2011 Ford F-150 Review and Prices
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Price: $22,000 - $43,000
MPG: 16 / 22 / 18
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2011 Ford F-150 Buying Advice
The 2011 Ford F-150 is the best pickup for you if you want to pioneer a new breed of truck engine.
The 2011 Ford F-150 is almost certain to feature two – maybe three -- new engines. All are promising and one is positively radical for a mainstream truck. No other automaker has dared offered a full-size pickup with a twin-turbo V-6, but Ford’s new EcoBoost engine will likely be the premium powerplant in the 2011 F-150. And the company’s hot new “Coyote” V-8 will likely become the base engine for the F-150, America’s top-selling vehicle, car or truck.
Should you wait for the 2011 Ford F-150 or buy a 2010 F-150? Wait for the 2011 F-150 if you want to blaze a trail into a new age of half-ton pickup power and fuel efficiency. Buy a 2010 F-150 if you’re more comfortable trusting the three-V-8 lineup this truck has used since its model-year 2009 debut.
2011 Ford F-150 Changes back to top
Styling: Any 2011 Ford F-150 styling alterations would take a backseat to big changes under the hood. Don’t expect styling to change beyond perhaps a tweak to the grille, altered trim details, maybe a new wheel design or two. That spells a repeat of the blunt nose, square-rigged body, and ribbed tailgate unveiled when the F-150 was redesigned for model year 2009. The 2011 F-150 will return with three cab styles: the three-passenger two-door regular-cab; the six-passenger four-door SuperCab with small, rear-hinged back doors; and the six-passenger SuperCrew crew cab with four conventional side doors. Cargo boxes should continue in 5.5-, 6.5-, and 8-foot lengths and will be available with a fold-away bed extender, movable dividers, and deployable bed and tailgate steps. Appearance, of course, will get fancier as you ascend the model ladder. Expect the 2011 line to mirror 2010’s, beginning with the workhorse XL model. Up next would be the volume-selling XLT models, with sporty STX and off-road-fortified FX4 editions available, as well. Luxury duties should again be handled by Lariat, King Ranch, and top-of-the-line Platinum models. The Platinum has a satin chrome grille with fine-mesh inserts, heated front and rear seats, and cabin accents of real wood and aluminum. Ford’s SVT high-performance division will again field the Raptor, a regular-cab F-150 modified in the fashion of an off-road-racing truck. F-150 interior décor spans cloth-upholstery Spartan to stitched-leather sybaritic. All models have slightly retro-style instrumentation and a monolithic central stack of climate and audio controls that also hosts the 6.5-inch screen for the available navigation system.
Mechanical: It’s a question of when, not if, Ford will introduce its EcoBoost V-6 to the F-150 lineup. This fully modern dual-overhead-cam 3.5-liter uses two turbochargers and direct fuel injection. It debuted for model-year 2010 in several Ford/Lincoln products, notably the 2010 Ford Taurus SHO and 2010 Lincoln MKS sedans and 2010 Ford Flex crossover SUV. In those applications it makes 355-365 horsepower with 350 pound-feet of torque at around 1500 rpm. Speculation is that it’ll pack 400 horsepower and 400 pound-feet in the F-150. The idea is to furnish V-8 power with V-6 fuel economy. Ford sources say it the twin-turbo V-6 weigh something like 175 pounds less and be 15-20 percent more fuel efficient than the 2010 F-150’s top engine choice, a 320-horsepower 5.4-liter V-8. Ford maintains the EcoBoost V-6 is suitable for moderately heavy towing duty, too. High tech means high cost, however, so the EcoBoost is likely to be the uplevel 2011 F-150 engine. The base choice would be Ford’s new dual-overhead-cam 5.0-liter V-8. Dubbed “Coyote,” this naturally aspirated engine is also slated for duty in the Ford Mustang. In the F-150, look for power ratings similar the EcoBoost V-6, but with conventional V-8 torque characteristics. Some reports suggest the 2011 F-150 may also become available with Ford’s new 6.2-liter V-8. All these engines will likely use a six-speed automatic transmission. Introduction of the EcoBoost V-6 and the two new V-8s would represent a fully new engine lineup for the F-150. That roster for model-year 2010 consisted of three V-8s: a 248- and a 292-horsepower 4.6-liter and the 320-horsepower 5.4. Torque topped out at 320-pound feet on the 4.6s and 390 on the 5.4. Towing and payload ratings for 2011 should approximate 2010’s maximums of 11,300 pounds and 3,030 pounds, respectively. All 2011 F-150s will again come with anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes and Ford’s AdvanceTrac antiskid system. Two-wheel drive (2WD) will be the default setup, with all models available with a part-time four-wheel-drive system (4WD) that includes low-range gearing but is not intended for use on dry pavement.
Features: The 2011 Ford F-150 can be outfitted to help you work and play. On-the-job conveniences include an in-dash computer with Internet access and a wireless mouse and printer. Ford’s optional Tool Link uses radio frequency identification (RDF) to inventory and track tools and equipment stored onboard. Optional metal steps slide from beneath the sides or rear of the truck for easier bed access and the tailgate can be fitted with a fold-up handle to assist entry. Towing is enhanced with available integrated trailer-brake control and with sway control that automatically applies selected brakes or modulates engine power to calm wayward truck/trailer motion. An available rearview camera helps the driver aim during trailer hitching. The available Ford/Microsoft Sync system provides hands-free control of cell phone and audio functions and can furnish turn-by-turn directions, sports scores, and movie times. The available voice-activated navigation system can display real-time weather maps and localized fuel prices. USB iPod connectivity and 5.1 surround-sound audio also are available. Standard on most F-150 models is MyKey, Ford’s teen-driver-safety programmable ignition key that limits top speed to 80 mph, audio volume to 44 percent of maximum, and sounds persistent reminders of unbuckled seat belts. All F-150s come with head-protecting side curtain airbags for all seating rows.
2011 Ford F-150 Prices back to top
Prices for the 2011 Ford F-150 had not been released in time for this review but Ford will no doubt endeavor to hold the line. That won’t be easy, given the likelihood of an engine lineup that’s more expensive by virtue of being more advanced. The Coyote V-8, for example, has a dual-overhead-cam, four-valve-per-cylinder design versus the 2010 F-150’s simpler single-overhead-cam two- and three-valve V-8s. As uplevel powerplants, the EcoBoost V-6 and the 6.2-liter-V-8 would likely carry a premium of several thousand dollars.
Still, the 2011 Ford F-150 price spread should remain within reach of a wide audience. Expect 2011 F-150 pricing to begin around $22,000 for the entry-level LX regular-cab model. (Estimated prices in this review include the manufacturer’s destination fee; Ford’s fee for the 2010 F-150 was $975.)
Figure STX models to start around $25,120, and XLTs at about $26,000. The popular XLT SuperCab should be priced from around $30,000. Estimated base price for the Lariat models is $34,000 and for the off-road-oriented FX4 is $35,000. Figure the 2011 F-150 King Ranch and F-150 SVT Raptor to start around $40,000 and the Platinum edition to begin around $43,000.
2011 Ford F-150 Fuel Economy back to top
Fuel-economy is a relative term when it comes to full-size pickups but it’s a growing consideration among buyers and a focus of much automaker engineering. For example, Ford imbued every 2010 F-150 with mileage-enhancing tweaks previously reserved for a special SFE (Super Fuel Economy) model. That boosted economy slightly, but the best any 2010 F-150 could do in EPA ratings was 15/21 mpg (city/highway) for a 2WD regular-cab with the base engine. With 4WD, most versions were rated at 14/18 mpg. Actually, those ratings put the 2010 F-150 among the most-fuel efficient gas-engine full-size pickups, but only by a mile or two per gallon city/highway.
EPA fuel-economy estimates for 2011 models had not been released in time for this review, but expect 2011 Ford F-150 fuel economy to equal and in some cases beat the 2010 F-150 numbers.
The highlight would be the EcoBoost V-6, which Ford sources suggest would earn a rating of 16/23 mpg (city/highway). No word on whether Ford would recommend or require 2011 F-150 EcoBoost owners to use higher-priced premium-grade gas. In its other applications, Ford says the EcoBoost will run fine on 87 octane but recommends premium-grade 91-octane or above to extract its full performance.
2011 Ford F-150 Release Date back to top
The 2011 Ford F-150 should be in showrooms by autumn 2010.
What's next for the 2011 Ford F-150 back to top
Ford for a couple of years evidently was considering a smaller, lighter “baby F-150” tagged, appropriately enough, the F-100. That plan was scuttled, but its goal of a pickup that incorporates weight savings in the name of fuel economy lives on in the F-150 program.
That objective will likely become evident in any number of engineering efficiencies but the best opportunity for mileage gains remains in the area of powertrains. That’s where the EcoBoost V-6 comes in and it’ll quite likely lead to a future F-150 model (think model-year 2013) with a four-cylinder EcoBoost. With a displacement of under 3.0-liters, the F-150 EcoBoost four-cylinder would have performance akin to, say, the soon-to-be discontinued 248-horsepower 4.6-liter V-8 but use significantly less gas.
There’s an outside chance Ford could resurrect plans to offer a diesel V-8 in the F-150, an engine typically reserved for the heavier-duty three-quarter F-250 and one-ton F-350 models. Diesels beat equivalent gas V-8s for torque and mpg, but carry a hefty price premium.
The focus of fuel economy doesn’t mean ignoring high performance. It’s a virtual lock the Raptor, for example, will be available during calendar 2010 with the new 6.2-liter V-8. And the rumor mill says a future F-150 -- possibly the next F-150 Harley-Davidson model -- may feature a 500-horseower twin turbo 5.0-liter V-8 code-named “Road Runner” that’s been designed for high-performance Mustangs.
As for the next fully redesigned F-150, it probably won’t show up until after model-year 2014, though styling could see a facelift before that.
2011 Ford F-150 Competition back to top
Chevrolet Silverado 1500: This is the oldest of the F-150’s key rivals, last redesigned for model-year 2007. Its age comes across in relatively cramped crew-cab rear seating, but General Motors has done an admirable job keeping the Silverado and its GMC Sierra cousin feeling fresh and relevant. A range of smooth engines, including a 332-horsepower gas-electric hybrid V-8 (21/22 mpg), complements a chassis that remains entirely capable. The next-generation Silverado/Sierra will likely appear in model-year 2013 or 2014.
Dodge Ram 1500: Like the F-150, Dodge’s half-ton Ram was all-new for model-year 2009. It got fresh styling and became the only full-size pickup to adopt a rear coil-spring suspension instead of leaf springs. Dodge has scuttled diesel-engine plans and waffled on delivering a hybrid version of the Hemi V-8. But Ram’s gas Hemi can save fuel by shutting down half its eight cylinders in low-demand conditions. Refinement and ride quality are class-leading and Ram joins Silverado and Sierra as the only big pickup with available 4WD designed to be left engaged on dry pavement. No major changes are expected until after model-year 2013.
Toyota Tundra: Upsized for model-year 2007 and built in the U.S. to compete with the big Ford, Dodge, and GM pickups, Tundra is a worthy rival but a sales challenge for Toyota. It competes on size and power, but hasn’t compelled large numbers of commercial users to waiver in their domestic-brand brand loyalty. A model-year 2010 freshening included introduction of a fine new 310-horsepwer V-8 to compliment the top-line 381-horsepower engine, but don’t look for major changes before model-year 2014 or so.