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2009 F-150 Platinum
2009 Ford F-150 Platinum: The New F-150 Platinum offers greater levels of touch luxury without compromising any 'Built ford Tough' truck capabilities
2009 Ford F-150 Lariat 4x4 Supercrew
Price (as tested): $45,685
Powertrain: 320-horsepower 5.4-liter V-8, six-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel drive
Includes: Sony stereo system with Sync navigation, power moonroof, trailer-towing package, rear-view camera, remote sensing system, tailgate step, heated/cooled front seats, 18-inch chrome-clad wheels, Sirius satellite radio
EPA mileage: 14 city, 28 highway
Powertrain: 320-horsepower 5.4-liter V-8, six-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel drive
Includes: Sony stereo system with Sync navigation, power moonroof, trailer-towing package, rear-view camera, remote sensing system, tailgate step, heated/cooled front seats, 18-inch chrome-clad wheels, Sirius satellite radio
EPA mileage: 14 city, 28 highway
Back in pre-economic collapse America, the venerable Ford F-150 could always be counted upon to move several million units a year — the country's long-running, best-selling vehicle, hands down. Just as Ella Fitzgerald said, nowadays “it ain't necessarily so,” and … we must observe the new F-150 in a slightly different light.
Much like the improved Dodge Ram and the newer generation of GM trucks (or the Toyota Tundra), the vastly reconfigured 2009 F-150 is a fulsome, handsome and powerful machine that gets a little spendy when loaded down with options; if your lifestyle, self-image or your accountant's ability to write off your many business expenses allows it, the F-150 is a dandy choice for a new, big-ass truck.
The new F-150 was launched quite a few months ago, but my turn in the saddle came relatively recently (and, in retrospect, I guess I should have been more thankful at the time), although I believe the wait was worth it.
Borrowing the generally angular, gigantic, imposing and chrome-heavy, futuristic look first floated a year earlier on the F-250, the F-150's square-jawed features resonate with roughness. Order it as a crew-cab and upscale it with the Lariat finishing package, and it turns into an almost bus-sized Lincoln, of sorts.
Compared to the other new versions of its pickup competitors, what the F-150 lacks is not size or stature, but raw power. The Hemi-powered Ram and the ridiculously powerful Tundra significantly outclass the F-150's not insubstantial 5.4-liter Triton V-8 — sad to say that we've come to a point where 320 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft. of torque do not make you the biggest thing on the block, but such is the case.
You still get a calamitous noise when you floor it, but the very power-hungry will feel a little let down. It would also be nice to have a fully sequential setup for the six-speed transmission; while trying to shave some speed off the beast, headed downhill, I could only jarringly shift it into a very low third gear.
What you do get, should you or your company fuel expense account actually care, is highway mileage that's a consistent 18 mpg-plus, so that's not too shabby, especially for 5,700 pounds of metal.
F-150's major refresh job is quite nice, overall, from the walk-in-freezer sized grille to the seemingly upside down, chrome-rimmed tail lamps. Cut-outs in the side windows allow better mirror visibility, making it a bit easier to see the 20-plus feet of truck, and a back-up camera and rear beepers are also useful. Those gigantic, double-stacked trailering mirrors are great but make parking structure visits a bit challenging.
The hyper-styled makeover is more evident on the inside, where the leather-loaded Lariat package includes a massive, angular dash with a speaker and junk tray on the top, plus the plastic surrounds, faux wood paneling and round vents seen in last year's Escape and other stablemates.
The leather-topped seating is broad, almost sporty and can be heated or cooled, depending on the season; the super-huge back seat cabin was literally wide enough for a pair of 164-cm skis on the floor and still had enough room for three passengers — I suspect you could comfortably sleep on the floor on a camping trip.
The pull-out step and pop-up, Fred Astaire-styled tailgate access stick is just a little goofy and, frankly, rattled like hell at highway speed.
Much like the improved Dodge Ram and the newer generation of GM trucks (or the Toyota Tundra), the vastly reconfigured 2009 F-150 is a fulsome, handsome and powerful machine that gets a little spendy when loaded down with options; if your lifestyle, self-image or your accountant's ability to write off your many business expenses allows it, the F-150 is a dandy choice for a new, big-ass truck.
The new F-150 was launched quite a few months ago, but my turn in the saddle came relatively recently (and, in retrospect, I guess I should have been more thankful at the time), although I believe the wait was worth it.
Borrowing the generally angular, gigantic, imposing and chrome-heavy, futuristic look first floated a year earlier on the F-250, the F-150's square-jawed features resonate with roughness. Order it as a crew-cab and upscale it with the Lariat finishing package, and it turns into an almost bus-sized Lincoln, of sorts.
Compared to the other new versions of its pickup competitors, what the F-150 lacks is not size or stature, but raw power. The Hemi-powered Ram and the ridiculously powerful Tundra significantly outclass the F-150's not insubstantial 5.4-liter Triton V-8 — sad to say that we've come to a point where 320 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft. of torque do not make you the biggest thing on the block, but such is the case.
You still get a calamitous noise when you floor it, but the very power-hungry will feel a little let down. It would also be nice to have a fully sequential setup for the six-speed transmission; while trying to shave some speed off the beast, headed downhill, I could only jarringly shift it into a very low third gear.
What you do get, should you or your company fuel expense account actually care, is highway mileage that's a consistent 18 mpg-plus, so that's not too shabby, especially for 5,700 pounds of metal.
F-150's major refresh job is quite nice, overall, from the walk-in-freezer sized grille to the seemingly upside down, chrome-rimmed tail lamps. Cut-outs in the side windows allow better mirror visibility, making it a bit easier to see the 20-plus feet of truck, and a back-up camera and rear beepers are also useful. Those gigantic, double-stacked trailering mirrors are great but make parking structure visits a bit challenging.
The hyper-styled makeover is more evident on the inside, where the leather-loaded Lariat package includes a massive, angular dash with a speaker and junk tray on the top, plus the plastic surrounds, faux wood paneling and round vents seen in last year's Escape and other stablemates.
The leather-topped seating is broad, almost sporty and can be heated or cooled, depending on the season; the super-huge back seat cabin was literally wide enough for a pair of 164-cm skis on the floor and still had enough room for three passengers — I suspect you could comfortably sleep on the floor on a camping trip.
The pull-out step and pop-up, Fred Astaire-styled tailgate access stick is just a little goofy and, frankly, rattled like hell at highway speed.
