PickupTrucks.com names Ram 1500 best truck for $30K
Filed under: Truck, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, Nissan, Toyota, Comparisons
PickupTrucks.com asked five half-ton truck manufacturers to provide their best trucks for $30,000. The entries consisted of the 2011 Chevy Silverado 1500 Extended Cab, 2011 Ford F-150 Regular Cab, 2011 Nissan Titan King Cab, 2011 Ram 1500 Quad Cab and 2011 Toyota Tundra Double Cab, all of which were put through a variety of tests over four days in and around Detroit. Unlike a comparison that seeks model-feature parity, this one allowed for manufacturers to provide whatever they thought was best, which is how you get Ford supplying the only regular cab among the field.
After being run through load tests, brake tests, the drag strip, 0-to-60 and even an autocross run, the crown was given to the Ram 1500 Quad Cab. It didn't scorch its competition, but it was always near the top of the field, which gave it enough to take the glory. There's a video of the test after the jump, or head over to PickupTrucks.com to read the full piece.
Continue reading PickupTrucks.com names Ram 1500 best truck for $30K
PickupTrucks.com names Ram 1500 best truck for $30K originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 24 Sep 2011 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsCustomer in controversial Ford bailout slam ad responds to critics on YouTube
Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Ford
We only know him as Chris, but his words are reverberating around the automotive and business sectors at the moment. He's the star of an unscripted Ford ad that puts real customers in front of not-so-real reporters. Chris was asked why buying American was important to him, and his response centers on the fact that Ford did not take bailout money unlike General Motors and Chrysler.
Chris has decided to post a video of his own to address some of his critics and to try to set the record straight. The Ford fan responds to criticism that this ad was staged, and also explains why he chose to buy his F-150. In addition, Chris also watched and recorded a Fox News segment, and that clip has talking heads Megyn Kelly, Mike Tobin and Steve Moore offering up their take on the Ford spot. Click past the jump to see the original ad, Chris' response and the opinion of Fox News.
Continue reading Customer in controversial Ford bailout slam ad responds to critics on YouTube
Customer in controversial Ford bailout slam ad responds to critics on YouTube originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments2012 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 arrives, now with more snakeskin
Harley riders like riding Harleys. But even for the HDMC faithful, certain situations - from bad weather to transporting cargo - call for something with a little more utility. That's where the Harley-Davidson edition Ford F-150 comes in.
Since the two iconic American motor companies first teamed up in 1999, the collaboration has produced ten special edition F-150s, six Super Duty F-250 and F-350 models and even an F-450 a couple of years ago. All in, more than 70,000 examples have been sold.
For 2012, Ford has given the Harley-Davidson F-150 a revised interior, a new set of wheels, a new color option and some updated graphics. The interior now features snakeskin accents (which ought to go perfectly with those snakeskin boots yer kickin'). The new wheels are machined aluminum, measure a massive 22 inches across and feature painted accents and new hubs. The White Platinum Tri-Coat pictured above now joins the catalog, along with the new (and relatively subtle) gray flame along the flanks.
The enormous 6.2-liter V8 packs a hefty 411 horsepower and 434 pound-feet of torque - just a teensy bit more than the V-twin in a Harley hog, and you can read all about the whole package in the press release after the jump and scope it out in the high-res image gallery for more.
Continue reading 2012 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 arrives, now with more snakeskin
2012 Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 arrives, now with more snakeskin originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsConsumer Reports: F-150 EcoBoost beats V8 for towing, not efficiency
Filed under: Truck, Videos, Ford
With early returns showing that truck buyers are really into boosted V6 engines, it appears that Ford hit the ball out of the park when it comes to the F-150 packing an EcoBoost V6. Truck buyers seem to like the fact that the V6 is as powerful as most V8 engines, and the improved fuel economy is the real deal maker.
The EcoBoost V6 boasts 22 miles-per-gallon on the highway, and 16 mpg in the city. Ford's 5.0-liter V6, which is down on torque versus the turbo six, can only muster 21 mpg highway and 15 mpg city. That's all well and good, but what happens in real-life driving conditions?
Consumer Reports put rubber to the road to find out, and the consumer advocacy institution found that the fuel economy numbers were about the same for both engines, though one certainly has a bit more punch than the other.
CR pitted a pair of otherwise identical 2011 F-150 XLT 4x4 Supercrew models against each other in towing and non-towing tests. The non-towing test returned identical fuel economy numbers of 15 mpg, but the EcoBoost Model was a bit faster at passing speeds of 45 mph to 65 mph. CR then put 7,500 pounds on the hitch of each truck, and again both models returned an identical 10 mpg. The EcoBoost was quite a bit more sprightly with a load in tow, taking 1.6 fewer seconds to hit 60 mph, and 1.2 fewer seconds to travel from 45 mph to 65 mph.
So what does this little test tell us? CR says that the 5.0-liter engine is likely a simpler engine than the EcoBoost mill, and it costs $750 less. But if towing is in your future, we're thinking the EcoBoost engine is still the way to go. Plus, we can say that our experience behind the wheel of both engines was rather pleasant. Hit the jump to watch the video review from Consumer Reports.
Continue reading Consumer Reports: F-150 EcoBoost beats V8 for towing, not efficiency
Consumer Reports: F-150 EcoBoost beats V8 for towing, not efficiency originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord F-150, Toyota Tundra earn IIHS Top Safety Pick Awards
Filed under: Truck, Safety, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Nissan, Toyota
IIHS Full-Size Pickup Rollover Crash Testing - Click above for high-res image gallery
Like their body-on-frame SUV cousins, full-size pickup trucks are more prone to roll over than a standard passenger car. That's exactly why it's so important to have a vehicle that earns good marks in roof-strength tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has just released the data on its recent volley of tests on full-size pickup trucks, and both the 2011 Ford F-150 and 2011 Toyota Tundra earned the coveted Top Safety Pick designation. The vehicles earned the highest possible rating of 'good' in the institutes crush test, where a large steel plate is pressed against one corner of the roof to calculate a strength-to-weight ratio.
Meanwhile, the 2011 Nissan Titan took home an acceptable rating in the rollover evaluation while the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado, 2011 GMC Sierra and 2011 Ram 1500 netted marginal scores.
IIHS says that the roof on the Toyota Tundra stood up to 4.5 times the truck's weight while the F-150 handled 4.7 times the pressure. A vehicle must withstand 4 times its weight before five-inches of crush is detected before being awarded a Good rating. Hit the jump for the full press release.
Continue reading Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra earn IIHS Top Safety Pick Awards
Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra earn IIHS Top Safety Pick Awards originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 May 2011 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsShare of trucks being sold in U.S. at 31-year low
Filed under: Car Buying, Truck, Chevrolet, Ford, GM
Auto sales were up sharply in April, but trucks continue to make up less of the overall pie. Ward's Automotive reports that light-duty pickups accounted for only 11.8 percent of overall vehicle deliveries; the lowest total since Ward's began collecting data back in 1980. Back in 2005, when the auto industry and the economy at large was far healthier, light trucks accounted for 22.9 percent of all vehicles sold.
There are a lot of reasons truck sales are flagging as of late, not the least of which is gasoline prices that are currently at about $4 per gallon nationwide. But truck sales are also being hurt by unemployment rates and continued weakness in the housing sector.
Trucks are no longer such a large portion of over all car sales, but the utilitarian vehicles are still selling far better than they were in 2010. Truck sales are up 17.9 percent year-over-year, but that number has been outpaced by overall growth of 19.4 percent.
While trucks aren't quite as popular as they were a few years ago, we suspect that this trend may lose steam as the economy improves. After all, light trucks continue to outsell cars even with high gas prices and a poor housing market, though the advantage is down to 5,000 units so far in 2011.
Share of trucks being sold in U.S. at 31-year low originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 May 2011 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFeds expand F-150 fuel tank strap investigation to 2.7 million pickups
Filed under: Truck, Government/Legal, Safety, Ford
The Ford F-150 has been the best-selling truck in America for decades. That's a very big feather in the Blue Oval's cap, but when the truck line is bit by the recall bug, its massive volume can be a very bad thing.
The Detroit News is reporting that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced that it has upgraded its investigation into 2.7 million 1997-2001 F-150 pickups for fuel tank straps that have rusted and failed. If the straps rust and fail, NHTSA says there is a chance that the tank could drop and hit the road, causing a fuel leak. Back in September, NHTSA's initial investigation included 1.4 million vehicles.
Of the 339 complaints NHTSA and Ford have received so far, one has resulted in a brief fire that quickly flamed out, while a second complaint lead to a fire that actually destroyed the vehicle. According to the report, there have been a total of nine documented incidents in which fuel has leaked from the tank as a result of a failed tank strap, though there have no injuries linked to these incidents.
For its part, Ford says it is continuing to support NHTSA's investigation. The government safety agency says its investigation has "yielded information that strongly suggests the subject defect as the cause of the reported problem," suggesting a recall may be on the horizon.
Feds expand F-150 fuel tank strap investigation to 2.7 million pickups originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 May 2011 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord’s EcoBoost V6 accounts for 36% of all F-150 sales
2011 Ford F-150 EcoBoost - Click above for high-res image gallery
When gas prices hit $4 per gallon in the past, pickup sales suffered as a result. We have to wait until April sales are released to know how much truck sales have been hurt by the latest spike at the pump, but it's clear that the Ford F-150 is getting a big boost from its turbocharged V6.
Automotive News reports that 36 percent of all F-150s are equipped with the optional EcoBoost V6, which costs between $750 and $1,750 depending on the model. What's more, the EcoBoost model is reportedly accounting for 40 percent of all F-150 orders, and there is currently a scant 13-day supply of the boosted trucks.
Traditionally, full-size truck buyers have been more inclined to opt for larger V8 engines, but the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 appears to have changed some minds. The mill's V8-like 365 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque means that capability won't be compromised, while fuel economy rises by up to 20 percent. The Environmental Protection Agency gave the boosted F-150 a 16 mile per gallon city rating and a 22 mpg rating in highway driving.
At the same time, Ford claims a maximum tow rating of 11,300 pounds with an EcoBoost-equipped F-150, depending on the model configuration. For comparison's sake, F-150s that come with the 411-hp, 6.2-liter V8 can also tow 11,300 pounds, but fuel economy tops out at only 18 mpg in highway driving.
With the EcoBoost F-150 off to a rousing start, the next big question is whether the boosted V6 has staying power in the event gas prices drop back down to more normal levels. We'll have to wait and see, but with power and capability that matches other trucks in the F-150 lineup and a significant fuel economy savings, we can't see why not.
Photos copyright (C)2010 Jeremy Korzeniewski / AOL and Ford Motor Company
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]
Ford's EcoBoost V6 accounts for 36% of all F-150 sales originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Apr 2011 16:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsFord F-150 airbag recall balloons by 1.2M units
Filed under: Truck, Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety, Ford
Back in February, we told you about the recall of 150,000 Ford F-150 models due to driver-side airbags that went off on their own right after starting the vehicle. At the time, Ford said the recall was limited to 150,000 units out of the 1.3 million vehicles being investigated due to the fact that the problem only surfaced on vehicles built on the first shift at the automaker's Norfolk, Virginia plant.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced on its website that the recall has now been extended to include 1.2 million 2004-2006 model year F-150 models, along with its luxury cousin, the Lincoln Mark LT. NHTSA says it has received 238 instances of inadvertent deployment and 77 total injuries.
NHTSA indicates that the airbag issue stems from a clockspring jumper wire that could come in contact with the airbag lower horn plate. The friction between the wire and the horn plate could result in chafing, potentially shorting the circuit. And when that happens, an unsuspecting F-150 owner could receive an airbag surprise.
To fix the problem, owners of the affected vehicles will be able to head to the nearest Ford or Lincoln dealer for a free repair. Technicians will install a new clockspring jumper with a protective mesh cover. Hit the jump to read over the NHTSA press release.
[Source: NHTSA via Pickuptrucks.com]
Continue reading Ford F-150 airbag recall balloons by 1.2M units
Ford F-150 airbag recall balloons by 1.2M units originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsVideo: This is not how you make a Ferrari F150
Filed under: Coupe, Truck, Videos, Ford, Ferrari
Ferrari 458 seeks tough truck for rough play - Click above to watch video after the jump
The new Ferrari F150 is a single-seat Formula One racecar that will be the object of affection for millions of Tifosi around the globe. One Florida fan of the Italian automaker recently purchased a brand-new 2011 458 Italia. He wasn't planning on turning his into an F150, but he did turn into an F-150... a Ford F-150.
The accident happened in Brandon, Florida, when the Ferrari driver allegedly decided that the yellow paint on the ground didn't apply to him (investigation still pending...). When he went to pass another car, he found a Ford pickup heading straight for his front bumper. The F-150 didn't stop at the low-lying nose and ended up with its left-front tire on the hood of the 458. Fortunately, it appears that no serious injuries resulted.
If you want to see the aftermath of a failed attempt at Ferrari F150 construction, all you have to do is click past the jump. Thanks for the tip, Michael!
[Source: YouTube via Examiner.com]
Continue reading Video: This is not how you make a Ferrari F150
Video: This is not how you make a Ferrari F150 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments