2004 Ford F-150 Review

Specifications

Redesigned Reengineered and Remarkable: The Three Rs of the F150

I dont consider myself a true truck guy. I dont wear a ball cap featuring a Ford, GM or Chrysler logo, nor do I salivate at the thought of attending a tractor pull extravaganza. To me, people that drive full-size pickup trucks should do so out of necessity. Perhaps to haul construction materials, a fifth-wheel trailer or what-have-you that would exceed the cargo capacity of smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles.

With such a frame of reference, I headed to the regional Ford office and introduced myself to a black over Arizona beige, crew-cab, 4-wheel drive F150 Lariat. Now I had heard and read a lot about this latest edition of the patriarchal F150 and was eager to check out the journalistic hyperbole, not to mention Fords claim that it is the most capable F150 “ever” in the 55-years of F150 production. Ford also claims this dynamic truck treats its passengers to the “quietest pickup interior on earth,” and has achieved Best-In-Class maximum payload, interior volume, cargo box volume and trailer towing capacity. Thats a lot of “bests” to live up to, not to mention the most recent accolade of being selected the 2004 North American Truck of The Year by a group of 49 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada.

The North American Automobile of The Year awards honor a vehicle in each class that has established new benchmarks in the areas of design, innovation, safety and handling. These winners were announced January 4th at a news conference held at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The jurors considered 13 “trucks,” including the Nissan Titan and Cadillac SRX (this last one being more of a tall station wagon), before bestowing the F150 with this significant honor.

With key fob firmly in hand I approached the esteemed F150 that would be mine during the weeklong test period. From the outside, the new truck bears a familial theme that is all Ford. The new design abandons the rounded lines of the antecedent models in favor of a sharper, more defined facade that is strikingly similar to its F250 and F350 brothers. I find this to be a huge improvement which moves Ford to the upper echelons of pickup design in a manner similar to what the large grilled RAM pickup did for Dodge a few years back.

A faint click and a flash of the lights told me that the F150 was unlocked and ready to impress. And impress it did! The new interior design of the F150 is unlike any other utilitarian workhorse I have ever experienced. Yes, its extremely spacious, yes its extremely comfortable, but most of all, its cool. The “cool factor” within the F150 is cutting-edge, if equipped with the Flow-Through Console and floor shifter. Although even without the Flow-Through Console the F150 interior raises the bar in the interior design and quality category for pickups. I have not seen a sportier, better designed truck interior and dashboard in any competing pickup.

In my Lariat test model, the driver faces a grouping of three large analogue dials of jewel-like quality. Collectively they display speed, RPM, oil pressure and battery charging status. Separate smaller gauges display fuel and engine temperature readouts. All of the gauges reside beneath a beautifully stitched canopy arching atop the large dash, which is dominated by a vertical center stack containing the audio and climate controls. Mineral based wood trim highlights the center stack as it descends at a 90 degree angle to squarely meet the center-console. The center-console is wide and flat. It houses the best-looking auto-box stick shift to recently find its way into a sports car, never mind a pickup truck. This man-sized, industrial-appearing lever feels as great as it looks and induces excitement every time the big rig is shifted into Drive.

The Lariats heated, power leather captain seats are large and supportive. These arent the space saving, thin as cardboard sort found in many vehicles that suffer from miserly interior dimensions, but the Barcaloungers of automotive seating. Infinitely adjustable, the captain chairs mimic those found in the business class sections of better airlines. My only criticism pertains to a lack of side bolstering, which becomes evident during hard cornering. Did I say “hard cornering?” This is of course a 5000-plus pound behemoth; not exactly something you would expect to toss about on a serpentine backroad, but fun to do never-the-less.

Rear bench seats in crew cab pickups have nasty reputations for being inhospitable and inhabitable, often due to a sharply angled seatback that offers as much padding as a rail bed. Commendably the F150 has shattered that reputation with a bench seat that has plenty of cushioning and a moderately angled seatback. The best-in-class interior volume (in any 2004 F150 cab configuration) results in plenty of rear seat legroom to add to the comfort of rear seat confinement.

Whether seated in the front or rear, long distance traveling can be greatly improved with a high quality sound system. Ford understands this principle and has ensured the F150 could be equipped with an optional, Audiophile audio system. My tester featured this upgrade which produced excellent sound quality through the radio and the 6-disc in dash CD stacker. Definitely the best sound system I have experienced in a pickup truck to date. Audio buttons are conveniently mounted on the steering wheel in the Lariat model, but unfortunately not available in lower trim levels.

Although my test vehicle was not so equipped due to late availability, the F150 Supercab and Supercrew models come with an overhead modular rail system that can be customized with snap-in storage and accessory modules, including an optional rear seat DVD system. Expect to see this sort of “customization technology” propagate throughout the truck, SUV and minivan marketplaces. It makes excellent use of, what have historically been acres of wasted roof liner.

My close and detailed inspection of the interior and exterior of the F150 Lariat impressed me. This is a truck that has been assembled with the care and accuracy normally associated with premium automobiles not domestic pickup trucks. Body panels and doors, including the tailgate, are fitted together with precise and even gapping. That tailgate, incidentally, boasts a cantilevered design making it especially easy to open and shut. Doors also close with the secure “whump” that imparts a sense of solidity and quality. Interior fit and finish is of luxury car caliber and all controls are conveniently and thoughtfully placed.

The sense of solidity generated upon closing the F150s doors is reflective of the rigidity that permeates the entire vehicle. Such solidity begins with a strong, inflexible chassis (yes there is a time when being inflexible is an attribute, Honey are you reading this). The F150 underpinnings are attached to a frame, which features a hydro-formed front section, fully boxed frame rails and tubular crossmembers. Ford claims that this arrangement is approximately nine times stiffer than the frame supporting its predecessor. It doesnt take a rocket scientist, or a Ford engineer for that matter, to figure out that a torsionally rigid chassis will improve ride comfort and handling dynamics. It will also prevent rattles, squeaks and cowl shudder when bumps or potholes are encountered: definitely a good thing.

For such a large vehicle, very little body-flex or reverberation penetrates the vault-like cabin when broken pavement or washboard surfaces are encountered. Although not car-like, the Lariats well-controlled ride is most impressive. Road irregularities are reduced to jiggles when passing beneath the 18-inch all-terrain tires and wheels - standard equipment on the Lariat model by the way. This exemplary ride quality is achieved with the use of a coil-over-shock, double wishbone front suspension, combined with leaf springs and outboard shock absorbers holding up the rear. Also worthy of praise is the trucks ability to heavily-mute road noise, especially when its electronically activated, 4-wheel drive hardware and aggressive tire treads are factored into the equation.

Motivating either two or four of the trucks big wheels will be one of a pair of available V8s. The base engine is a 4.7-liter, 16-valve SOHC V8 that twists out 231 horsepower and 293 lb-ft of torque. The premium powerplant, which is based on Fords modular engine technology, displaces 5.4-liters, ratcheting up horsepower and torque to 300 and 365 respectively. This all-new SOHC power source features three-valves per cylinder and aluminum cylinder heads. Its also Fords first modular V8 to use variable valve timing, which is a technology that enables the timing of valve openings and closings to advance with an increase in engine speed, resulting in increased power and efficiency.

On the road, the variable valve timing technology is imperceptible to most. What isnt so benign is the increased torque of the rev-happy Triton engine. Although I have not driven the 4.6-liter Triton V8, I can certainly attest to the smooth and refined characteristics of its 5.4-liter sibling. This engine is a pleasure to master. It quietly delivers power through a torque-based electronic throttle control system that uses driver input from the accelerator pedal to actively modulate the torque at the drive wheels. Ford claims this fly-by-wire technology “provides consistently seamless throttle response.” Acceleration is definitely good for this size of a vehicle. Jackrabbit starts and authoritative highway passing are easily accomplished, and with very little fuss or need to push the 5.4 to its limit.

The F150 has received a reworked 4-speed transmission to ensure the big guys torque is properly managed. Ford has touted the smooth shifting characteristics of this auto-gearbox in its literature, and has not overstated the case. The transmission shifts at the appropriate point, whether an upshift or downshift has been ordered. In conjunction with the autobox, my 4-wheel drive Lariat could be engaged effortlessly into 2-wheel hi, 4-wheel hi and 4-wheel low transfer-case settings by the turn of a dash mounted switch. Once activated, the 4-wheel drive system functioned quietly and free of the jerkiness that often accompanies many-a-such systems. In the 4-low setting, the Lariat felt capable enough to easily scale the various presidential facades that grace Mount Rushmore. The Lariats combination of high-revving, low-range gears and tenacious tire traction is outstanding.

Great throttle response and traction must be countered with even better brakes. The Ying Yang of the 2004 F150 is 4-wheel antilock discs complemented by electronic brake force distribution. Less an opportunity to test the brakes while fully loaded or with a trailer in tow, I can nevertheless attest to the strength of this system in light duty situations. Stopping the big F150 is effortless, even when motionless immediacy is required. My shakedown of the brakes found them to be powerful, relatively fade free and easily modulated. Stops were surefooted and brief, considering the mass and inertia that had to be overcome.

Strong braking is not the only safety aspect of the F150 that Ford has attended to. The F150 has been equipped with Fords Personal Safety System and second-generation driver and front passenger airbags with occupant classification technology. According to Ford, “the Personal Safety System (PSS) combines more than a dozen technologies that collect information to determine the proximity of the driver to the steering wheel, whether the driver and right front passenger are wearing safety belts, and how severe the collision is.” Occupant classification technology detects weight in the passenger seat. If the weight of a child is detected the system turns off the passenger airbag.

The unintended, fundamental safety feature of the F150 is its size, ride height and mass. As any student of physics will explain, the severity of a crash is usually greatest in the object carrying the least amount of mass. Also, the taller ride height of a pickup truck assists in raising its occupants above the point of contact, however negative the resulting higher bumper may have on the occupants of the opposing car. Also negative, the high center of gravity may contribute to the likelihood of a rollover crash. But such are the pros and cons of pickup truck safety.

The F150 is capable of carrying a maximum of six passengers, depending on the cab and seating configuration selected. Both the Supercab and Supercrew cabs are equipped with a rear bench seat. Front seating is either of split bench design or the captain seats that I praised earlier. The Supercab design enables rear seat access through two small doors that open opposite to the front doors and can only be opened after a front door has been opened. This arrangement provides a wide-open access point to the passenger area that is not restricted by the presence of a B-pillar between the sets of doors.

My Lariat test vehicle had the full-meal deal by way of doors. The Supercrew cab is a true 4-door unit, with large openings that optimize ingress and egress, enhanced further with the factory-installed running boards. Also noteworthy are the full-opening power windows in the rear doors. Depending on cab selection, a variety of box sizes are available, including a 5.5-foot box on the extended-cab versions, which results in more “garageable” overall dimensions. A flip-out box extender is available to accommodate those items, which may exceed the capacity of the shortened bed - definitely one of Fords “better ideas.”

Along with being garage friendly, the F150 is a vehicle with multiple personalities, and thats a good thing. From a basic workhorse through to a chariot of luxury, the F150 can be equipped to meet many needs and desires. The major equipment groups commence with the base XL model beginning at $22,160 and encompassing rear access doors on the regular cab, AM/FM radio with clock, 40/20/40 split front bench, 17-inch steel wheels, air conditioning, tilt steering and locking tailgate. The $22,810 STX F150 will add AM/FM stereo with single CD, 17-inch cast aluminum wheels.

Find further riches in your war chest and move up to the $25,120 XLT and your F150 will benefit from the addition of the overhead rail storage system, premium cloth seating, power windows, power mirrors, remote entry, autolamp, delayed accessory power, outside temperature/compass display, speed control and optional AM/FM stereo with 6-disc in-dash CD changer, optional power sliding rear window, optional power moonroof and optional defrosting rear window.

If the XLT hasnt emptied the bank, for $30,685 the FX4 package will add a leather-wrapped steering wheel, metallic trim, aviation inspired instrument cluster, drivers side key-pad entry, 17-inch machined aluminum wheels or optional 18-inch machine cast aluminum wheels and optional sporty cloth or leather trimmed captains chairs with flow-through console and floor shifter.

If the riches are inexhaustible, the $30,395 Lariat will complete the picture of hedonism with the addition of simulated woodgrain trim, a unique instrument cluster, leather 40/20/40 split bench front seat, AM/FM cassette with single CD, 18-inch bright aluminum wheels, in-dash message center, steering wheel audio, climate and cruise controls, auto-climate control, optional heated leather seats deluxe mirror package, power-adjustable pedals and optional leather captains chairs with flow-through console and floor shifter.

A destination charge of $795 US will apply to the prices quoted. In addition to the major option groups, Ford offers many additional options and accessories.

With the Big-3s traditional full-size pickups under siege from Toyota and Nissan, Ford is not a day too early with the new F150. As they say in sports and many other forms of human conflict, the best defense is a good offense. There is no doubt that in the F150, Ford has put forth its “best defense,” and in doing so has converted this non-truck guy into a pickup truck devotee.