2018 Ford F-150 Road Test and Review

2018 Ford F 150 hero diesel ・ Photo by Ford

Popular? Please. The Ford F-Series pickup truck is a juggernaut. Ford has sold several gazillion since the late 1940s, and the F-Series has been America’s best-selling truck for 41 consecutive years. In 2017 Ford sold an F-Series truck every 35 seconds and it was once again America’s best-selling vehicle.

The F-Series is now in its 13th generation and builds on more than a century of Ford pickups. The 2018 F-Series is undoubtedly Ford’s most powerful, most technically advanced and most capable truck ever. And the 2018 F-150, like our test vehicle, continues to lead the way in the half-ton pickup category. Built in Dearborn, Michigan, just up the road from Ford’s corporate headquarters, the F-150 competes with the Ram 1500, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, Nissan Titan, and Toyota Tundra.

Starts Well Under $30,000

Prices for the 2018 Ford F-150 start at $29,100, including a $1,395 destination charge, for a two-wheel drive regular cab with a 6.5-foot bed and a 3.3-liter gas-burning V6 rated at 290 horsepower. Optional four-wheel drive adds $4,645 to the sticker price.

Ford offers the F-150 in an incredible collection of configurations. Buyers can mix and match three body styles, three bed sizes, six different engines, and seven distinct trim levels: XL, XLT, Lariat, Raptor, King Ranch, Platinum, and Limited. Base prices max out at over $65,000 for a Limited Crew Cab with four-wheel drive and a twin-turbo 375-hp 3.5-liter V6. Our very well-equipped F-150 4x4 SuperCrew had a base price of $47,300. With options, which included the FX4 Off-Road Package and 20-wheels, its as-tested price was $70,320.

Photo by Ford

New Diesel Option

Diesel engines are coming on strong in the half-ton pickup truck class. Ram started things off a few years ago with its 3.0-liter Ecodiesel V6 and Chevrolet has announced a diesel option in the 2019 Silverado. Ford has jumped in this year, offering a 3.0-liter Power Stroke turbodiesel V6, which is the most fuel-efficient engine available in the 2018 F-150. At $4,000, it’s an expensive option, and it’s only offered in Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum trim levels. But with 250 hp at 3,250 rpm and 444 lb-ft at just 1,750 rpm, it’s more powerful than Ram’s EcoDiesel. 

Our test truck included this diesel engine, and we were very impressed with its smooth operation, its power, and its fuel economy. Backed by a smooth-shifting 10-speed automatic transmission, the engine is rated at 22 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway with 2WD. That’s a bit better than the Ram’s Ecodiesel HFE model, which is rated at 20 mpg city and 29 mpg highway. We averaged 24 mpg over 300 miles of mixed driving in our 4x4 test vehicle.

Photo by Ford

Off-Road Ready Raptor

If fuel economy isn’t high on your priority list and you like playing in the dirt, the 2018 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is your truck. The Raptor, now in its second generation, is the ultimate factory-tuned off-road-ready pickup truck and the model has become an icon since the first one hit America’s highways and OHV parks back in 2010. Riding on a lifted suspension with wider tracks, increased wheel travel, and special shocks developed by Fox Racing — a company well known in the off-road community — the Raptor boasts more off-road capability than the Ram Rebel, a Chevrolet Silverado Z71, or even the smaller Chevrolet Colorado ZR2. The 4x4 Raptor also rides on massive BFGoodrich all-terrain tires and features skid plates to protect its engine and other components from off-road obstacles. 

Two body styles are available: the SuperCab and the SuperCrew. Under the hood is a high-output version of Ford’s 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 rated at 450 hp and over 500 lb-ft of torque. A 10-speed automatic is standard, and Ford says the Raptor SuperCrew can tow 8,000 lbs. Prices start just over $50,500.

Photo by Ford

Impressive Off-Road Performance

As impressive as the Raptor is off the highway, it’s not the only 2018 F-150 that can get the job done in the dirt. Our 4x4 test vehicle with the FX4 Off-Road Package was plenty capable at our local off-road park. This truck had no problem climbing steep grades, hammering down rutted trails, and clawing its way through deep sand. With 10 inches of clearance under its metal front skid plate and 9.25 inches of clearance in the rear, our F-150 was able to navigate over some terrain we avoid in many other trucks. You can also lock its rear differential, which is often enough to get the big pickup up and over the hill, and its hill-descent control makes the ride down the other side slow and stress-free.

The truck's transfer case is manipulated with a large knob on its dashboard, and it offers settings for 2WD, all-wheel drive for wet or slick roads, 4WD H for fire roads, and a low range for the steepest climbs and rock crawls. Engagement is smooth, and while the truck’s 275/55R20 Hankook tires don’t look very aggressive, they supplied plenty of grip.

Photo by Ford

Comfortable Ride on the Road

Even more impressive is the on-road comfort and performance of the 2018 Ford F-150. Although the Ford doesn’t ride quite as well as the Ram, which uses a unique five-link coil-spring rear suspension, the F-150's ride is extremely comfortable. Furthermore, it’s more agile than the Ram, its body control over rough roads is class-leading, and it offers the best steering in the segment, with good response and superior feel. Often you have to remind yourself that you’re in a pickup, as many luxury suvs don’t drive this well.  

Our test truck’s diesel was quiet around town and out on the highway, and the powertrain was surprisingly sporty, especially when you put the transmission in Sport mode. That's not something we expected in a diesel-powered 5,700 lb truck. We’re also huge fans of the Ford’s available 2.7-liter and 3.5-liter turbocharged Ecoboost gas engines. They are smooth and make plenty of power.

Photo by Ford

Luxurious Interior

Inside, our big Ford was luxurious and packed with amenities. There was a huge sunroof, large power-adjustable heated and cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel, adjustable pedals, a tilting and telescopic steering column, a premium audio system, Ford’s Sync 3 infotainment system with navigation, push-button start, leather-trimmed seats, heated rear seats, dual-zone automatic climate controls, and a beefy floor-mounted shifter with robust action. 

Rear seat space is cavernous, and everything in the cabin is well-assembled, ergonomic, and extremely attractive with an abundance of chrome trim and clean, clear instrumentation that displays a ton of information. Although the F-150's 8.0-inch touchscreen is large enough, it’s smaller than some other screens available in this class, which is something Ford will need to address in the F-150’s next iteration. Although we’re fans of the optional power-deployable running boards — which drop down when you open the door and then retract themselves — they can be slippery when you're off-roading. A more textured platform would fix the issue.

Photo by Ford

Awesome Interior Storage

Inside, the F-150 has more storage than many New York City apartments. The console bin is deep enough to swallow a bar stool, the glovebox is huge, the multi-layered door bins are massive and have slots for water bottles, there’s another large bin ahead of the shifter and other cubbies carved into the sides of the console. There are also two big front cupholders and the rear seat, which is split 60/40, folds up for additional cargo space.

Our test vehicle’s 5.5-foot bed had an optional $495 spray-in bedliner, a $250 foldable bed extender that allows you to haul longer items with the tailgate down, and LED lighting, which makes those midnight Home Depot runs a lot easier. The truck’s max payload was 1,333 lbs and its GVWR was 7,050 lbs.

Photo by Ford

Cool Exterior Style

Dressed in Race Red, our 2018 F-150 Crew Cab looked sporty, powerful, and expensive. It also wore the $300 optional Lariat Sport Appearance Package, which adds a more aggressive grille, body-color bumpers, bedside decals, and a chrome exhaust tip. This truck turned heads with its monochromatic look. If chrome is your thing, Ford also offers the Lariat Chrome Appearance Package, but it costs $1,695. It adds chrome mirrors, chrome steps, chrome door handles and chrome to the grille of a truck that already has chrome bumpers.

Although boxier than the Ram or the Chevrolet Silverado, the Ford looks more imposing. Still, the Chevy and Ram have been redesigned for 2019, and their new shapes are even more shapely than before. It’s going to be interesting to see which design draws more future truck buyers.

Photo by Ford

Final Thoughts

Comfortable, capable, and attractive, the F-150 has remained at the top of the full-size truck sales list for so long through engineering and innovation. The F-150 is the only truck in the full-size class with a body and bed made from aluminum instead of steel, and it was the first full-size pickup sold in America with turbocharged engines. The F-150 Raptor is in a class of its own and it should be on every off-road enthusiast’s bucket list. 

If you’re shopping for a luxurious full-size pickup that’s ready for work as well as play, the 2018 Ford F-150 is a compelling overall package and a very desirable overall choice.

Photo by Ford