Test Drive: F in Ford's new F-150 could spell fun

— -- Bigger's usually better among full-size pickups, so Ford Motor's redone 2009 F-150 pickup delivers some big numbers — perhaps hoping you'll overlook some smaller ones under the hood.

Ford will advertise the best towing, best payload, best low-range crawler gear in four-wheel drive (4x4) models and "unsurpassed" fuel economy — which means its SFE fuel-efficient model ties with Chevrolet Silverado XFE at 15 city, 21 highway in government ratings.

If you have a big-number need, the new F-150 deserves a hard look. But if you're among pickup fanciers derided as "air haulers" and "never-never" people — never tow, never haul — other F-150 attributes are more interesting.

Here are impressions from driving F-150 crew cabs in ordinary duty, plus a day of towing, hauling, banging and slewing in the F and rivals at Ford's Romeo, Mich., proving grounds.

•Feels fun, finally. Ford truck engines have sounded and felt strained when spurred. Now, praise be, there's a smile-worthy throaty exhaust note under acceleration, and it conveniently disappears when cruising. The new six-speed automatic is quick to decide and pretty smooth as it makes its move gear-to-gear.

The 4x4 system allows you to tailor traction and stability controls to get the most go-ability in mud and other surfaces where you need the wheelspin that traction and stability controls try to eliminate. The crawler gear lets the truck ease down steep hills without a "hill descent" feature.

The optional electronic locking rear differential keeps the back wheels working hard when the surface seems impossible.

•Rides right. No carlike suspension tuning, thank you very much. Smooth, refined and agile on the big-truck scale, but it retains the reassuring slight jiggles common in trucks because of leaf-spring rear suspensions (and usually empty cargo boxes).

Praise for the FX4 off-road model with 17-inch-diameter wheel-tire option. The stiffer off-road suspension turns out to be a fine match for the slightly softer ride of the taller sidewalls on the 17-inch tires (vs. 18s and 20s on other F-150 models).