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Two weeks ago I picked up my new 2016 Platinum. Prior to purchasing, I spent many hours online doing research (particularly on this site). The one thing that kept detracting from my confidence to buy (especially since I've been a Toyota guy for so many years) was the constant "nay-saying" regarding all the extra features and high cost of the new F150's - especially on the higher trim levels with all the additional options.

Due to a death in the family last week, I got to spend over 20 hours driving from San Diego, CA to Salt Lake City, UT and back. While this isn't exactly how I wanted to break-in the first 1500 miles of my new ride, such is life. This thread is just a collection of my thoughts regarding the overall package and particularly some of the options that add cost to the overall price tag (hopefully it will be useful to future buyers doing some research on whether they want to spend the extra $$$).

Adaptive Cruise Control: I've never used ACC until this trip. I was very hesitant to trust it, but after a few hours behind the wheel, I realized this was a great feature. The ability to adjust the distance between the car ahead of you, and it's impeccable ability to detect the cars ahead (even while changing lanes) made this a great "road trip" feature. If you plan on spending a considerable amount of time doing long haul trips, this is probably something you'll want to spring for on your truck.

Lane Keeping System: If you're behind the wheel, you better be able to keep your vehicle between the lines. That being said, this feature isn't terrible to have, especially when you're in hour 9 of an 11 hour drive. I set this to "aid and alert" mode so that it would give me a warning, as well as, apply a minor steering correction. At first the steering corrections may startle you, but after a few hours of monotonous driving through the Southern California desert, I was happy to have this and the ACC working in tandem. On our return trip, we did encounter some snowy conditions, so I turned this off (I didn't want the truck over correcting for me in the snow/ice). Again, if you'll be spending a considerable amount of time doing long haul trips, this is probably something you'll want.

Blind Spot and Collision Warning: Like the lane keeping, these are features that anyone with a drivers license shouldn't need. But just like the lane keeping, it's good to have once you realize how well they work. The blind spot detection works as advertised (giving a warning when you try to change lanes with someone in your blind spot), and the collision warning (which until this trip I had never actually seen in action) provided that added piece of safety that isn't really necessary, but is definitely nice to have. While I think these features aren't totally required, I'm glad to see that technology is not only getting better in terms of connecting my phone to the SYNC system, but also to keeping my family a little safer while they're in the truck.

Auto Highbeams & Auto Wipers: Although these features aren't necessary for most drivers, they do add a small amount of convenience - especially when you get into sticky weather. The wipers worked fairly well (occasionally I had to bump them up to get a wipe, but overall the sensor worked adequately 85% of the time). I eventually turned the auto highbeams off, simply because I felt it wasn't turning them off quickly enough when there was oncoming traffic. They were helpful going through some of the canyon passes at night, but overall, not really needed. - Nice to have, but not as necessary or useful as some of the other features.

Twin Moonroof: For this trip, I had two kids in carseats in back, plus my wife who switched from back seat to front seat as necessary to feed/entertain the kids. Having the twin moonroof seemed to open up the interior of the truck (which is already enormous) and added some additional natural light. Honestly after spending 11 hours in the truck, it was nice to be able to slide the cover back and see the sky (even at night time). If you're looking to maximize the "creature comforts" of your truck...which was one of the ways I convinced my wife that this would be a good purchase for the family, the twin moonroof is a decent option.

SYNC3: The jury is still out on this one. I'm not used to a touch screen interface (my last car had a nav screen, but it was controlled by a ****/selector down near the center armrest. Some of the functions seemed to work better than others. I think over time (as I learn how to fully use the system) it will get better. I will say, the "read text message" function for my iPhone was an awesome feature. Overall your use and liking of this will come down to how much time you spend getting to know the system, and how tech savvy you are.

4 Wheel Drive: Ever since I put my tiny '92 Toyota Pickup through a fence during a snow storm, I've always been wary of driving trucks with light rears through nasty weather. On our return trip we hit a snow storm that put about 8" of snow on the roads that had yet to be plowed. I utilized 4H through the nastiest parts and kept it in 4A until we were completely out of the storm (no snow, but still wet with freezing temps). I only had one instance where we started to really slip and I'd chock that up to me driving a little faster than I should have. All shifts from 2 to 4A/4H were smooth with no noticeable delays or grinding of gears.

Interior: Overall, the spacious and luxurious interior was what finally sold me on this truck. Since I only had the truck for a week before having to make this trip, there was no time to install a bed cover. This meant our suitcases had to ride inside the people box (we hit rain and snow). I was able to fit two car seats, two suitcases, plus all the odds and ends needed for two kids under the age of two all in the back seat without having to sacrifice too much room moving the front seats forward (only had to move the passenger side forward a few inches due to a larger suitcase). Having front and back 110V outlets meant my wife could run her breast pump while we drove and just give our youngest a bottle (rather than having to stop every few hours for them to breast feed) which saved us hours over the course of our trip. After driving for more than 5 hours my back and legs start to stiffen up. It was nice to kick on the seat massage. While it doesn't work well enough to really "massage" you, it definitely works well enough to get the blood flowing again and loosen up those stiff muscles. For a pickup, the interior really looks more like a luxury car than a truck. As a family vehicle this is a nice touch.

Overall Impression: In terms of utility, a truck is generally a truck (meaning if it has enough bed space and power, it doesn't really matter what the interior or features are). In terms of ride quality and use as a family vehicle, I'd say this is really where the higher trim levels excel. If you're looking for a truck that can get work done (payload, towing, 4x4, etc), as well as, be a comfortable family vehicle, you can't really go wrong. Ford has raised the bar in bringing more creature comforts and technology to your driving experience while keeping the utility of a truck. If you can afford it, I'd say it's definitely worth considering and is (in my opinion) worth the premium price tag.

After reading what I just wrote, I hope it doesn't come across as an advertisement. I have no financial interest in Ford, aside from having just spent $60k on a truck... Also, I specifically didn't mention anything about the 3.5L EB since that topic can be found in many places on this forum and will generally be a contentious item between diehard V8 fans and Turbo heads.

If you have any questions/comments regarding any options or features, post them up here. I hope this serves as a guide to help people make a decision on whether the higher trim levels or options are right for them/worth the extra cash.

Haters gonna hate, but I just spent $60k on a truck and don't regret it in the least.

EDITED TO ADD: Since a lot of people are curious about my MPG's I got 15.8 over the total duration of the trip. For more details about this, see post #11 below.

fordworker

I read the 1st line & the last 2, thank you for buying Ford & I'm glad you're happy!

Pop-Display

Park assist?
Seat heaters? (too cold for commentary on the seat coolers, no doubt)
MPG?

Mandryk

It's always good to hear owner's reviews and experiences. Reviews like yours helped me decide what features were worthy of my hard earned dollars on my 2011 and 2015 F150's.
I was wondering if the moonroof was worth the $$$. The truck I bought from my local dealer had the moonroof and your description fit my findings perfectly. Makes the cabin feel even bigger and the natural light is great. I had not thought of that aspect prior to buying the truck.
Glad to hear your experience with the new truck is a positive one.

olgzr

What was your mileage for the trip? Glad you enjoy the truck.

explorertx

Thank you for your post. I am sorry for your lost but I am happy that your truck meet all the expectation.

mlpjunior

Park assist is amazing, even though most of us have driven trucks long enough that we don't actually need it. I will say it gives me peace of mind, since I have been in smaller vehicles since I traded in my last F150 about 6 years ago, and I went with the longer wheel base.

If nothing else, it makes for a great parlor trick.

marnsue

Thanks for the write-up! I believe the 16s come with front proximity sensors. If yours does, do you turn them on by turning the 360degree cameras? This is the only option i'd have loved to have on my 15. using the front camera is good but just not as intuitive as "beepers".

XLT_AK

What was your gas mileage for the trip?

marnsue

I only got the moonroof because of the kids. And they love it! If you don't have kids, or barely ever have a back seat passengers, I'd say it will stay closed entirely for majority of your drive time just like any other car or a truck. Size in this case IMO doesn't matter