I bought a thing. It is awesome. Happy Easter!

"doodon2whls" (doodon2whls)
03/27/2016 at 15:57 • Filed to: F-150, Opporeviews

This factory-fresh 2016 F-150 Lariat SuperCrew Long Bed sports a 3.5L Turbocharged/Intercooled engine and 6spd auto trans. Just about every option-box was checked.

This is my first pickup truck and a big departure from the Jeep and sport compact things I have owned in the past. I have historically been a Dodge/Chrysler dood, but the RAM styling and feature content is ‘off’ IMHO. The styling and features of the F-150 drew me in. The ride quality, powertrain, and quiet cab sealed the deal. A friend that works at Ford hooked me up with an A-Plan pin number, so the deal was pretty sweet - about 7.5% off of the $63,230 MSRP.

I only have about 180 miles on the ticker, but so far the truck has impressed me in almost every way. I worked in the car industry as a vehicle development engineer, so to say I am very critical of all things automotive is an understatement.

The planned list of modifications is short: Door edge guards, clear bra front paint protection, mud flaps, and a tonneau cover.

So... What questions do you have? I am planning a road trip along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah in April... Should be a fun trip!

DISCUSSION (16)

jkm7680 > doodon2whls
03/27/2016 at 15:59

Nice!

BUT

Por que no V8?

Birddog > doodon2whls
03/27/2016 at 16:07

Green with envy.

Why no 5.0 though?

I’ve been looking at them and I really just can’t pull the trigger on (a much cheaper XL) one.

Ferdinand Adlersflügel > doodon2whls
03/27/2016 at 16:33

These are the trucks with the blind spot monitor decal on the tail lights, correct? Or did they stop that?

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > doodon2whls
03/27/2016 at 17:45

Were you cross shopping against other full-sizers or did you just jump from Jeep to the F150

fhrblig > doodon2whls
03/27/2016 at 18:47

Nice truck! I think if I had the means for a new truck, it’d have to be a manual Cummins Ram though. It’s not that a truck can’t be good with an automatic... far from it. But for me there’s just something so fun about big manual trucks that it just ticks all my boxes.

Dru > doodon2whls
03/27/2016 at 19:06

Long bed actually looks really good with your setup. Congrats.

bryan40oop > doodon2whls
03/27/2016 at 22:33

For the people asking why no v8, the 3.5 ecoboost makes much much more hp and torque. Especially low end torque.

doodon2whls > fhrblig
03/27/2016 at 23:11

I haven’t driven the late model Dodge Cummins w/MTX, but the BR and early DR generation trucks were clumsy as manuals. Sometimes fun (with a Jake Brake), but clumsy. I drove a 1999 2WD 3500 Cummins regularly back in the day hauling a 40' three-axle enclosed car trailer, and it was ‘fun’. But not 3.5L EcoBoost Torque in a <5000lb truck fun...

doodon2whls > Birddog
03/27/2016 at 23:18

The 5.0L Coyote is a great engine, but it’s dated compared to its stablemates... Peak numbers don’t impress me - the area under the curve is the real story... The 3.5L DI EcoBoost motor generates >90% of peak torque at 1500RPM. That means less gear hunting and more low end grunt avoiding high RPM strain - all on regular old 87 pump gas. It really is a joy to pour on the throttle at low RPM, have the boost gauge climb, and the truck accelerate effortlessly. With the 5.0L NA motor, that kind of acceleration request would have resulted in a downshift.

doodon2whls > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
03/27/2016 at 23:37

My Jeep (1999 XJ) has been gone a long time (11 years), unfortunately. Both of my current cars are 10 and 11 years old (an SRT-4 ACR and Durango Limited respectively). It was time to treat myself - I am almost mid-life crisis age, fercryinoutloud.

I was shopping a weird set of vehicles...

RAM Sport or Laramie with 5.7L

Challenger/Charger SRT 392

Jeep GC High Altitude or Overland

Dodge Durango R/T

Ford Focus RS

F-150

Ironically (but as expected), the P/U trucks didn’t fair well in the Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis I did. They get poor FE, and don’t fit in the garage very well even if they did win points for cargo capacity. In the end, I chose a P/U because I was blown away by the comfort, ride quality, and quiet cabin of the trucks... The Challenger or Charger SRT 392 would have cost almost as much, and while the trunk on the LX/LC platform is huge, it’s not a P/U bed. I have other toys that I like to haul and they won’t fit in a trunk. I am not strapping a kayak on the roof of a Challenger. I really do miss the idea of rowing my own gears in the Challenger 392, though. Gaaahhhh. What have I done ?!

I drove the RAM and was disappointed. It was nice - don’t get me wrong - but some of the interior details irked me, and the exterior styling makes the truck look bloated to me. The best RAM trucks were the DR generation (2003-2008). You shouldn’t have to unfold some (chincy) plastic shelves under the second row seats to have a flat load floor. The F150's rear floor is nearly flat eliminating this sillyness. The devil is in the details, and in the end, I felt like Ford did it right. LED lighting everywhere, power outlets, SYNC3, controls, vehicle dynamics, creature comfort items (cooled/heated seats), etc. etc. etc.

doodon2whls > jkm7680
03/27/2016 at 23:37

doodon2whls > Dru
03/27/2016 at 23:38

Thanks ! The truck has great proportions, right ? It doesn’t drive like a 157" wheelbase truck... Until you try to park in a tight spot... :-)

doodon2whls > Ferdinand Adlersflügel
03/27/2016 at 23:39

Yes. The tail lights have the BLIS radar sticker on them.

jkm7680 > doodon2whls
03/27/2016 at 23:42

Now that. Was an excellent explanation.

Great looking truck!

doodon2whls > jkm7680
03/27/2016 at 23:46

Thanks, Man ! You know it’s a good Truck if the wife approves... She loves this thing which is much more than I could say about her enthusiasm for the SRT-4 ACR.

Birddog > doodon2whls
03/28/2016 at 09:39

Awesome, thanks for the info.