2009 Ford F-150 XLT 4X4 Super Cab
The “Detroit Three,” formerly known as “The Big Three,” have come up short in the good news department lately. GM lost the “The World’s Largest Vehicle Manufacturer” crown to Toyota, and Chrysler is living on shaky ground. Ford has fared the best of the group and, even during the recent ugly days of four-dollar-plus gasoline, their F-150 pickup managed to hold on to its “Best Selling Vehicle in the U.S.” title for the 27th year in a row.
The current economic climate is not ideal for rolling out a new full-size pickup, but time and model revisions wait for no one.
SMOOTHED, CHISLED, and TWEAKED
The Blue Flame-colored XLT Super Cab we chose for our test is all new for 2009. Every surface has been smoothed, chiseled, and tweaked, and it’s not just a styling exercise. The F150’s backbone is still a fully boxed ladder-style frame, but this time around it’s higher in strength but lighter in weight. The new design has 10% more rigidity, which boosts towing capacity while helping fuel economy by about one MPG over the 2008 model.
Airflow management was also high on the F150 engineers’ to-do list. The rear of the cab was chamfered to allow air to slip on by. The front valance was lowered and reshaped to keep drag-inducing air away from the truck’s underside. The top of the tailgate has a lip to keep the breeze out of the open cargo bed.
Now, don’t go thinking that Ford designers have made the 2009 F150 look like some skinny guy that gets sand kicked in his face. No, think bold but smooth. Up front, the grill dominates with a massive Ford logo in the center. Large angular lights convey that sense of power. Everything is smooth and clean. The grill transitions to the hood without any gaps and the front bumper is almost flush with its surrounding sheet metal.
Side panels are flatter than previous models and the tailgate gets three stamped-in “feature lines” that designers say echo the three-bar grill. I thought about the similarity to the Ford Flex, which uses this detail on its doors.
BORROWED FROM THE SUPER DUTY
We opted to add a couple of features to our 2009 F150 Super Cab that we first encountered during our 2008 F250 Super Duty review. The tailgate step slides out of the top of the tailgate, while the assist handle that looks like a fence post swings up from the back of the gate. We also checked off the box for the fold-up bed side steps that hold up to 500 lbs. or one real big hombre. Bed access was an easy step away. We also selected the $195 stowable two-piece bed extender.
TOWING TOOLS
Our six-and-a-half foot bed, 4x4 Super Cab is capable of towing an impressive maximum loaded trailer weight of 11,200 lbs. The proven 5.4L Triton V8 flows power to a new 6R80 six-speed with tow/haul mode. To maximize our results, we selected the optional 3.73 rear. A 36-gallon fuel tank comes standard on 4X4’s and all F150’s get the EasyFuel capless fuel filler system. Take out the fuel nozzle and the system seals itself automatically.
No matter what model F150 you order, it comes with Advance Trac with RSC. The system uses throttle position, steer angle and gyroscopic roll rate sensors to keep you on the straight and level should you get into any interesting driving situations. And if you are towing, Ford’s system will also bring a swaying trailer under automatic control by quickly applying brakes and reducing engine torque.
An integrated trailer brake controller is built right into the dashboard from the factory. There’s no need to start wiring up your cab or mounting aftermarket controllers.
Over the years I have had the chance to drive plenty of pickups, but the 2009 F150 made me think I was at the wheel of a car. Even unloaded, there was very limited jounce, shake, or seesawing that has been the norm for most other trucks.
Our XLT’s cab was crammed with technology and luxury upgrades, but the real standout was Ford’s SYNC system. Imagine turning your Ipod into a voice-operated music player or selecting your favorite Sirius XM satellite station by voice command; it’s impressive.
With over 35 configuration choices, plus top-notch hauling, towing, and technology, the 2009 F150 has the chops to potentially maintain its standing as the best-selling vehicle in the U.S.
-Frederick J. Staab
