What Is It?
2004 Ford F-150
What's Special About It?
Having been the best-selling vehicle, not just pickup truck, for the last two decades, Ford's F-150 has built up legions of loyal buyers who would rather eat nails than drive another brand. But with tough competition from cross-town rivals Dodge, Chevrolet and GMC, Ford couldn't afford to rest on its laurels. For 2004, not only does the F-150 sport a more rugged body style and more distinctive interior schemes, but there's also more power (always a good thing), greater structural integrity and a higher degree of safety.
The angular body and bolder front end give the F-150 a more powerful presence than last year's truck. Three body styles: regular cab, extended cab and crew cab will be offered as they were before. Both regular and extended cabs boast a six-inch stretch in their passenger compartments, providing more room for people and cargo. The regular cab model also features rear-hinged access doors that allow items to be more easily stowed behind the seat. There will be five trim levels to choose from: base XL, sporty STX, popularly equipped XLT, off-road-oriented FX4 and luxurious Lariat. All will have unique cabin accents; the Lariat, for example, will feature faux wood and metallic accents as well as white-faced gauges.
Under the more prominent hood, one of two V8s is found, either a 4.6-liter mill (231 horsepower, 293 pound-feet of torque) or a more pumped-up 5.4-liter unit. Utilizing more efficient three-valve architecture, the 5.4's output is impressive — 300 horsepower and a stout 365 pound-feet of torque. With the bigger V8, Ford claims that the F-150 will have best-in-class maximum payload and towing capabilities, which are rated at 2,900 and 9,500 pounds, respectively.
Rounding out the revamp is a stiffer fully boxed frame along with a stouter passenger cell that should help improve handling, ride and safety. In fact, Ford predicts a five-star rating (the highest possible) for the new F-150 in offset crash testing.
Why Should You Care?
If the F-150's sales history is any indicator, we've got a feeling that a lot of folks are going to be interested in what Ford has done to improve this ever-popular truck. — John DiPietro
2004 Ford F-150
What's Special About It?
Having been the best-selling vehicle, not just pickup truck, for the last two decades, Ford's F-150 has built up legions of loyal buyers who would rather eat nails than drive another brand. But with tough competition from cross-town rivals Dodge, Chevrolet and GMC, Ford couldn't afford to rest on its laurels. For 2004, not only does the F-150 sport a more rugged body style and more distinctive interior schemes, but there's also more power (always a good thing), greater structural integrity and a higher degree of safety.
The angular body and bolder front end give the F-150 a more powerful presence than last year's truck. Three body styles: regular cab, extended cab and crew cab will be offered as they were before. Both regular and extended cabs boast a six-inch stretch in their passenger compartments, providing more room for people and cargo. The regular cab model also features rear-hinged access doors that allow items to be more easily stowed behind the seat. There will be five trim levels to choose from: base XL, sporty STX, popularly equipped XLT, off-road-oriented FX4 and luxurious Lariat. All will have unique cabin accents; the Lariat, for example, will feature faux wood and metallic accents as well as white-faced gauges.
Under the more prominent hood, one of two V8s is found, either a 4.6-liter mill (231 horsepower, 293 pound-feet of torque) or a more pumped-up 5.4-liter unit. Utilizing more efficient three-valve architecture, the 5.4's output is impressive — 300 horsepower and a stout 365 pound-feet of torque. With the bigger V8, Ford claims that the F-150 will have best-in-class maximum payload and towing capabilities, which are rated at 2,900 and 9,500 pounds, respectively.
Rounding out the revamp is a stiffer fully boxed frame along with a stouter passenger cell that should help improve handling, ride and safety. In fact, Ford predicts a five-star rating (the highest possible) for the new F-150 in offset crash testing.
Why Should You Care?
If the F-150's sales history is any indicator, we've got a feeling that a lot of folks are going to be interested in what Ford has done to improve this ever-popular truck. — John DiPietro
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