Daily Auto News 2009 Ford F-150 — More Fuel Efficient, More Towing Power
Daily Auto News
The Ford F-150 saw its seventeen-year run as the most popular vehicle in America come to an end in 2008. With the 2009 F-150, Ford has done its best to win the title back. The newly redesigned truck offers editions that are cheaper than the competition, available with better fuel economy, and still offers the highest towing capacity in the full-size pickup class.
Kicking Tires reports, “Ford has announced pricing for the 2009 F-150, and it will start at $21,345 for a regular cab XL work truck with the two-valve V-8 engine, not including the $975 destination charge.” The most expensive F-150, the Platinum edition with all available options, tops out at $44,860. The popular mid-range F-150 Lariat SuperCrew trim begins $35,820. “Ford says that truck is comparably equipped with the 2009 Dodge Ram Laramie crew cab, which starts at $41,320.”
The most popular F-150, traditionally, is the XLT model. In a press release, Ford claims the 2009 XLT offers “more towing capability, hauling capacity, more standard safety features, industry-exclusive Easy Fuel(TM) and V-8 power at a starting price of more than a $1,000 less than a comparably equipped competitive truck.” They don’t tell us what competitor they’re referring to.
But with heavy incentives available from most manufacturers right now, MSRP is almost irrelevant when it comes to large pickups. From month to month, the best deal in the pickup market varies — but all of the big trucks have been available well below MSRP through most of 2008.
Cost-to-own is as important a consideration as initial cost these days. On that front, Ford has improved the 2009 model. Edmunds Inside Line reports, “Ford on Thursday introduced a new tactic in the struggle to keep American consumers interested in big, thirsty pickups: a 2009 Ford F-150 SFE or ‘superior fuel economy’ edition that the automaker says delivers 15 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway.” That matches the rating of Chevy’s high fuel-efficiency model, the Silverado XFE. The EPA, however, has not yet confirmed Ford’s claims for the F-150 SFE.
It’s still a truck. Autoblog notes, “Finally, there’s the matter of the Max Towing crown, which Ford claims to keep for 2009 thanks to the ’09 F-150′s class-leading tow capacity of 11,300 lbs and a hauling capacity of 3,030. No other full-size pickup from Chevy, GMC, Dodge or Toyota even exceeds 11,000 lbs. for 2009.”
We should note, however, that the SFE model doesn’t come close to those numbers. PickupTrucks.com reports that the SFE’s towing capacity is just 7,500. That exceeds the tow rating of the Silverado SFE, but it still leaves buyers a choice between efficiency and pulling power.
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