Short Take Road Test
What Is It?
It’s the least-powerful F-150, and it borrows the least-powerful Mustang engine. Least powerful, however, doesn’t mean weak. Ford’s 3.7-liter V-6 makes 302 hp and 278 lb-ft of torque in the truck and ostensibly replaces the old 292-hp, 4.6-liter V-8, which it bests in hp, modernity, and fuel efficiency. The result is an eminently usable full-size truck with a downsized engine. Although the 3.7-liter can be found in the engine bay of trucks of all cab styles, you can’t option a V-6 SuperCrew with four-wheel drive or a long bed. The upside: You get an extra change holder on the dash where the 4x4 controls would be.
How Does It Drive?
At more than 5200 pounds—about 120 fewer than its next-heaviest and next-most-powerful sibling, with the 5.0-liter V-8—there isn’t much truck downsizing to match the smaller engine. Still, this XLT example managed to hit 60 mph in 7.6 seconds and complete the quarter-mile in 15.9 at 89 mph. The engine is quiet—remarkably so at idle—but makes itself known when reaching toward the top of the 7000-rpm tach, emitting a pleasant, purposeful sound. We made it do that often, because although it has guts, this engine nevertheless has to be worked to get moving quickly. Plus, we enjoyed the juxtaposition of screaming-to-6900-rpm-redline engine audio and the visual cues of driving a truck. That persistent goosing of the right pedal led to observed fuel economy of 15 mpg, below the EPA’s 17 mpg city/23 highway ratings.
As with other F-150s, there’s little to complain about. The ride is decent, the interior is comfortable and attractive if a bit busy, and the six-speed automatic does what you think it should. We were, however, disappointed with this particular truck’s steering, which was lacking in feel and feedback. Although the same electrically assisted setup is used in other F-150s, its behavior differed greatly from that of a 4x4 5.0-liter truck we recently drove. We spoke with Ford about it, and the company chalks it up to reduced weight over the front end (lighter engine, no four-wheel-drive components) and differing wheel-and-tire packages (the V-6 truck had 18-inch wheels, and the 5.0 had 17s). It seems the system would benefit from specific calibrations for different applications, but it’s likely that truck buyers won’t mind terribly, especially if they don’t drive the trucks back-to-back. Or as briskly as we do.
How Does It Stack Up?
Let’s answer this question by naming other full-size crew-cab trucks with capable (i.e., not dog slow) V-6 engines. Uh, well, Nissan doesn’t offer a V-6 in the Titan, Toyota will sell you a 270-hp 4.0-liter only in regular-cab and Double Cab versions of its Tundra, and Dodge and GM have anemic sixes available solely in stripped work trucks. In addition, Ford generally offers more choice and customization with its V-6 trucks while keeping the price reasonable.
In the F-150 lineup, what configuration and option limitations exist with the V-6 are removed if you step up to the 360-hp, 5.0-liter V-8. Ford also offers a 6.2-liter V-8 and its 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V-6 in some trims. Most casual truckers’ needs can be met with the V-6–equipped truck—this one is rated to tow 5700 pounds, for example—but if you need more power, it’s available.
What’s the Cost?
An F-150 with a V-6, regular cab, short box, and two-wheel drive is priced from $23,765. This four-door example starts at $33,170 with XLT trim, the nicest available with the six, and our test example had several option packs: a $375 tow package, the $950 XLT Convenience package (power driver’s seat, power heated mirrors, Sync, power-adjustable pedals, a 4.2-inch info display in the IP), and the $1595 XLT Chrome package (chrome 18s, chrome side steps and billet-style grille, and chrome for the door handles and exhaust tip). We’d recommend skipping the chrome portion, but selecting all three brings a $1500 discount, whereas the first two alone carry a $750 markdown. Stand-alone options on this truck include a limited-slip rear diff and cloth front bucket seats, each of which runs $300, and $75 for a driver’s-door keypad. For reference, adding a 5.0-liter V-8 to the F-150 costs $1000.
With Ford’s revamped F-150 engine lineup, there’s a truck for everyone, and now the base engine will satisfy more than its share of buyers.
