Driving Impressions
reviewed by
Two-wheel-drive F-150s use conventional steel leaf springs at the rear and a coil spring independent front suspension. This yields a pretty solid ride when it's unloaded, but quite a good ride when you're hauling a refrigerator over bad pavement. (The 4X4 versions use a torsion bar front suspension.)
The power steering is over-assisted to make it easier to park and maneuver in tight quarters. We find the brakes on Ford trucks to be average in stopping power and average in fade characteristics.
Although the optional 4.6-liter V8 engine is rated at 220 horsepower and 290 foot-pounds of torque, we don't think it's as good a performer in many respects as the small V8 engines from GM and Dodge. It's a good, solid engine, with millions of examples on the road, and it sounds good at full throttle, but we find it a little duff for all-around street use, and we would certainly find it wanting if we had to haul anything heavy or tow a trailer up a mountain road. For any customer contemplating those kinds of duties, the 5.4-liter V8 engine is a much better choice.
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