In an automotive marketplace, which continues to ride an economic rollercoaster from quarter to quarter, Ford has been blessed by an ace-in-the-hole that has averaged sales of somewhere near 1 million units a year for the better part of the past decade and beyond: The F-150 pickup.
The 2008 F150 is a carryover from 2007, like the F-150 Lariat 4 wheel drive Super Cab shown here. Lariat models offer a host of appearance and convenience options that give the F-150 a purposeful upscale look, such as interior trim utilizing brushed aluminum and wood, optional leather heated seats, steering wheel mounted controls, white-faced gauges and automatic climate control.
Two-tone paint is an option as are chrome bumpers and 18-inch wheels.
Under the hood, the F-150 can be powered by a standard 4.2-liter V6, a 4.6-liter V8, or an optional 5.4-liter V8. Power ranges from 202 horsepower in the standard V6 to 248 horsepower in the 4.6 V8, to 300 horsepower in the 5.4-liter V8. Towing capacity maxes out at an impressive 9,500 pounds.
New for 2008 are features such as back up camera, cargo management system, and lockable storage box in the truck bed.
Despite no side airbags or stability control features, the F-150 rated a perfect 5-stars in the NHTSA's (nitzsa's) frontal impact testing and the highest available rating in offset frontal impact tests, along with a "Best Pick" designation.
Base price of a 2008 Ford F-150 is $17,345. Check off enough options from the lengthy list of extras and that number could climb to around $40,000.
Ford's industry-leading F-150 pickup is a smooth, stylish, and versatile pickup that shows no signs of relinquishing the high ground in the hotly contested truck segment. It remains one of the biggest selling vehicles in the history of the blue oval and 1 million buyers a year can't be wrong.