Pre-Review: 2009 Ford F-150

Justin Berkowitz
by Justin Berkowitz

This week, I went to Detroit on an all-expenses-paid junket extravaganza, where I drove the snot out of the new Ford F-150. What I took away from the experience, in addition to the F-150 (full review tomorrow) is twofold. First, Ford may have seriously lucked out on the 2009 F-150, because rather than focusing on peak horsepower, or acceleration, or size of wheels, or bling, or whatever else, it’s as though they’ve designed the truck pretty much directly for commercial users and heavy haulers. The people that actually need pickup trucks. Also known as “the only people that are going to continue buying pickup trucks in the forseeable future.” The F-150 performed extremely well in the proving grounds testing (Why wouldn’t it? Though I really liked the Chevy Silverado as well). Secondly, I’m not a fan of the Toyota Tundra. I drove it back to back with the Chevy Silverado, F-150, and Dodge Ram. The Tundra performed embarrassingly: TTAC has put in a call to Toyota to see if they want some kind of rebuttal.





Justin Berkowitz
Justin Berkowitz

Immensely bored law student. I've also got 3 dogs.

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  • Tdoyle Tdoyle on Oct 17, 2008

    As the current owner of an '05 F150, the problem is that it really isn't THAT much different looking than mine. Much of the same sheetmetal with the same door and roof stamping with an fairly fugly-front and non-descript rear. It isn't enough to make me trade...

  • Justin Berkowitz Justin Berkowitz on Oct 17, 2008

    @tdoyle: They'll give you $2000 if you do want to trade it. Owner loyalty, or something.

  • Lorenzo Heh. The major powers, military or economic, set up these regulators for the smaller countries - the big guys do what they want, and always have. Are the Chinese that unaware?
  • Lorenzo The original 4-Runner, by its very name, promised something different in the future. What happened?
  • Lorenzo At my age, excitement is dangerous. one thing to note: the older models being displayed are more stylish than their current versions, and the old Subaru Forester looks more utilitarian than the current version. I thought the annual model change was dead.
  • Lorenzo Well, it was never an off-roader, much less a military vehicle, so let the people with too much money play make believe.
  • EBFlex The best gift would have been a huge bonfire of all the fak mustangs in inventory and shutting down the factory that makes them.Heck, nobody would even have to risk life and limb starting the fire, just park em close together and wait for the super environmentally friendly EV fire to commence.
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