| Story and photos by Mike
Batchelor
2007 Ford F150 Supercrew
| Review Notes:
2007 Ford F150 Supercrew (5.4L V8 / 4 Speed Automatic) |
| Strengths |
Handsome on the outside-Sumptuous on the inside |
| Weaknesses |
Short on power compared to compitition |
| EPA Fuel Mileage |
14 city, 20highway |
| The Final Word |
The F150 is a bit outclassed by younger and stronger
competitors but America's favorite truck is still a winner. |
I recently had the pleasure of taking a ride in my 16 year old nephew’s
first set of wheels, a 1966 Ford F100. Hopping inside for a quick ride
around the block was like jumping into Mr. Peabody’s Wayback Machine
and zipping back more than 40 years to a time when only farmers and
ranchers drove trucks.
The vinyl covered bench seat was as flat as Kansas, and without anything
to grab onto, a fast left-hander sent me sliding right into the door
panel. Fast right turns, as I am sure my nephew has already found out,
provide a convenient way to get your girlfriend to scoot a little closer.
 We
took our ride at night and the only light in the cab was the dim glow
illuminating the tiny circular speedometer. Air conditioning is operated
by a crank on each door and the faster you go the better it works.
Spartan accommodations to be sure, but with bright orange paint, a
step side bed and raised white letter tires, this is the kind of vehicle
that any young man would be proud to have as his first ride. More importantly,
however, it is represents the truck in its purest form. It provides
space for cargo, a driver and one passenger, and enough power via its
utilitarian straight-six engine to safely interact with traffic - nothing
more. Creature comforts are limited to  protection
from the elements and padded seating - forget about gee-whiz electronics.
These trucks were built for all work and no play.
Now, fast forward 4 decades. In that time we have seen 8 presidents,
two wars in Iraq, the birth of the information age, and the evolution
of the truck. Sure, they still have the engine up front, a cab in the
middle and a bed in the back, but the similarities pretty much end there.
Trucks have changed just as much as their buyers have changed. Farmers
and ranchers now make up the minority of truck buyers, and now everyone
from outdoorsmen to soccer moms to executives use trucks as their daily
drivers. Take a look at any Wal-Mart marking lot and you will see countless
pickup trucks, most of them with pristine, unscratched beds indicating
that they are rarely used for hauling anything more than groceries or
baseball gear.
As trucks have entered the mainstream over the last 20 years, they
have become more comfortable and accommodating to mainstream buyers.
It doesn’t get more mainstream than the Ford F-150, the most popular
vehicle in American history.
The 2007 F-150 soldiers on in it’s 12th generation, since 1948,
with the same industrially boxy body that was introduced in 2004. Exterior
styling is certainly a subjective measurement, but we think the F-150
is certainly handsome but not terribly sophisticated in its design.
On the 4X4Review Style-O-Meter the F-150 sits somewhere between the
cartoonishly industrial Dodge Ram and the extremely conservative Chevy
Silverado.
 Exterior
features are fairly traditional on the F-150. There are no fancy-schmancy
HID or Xenon headlights or LED taillights, no slick cargo management
systems or lockable storage boxes. What is there, however, works extremely
well. The six and a half foot cargo box is cavernous, and the lockable
torsion spring equipped tailgate is as light as a feather making closing
a one-handed affair. The doors handles are big and meaty, and easy to
operate with gloved hands. Our up-level Lariat was equipped with Ford’s
pushbutton combination lock system, which seems almost absurd to us
in an age where nearly every car on the road has a remote key fob to
manipulate the locks, but I suppose it might be handy if you managed
to lock your keys in the car.
 The
interior is where the Lariat truly shines. Ford has done a terrific
job of making the interior of the F-150 stylish, comfortable and, most
importantly, functional. Our Lariat was equipped with the optional console
mounted shifter which gave the cabin a decidedly sporty look and feel.
The cost is the loss of the center front seat, but there is still ample
room for 5 adult passengers.
The sumptuous leather-covered and heated seats are the centerpiece
of the cabin. While lacking in lateral support, they are as wide as
Wyoming and are Lay-Z-Boy comfortable. Even with the optional sunroof
there is still enough  headroom
up front that a six-footer wouldn’t have to remove his hat in
the cab.
Back seat passengers are also treated to comfortable accommodations,
although they are a little less spacious. Tall cowboys may find themselves
moderately comfortable back there during a short jaunt around the farm,
but a cross-country journey would make them more ornery than a long-tailed
cat in a room full of rocking chairs.
Our Lariat was equipped with all sorts of luxuries that we now wonder
how we ever lived without. Included on the options list were the aforementioned
sunroof, DVD navigation, a reverse warning system, Sirius satellite
radio and steering wheel audio controls. 
While no one would consider these Spartan accommodations, the folks
at Ford are going to have to bring their “A” game on the
next go-around if they intend to compete with the latest full sized
trucks from Chevy and Toyota. The new Silverado interior is absolutely
gorgeous while the Tundra interior is ugly but very thoughtful and well
designed. With competitors offering features such as power folding exterior
mirrors, remote start, under-seat storage systems and stability control,
good looks alone aren’t going to cut it anymore.
Ford’s not-so-new 24 valve 5.4 liter Triton V8 thrums away under
the hood. With 300 horsepower and 350 ft-lbs of torque on tap, the Ford
has plenty of giddy-up, but again, the bar has been raised and the Ford
is outgunned by nearly every other manufacturer’s full sized truck.
The 5 speed transmission works well with the Triton to deliver smooth
and well timed shifts.
On the road the Supercrew was a treat to drive. Its 20 inch rims with
60 series tires gave it ample of bite in the corners with  made
the Ford feel quite a bit lighter than its 5500 lb curb weight would
have you believe. We do have to wonder however, how much more utility
the American truck manufacturers will eradicate from their trucks in
the sake of adding sport.
Off road the Supercrew did well enough. With adequate ground clearance,
a reasonably compliant suspension and Pirelli Scorpion tires, we managed
to make it through our snow covered off-road course with out any trouble.
 The
ride is outstanding as far as half-ton pickups with empty beds go. It
did a good job of soaking up the rough stuff while never loosing its
composure, feeling floaty or out of control. The steering was a little
vague but it was nicely weighted and the steering ratios were well matched
for suburban and light trail duty.
The F150 is a nice truck and when you dress it up like our Lariat,
it becomes a very nice truck. At $45,000 however you do feel the need
to shop around, and when you do, you will probably see that the competition
is putting out a better product right now. Still, Ford can hardly build
F150’s fast enough to keep up with Americas insatiable demand
for their favorite truck.
When you look at my nephews ‘66 Ford and how far the state-of-the-art
pickup truck design has come in 40 years you have to wonder. In 2047
when some kid buys our test truck what will the state-of-the-art be
then? What technological advances in his uncle’s brand new truck
will make him say, “Wow, it is hard to believe that they used
to drive these things every day. How did they ever make it without…?”
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