Topic: Test Drive: 2015 Ford F-150 King Ranch

[Autos_Editor]

Contributor Haney Louka packed up his wife and kids and headed out on a long weekend road trip to see just how well the F-150 handles domestic family duty.
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[Ex-airbalancer]

With a 5L payload is down to 939 kg depending on how the truck is equip which is still really good
Comparing this to a Q7 is silly , I do not think you would haul firewood in the rear of the Q7 

[tpl]

With a 5L payload is down to 939 kg depending on how the truck is equip which is still really good
Comparing this to a Q7 is silly , I do not think you would haul firewood in the rear of the Q7 

I haul bags of yard waste in the back of my Q.   And have to get rid of all the twigs and leaves and stuff afterwards. 

[Noto]

A truck review by a self-described car guy who commutes downtown daily.  Hmmm...

I appreciated it...since I, too, am not a truck guy, but one who commutes downtown daily.  I would never, ever want a truck for that.  Nor would I for a highway jaunt.

If I lived on a farm, or did sufficient work in the trades, I could see the benefit.  But that wasn't Haney's experience with this.  He didn't take the truck on work duty, he took it on an extended roadtrip where other vehicles in the same price bracket would have done the duty with ease and slurping a fraction of the fuel.

I applaud Haney for this article and his perspective.  Trucks are not for everyone, contrary to vehicle sales #s in Canada    

[Kris78]

While this review may be knocked by truck guys, my guess is that the use as described constitutes what most folks will do with their vehicles. I love trucks too, but an SUV would likely be far more useful.

While there are plenty of folks who use their trucks for truck duty, the sheer number of trucks I see with spotless beds and trailer hitches makes me think that this would be the minority.

With a 5L payload is down to 939 kg depending on how the truck is equip which is still really good
Comparing this to a Q7 is silly , I do not think you would haul firewood in the rear of the Q7 

Q7 + utility trailer = problem solved

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Next up, we send out our vegan reporter to review Jacobs & Co Steakhouse. 

But I agree. Lots of pickups in my neighbourhood that have never had anything more challenging than groceries in the bed.

[Concerned Commuter]

I thought the review was pretty fair for a car guy.  We were waiting for the 15 F150s to come out as I really wanted one, however our local Ford dealer gave us a deal on a 14 FX4 that was too good to refuse.  It is my wife's daily drive.  It has the Ecoboost 3.5, and the truck already has seen more than 50% of its 8,000kms used for towing some sort of trailer.

We drive the posted limit, but we too notice that a wind, ambient temperature, or driving habits affect the Ecoboost more than they did the old 5.4 we had grown accustomed to.  Empty on a 5 hour trip, we achieved 10.6 litres per 100 km highway.  On the other end, pulling our 32' 7800 lb travel trailer yielded us 28.9 litres/100 km (into a bit of a wind), which was slightly better than our old 5.4 with the same trailer.  We keep our trucks for 10 years, so by the time we are ready to trade this one off, we may be trading on an all electric model!

[Fobroader]

Next up, we send out our vegan reporter to review Jacobs & Co Steakhouse. 

But I agree. Lots of pickups in my neighbourhood that have never had anything more challenging than groceries in the bed.

Thats my problem, this would be like putting me in some compact, hybrid car and asking me how well it handles picking up a load of 2x4's or taking crap to the dump. Wrong tool for the wrong job, you are using a hammer to put in a screw. I get that some people commute to busy downtown cores with trucks, they are called morons, even myself, a hardcore truck guy would concede and drive some hateful little s$%tbox in the name of parking ease, maneuverability and sanity. Its not a bad review at all, just I don't get calling out the truck for not being as easy to handle in a parkade as a Civic.......As for truck vs SUV, as long as I own a house and am physically able to do work around a house, I will never vacuum top soil out, try to get the smell of of whatever I took to the dump or bottle depot out of the back of my SUV or worry about scratching the plastic or tearing the leather out of an SUV. Is it priced high, not really, it has the same features as any fancy pants luxo barge and it has a hell of a lot more utility than any car.

[Noto]

pulling our 32' 7800 lb travel trailer yielded us 28.9 litres/100 km (into a bit of a wind), which was slightly better than our old 5.4 with the same trailer. 

[Fobroader]

pulling our 32' 7800 lb travel trailer yielded us 28.9 litres/100 km (into a bit of a wind), which was slightly better than our old 5.4 with the same trailer. 

What?? That sounds about right....you should see what it is when you are pulling through the mountains. I think your Upper Canada brain would implode 

[Noto]

The worst I've ever recorded in any car is 19.2L/100km in the Forester XT.  I nearly died.  I couldn't fathom 28.9L/100km unless it was the combined usage in a convoy of 4 cars!

[johngenx]

People that tow bigger trailers are typically drinking more than 25L/100km - over 30L/100km is not uncommon.

[Fobroader]

If Im pulling a lot of hills and its windy, Ill get well over 30L/100km with my combo, does it hurt, absolutely, am I surprised...absolutely not.

[johngenx]

Which is why I'm always shocked when I see trucks pulling massive holiday trailers at 140km/h.  First, the trailers and their crap tires aren't made for that.  Second, you're on the brink of being out of control.  Lastly, the fuel consumption is shocking.

[Fobroader]

Which is why I'm always shocked when I see trucks pulling massive holiday trailers at 140km/h.  First, the trailers and their crap tires aren't made for that.  Second, you're on the brink of being out of control.  Lastly, the fuel consumption is shocking.

Ill admit I hit 130+ once......just to see if I could...... scary....never again.

[johngenx]

Ill admit I hit 130+ once......just to see if I could...... scary....never again.

I was doing 140 in the Miata on 16 not far from Edson and a lunatic went BY ME with his holiday trailer - I saw the trailer leave the ground once over a bump - unreal.

[Fobroader]

Thats usually the realm of the rig rocketeers with the smoke stacks and lift kits........that would be insane, couldn't imagine having to manouver or brake 15,000lbs of weight at that speed.

[ktm525]

Ill admit I hit 130+ once......just to see if I could...... scary....never again.

I was doing 140 in the Miata on 16 not far from Edson and a lunatic went BY ME with his holiday trailer - I saw the trailer leave the ground once over a bump - unreal.

Friggin Riggers with the 1 ton diesel stacked to the max. Asshats all of them Never understood the economics of hauling a massive trailer through the rockies. Tenting or luxury condo for me please. Considering all the fuel/massive truck/campground fees/storage fees etc. a  luxury condo with pool is cheaper.

[Blueprint]

pulling our 32' 7800 lb travel trailer yielded us 28.9 litres/100 km (into a bit of a wind), which was slightly better than our old 5.4 with the same trailer. 

What?? That sounds about right....you should see what it is when you are pulling through the mountains. I think your Upper Canada brain would implode 

Car and Driver got 4 mpg with a long-term Escalade while towing up to its weight limit. A semi would actually better that.

My personal "best" is 23 l/100km with a summer-beater '78 LeSabre with a 350 4-barrel. After my first fill-up (and shock), I tried driving like a bingo-playing granny, and got 21. I squealed tires for the rest of the summer.

[Noto]

Car and Driver got 4 mpg with a long-term Escalade while towing up to its weight limit. A semi would actually better that.

That's 58.8L/100km!!!  HOLY D1CK!

Again, I'm not saying that 28.9L/100km is absurd for the situation described, it's just a shock to someone who has never driven a truck more than 3km, and fully unloaded during that time.