ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Take a closer look at Ford's F-series pickup trucks — the best-selling vehicles in the US (F)

There's no shortage of pickup-truck choices in the US, but when most people think "pickup," one vehicle comes to mind: the Ford F-150.

  • The carmaker sold nearly 900,000 of these vehicles in 2017.
  • The F-Series has been the bestselling lineup of vehicles in the US for decades.

There's no shortage of pickup-truck choices in the US, but when most people think "pickup," one vehicle comes to mind: the Ford F-150.

The F-150 is part of Ford's F-Series, consisting also of the F-250, F-350, and F-450 Super Duty pickups; and there's a high-performance variant of the F-150, the Raptor.

The first F-Series arrived back in 1948 and was basically a work truck. Ever since the early 1980s, the F-150 hasn't just been popular — it's been America's bestselling vehicle every single year.

ADVERTISEMENT

Now in its 13th generation, the F-Series went through major redesigns in 2015 and 2016. The F-150 went first, getting new, lightweight aluminum construction; the Super Duty followed, it's first major reworking in decades.

At Ford, there is no product that's more central to the business than the F-Series, so the redesign was a major risk. But it has paid off: Ford has an average transaction price of $45,500 on the pickups, an increase of more than $3,000 from last year.

The truck is going to bring a ridiculous amount of cash into Ford's already cash-rich coffers, especially if the US sales boom holds up in 2018

We've reviewed several F-Series trucks over the years, so here's a closer look at the king of pickups.

We sampled the new F-150, aluminum edition, back in 2015. You can get the base XL, an old-school work truck, for under $30,000.

ADVERTISEMENT

Here's the thing about Ford pickups: the profit margins are almost stupid. We're talking over $10,000 on average, and given that many owners choose costly trim levels and option up their trucks, the F-Series functions like a license to print money for Ford.

There was some concern initially that the aluminum construction wouldn't be Ford tough, but truck owners appear to pretty satisfied.

In 2017, Ford even rolled out a "pursuit rated" police version of the F-150.

Ford is justifiably proud of the mighty F-Series, the ultimate bragging-rights product.

ADVERTISEMENT

The F-Series is always prominent at global auto shows — a symbol of Ford's success.

There's even a high-performance version — the Raptor. We were blown away by this truck.

The Super Duty followed the F-150 in being aluminum-ized. This massive vehicle filled the driveway of our suburban New Jersey test center for a week. It was astounding.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Super Duty doesn't mess around. This is a pickup that's intended to tow seriously heavy loads. Like six F-150s.

The lowest trim level is the F-250, moving up through F-350 and F-450 models. The prices start at just above $30,000 and top out at almost $80,000 for the Platinum F-450. Engines are huge, and they come in numerous gas and diesel versions. One V8-diesel option offers 925 pound-feet of towing torque, which is probably enough to adjust the orbit of the moon if you could get it hooked up.

Completely maxed out towing, at the limits of the Super Duty’s capacity, is 32,500 pounds — over 16 tons.It could haul more than six F-150s behind it.

Read about how Ford designed the new Super Duty so that owners could "run it to failure."

ADVERTISEMENT

It's impossible to not be impressed by the F-Series. Yes, there are other pickups. But there's still only one King.

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!

Unblock notifications in browser settings.
ADVERTISEMENT

Eyewitness? Submit your stories now via social or:

Email: eyewitness@pulse.ng

Recommended articles

Here's everything to know about being a virgin on your wedding night

Here's everything to know about being a virgin on your wedding night

7 do's and don’ts of the Holy month of Ramadan

7 do's and don’ts of the Holy month of Ramadan

Top 5 sweetest celebrity mother-child relationships that stand out for us

Top 5 sweetest celebrity mother-child relationships that stand out for us

International Women's Day: 5 Nigerian female celebrities championing women’s rights

International Women's Day: 5 Nigerian female celebrities championing women’s rights

Top 5 female directors in Nollywood

Top 5 female directors in Nollywood

6 things that will break a Muslim's fast during Ramadan

6 things that will break a Muslim's fast during Ramadan

5 benefits of fasting during Ramadan

5 benefits of fasting during Ramadan

5 reasons Easter was more fun when we were children

5 reasons Easter was more fun when we were children

Dos and don’ts of supporting Muslims during Ramadan

Dos and don’ts of supporting Muslims during Ramadan

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT