PICKUP TRUCK 2018 REVIEW Ford F-150

Overview

Beloved for its legendary capabilities, the F-150 is the truck we deem worthy of our 10Best award for 2018. Engines include: a 3.3-liter V-6 (265 lb-ft), a 2.7-liter twin-turbo V-6 (400 lb-ft), a Power Stroke diesel 3.0-liter V-6 (440 lb-ft), a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 (470 lb-ft), and a 5.0-liter V-8 (400 lb-ft). All engines save the base V-6 get a 10-speed automatic. A touchscreen infotainment system is optional, as is 4G LTE Wi-Fi, adaptive cruise control, and automated emergency braking.

At its core, the domestic pickup truck is a rudimentary device: a collection of boxes riding on a ladder frame underpinned by at least one solid axle, with a front-mounted engine and transmission. Brilliantly simple from the start, the basic formula hasn’t had to evolve much to keep its place in the food chain. Even with a host of unprecedented advancements coming online in the last decade or so—turbocharging, active suspensions, transmissions with up to 10 speeds, lightweight materials, and a bevy of innovations in safety and driver-assistance tech—its primary appeal remains an ability to haul people in relative comfort while their unwieldy and often messy stuff rides in back. The blueprint hasn’t changed much for a reason.