When you are the absolute market
leader, as Ford is with the F150 pickup truck, you don't
take change lightly. The F150 is the most important, most
profitable
vehicle Ford makes. With nearly 900,000 annual sales, the
Ford F150 has been the best-selling vehicle (car or truck)
in America for 21 consecutive years. Now, they've thrown
away the old formula and created a brand new F150 from the
ground up.
Ford admits the new F150 is bigger, heavier, and more
expensive to build than the wildly successful previous version.
It is also the best-handling, quietest, most car-like full-size
pickup truck in the history of the world. All of the new Ford
F150 models feature all-new interiors that show attention
to detail. The seats vary, but all are comfortable and supportive.
Ford says the F150 will be sold at competitive prices, model
for model, against the traditional American as well as the
new Japanese competition.
To better meet the needs of different types of buyers,
Ford created five distinct iterations of the F150: XL,
STX, XLT, FX4, and Lariat. Each boasts its own interior
style and features engines, suspensions and cab configurations
designed to meet
specific needs. A myriad of configurations and options within
these five model lines ensure buyers can select the right
pickup for them.
XL is the budget-priced truck. It features an all-new work-truck
interior and comes with all the basics such as 40/20/40
bench seats in vinyl or cloth, an all-plastic dashboard,
a black grille and 17-inch steel wheels. XL is available
in regular cab or SuperCab styles. XL is powered by Ford's
231-horsepower 4.6-liter V8 and comes with either a five-speed
manual or four-speed automatic transmission. An F150 XL
Regular Cab 2WD automatic retails for $21,215, while a long-wheelbase
(145-inch) 4x4 is priced at $24,855.
books
sponsored links
Ford F150 STX is sportier than the XL, with a body-colored
grille surround for the black bar grille, and 17-inch cast
aluminum wheels. STX comes in Styleside (flat) and Flareside
(fendered) body styles, in regular cab or SuperCab, with
either a 6.5-foot or a 5.5-foot cargo box. An audiophile
sound system with subwoofer and
six-disc CD changer is optional. An STX starts at $22,215.
(Manufacturer's suggested retail prices do not include the
destination charge of $795.)
The Ford F150 XLT is Ford's volume model and comes with
its own egg crate grille style. XLT comes in regular cab,
SuperCab and SuperCrew four-door variants, with a choice
of 5.5-, 6.5- and 8-foot bed lengths, and Styleside and
Flareside body styles. A premium cloth interior is standard
on the bench seats or optional captain's chairs. The Ford
F150 XLT instrument panel gets more flash than either the
XL or STX dash. SuperCrew and SuperCab versions offer power
rear windows. The XLT comes with the new overhead rail console
system and fog lamps when ordered as a 4X4. XLT SuperCab
4x4 4.6-liter V8 automatic retails for $30,085 MSRP.
F150 FX4 is a specialty 4X4 off-road model. FX4 comes
only in a stepside version with special chrome interior
trim and markings, and a floor console with floor
shifter. FX4 is available in regular cab, SuperCab and SuperCrew
body styles with either 5.5-foot Styleside or 6.5-foot Flareside
or Styleside bed designs (no 8-foot bed). The standard engine
is the 300-horsepower 5.4-liter 3-valve-per-cylinder V8,
which Ford says has the best fuel consumption of any V8
engine it has ever built. The FX4 has its own instrument
package as do the rest of the models, with carbon mesh accents
on the metallic dashboard. Captain's chairs in cloth or
leather and the Audiophile system are optional, and 18-inch
cast aluminum wheels are optional. An F150 FX4 SuperCab
4x4 5.4-liter V8 automatic retails for $32,185.
