Page 81 - Motor Trend (April 2020)
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2018 Ford F-150 Lariat
                                                                                                       4X4 (SuperCab)

                                                                                                       DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT        Front-engine, 4WD
                                                                                                       ENGINE TYPE              Twin-turbo 60-deg V-6,
                                                                                                                                iron block/alum heads
                                                                                                       VALVETRAIN               DOHC, 4 valves/cyl
                                                                                                       DISPLACEMENT             164.3 cu in/2,693cc
                                                                                                       COMPRESSION RATIO        10.3:1
                                                                                                       POWER (SAE NET)          325 hp @ 5,000 rpm
                                                                                                       TORQUE (SAE NET)         400 lb-ft @ 2,750 rpm
                                                                                                       REDLINE                  5,800 rpm
                                                                                                       WEIGHT TO POWER          15.9 lb/hp
                                                                                                       TRANSMISSION             10-speed automatic
                                                                                                       AXLE/FINAL DRIVE/LOW RATIO  3.55:1/2.26:1/2.64:1
                                                                                                       SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR  Control arms, coil
                                                                                                                                springs, anti-roll bar;
                                                                                                                                live axle, leaf springs
                                                                                                       STEERING RATIO           17.4:1
                                                                                                       TURNS LOCK TO LOCK       3.2
                                                                                                       BRAKES, F; R             13.8-in vented disc;
                                                                                                                                13.7-in disc, ABS
           control modules. That smoothed things         mirrors—they’re helpful for towing but        WHEELS                   7.5 x 18-in cast aluminum
           back to normal, though we still experi-       not worth the hassle of having to avoid       TIRES                    275/65R18 116T M+S
           enced a few rough downshifts from time        the posts in our office’s parking garage.                              Michelin Primacy XC
           to time (but not as harsh as before the       Unfortunately one staffer misjudged            DIMENSIONS
           reflash). It looks like Ford still has some   a post and cracked the passenger-side         WHEELBASE                145.0 in
           software tweaking to do.                      mirror housing (costmetic damage we           TRACK, F/R               67.6/67.6 in
              Our F-150 is EPA-rated at 19/24/21         didn’t fix). The large mirrors also look      LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT  231.9 x 79.9 x 77.2 in
                                                                                                       TURNING CIRCLE           47.1 ft
           mpg city/highway/combined, but                somewhat goofy with our truck’s shorter
                                                                                                       CURB WEIGHT              5,166 lb
           according to our logbook it averaged 17.1     SuperCab body style.
                                                                                                       WEIGHT DIST, F/R         59/41%
           mpg during its stay. That’s acceptable          Speaking of the SuperCab, I was initially
                                                                                                       SEATING CAPACITY         5
           considering the amount of towing and          worried about its practicality due to its     HEADROOM, F/R            40.8/40.3 in
           L.A. traffic we put it through. The log also   smaller rear passenger area, but it didn’t   LEGROOM, F/R             43.9/33.5 in
           reveals a couple of road trips where the      take long to see that the pros outweighed     SHOULDER ROOM, F/R       66.7/65.8 in
           truck hit 24 mpg on a tank of fuel.           the cons. The rear-hinged back doors          CARGO VOLUME BEH 1ST ROW  31.6 cu ft
              We opted for the Lariat trim level, and    were tricky in tight parking spaces, but      PICKUP BOX L X W X H     78.9 x 65.2 x 21.4 in
           although some staffers winced at our          I was a fan overall. The doors’ ability to    PICKUP BOX VOLUME        62.3 cu ft
           truck’s $57,910 price tag, most everyone      swing open 180 degrees and the absence        WIDTH BET WHEELHOUSES    50.6 in
                                                                                                       PAYLOAD CAPACITY         1,334 lb
           agreed our F-150’s cabin was a nice place     of a B-pillar made access to the rear seats
                                                                                                       TOWING CAPACITY          7,600 lb (SAE)/7,239 lb (VIN)
           to spend time in. Because of a discount       super easy. Legroom was adequate for
                                                                                                        TEST DATA
           that was active at the time our truck was     three averaged-sized adults.
                                                                                                       ACCELERATION TO MPH
           built, the Lariat package cost us $5,835.       We had nothing but praise for the
                                                                                                       0-30                     2.0 sec
           It adds a long list of features, some of      longer, spacious 6.5-foot bed, along with     0-40                     3.1
           the most appreciated items being the          its eight hooks (including four with the      0-50                     4.6
           instrument panel’s large and sharp digital    optional BoxLink system), LED lighting,       0-60                     6.3
           display, the B&O Play sound system,           and spray-in bedliner. Our truck also had     0-70                     8.3
           remote start system, and ventilated front     the optional retractable side steps near the   0-80                    10.8
           seats. The latter two helped with the         front of bed, which got a lot of use.         0-90                     13.9
                                                                                                       PASSING, 45-65 MPH       3.5
           warmer weather. That said, our truck had        Our truck went in for two service visits
                                                                                                       QUARTER MILE             14.8 sec @ 92.1 mph
           a few standalone options I could’ve done      for a total cost of $140. That’s a tad more
                                                                                                       BRAKING, 60-0 MPH        128 ft
           without. The foldable bed extender, for       than our long-term 2013 Ram 1500 (with
                                                                                                       LATERAL ACCELERATION     0.74 g (avg)
           example, rarely got any use and also got      the 395-hp V-8), which set us back $120.94
                                                                                                       MT FIGURE EIGHT          28.5 sec @ 0.60 g (avg)
           in the way of latching the tonneau cover;     for two service visits. That truck also       TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH   1,500 rpm
           it was most useful when folded forward        returned similar fuel economy at 17.3 mpg.     CONSUMER INFO
           to act as a bed divider. But again, it was    Meanwhile, our 2014 Ram 1500 with the         BASE PRICE               $46,335
           mostly in the way. I’d also skip the tow      EcoDiesel V-6 covered more than 32,000        PRICE AS TESTED          $57,910
                                                         miles (and averaged 23.2 mpg); its pricey     STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL Yes/Yes
                                                         30,000-mile service included a rear differ-   AIRBAGS                  6: Dual front, front side,
                                                         ential service, putting its maintenance                                f/r curtain
                                                                                                       BASIC WARRANTY           3 years/36,000 miles
                                                         total at $775.04. Based on dealer esti-
                                                                                                       POWERTRAIN WARRANTY      5 years/60,000 miles
                                                         mates, our F-150 would’ve cost $236.90 to
                                                                                                       ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE      5 years/60,000 miles
                                                         maintain over a similar distance.
                                                                                                       FUEL CAPACITY            26.0 gal
                                                           With our F-150’s comfy interior, strong
                                                                                                       REAL MPG, CITY/HWY/COMB  18.6/23.9/20.6 mpg
                                                         engine, and spacious bed, it’s no surprise
                                                                                                       EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON   19/24/21 mpg
                                                         it was in high demand during its stay. The    ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY    177/140 kW-hr/100 miles
                                                         fact that it was mostly drama-free only       CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB      0.93 lb/mile
                                                         solidifies our case for our having crowned    RECOMMENDED FUEL         Unleaded
                                                         it our 2018 Truck of the Year.                                         premium

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