You may be aware Ford’s F-150 pickup trucks have been the best-selling vehicle in Canada for an astonishing 47 years. This stalwart workhorse has earned a special place in the hearts and minds of the country’s cowboys, farmers and construction workers. With roots going back to the 1948 F-Series truck, well more than 34 million units have been sold through 12 generations. Those 1948 models replaced Ford’s passenger car-based pickups that pre-dated the Second World War.
The F-150’s goals have come full-circle in a certain way. The workhorse capabilities are still there but many buyers are no longer satisfied with just impressive cargo and towing capacities. They want luxury car accoutrements in the cab, truck-stop good-looks, hybrid car manners at the fuel pump and still carry a load out back. Dare I call it a reverse Mullet truck – “all party up front and business in the back?”
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The workhorse capabilities are still there but many buyers are no longer satisfied with just impressive cargo and towing capacities.
Jim Leggett, Driving
For this review of the 2014 F-150 Lariat 4X4 Limited, I had a specific mission to accomplish before my week with the truck was done. There was a 1950s-era Logan metalworking lathe waiting for me in North Andover, Mass., 20 minutes northwest of Boston. This 800-pound chunk of industrial cast iron would provide a modest load for the F-150 and I was sure to haul home some extra tooling and metal for a final tally of approximately 1,200 pounds, not far off the 1,900-pound limit (with the Trailer Tow Package). That payload limit can be raised to 2,620 pounds with the optional Heavy Duty Package. The trip down to New England would offer a few hours of Interstate cruising to assess the creature comforts of this luxurious man cave on wheels.
First, let’s take a look at the styling of Ford’s top-of-the-F-150-line. In the battle of the grilles amongst the domestic pickups, Ford reigns for the biggest, baddest mass of chrome seen since the 1950s. This is a trucker’s dream with a bold surround and beefy crossbars flanked by high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights. There’s more chrome thanks to the front bumper that also contains a pair of fog lights. Did you ever notice how truckers love lights? The limited doesn’t disappoint with a double set of turn indicators with the second pair incorporated into the massive side mirrors.
The rest of the F-150 has the aerodynamic lines of a big box. There are massive wheel arches at each corner to house the large 22-inch aluminum alloy wheels fitted with P275/45R22 Pirelli Scorpion all-season tires.
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2014 Ford F-150 Lariat 4X4 Limited’s interior is tough and luxurious.
Jim Leggett, Driving
The Limited offers a choice of two powerplants under the broad hood, the standard 3.5L V6 EcoBoost wonder, or the optional 6.2L V8. The EcoBoost uses twin turbochargers to deliver almost the same horsepower rating and torque but with better fuel mileage, 365 hp @ 5,000 rpm vs. 411 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 420 lb.-ft. of torque @ 2,500 rpm vs. 434 lb.-ft. @ 4,500 rpm. The difference in those numbers that you can feel in the saddle are the torque numbers. The EcoBoost is more willing at lower engine speeds, such as when driving around town or when pulling a heavy load. Fuel mileage numbers are (mpg) 16 city/22 highway for the smaller V6 compared to 13 city/21 highway for the V8.
Out on the open road heading toward Boston, the Limited serves up plenty of comfort. The perforated leather seats, heated or cooled at the touch of a button, are akin to a pair of Lay-Z-Boy recliners in your rumpus room at home. Generously sized proportions and unlimited adjustments ensured our comfort and a wide centre console ensured no elbow fights with my passenger. For extra cargo space during our rain-filled trip south, we flipped the back seats up and kept our luggage nice and dry. Only the audio system’s sub-woofer interrupted the Ford’s flat floor.
I’ve had issues with the overly complicated instrumentation that Ford has been pushing and I was pleased to see some actual tactile buttons returning to the HVAC and audio. It just feels awkward to me to interrupt the conversation to talk to my vehicle, asking for more heat or a different radio station.
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2014 Ford F-150 Lariat 4X4 Limited
Jim Leggett, Driving
The F-150 handled like a long truck with a high centre of gravity, ease it around corners and keep the steering wide or you will hop parking lot curbs with the inside rear wheel. The view from the front seats is commanding because of the ride height but the boxiness of the hood and cargo box mean you can’t see close to the truck. A back-up camera helps as does the sonar parking aids but there’s no substitute for learning where the four corners of your F-150 are.
To aid with ingress and egress to the Limited’s cab, Ford has given us automatically deployed power running boards. These supply endless fun to the casual spectator but I’d prefer a set of solidly mounted steps. Do you ever open your door to reach in for something in your vehicle? Zing, bang! The F-150 will give you a swift kick to the shin every time like a grumpy old horse being shoed. I also have my doubts about the functionality of articulated running boards during our winter’s notorious freeze/thaw cycles when the slush packs up along the rocker panels.
Loading the F-150 was easy enough as we had access to a forklift to lift the heavy machine. It was a perfect fit in the 5-1/2 foot-long bed that came with the SuperCab, however, the plastic bed extenders were not easily revocable and they took up valuable space in the bed. Each side, consisting of a two-piece hinged gate, are affixed to the bed walls with a large Torx bolt requiring a specialized Torx screwdriver or socket attachment.
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2014 Ford F-150
Handout, Ford
The ride on the smooth Interstate asphalt of Vermont and New Hampshire was fine with the unloaded F-150 but around Montreal, it was without a doubt a large pickup truck with each expansion joint on the Champlain Bridge announced with a profound ha-boom, ha-boom. Rough pavement is hard to hide. Once we had loaded our 1,200 pounds of cargo into the box, however, the ride was much more settled, even after we crossed the border back into Quebec. We drove north through a couple of hours of moderate to heavy rain and I engaged the four-wheel drive with a simple knob for extra security and the F-150 was unfazed by the occasional encounter with standing water, even at highway speeds.
The downside to the 4X4 stature of pickup trucks is the height of the cargo bed floor, it’s nearly impossible to get up into the box to load items. This has led to a battle amongst Dodge, Chevrolet and Ford for the best access. Chevrolet now has a toehold in the end caps of the Silverado’s rear bumper, Ford has a pull-out rear step and pop-up handle in the tailgate and Dodge, well we’re still waiting for Dodge to come up with something. One friend who was loading an antique metal shear alongside us was lusting after the F-150’s handy step and wanted to trade the tailgate from his Ram 1500.
The 2014 F-150 Lariat 4X4 Limited was certainly the right choice for the job. Long-distance cruising through inclement weather and hauling a heavy load of American-made machinery. I just wished it wouldn’t have kicked me in the shin so often.
Overview A fully capable cargo hauler with the bonus of a luxurious cab
Pros EcoBoost 3.5L V6, spacious cab, cargo box access
Cons Annoying powered running boards, bed extenders not easily removed, average fuel mileage when loaded
The Specs
Type of vehicle Four-wheel-drive half-ton pickup truck
Power Turbocharged 3.5L V6
Transmission Six-speed automatic
Brakes Four-wheel disc with ABS
Tires P275/45R22
Price: base/as tested $64,699/$66,209
Destination charge $1,600
Natural resources Canada fuel economy, L/100 km 14.1 city, 9.6 highway
Standard features Power Equipment Group, Trailer Tow Package, heated second row seats, 60/40 flip-up split rear seat (SuperCab and SuperCrew only), 10-way power driver and front passenger seats, includes lumbar, dual-zone electronic automatic temperature control (DEATC), Sony AM/FM stereo with a single-disc CD player, MP3 capable, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, Navigation System with SiriusXM Traffic and Travel Link, SYNC with MyFord Touch, Reverse Sensing System, SuperCrew fully flat load floor (SuperCrew models), rear view camera, Easy Fuel capless fuel filler, electronic six-speed automatic transmission with tow/haul mode, SelectShift Automatic transmission, 22-inch polished aluminum wheels, P275/45Rx22 BSW all-season tires.
Options Ruby Red clearcoat metallic paint ($300), pick-up bed extender ($350), wheel well liner ($180), spray-in bed liner ($550)
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