Ford F-150 2024 review - Tradie test

Ford Australia has taken only the F-150 this time around, but will make it available in two trim levels and with two tray lengths.

Things kick off with the entry level XLT which gets a column-shifter for the transmission, halogen headlights, black trim pieces and 20-inch alloy wheels.

By comparison, the Lariat is a bit ritzier with a console-mounted shifter, more brightwork including chrome wheels, daytime running lights and LED headlights.

Inside, the Lariat gains a few comforts including heated and ventilated front seats (heated only on the XLT) leather accented upholstery, a memory driver’s seat, rear centre armrest, a powered rear window and a sunroof.

Both variants get adjustable pedals, but the Lariat extends that to a memory function. The latter also gains automatic wipers and keyless start over the XLT, as well as a 12-volt socket in the tray, leather wrapped steering wheel, and a 12-inch colour screen (8.0-inch for the XLT).

Pricing starts at $106,950 for the base-model XLT in short-wheelbase form, with the longer wheelbase adding $995 to take the sticker to $107,945.

The same premium applies to the XLT, which starts at $139,950 and moves to $140,945 with the longer tray.

Ford Australia has been careful to specify the F-150 in a way that helps justify the asking price, as well as reflect the projected usage by Aussie owners.

To do that – even though the cars are remanufactured when they reach Melbourne – they’re built in Dearborn to a specific Australian specification.

The other part of that is to ensure that what are options on US-spec models are standard fitments here. As Ford put it at the recent local launch: “These are Australian-spec trucks as they leave the line… they’re just not right-hand drive yet”.

That policy starts with the inclusion of Ford’s 'Tow Max' package including the reversing assistance yaw-control module and a chassis made from thicker-gauge steel, the powered tailgate on the Lariat model and the 136-litre long-range fuel tank.

Let’s start here with some comparison numbers to give you an idea of how big the tray is on this truck. Obviously, it’s longer than the Ranger dual-cab's tray, but how much longer?

Okay, for the SWB F-150, the tray floor, is a full 24cm (and change) longer than the Ranger’s. But up the ante to the LWB F-150, and you’re now looking at a tray more than two metres long and a full 60cm longer than the Ranger’s tub.

The F-150’s tray is also more than 13cm wider than the Ranger’s and boasts an extra 7.0cm between the wheel arches.

The trade-off is a higher loading lip which, at 921mm is 9.0cm higher than the Ranger’s already lofty loading height.

Cleverly, Ford has made use of the fact that the tailgate, when lowered, is roughly the height of a standard kitchen benchtop, and turned the tailgate into a work-surface.

The moulded inner tailgate features clamp pockets, a built-in ruler, phone-holder, cupholder and a tray for small parts.

There’s also a step incorporated in the tailgate and in Lariat trim, the tailgate itself is also electrically powered and controlled by the key fob.

It doesn’t matter where in the F-150 you sit, there’s the usual North American attention to detail in terms of charging points (including the tray on the Lariat) cupholders and air-vents.

There’s a wireless charging pad and Ford’s 'Sync 4' connectivity which incorporates voice control and phone mirroring. You also get digital radio and embedded sat-nav.

Making a car that fits all Americans can’t be easy, which is probably why the F-150 gets not just a reach and height-adjustable steering column, but also a set of power-adjustable pedals (with a memory setting for the Lariat model).

The biggest accommodation differences between the two trim grades seem to be the superior Bang & Olufsen sound system in the Lariat as well as the larger info screen and the console-mounted shifter. Frankly, we reckon the XLT’s column-shift is the go, anyway.

As for the general fit and finish of the interior, let’s just say the new car is a huge step up from previous F-150s with their cheap, nasty plastics and poor assembly quality. But should Rolls Royce be worried? Er, no.

The rear seat will be a revelation to those acquainted with the typical rear seat area of the volume-selling dual-cab utes in this country.

Where the big sellers often have hard cushions and a too-upright backrest, the F-150 tackles those issues head on. As a result, the cushion is a big, soft deal and the angle of the seat is much comfier for long distances. The underseat storage is a smart touch, too.

The biggest hurdle to the F-150’s practicality is its sheer vastness. Even compared with its logical competition, the Chevrolet Silverado (at 5931mm total length) the Ford in LWB form is a 253mm longer.

That’s going to require some serious parallel parking skills. But even a suburban driveway or fast-food drive-through will test the driver’s navigational skills.

Simply, the Ford will be seen a just too big for inner-urban dwellers and will be too confronting for some drivers to tackle. But, as we’ve seen before, that won’t stop others.

Does it matter that the F-150 uses a V6 engine when its major competitors feature large displacement V8s? Maybe. If you value the throbbing soundtrack of a V8, then the V6 in the Ford might not do it for you.

That said, the V6 does have an interesting sound of its own and, with a pair of turbochargers on board, performance is every bit as strong as the competition.

In fact, the turbo V6 out-grunts some of the opposition trucks with a bigger torque figure, and you can feel that when you pin the throttle.

The transmission is a good match for the engine and while there’s precious little turbo-boost on display, that’s partly down to the gearbox being pre-emptive enough to snatch a couple of ratios to bring the engine on to the boil when required.

Upshifts are stunningly good, too, with crisp, even, part-throttle changes you can barely feel.

Ride quality has always been the big compromise for vehicles like this, and the twin aims of 4.5-tonne towing and a plush ride are fundamentally at odds.

Too often, a vehicle sprung to cope with all that weight suffers from a busy, harsh ride when unladen. No such problem here.

At lower speeds, pattery, smaller bumps can be felt (though generally not heard) but the F-150 really shines when you punch it over patchy, lumpy bitumen at highways speeds.

Where you’d expect the thing to vibrate itself and its passengers to bits, the Ford calmly lopes over the worst of the imperfections and tracks straight and true in the process.

Okay, it’s no limousine, but judged through the prism of big pick-ups, it’s pretty impressive.

Fundamentally, the F-150 drives rather like a one-size-bigger Ranger. And while that shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, neither is it a criticism of any sort.

Ford boldly claims that servicing costs will not be totally dissimilar to the Ranger Raptor’s. And while there’s no hard and fast service intervals, the vehicle keeps an eye on how its been used and run and will advise when a service is necessary.

The F-150 also falls under Ford’s normal five-years/unlimited kilometre factory warranty.

There will be a fixed-price servicing contact available, but Ford Australia has yet to release pricing for that.