Ford’s F-Series: The 2019 F-150

Ford has long held a strong position among hometown favorites like Dodge, Chevrolet, and GMC. But with increasingly more consumers choosing crossovers, will Ford’s best-selling F-Series go the way of their compact car portfolio or lead the pack into the future of heavy-duty hauling and towing?

If the 2019 Ford F-150, is any indication, the popular F-series tradition will continue on to be the top in trucks.

Performance Specifications

Choose from the following colors on the 2019 Ford F-150:

• Blue Jeans
• Ingot Silver
• White Platinum
• Velocity Blue
• Oxford White
• Magnetic
• Ruby Red
• Abyss Gray
• Agate Black
• Stone Gray
• Race Red
• Magma Red
• Silver Spruce

There are many powertrain options available on the 2019 F-150. The smallest engine is an EcoBoost 2.7-liter twin-turbo V6 capable of 325 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. Surprisingly, it makes more than the base 3.3-liter naturally-aspirated V6, which can only summon 290 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque. However, that’s still more than the 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6. It’s 250 horsepower and 440 lb-ft of torque are dwarfed by the 375 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque generated by the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6, which actually makes 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque in Raptor and Limited trims. Finally, customers will enjoy 395 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque found in the 5.0-liter V8, the largest engine offered on the 2019 Ford F-150.

Like most trucks on the market today, the 2019 F-150 is available in either 2-wheel drive or 4-wheel drive via a 6-speed or a 10-speed automatic transmission. Customers can tow up to 8,500 pounds.

Entertainment and Safety Features

Kelley Blue Book reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rates the 2019 F-150 with 5 out of 5 stars for all categories except for the rollover rating. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) rates the 2019 F-150 “Good” in all categories.

Driving safety aids on the 2019 Ford F-150 include Hill Descent Control, Lane-Keeping System, Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), rear view camera, and adaptive cruise with Stop-and-Go.

There are 6 trim levels available on the 2019 Ford F-150, excluding the Raptor. Customers can also choose from 3 cab styles (regular, SuperCab, and SuperCrew) and 3 bed lengths (standard at 6 feet 6 inches, long at 8 feet, and short at 5 feet 6 inches). Here’s a quick breakdown of the trim levels you can choose from on the 2019 F-150:

• XL: Beginning at just over $28,000, the base XL trim includes 17-inch wheels, automatic headlights, vinyl flooring, cloth seats, a 4.2-inch display screen, and a 4-speaker audio system. Standard safety features include forward collision warning with automatic braking and a rearview camera.
• XLT: Power windows and locks are just the tip of the iceberg for this model. Bluetooth, power mirrors, chrome bumpers and exterior accents, and an 8-inch touchscreen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both available at this trim level. Choose the Luxury 302A package for heated front seats and a regular/panoramic sunroof, depending on which cab type you choose.
• Lariat: This trim model rides on 18-inch wheels and includes keyless entry and ignition, leather seating, heated and ventilated front seats, a trailer hitch, and ambient lighting. Add-ons include LED headlights and foglights, a heated steering wheel, a surround-view camera system, navigation, and adaptive cruise control.
• King Ranch: Western-themed all around, the King Ranch F-150 mixes utility with luxury. This model is only offered with a SuperCrew cab setup.
• Platinum: Go big or go home with 20-inch wheels on the Platinum trim level, which includes wood and aluminum interior trimmings and power-operated running boards.
• Limited: This F-150 has a larger fuel tank than the other models, capturing a whopping 36 gallons. With upgraded leather, unique styling details, and 22-inch wheels, this top-of-the-line F-150 takes the best of the lineup and perfects it into one package.

The Raptor, which we won’t get into much here, takes on the off-road environment with tons of additional goodies most enthusiasts won’t be able to pass up. Such features include Fox shocks, skid plates, and a reinforced frame, among others.  

Fuel Efficiency

Like with the powertrain options, there are quite a few numbers you’ll see here when it comes to the fuel efficiency ratings of all those V6s and the V8. We’ve broken it down as below:

• 3.3-liter V6: This engine achieves 19 city and 25 highway EPA-estimated miles-per-gallon (MPG) and 18 city and 23 highway MPG in the 2-wheel and 4-wheel drive models respectively. Fueling up with E85 decreases those numbers significantly to 14 city and 19 highway MPG and 13 city and 17 highway MPG, respectively.
• 2.7-liter twin-turbo V6: They don’t call it the EcoBoost for nothing. Customers will see around 20 city and 26 highway MPG on 2-wheel drive variants, with 4-wheel drive models dipping to 19 city and 24 highway MPG.
• 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6: With 22 city and 30 highway and 21 city and 28 highway MPG in 2-wheel drive and 4-wheel drive respectively, the turbodiesel is no gas-guzzler either.
• 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6: This one gets a bit tricky since the muscled version found in the Raptor and Limited trims uses the same block but achieves a lower fuel efficiency rating of 15 city and 18 highway MPG. That’s even lower than the 4-wheel drive untouched block, which boasts 18 city and 25 highway MPG and 17 city and 23 highway MPG for 2-wheel drive and 4-wheel drive models.  
• 5.0-liter V8: Filling your tank with E85 means this V8 only gets 12 city and 17 highway MPG in 2-wheel drive and 14 city and 17 highway in 4-wheel drive. Regular gas bumps those numbers to 17 city and 23 highway MPG and 16 city and 22 highway MPG respectively.

Expect these fuel efficiency ratings to change under towing circumstances and when bogged down by large payloads.

How the 2019 Ford F-150 Compares

Kelley Blue Book has a lot of great things to say about the 2019 F-150. From the “most horsepower in a half-ton pickup” and “best-in-class towing and hauling,” Ford’s smallest pickup has made quite an impression on the KBB experts. Though they name the Toyota Tundra best in resale value for the segment, the F-150 earns its place high in the rankings.

Both Consumer Reports and Edmunds recommend higher trim levels, as they appeal to those looking for creature comforts and overall capability.

Pros

• Tons of engine and trim options to choose from
• Good visibility all around
• Affordably priced for any budget

Cons

• Only one high-output engine available (V8)
• Some interior materials are lacking in quality
• Limited standard safety features

Ford has a lot to offer with the 2019 F-150. Check out the F-Series lineup today and see for yourself why the F-150 is at the head of the pack.  

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