2020 Ford F-150

Ford’s F-150 is the can-do vehicle, answering everyone’s motoring needs. It’s able to haul 3,300 pounds and comes with a variety of engine options that can deliver up to 450 horsepower. It can be configured with the latest active safety technologies. And you can even get a full leather interior that turns the pickup into a luxury car. 

The F-150 can pull a maximum of 13,200 pounds behind it when properly optioned, which is well beyond what almost any private, non-commercial truck owner might need. (The Chevy Silverado, though, can now tow 13,400 pounds with a special trailering package, while the Ram 1500 can do 12,750.) To put these towing numbers into perspective, though, we once towed two race cars plus parts on an extended trailer behind a pickup, and even that load didn’t break the 8,000-pound barrier. So, pulling 13,000 pounds would be a rarity.

There are few itches the F-150 can’t scratch.

Not many trucks look elegant—they’re basic boxes, after all—but the F-150 appears reasonably handsome. This latest generation parks a big, bold nose up onto the front end, with varying tones to the grille based on trim level and small lighting variations, too. Truth be told: The current Ram 1500 introduced in late 2018 is as attractive as any truck can be, though the F-150 doesn’t lag behind by much. 

The F-150’s interior, especially on our Limited trim tester, looks pleasing. The instruments are clear and laid out logically with clear typefaces, big knobs and big switches. The infotainment display at the center of the dash is well-sorted with simple, understated graphics that don’t swivel or have silly, overblown motion in their work, even if the display itself is not as large as the Ram’s biggest display option.

There’s also no fumbling around through endless graphic menus and sub-menus to find all the climate control adjustments. The F-150 retains hard buttons and dials for heat and air conditioning—an excellent interior designer decision. Doors have multiple pockets for loose items like maps, phones, headphones, tissues, snacks, etc. The window sills also descend lower at their forward edges, which gives a better view to the sides, especially for shorter drivers.

On the safety front, the F-150 garnered a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety back in 2018, and the truck has not changed materially from the crash safety aspect since then. Also, many active safety features like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist with lane departure warning, forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking are standard on the middle range and upper trims (Lariat, Platinum, King Ranch and Limited).

Backing up with a trailer in place can be daunting. For those who’ve never done it before, the F-150 offers Ford’s Pro Trailer Backup Assist. This useful system uses the rear camera to track the trailer’s position relative to the trucks, while the driver steers while backing up not with the steering wheel, but with a dash-mounted knob that the driver twists in the direction they want the trailer to turn. This removes the less than instinctive behavior of trailers turning in the opposite direction of the steering wheel while reversing. I’ve used it, and it works very well.

Contrary to what some think, fuel economy is a significant consideration with pickups. They all use a lot of fuel, though some use more than others. A few years ago, Ford moved to smaller EcoBoost V6 engines with advanced turbocharging for the bulk of F-150 production. The company reasoned that the move would provide better fuel economy during normal, light-load driving while delivering the needed power and torque when trailering or with a heavy load in the bed. The first of those EcoBoost engines did deliver exceptional power, but fuel economy when towing disappointed many customers. Revised engines have cured that ill to a large extent, but in our experience, we couldn’t hit the F-150’s 19 mpg EPA rating. It managed 17.4 mpg, which is not a huge variance, but means no one should expect miserly fuel use with everyday driving.

The competition among full-size trucks is fierce. Both GM and Ram have launched redesigned full-size trucks just within the past 18 months, yet Ford remains at the very top of the shopping list and sales charts.