Kelley Blue Book ® - 2004 Ford F150 Overview

Imagine you were placed in charge of designing a whole new vehicle to replace an already existing popular model; now imagine that the vehicle in question is also the best selling pickup truck in America and you can begin to understand the enormous pressure felt by those in charge of designing the new F-150. With occupants of both the boardroom and the showroom waiting anxiously, the arrival of the new F-150 may be the most important new vehicle launch in the history of Ford Motor Company; fortunately for all involved, it looks as though the F-150 team has hit a home run.

The all-new F-150 is bigger, safer and more powerful than the truck it replaces; it is also considerably more muscular in appearance and features an interior that makes the Lincoln Town Car look shabby by comparison—you can thank Ford's savvy styling chief Jay Mays for the F-150's sophisticated new look. And while there are some who would argue that a pickup truck with a brushed aluminum dash, leather seats and a center-console-mounted shifter has no place being called a pickup, it is clear from the most recent sales figures that more and more Americans are using their pickups as both a work vehicle and a family sedan.

It's hard not to fall in love with the new F-150; its bold new look, with its high beltline and low front bumpers, make it look almost invincible. The truck's high bed walls add an additional two inches to the cargo box depth, making it the deepest bed in its class. All models also feature a standard tailgate assist feature that makes it easy for any sized person to open and close the heavy tailgate. But there is more to the F-150 than just new looks; a host of structural improvements have been added to help greatly improve the truck's performance in both the front-end and offset crash tests.

The new F-150 will offer no less than five trim levels; they include the XL, STX, XLT, FX4 and Lariat. Regular Cab models are now equipped with a small set of rear access doors just like those found on extended cab models; these doors open to allow easy access to the limited space behind the front bench seat. The STX trim adds color-keyed bumpers, stylish 17-inch wheels and the power of a 4.6-liter V8 rated at 231 horsepower; the popular XLT trim continues to be offered in your choice of Regular, Super Cab or SuperCrew, long or short beds and with a choice of V8 engines. The top-of-the-line Lariat and the rugged off-road FX4 packages round out the F-150 line, offering just about every imaginable option you could think to put into a pickup truck and some you'd never imagine. For those who remain partial to the look of the old truck, Ford will continue to offer the 2003 body under the Heritage XL and XLT nameplate; the Heritage F-150 will come with a V6 engine and manual transmission—at least for the remainder of 2004.

Power is the name of the game when it comes to full-size trucks and here Ford has made some significant advances, the most impressive of which can be found on the Triton 5.4-liter V8. A new three-valve per cylinder design and variable cam timing bumps output to 300 horsepower and torque to a healthy 365 lb-ft. A beefed up version of the 4R75E automatic transmission has been assigned to handle the engine's added muscle. In addition to its improved acceleration and towing abilities, the F-150 also receives a major set of changes to its frame, suspension and steering box. Gone are the old recirculating-ball power steering rack and torsion bar front suspension; in their place is a modern rack and pinion steering set up and front coil-over-shock suspension. The combination of these new mechanicals make this the best handling, best riding F-150 ever to leave a Ford factory. If you've driven the current model, the dead-on steering feel and straight-line tracking of the new F-150 will simply blow you away; there is just no comparison.

The new F-150 also offers almost as many interior configurations as it does exterior. You can go with the standard bench seat with column-mounted shifter or opt for bucket seats separated by a wide center console. Depending on the trim, you can choose from a number of options that include automatic climate control, a power memory seat, power-adjustable foot pedals, a reverse sensing warning system, 6-disc in-dash CD changer, power sliding-rear window, power sunroof, DVD player, heated leather bucket seats and 18-inch alloy wheels. No matter how you outfit your F-150, you'll find the overall interior to be comfortable, quiet and extremely user friendly.