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).

•Steers great. Ford engineered some dampers and other magic into the steering, and the F goes straight as you please without you nibbling back and forth on the steering wheel, yet turns nicely in proportion to how much you turn the wheel. Sounds simple. Must not be, because few do it this well.

•Sitspleasingly. New seats and bigger space for the crew cab's back seat make ride comfort a non-issue. It is, after all, only an issue when it's inferior. Optional heated and cooled seats ought to appeal to extreme-climate users and to those "never-never" buyers everybody seems quick to write off.

•Tows reassuringly. Though Ford V-8s aren't the industry's most potent, the six-speed transmission and its tow-haul mode smooth the hills and handle the straights. The high-tech stability and anti-rollover system minimize trailer wag. Ford's built-in trailer-brake control is so well done that tow folks could be excused for buying a trailer-ready F just for the brake control.

•Beds well. Optional cargo-tie-down rails offer two levels, not just one, for the movable cleats. Pull-out tailgate step and lift-up handle adapted from the heavy-duty F's are helpful when repeatedly getting into and out of the cargo bed. Optional toe-operated side-steps can be useful.

But certain items might steer you away from the F-150.

You can get lots more power in rivals. Ford's 5.4-liter V-8, biggest offered in the F-150, surrenders 80 horsepower to the Dodge Ram Hemi, 71 hp to Tundra.

The flat floor inside the crew cab lets you put in tall cargo that won't fit into rivals. But that back seat won't slide and tilt, as Tundra's does. Nor does it have Ram's clever under-floor storage.

F-150 makes a strong argument if you need the big tow-haul numbers, or if you're sensitive to steering and handling, or if you want a surprisingly good off-road package from the factory.

But if the styling doesn't sit well, or if you — be honest, now — can settle for good-enough tow-haul numbers but need something akin to Tundra's exceptional people comfort, or if the Ford's subpar power ratings make you wince, then maybe F's not your truck.

ABOUT THE FORD F-150

•What? Remake of the best-selling vehicle in the country — yes, even now. Usual mind-boggling array: regular, extended or crew cab; short, medium or long bed; rear-wheel or four-wheel drive; various towing, hauling packages.

•When? Since late September in small numbers. Full-bore supplies in a couple of weeks.

•Where? Manufactured at Claycomo, near Kansas City, Mo., and Dearborn, Mich.

•How much? Base XL regular cab two-wheel drive (4x2) starts at $21,320 including $975 shipping and the $750 discount Ford says will last through the '09 model year.

Platinum four-wheel drive (4x4) crew cab with long wheelbase starts at $44,860, tops out at $49,590.

•How powerful? Base 4.6-liter V-8 rated 248 horsepower at 4,750 rpm, 294 pounds-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm.

Optional 4.6-liter V-8 rated 292 hp at 5,700 rpm, 320 lbs.-ft. at 4,000.

Optional 5.4-liter V-8 is 310 hp at 5,000 rpm, 365 lbs.-ft. at 3,500 on regular gas.

Base engine has four-speed automatic transmission; others have six-speed automatics.

•How lavish? Unfathomable range of equipment. Knock yourself out: Go to ford.com.

•How big? Depending on cab size, bed, drivetrain, F-150 is: 213.1 to 250.3 in. long, 71.5 to 76.4 in. tall, 78.9 in. wide, on 126 to 157 in. wheelbases.

Weighs 4,743 to 5,820 lbs.

Turning circle: 41.7 to 52.3 ft.

•How strong? Payload ratings: 1,320 to 2,010 lbs. for all models except regular cab, long bed, heavy-duty is rated 3,030 (4x2) or 2,700 (4x4) lbs. Tows 5,400 to 11,300 lbs.

•How thirsty? Rated 14 or 15 miles per gallon in town, 18 to 20 highway, 15 to 17 combined. Fuel-economy model, out mid-November, 15/21/17.

Trip computers in test vehicles showed: 18.4 mpg highway, including stop-and-go jams, in crew cab 4x2, 5.4 V-8; 16.4 in mix of rural two-lane and small-town driving in crew cab 4x4, 5.4. Same truck showed 8.2 mpg in 5 miles of hilly towing of 7,000-lb. trailer.

Regular-grade gasoline specified. Tank is 26 or 36 gallons.

•Overall:Probably the best, but depends on your needs.