks. Ford, GM, Dodge, and Toyota. They all have the most fuel efficient V8 available (Ford SFE & GM XFE models not included) and run on one gallon of gas. They run the test twice and both times Ford goes the furthest on one gallon of gas.
It’s not all about some numbers on paper. Get in the truck, drive it, and see who really gets the best mileage…
The video features Matt O’Leary (Chief Engineer, F-150) and Mike Rowe (spokesperson, you know him from Dirty Jobs). Just watch:
Well of course well all know that Ford builds the best trucks. And of course every generation is better than the previus. Well I thought I’d re-post the list of awards that have been handed to the 2009 F-150 so far (and it’s only Jan/09).
The 2009 F-150 has won the following awards and accolades:
Motor Trend 2009 Truck of the Year Award
Top honors as “Truck of Texas” as well as “Best Luxury Pickup” for the 2009 F-150 King Ranch from Texas Auto Writers Association
Finalist 2009 North American Truck of the Year (with 2009 Ford Flex for Car of the Year)
2009 Best Redesigned Vehicle from Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com
“Best Overall Half-Ton Pickup” from PickupTrucks.com
“Automotive Excellence” award in the Workhorse Category from Popular Mechanics
Detroit Free Press Truck of the Year
Detroit News Truck of the Year
“Top Safety Pick” from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for its standard safety technology: Safety Canopy side curtain air bags and AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control
“Residual Value” award from Automotive Leasing Guide (ALG) for retaining the highest percentage of its original price among 2009 full-size light duty pickups at the end of a conventional three-year lease, based on ALG projections
Motor Trend’s Truck Trend Top 5 Trucks from Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) for 2009 Ford F-150 Heavy Duty DeWalt Contractor Concept
One thing that most people haven’t talked about with the new 2009 F-150 is the new badges. The new F-150 badges which are displayed on the front fenders and tailgate are sporting a fresh, new look.
Ford says the newly designed badges are “reminiscent of handcrafted belt buckles”.
The design features a bold, italic F-150 on a sculpted silver base with the trim level series designation inset in smaller type.
Just like there are visual styling cues between the different trim levels such as different grilles, so too the F-150 badges are different. Check them all out in the photo to the right.
The 2009 F-150 will get better fuel economy than the 2008 model. The new F-150 gets an average 8% increase in mpg across the lineup as a result of a wide-range of engineering enhancements. The fuel economy gains reach as high as 12% versus the 2008 model equipped with the 3-valve, 5.4-liter V-8 engine.
The big news is the announcement of the new F-150 SFE “superior fuel economy” edition which gets up to 21 mpg (and has an impressive 7,500 lbs towing capability).
Here’s what Ford has to say about the new F-150 SFE:
The new SFE package will be available on F-150 SuperCrew XL and XLT 4X2 vehicles with 4.6-liter, 3-valve V-8 engines and 5.5-foot beds. The SFE pickup will achieve 15 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway.
The SFE package trucks also feature a new fuel-efficient six-speed automatic transmission, a 3.15:1 rear axle and 18-inch chrome clad aluminum wheels with low rolling resistance P265/60R18 all-season tires.
The SFE package will be a no-cost option on XLT SuperCrew pickups with the chrome package and will cost $1,095 when ordered on XL SuperCrew pickups with the decor package.
With the way fuel prices are lately, this is a good thing from Ford. I hope they hurry up on putting out that diesel F-150 as well.
Another neat feature of the 2009 F-150 engine is this:
The F-150 also regulates gas consumption by using aggressive deceleration fuel shut-off. The fuel shut-off is automatic and requires no unusual actions from the driver. When the driver releases the accelerator pedal, the system temporarily turns off the fuel. The flow of fuel seamlessly resumes when the truck reaches a low speed or the driver accelerates again.
Automotive News has put together an excellent article on Ford’s product strategy. Here’s what’s coming up in regards to Ford trucks. See also: [F150 Raptor] [Ford F100]
Ranger: The small pickup had been scheduled to die, but now Ford is considering extending Ranger output by as much as two years. The automaker had been expected to end Ranger production in fall 2009 when it planned to close its assembly plant in St. Paul, Minn.
What may give the Ranger new life is the relatively high mpg capability stemming from the standard four-cylinder engine and five-speed manual transmission.
Ford may keep making the aging Ranger into the 2011 calendar year. While it’s unlikely that Ford would invest in any significant update in the truck, changes may be made to comply with federal rollover mandates.
Ford eventually could replace the Ranger with a small pickup developed on a new global architecture Ford of Australia is developing, called T6.
F-100: Ford is developing a smaller version of its flagship F-series pickup. The new pickup, code-named P525, could be called F-100; it is scheduled to go into production in mid-2011 for the 2012 model year.
The pickup is based on a lighter version of the F-150 chassis and would share front-end sheet metal with the next-generation Expedition, if that vehicle is produced. The F-100 would be offered in a crew-cab model only.
The trade-off for the lighter frame is reduced capability. The F-100 is aimed at buyers who want a pickup but do not need to tow 10,000-plus pounds or carry 3,000-pound loads.
A performance version of the F-100 that tops 400 hp is a possibility.
F-150: Talk about bad timing. Ford is launching the 2009 re-engineered, restyled F-150 in a terrible market for pickups.The 2008 models stacked up at dealerships as gasoline prices rose.
The inventory overload and drop in demand caused Ford to push back the on-sale date of the 2009 truck by two months and eliminate two shifts of production. The 2009 F-150 now is expected to go on sale in late fall. Ford plans to build more basic work trucks and fewer high-end models.
The 2009 F-150 has an all-V-8 engine strategy. Ford has dropped a base V-6 for now. Executives say a turbocharged V-6, part of Ford’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine family, will be added in 2010. The three engines for the 2009 model are a 5.4-liter, three-valve V-8; a 4.6-liter, three-valve V-8; and a 4.6-liter, two-valve V-8. They are paired with a four-speed automatic or a new six-speed automatic transmission.
F-series Super Duty: A freshened Super Duty is expected for the 2011 model year.
Here’s what we do know about a potential SVT truck for 2009. Earlier this morning AutoBlog reported that an SVT rep commented “a new SVT truck is coming … later this fall”. Shortly thereafter PickupTrucks.com reported from a credible source that the truck won’t be called a Lightning. In fact it looks like it’s going to be part of the Harley-Davidson line-up of trucks.
Here’s what we don’t know. We don’t have details but it’s probably safe to say the truck will likely be a version of the supercharged Harley F-150. Expect big custom wheels, a custom instrument cluster, perhaps special stitching in the seats. Production may be limited. We also don’t know whether this will satisfy 01-04 Lightning owners. Will this new SVT truck be a Lightning replacement? We’ll see.
One thing is clear. Ford needs to keep coming up with new models and incentives to get truck sales levels back to where they were not that long ago. Trucks are big business and the F-Series was the top selling vehicle for many years (that is until this year). With rumors of a Raptor F150 and a new Ford F100, this potential new SVT truck might be just what Ford needs to be #1 again.
Ford announced yesterday that due to a shift in consumer demand toward more fuel efficient vehicles, they are reducing production of large trucks.
“We are continuing to make great progress on our plan,” said Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally. “We are profitable and growing outside of North America, and our transformation plan in North America is working. The challenge affecting the entire industry is the accelerating shift in consumer demand away from large trucks and SUVs to smaller cars and crossovers – combined with a steep rise in commodity prices and the weak U.S. economy.”
One has to wonder what will be the Ranger’s future… Ford has announced a few years in a row that the Ranger assembly plant in the Twin Cities will be closing but it hasn’t happened yet. Also, on the Ford Fleet site they’ve said the Ranger will be available during the 2009 model year.What do you think? With people turning to more fuel efficient vehicles, would you consider buying a Ranger to get better gas mileage? That’s one way to keep driving a Ford truck while not paying as much at the pump!
If you’re interested in any of the following Ford products, these are some “sister” sites:
One thing that most people haven’t talked about with the new 2009 F-150 is the new badges. The new F-150 badges which are displayed on the front fenders and tailgate are sporting a fresh, new look.
The 
Ranger: The small pickup had been scheduled to die, but now Ford is considering extending Ranger output by as much as two years. The automaker had been expected to end Ranger production in fall 2009 when it planned to close its assembly plant in St. Paul, Minn.
F-150: Talk about bad timing. Ford is launching the 2009 re-engineered, restyled F-150 in a terrible market for pickups.The 2008 models stacked up at dealerships as gasoline prices rose.
