2024 Ford F-150 HEV | Road Test & Review

Is it possible to make one of the best-selling vehicles in America even better? I don't know. Let's find out. The Ford F-150 is a popular pickup truck choice among buyers for good reasons. And for the 2024 model year, it gets a refresh inside and out. The F-150's exterior still has an aluminum-intensive construction to keep weight down, the headlights and taillights get an updated look, and there's still plenty of cab sizes, bed lengths, and engine choices to satisfy all types of consumers' needs. Our tester happens to be the PowerBoost Hybrid model in a SuperCrew and 5.5-foot bed configuration. Usually, people look at pickups for usability, and our platinum-trimmed tester has just that back here. It has an electronically-assisted tailgate, a bottle opener on each side, and a ruler for measuring stuff. You also get this pull-out step with a rod to access the bed, just in case your selvage jeans haven't broken in yet. And back here, you have a cleat system, some tie-down points, extra indentations just in case you're using lumber, LED lighting, and this new storage box for smaller items. But the best part is a maximum 7.2 kilowatts of power coming from the generator that can power up your accessories, your phone, your camp tools, your work tools, just anything you want to power up with your pickup truck. And there's also an available ProAccess tailgate, which opens up from the middle and lets you access the bed a lot easier. It's not on this model, but luckily we had another F-150 with the ProAccess tailgate to show you what I'm talking about. It can open up to 100 degrees and gives 19 inches of additional reach compared to when the tailgate is lowered down in its normal position. This is helpful just in case you're towing a trailer and you need quick access to the bed. And while we're on the subject of towing, our PowerBoost Hybrid model can tow up to 11,200 pounds and has a maximum available payload rating of up to 1,755 pounds. As far as hauling people around, the F-150 makes it pretty easy. The step-in height for the F-150 is pretty tall, so having these automatic side steps doesn't hurt. And step on here, grab the handle, and once you're in, it's very comfortable. I'm 6'4", I have plenty of headroom, some good legroom, the seat can go pretty far back on its tracks, and it has some good adjustability as well. And the steering wheel column on this trim is electronically adjustable, and so are the pedals. You can hit this switch here and you can bring the pedals closer or push them farther away for a little bit more added comfort. But the driver's position is very comfortable. Along with roominess, there's plenty of space in the door bins for storing all types of stuff. And it doesn't stop there. No, no. The comfort and practicality also extends to the rear seats as well. In the rear quarters of the F-150, it accommodates my big self just fine. Still have a lot of headroom, some great legroom, and this seat is set for my ideal seating position. My boots fit under the seat nicely. There's cupholders everywhere, like on the door, in front, and on the center armrest. You can be real comfortable back here. You would be even more comfortable if these seats reclined just a little bit, because they can feel a bit upright. But nonetheless, it's a comfortable spot back here. The flat load floor in the second row is great for middle seat occupants. And if there is a need to haul large items in the cabin, the rear seats can fold up for added storage flexibility. Along with the refresh, the F-150 gets some new tech as well. There's now a standard 12-inch digital gauge cluster, 12-inch infotainment touchscreen, and for the first time in an F-150, a head-up display. Tech and functionality. Yeah, I like that. The best part about the F-150's interior is its practicality, because you can store a lot of stuff in here. You have a sunglasses compartment up top, which you know I love. And you have some pockets on the side of the center stack for some extra storage, especially for your passenger. This shifter can fold down, so you can have this fold out, so you can get some work done. And this center compartment is fairly deep, and you get even more storage right up top. And a little slit for your phone, which is pretty cool. You also get these nice clear screens, which are easy to read. And this uses the latest SYNC 4 operating system, and it's fairly intuitive. And you also get physical knobs and switches and buttons for your HVAC controls. There's not a lot of distractions in this interior, but there's a lot of usability. The Ford F-150 comes with an array of engine choices. The new base engine is a 2.7-liter turbo V6, or you can upgrade to an available naturally aspirated 5-liter V8, 3.5-liter turbo V6, or a 3.5-liter power boost full hybrid V6, which happens to be the powertrain in our tester. And it puts out 430 horsepower and 570 pound-feet of torque. Oh yeah, and there's that big old supercharged 5.2-liter V8, which is in the F-150 Raptor R, if you're feeling a little frisky. All engines are linked to a 10-speed automatic transmission, and rear-wheel drive comes standard. But four-wheel drive is available and comes standard on higher-trimmed models. This power boost setup does not skimp out on power. And this is the most powerful F-150 in the lineup, apart from the Raptor and the Raptor R, of course. And the transmission, it shifts nice and smoothly. And you can barely tell when this goes into its hybrid EV mode, transitioning between the hybrid motor and the regular gasoline engine, which is great. The only thing that's not so great are the brakes, because they do feel a little bit spongy and a little bit artificial that comes along with a hybrid setup. But they're predictable, and they do bring you to a nice, smooth stop nice and easily. Along with some pretty substantial power numbers, the power boost hybrid system also delivers decent fuel economy with an EPA-estimated 25 miles per gallon in combined driving. And some traditional truck buyers will appreciate how easy it is to forget that this is a hybrid while cruising down the road. The F-150 rides nice, even without a payload in the back. It's nice and smooth, and it doesn't give you that floaty motion. And the steering is relatively light, but it is predictable. But I gotta warn you, if you need to make a U-turn in this thing, plan accordingly, because the turning circle isn't as great as you think. And I'm going to show you that right about now. Good luck, everyone else. Come on, baby. Come on, come on. Come on, yeah. That's how you turn a big old truck. If you wanted to take this truck out on a road trip, this will be perfect. The seating is comfortable. There's plenty of space, usable space for all of your things. And you have a nice commanding view of the road. Visibility, if you're next to a sports car, you might not be able to see it because this high belt line, especially on your right side. But thankfully, there's a ton of standard safety features. The Ford F-150 comes with 10 standard driver assist features There's also plenty of available features like And for those who have long commutes, Ford BlueCruise 1.2 will allow hands-free highway driving with lane change assist and in-lane repositioning, which shifts the F-150 away from large vehicles like semis. Merging onto this highway, what better time to test out BlueCruise 1.2. So this is pretty much a blind test to see how easy it is to set up. I'll just go to the steering wheel. I'll press the adaptive cruise control button. And it lets me know right there on the gauge cluster, hands-free. I'm gonna increase the speed a little bit. Let's go, yeah, 65. And let's see how it does hands-free. So far, it's doing a great job at keeping me in the center of the lane. Let's see if I can switch lanes with the signal stalk. Okay. All right, it's letting me switch lanes. It cuts off the signal. Great. Now for the ultimate test to see how it comes to a complete stop. All right. Okay. Not bad. You're coming smoothly. All right. For the 2024 model year, Ford attempts to simplify the way buyers configure their F-150 trucks with added standard features and more comprehensive packages to choose from, reducing their ordering configurations by 90%. And we'll also be increasing the production of the PowerBoost powertrain. A base F-150 with a regular cab and rear-wheel drive starts at $38,960, which reflects the destination cost. But if you're looking to go the hybrid route, F-150s with the PowerBoost hybrid engine start at $58,650 and is available on the F-150 XLT trim and above. For luxurious amenities and creature comforts, the F-150 Platinum trim with the PowerBoost hybrid setup starts at $75,840. Whether you're in the market for a pickup truck like the F-150, or an SUV or a sedan or an EV or a hybrid, go on KBB.com and get a fair purchase price. KBB.com. Click the link above for more details. Competitors in this full-size truck segment include the Ram 1500, Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, and the Nissan Titan, which is on its way out after 2024. For hybrid power, the only other competitor is the Toyota Tundra. And if you're considering going fully electric, Ford also has the F-150 Lightning. So yeah, you can make a good thing better. Just give it some added functionality, technology, and hands-free capability. And if all that sounds good to you, check out the Ford F-150 for yourself.