It almost gets monotonous, like when it seemed that the Yankees won the World Series every year or the Patriots won one Super Bowl after another: in 2022 (the latest year for which we have final year sales figures), the Ford F-150 was the best-selling vehicle in America. Again. Not just the best-selling pickup truck, but the best-selling vehicle, period, for the forty-first straight year. And it was the best-selling pickup for five years before that, for a forty-six-year winning streak. Doesn’t Ford get bored with winning all the time?
Evidently not, because the 2024 Ford F-150 enters a new model year aiming for the trophy yet again, with even more standard features and useful options, along with a commitment to achieving leadership in hybrid pickups. Ford knows that pickup truck buyers don’t just buy style or a big engine–although it’s nice to have both, as the F-150 does—but also practicality and a workhorse ethic. Pickups are vehicles that are supposed to get the job done, and Ford’s incredible winning streak shows that F-150 buyers recognize a champion.
On the surface, not too much has changed. Some exterior trim and lighting elements have been refreshed for a more refined appearance. The Black Appearance Package option is now available on the STX, XLT, and Lariat trims. The King Ranch edition offers a new two-tone appearance both inside and out. The regular Platinum trim level now comes with a blacked-out exterior package as a standard feature. A new Platinum Plus series replaces the Limited as the top-of-the-line premium edition. And there’s an amazing, all-new tailgate; more on that later.
What remains the same is a high-strength steel frame wrapped in a lightweight aluminum alloy body for a rugged combination of durability and efficiency. Most of last year’s trim levels return, with the exception of the Limited edition. The base XL still comes in a regular cab configuration, while the STX and XLT offer the extended SuperCab with small, rear-hinged rear doors, and all other trim levels come with the full four-door SuperCrew cabin.
The Heart of the Beast
The most rugged pickup would get stranded under a heavy load without an engine to match its mission. The F-150 offers a full range of power plant choices to accomplish whatever tasks you’ll be asking of it, from efficiency-minded hybrids to heavy-duty towing beasts to high-performance off-road kings. In an industry first, Ford has even equalized the price of its two hybrid V6 engines so buyers don’t have to face a trade-off between the sticker price and better fuel economy.
The new base engine for 2024 is the 2.7-liter Ecoboost V6. Like many of the F-150’s engines, it offers Auto Stop-Start tech so your engine won’t waste fuel idling at red lights. Despite its efficiency-minded nature, the 2.7-liter still delivers 325 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. Combine this with a rugged construction method that casts the upper block and cylinders from the same graphite iron as the Power Stroke diesel in Ford’s Super Duty trucks, and it’s probably a misnomer to call this a “base” engine.
The 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 is the first of the F-150’s two 3.5-liter workhorse offerings, and it’s the non-hybrid one. It cranks out 400 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque. This one is a towing champ among V6 pickup engines. Equipped with a towing package, it can pull a class-leading 13,500 lbs. Who says you need a V8 to tow? Certainly not Ford.
Now we get to the hybrid option: the 3.5-liter PowerBoost Full Hybrid V6. Forget any preconceptions you may have about hybrids being underpowered fuel sippers: this gas-electric beast generates 430 hp and an earth-moving 570 lb.ft. of torque. Let’s hear it for torquey electric motors! Plus, F-150 trims that offer this option also come with higher-power auxiliary power outlets than gas versions, offering a choice of 2.4kW or 7.2kW Pro Power Onboard systems.
But sometimes you just need or want a V8, and the F-150 meets this demand with its long-running 5.0-liter Ti-VCT V8. Ford has updated this engine for the modern era flex-fuel capacity and the same Auto Stop-Start feature we mentioned earlier. With 400 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque, this engine powers the Tremor and Lariat trims and is optional on lower trim levels.
Now we get to the mighty F-150 Raptor and its race-bred off-road oriented engines. The first is a 3.5-liter EcoBoost High-Output V6. This twin-turbo monster uses port fuel and direct injection, also known as PFDI, to create 450 hp and a stunning 510 lb-ft of torque. Other off-roaders can only dream of keeping up. If that isn’t enough, the Raptor R trim features a 5.2-liter supercharged V8 beneath its hood.
Getting the Job Done
Raw engine power alone doesn’t make a pickup into a workhorse. The F-150 has long held a leadership position among pickup trucks for its thoughtful and clever touches that make your job easier. For instance, we mentioned the trick tailgate earlier. Ford calls it the Pro-Access Tailgate. This powered tailgate provides a full-blown work surface when it’s in its fully lowered position, complete with a ruler, cupholder, and indentations to hold your stuff. But perhaps its most impressive feature is a swing gate built into the tailgate that opens to multiple positions, including one that avoids hitting the hitch when the F-150 is mated to a trailer. This offers easier access to the bed under what would normally be difficult conditions. There’s also a wider bumper step this year, which improves bed access even more.
Whether you’re tailgating or running an onsite workshop, the F-150 offers auxiliary power. Ford’s optional Pro Power Onboard is another industry leader. In gas-powered trucks, you’ll have access to 2.0kW of electric go-juice. But in trucks equipped with the PowerBoost hybrid V6, you can unleash real power. In these trims, the Pro Power Onboard system offers a choice of 2.4kW or an industry-leading 7.2kW.
Tech and More Tech
Hitching up trailers can be one of the most irritating and time-consuming tasks facing pickup drivers. Whether someone’s waiting for equipment at the job site or you’re trying to get your boat hitched up in time to beat rush hour traffic to the lakes on Friday afternoon, it can get frustrating. Either you’re jumping in and out repeatedly to check your alignment, or someone else is trying to be “helpful” by shouting out, “Left! Left! No, I mean my left!”
The F-150 does away with all that with its Pro Trailer Hitch Assist, which literally works with the touch of a button. The truck does the rest, aligning the hitch using cameras and radar. Once it’s hitched up and you’ve arrived at your destination, the Pro Trailer Backup Assist feature takes over to back into a spot without embarrassing multi-point turns. Your F-150 looks out for you!
It also looks out for you with a full suite of safety and driver assist features. These include Pre-Collision Assist, a Lane Keeping System, and a Blind Spot Information System. A 360-degree camera gives you a complete view of your surroundings. Other systems watch out for your blind spots when you have a trailer in tow. For easier cruising on the highway, the 2024 F-150 offers version 1.2 and 1.3 of Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free driver assist system.
So, with all these features, it’s easy to see why the F-150 soldiers on as a repeat champion in the sales race through decade after decade. Pickups have been around for over a century, and their basic mission hasn’t changed. But technology marches on, and Ford stays in the front rank of that march with a full-size pickup champ that never rests on last year’s laurels.
