Post your Drive Event feedback and pictures here!
10-20-2014, 12:30 PM
#51
Good point I missed that pic. What's going on with these payloads guys?
10-20-2014, 12:56 PM
#52
Senior Member
Thanks for the many detailed pictures, particularly the door placards - something that to my knowledge no other reviewer has managed to do. A payload of 1553 lbs with a GVWR of 7000 lbs is concerning, I had been led to believe it would be higher than that.
I see that the power inverter takes up a fair bit of space. So the sub-woofer is located where now?? Love the Green Gem colour, shame it won't be available on the Platinum.
I see that the power inverter takes up a fair bit of space. So the sub-woofer is located where now?? Love the Green Gem colour, shame it won't be available on the Platinum.
10-20-2014, 01:04 PM
#53
Senior Member
So does the CC big sunroof still slide open and tilt or is the whole thing fixed?
10-20-2014, 01:49 PM
#55
Attached article says 'die-cast zinc'. Original lower corner tie downs still there for a total of eight.
http://www.technologytell.com/in-car...0s-trump-card/
The following users liked this post:
molsonlabatt (10-21-2014)
10-20-2014, 02:22 PM
#56
Senior Member
Thanks for the many detailed pictures, particularly the door placards - something that to my knowledge no other reviewer has managed to do. A payload of 1553 lbs with a GVWR of 7000 lbs is concerning, I had been led to believe it would be higher than that.
I see that the power inverter takes up a fair bit of space. So the sub-woofer is located where now?? Love the Green Gem colour, shame it won't be available on the Platinum.
I see that the power inverter takes up a fair bit of space. So the sub-woofer is located where now?? Love the Green Gem colour, shame it won't be available on the Platinum.
10-20-2014, 02:33 PM
#57
To me, it seems like the screen and whole center dash doesn't look as good. Not sure if it's out of a loaded truck, but comparing it to a loaded 14, the 14s screen and dash looks more modern, cleaner and not as cheap. the rest of the truck looks amazing though.
10-20-2014, 04:28 PM
#58
Thanks for the many detailed pictures, particularly the door placards - something that to my knowledge no other reviewer has managed to do. A payload of 1553 lbs with a GVWR of 7000 lbs is concerning, I had been led to believe it would be higher than that.
I see that the power inverter takes up a fair bit of space. So the sub-woofer is located where now?? Love the Green Gem colour, shame it won't be available on the Platinum.
I see that the power inverter takes up a fair bit of space. So the sub-woofer is located where now?? Love the Green Gem colour, shame it won't be available on the Platinum.
10-20-2014, 06:39 PM
#60
I got to drive the 2.7L EB first. I was very glad to have had the chance to drive the 3.5L EB back to back as it made the one glaring flaw of the 2.7L more obvious. Throttle response is very laggy on the 2.7L compared to the 3.5L. No wonder they don't have ANY 5.0L on these drive events. The Ford employee told me straight out that Ford knows the V8 owners will buy them, and that they are consciously push the Ecoboost models for the 2015 launch.
The fit and finish of the body panels, interior, switch gear, and controls was top notch. I thought the leather in the Lariat felt strong, and durable, and was good quality. There are lots of cubbies and niches for all kinds of storage, I especially liked the covered slot under the center stack where the USB and SD card slots are. Perfect spot for your sunglasses. The console had a ton of volume, looks like you easily fit a 12 pack (of soda) in there.
I took a good grab on the drivers side A pillar interior handle, and am glad to report it is solid, and didn't flex at all. I'm 6'3 and over 250, so it should be adequate for everyone. The doors don't close with that solid steel thud, you have to keep your hand on the handle to close it securely, or make sure you push it fairly hard so it will latch and close completely. I pushed on the bed sides to see how much flex the aluminum had, and it felt sturdy enough for a truck, none of this paper thin beer can nonsense. The aluminum tailgate was sturdy and felt strong, but was a lot easier to open/close than steel.
The panoramic moon roof was awesome. If I got a supercrew instead of a supercab I would bite the bullet and add this option in a heartbeat. The shade is 100% power operated, not like the roll up shade in my wife's glass roof Mustang.
They had one model that had the power retractable automatic running boards, and I thought it was awesome. Clean lines when stowed, and sturdy and functional when using them. Minimal flex when I stepped on these, and I noticed they were quiet, no noticeable noise when operating.
So while the 2.7L had enough power to propel the truck along the road, to me it's obvious how Ford has designed this truck to squeeze out every last drop of fuel economy. If you know anything about fuel economy, you burn the most fuel while accelerating, and the engine is designed to do an adequate job in the acceleration department, so that once you get up to cruising speed, it can putter along burning less fuel. Once at speed, you then have to deal with how well the transmission was designed, rear end gears, aerodynamics, weight, and drivetrain losses (4x4 vs 4x2), and tires.
So to compare the 2.7L to the 3.5L, if I was forced to choose between the 2, I would reluctantly take the 2.7L because of the overall benefit of the latest and greatest engine technology. That you can get a truck capable of over 20 mpg when taking it easy in a 4x4 that can also tow and haul is amazing for a gasoline powered model. Of course they had to 'cheat' and put twin turbos on this to have the widest range of capabilities, we'll see what the long term durability of these components will be, and the out of warranty cost to owners.
I also asked that we disable the auto stop/start feature for our brief test drive. It looks like this feature will be enabled by default the way that had it setup. I would think there is a menu setting that can allow it to be disabled by default, instead of having to hit an extra button each time you drive. I really didn't notice any of the fake engine noise piped into the cabin while driving during conversation with the Ford rep. While it's a fun topic for some people, I couldn't care less, the 3.5L seemed the same, as they were both very quiet.
The ride along partner I had told me that she drove the 2.7L from Michigan to MA and had reset the trip computer before they left, and said that it was slowly rising to 21.9 mpg on the highway. It only had 1500 miles on it when they left MI, so I would guestimate that it's possible to get mid 20's for MPG when the engine is broken in, and if you keep the speed under 70. She mentioned they were traveling fairly fast, so to me that means over 70, but we all know Ford employees would never break any speed limits on public roads...
I then road tested the 3.5L Lariat, and when I asked that driver about MPG, I found out he must have been the guy that was towing the big trailer parked at the event. He didn't tell me that specifically, but you can see from my pix that it was the one truck with the adjustable height tow ball. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to put 2+2 together, especially when he said he averaged 10-12 mpg... He was also kind enough to clarify for me that they ALL run 93 octane fuel. So factor that into any mileage predictions in your neck of the woods. One last thing, he thought the EPA mileage ratings would be released in about 2 weeks, which is in November as reported by other sources.
I can't wait to drive one of these with the 380hp 5.0L, I bet it's going to feel VERY fast compared to either V6. The design benefit of the variable valve train technology seems to be amplified in the larger displacement engine, and I certainly know first hand how awesome this works already. My wife has an 11 Mustang GT, and I have a 13 Boss 302. Drive them like an old lady, you can get mid 20's no problem on the GT, about 23-23.5 on the Boss (hotter cams, intake, and 3:73 gears vs 3:31s), but stomp on the gas or lots of city driving, and your mpg will fall to the mid-high teens. I believe the current 5.0L owners when they report they can get 18-19 mpg when taking it easy in the current model, I hope we can crack that magical 20 mpg barrier with the lighter 2015 F150.
If I had to do a ton of long distance driving, I'd get the 2.7L, but I did like the feel of the 3.5L w/o the turbo lag. These test drives made me over 90% sure I want the 5.0L, and a test drive of that version will make it 100.
The fit and finish of the body panels, interior, switch gear, and controls was top notch. I thought the leather in the Lariat felt strong, and durable, and was good quality. There are lots of cubbies and niches for all kinds of storage, I especially liked the covered slot under the center stack where the USB and SD card slots are. Perfect spot for your sunglasses. The console had a ton of volume, looks like you easily fit a 12 pack (of soda) in there.
I took a good grab on the drivers side A pillar interior handle, and am glad to report it is solid, and didn't flex at all. I'm 6'3 and over 250, so it should be adequate for everyone. The doors don't close with that solid steel thud, you have to keep your hand on the handle to close it securely, or make sure you push it fairly hard so it will latch and close completely. I pushed on the bed sides to see how much flex the aluminum had, and it felt sturdy enough for a truck, none of this paper thin beer can nonsense. The aluminum tailgate was sturdy and felt strong, but was a lot easier to open/close than steel.
The panoramic moon roof was awesome. If I got a supercrew instead of a supercab I would bite the bullet and add this option in a heartbeat. The shade is 100% power operated, not like the roll up shade in my wife's glass roof Mustang.
They had one model that had the power retractable automatic running boards, and I thought it was awesome. Clean lines when stowed, and sturdy and functional when using them. Minimal flex when I stepped on these, and I noticed they were quiet, no noticeable noise when operating.
So while the 2.7L had enough power to propel the truck along the road, to me it's obvious how Ford has designed this truck to squeeze out every last drop of fuel economy. If you know anything about fuel economy, you burn the most fuel while accelerating, and the engine is designed to do an adequate job in the acceleration department, so that once you get up to cruising speed, it can putter along burning less fuel. Once at speed, you then have to deal with how well the transmission was designed, rear end gears, aerodynamics, weight, and drivetrain losses (4x4 vs 4x2), and tires.
So to compare the 2.7L to the 3.5L, if I was forced to choose between the 2, I would reluctantly take the 2.7L because of the overall benefit of the latest and greatest engine technology. That you can get a truck capable of over 20 mpg when taking it easy in a 4x4 that can also tow and haul is amazing for a gasoline powered model. Of course they had to 'cheat' and put twin turbos on this to have the widest range of capabilities, we'll see what the long term durability of these components will be, and the out of warranty cost to owners.
I also asked that we disable the auto stop/start feature for our brief test drive. It looks like this feature will be enabled by default the way that had it setup. I would think there is a menu setting that can allow it to be disabled by default, instead of having to hit an extra button each time you drive. I really didn't notice any of the fake engine noise piped into the cabin while driving during conversation with the Ford rep. While it's a fun topic for some people, I couldn't care less, the 3.5L seemed the same, as they were both very quiet.
The ride along partner I had told me that she drove the 2.7L from Michigan to MA and had reset the trip computer before they left, and said that it was slowly rising to 21.9 mpg on the highway. It only had 1500 miles on it when they left MI, so I would guestimate that it's possible to get mid 20's for MPG when the engine is broken in, and if you keep the speed under 70. She mentioned they were traveling fairly fast, so to me that means over 70, but we all know Ford employees would never break any speed limits on public roads...
I then road tested the 3.5L Lariat, and when I asked that driver about MPG, I found out he must have been the guy that was towing the big trailer parked at the event. He didn't tell me that specifically, but you can see from my pix that it was the one truck with the adjustable height tow ball. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to put 2+2 together, especially when he said he averaged 10-12 mpg... He was also kind enough to clarify for me that they ALL run 93 octane fuel. So factor that into any mileage predictions in your neck of the woods. One last thing, he thought the EPA mileage ratings would be released in about 2 weeks, which is in November as reported by other sources.
I can't wait to drive one of these with the 380hp 5.0L, I bet it's going to feel VERY fast compared to either V6. The design benefit of the variable valve train technology seems to be amplified in the larger displacement engine, and I certainly know first hand how awesome this works already. My wife has an 11 Mustang GT, and I have a 13 Boss 302. Drive them like an old lady, you can get mid 20's no problem on the GT, about 23-23.5 on the Boss (hotter cams, intake, and 3:73 gears vs 3:31s), but stomp on the gas or lots of city driving, and your mpg will fall to the mid-high teens. I believe the current 5.0L owners when they report they can get 18-19 mpg when taking it easy in the current model, I hope we can crack that magical 20 mpg barrier with the lighter 2015 F150.
If I had to do a ton of long distance driving, I'd get the 2.7L, but I did like the feel of the 3.5L w/o the turbo lag. These test drives made me over 90% sure I want the 5.0L, and a test drive of that version will make it 100.