Motor Trend magazine gives the nod to the newest edition of Fords venerable pick-em-up.
Not bad for a truck
Here at LotPro.com, it has to be said that most of us are not big fans of the pickup truck. Perhaps it’s because, for at least the past ten years, most buyers never really purchased them for their intended use. Commuting to work and schlepping the kids to school does not require a pickup truck. It was almost as if the proliferation of extended-cab, leather-lined luxo-trucks was suburbia’s answer to the equally obnoxious chrome-clad DUB-wheeled urban SUV.
Thankfully, last summer’s spike in gasoline prices may finally return the pickup truck to its rightful place – the proper mode of conveyance for cowboys and construction workers as well as an automotive denizen of rental fleets for those of us who need one for the occasional weekend hauling requirements.
The New F-150
Ford, it seems, could not have picked a worse time to introduce its new full-size pickup truck. Due to the aforementioned state of gasoline prices this past summer, the guys in Dearborn were forced to push back the launch of their new truck by two months to clear the glut of current models sitting on dealer lots.
But that was then and this is now. With a drop in gas prices, there has been a mild resurgence in truck sales. After losing its crown earlier this year, the F-series is once again America’s top-selling vehicle, albeit with sales numbers far below its 2004 pinnacle of 939,463 copies.
Motor Trend TOTY
Today, however, was a day to put all that aside at least long enough for the designers, engineers and marketing people at Ford to enjoy their moment in the sun. The new F-150 was one of four trucks that were eligible for the award this year, the others being the Dodge Ram 1500, Suzuki Equator and the Hummer H3T and it won the honor in the closest vote in the history of Truck of the Year™.
The award also marks the third consecutive time that an all-new F-150 has garnered the prize, having received it twice in the past for the 2004 and 1997 iterations.
“The new F-150 is a thorough, thoughtful upgrade of a highly successful formula,” said Angus MacKenzie, editor-in-chief, Motor Trend. “The 2009 model improves on the core attributes that have made the F-150 a best seller for decades, ensuring it will remain a strong player in the segment despite the challenging economic environment.”
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New Features
There are two items, in particular, on the F-150’s equipment list that should expand its appeal to a broader segment of buyers. Inside, the Microsoft-developed SYNC technology will allow it to appeal to younger, more tech-savvy buyers, while, in back, the Box Side Step and Tailgate Step should help with the, ahem, more “mature” customer (a census aggregation that includes yours, truly).
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The Bottom Line
Despite the fact that Ford’s newest hauler is not on our short list of vehicles we’d like to own before we pass on, it’s certainly the well-deserved leader in its segment and carries on Ford’s fine tradition of building class-leading pickups.
