Joe Friday

Firstly, no I am NOT a troll.... I fully intended on buying a Ford F150 ... probably within the next month. But after driving one for a more 'extended' drive today, I just cannot do the Ford F150.... and that makes me mildly bummed. I was really looking forward to it.

I had optioned up a really nice Lariat... but the ride tonight was so gawd-awful that I took the vehicle back even though they were going to let me keep it overnight and put some serious miles on it.

They gave me an XLT SuperCrew 4X4 with the 3.5 Ecoboost. So, generally the same 'basic' vehicle as I was thinking about getting into.... minus the bells and whistles. It had a 302 A package.

Gotta say, I just do not like the Ecoboost engines.... sure, they go like hell when you hit the peddle, but I am not going to be flooring it from stoplight to stoplight... and the normal driving of every one of the several I have test driven are what I would describe as 'twitchy'.... surge and lunge to calm.... surge and lunge and then calm.There doesn't seem to be a civilized, smooth transition of power. So, the V8 might be more for me, you say? I would definitely agree.... but it seemed like a beached whale with no guts.... probably didn't help that I drove it AFTER the Ecoboosts.....

My impression was the entire vehicle was a wallowing tugboat that sent every road imperfection throughout the truck and into every appendage.... some of the more professional reviewers got that right and I hate to admit that Consumer Reports description of the 'busy, jouncy' ride was accurate.

Fully 3 out of the past 5 F150's I have test driven have exhibited some very concerning drive train issues..... from low gears that couldn't seem to shift smoothly and clunked loudly, to VERY course and rough idling engines. I think Ford has some serious quality issues and the chance of getting a lemon in my estimation seems about 40%... I could be off, but numbers were never my strong suit.

I can honestly say, I actually hated it..... not just the engine.... but the entire truck. Well, hate may be too strong a word.... but I thought it had a very jittery, busy, and rough ride that actually agitated the hell out of me. By the time I got home, I felt like I had been mildly 'roughed up'... or jostled about.... and it was a tiring ride. I might describe it as a walk through busy overpopulated Shanghai, China streets where you are constantly being nudged, jostled, and bumped by a million people. Very little civilized about the F150.

The interior was dated and cheap as hell... hard plastic, and questionable fit and finish everywhere....hard to believe a $57 thousand dollar vehicle (as I had mine optioned out) could be outdone by a Toyota Corolla gas-getter half it's price in terms of cohesive layout and refinement. I am not comparing a 'truck' to a 'car' mind you.... just pointing out the attention to interior detail of a cheap auto to an expensive one.

I gotta tell ya, if it weren't for that 'Hemi Tick' issue with RAM, I would buy a RAM in a heartbeat over the Ford F150...... the interior of the 2019 RAM is years ahead of the competition; better materials, better fit and finish, ***** that have a great tactile feel instead of hollow, cheap plastic, better touch screen interface...and FAR more ergonomic steering wheel controls with buttons that didn't ALL look identical like the F150..... The RAM's are very discernible one from another. EVERYthing was better on the interior. And the ride? WAY.... WAY smoother. Easily twice as smooth as the F150.... bordering on SUV smooth.

That said.... 'DAMN that Hemi Tick!' I even went back over to the RAM dealer after dropping the Ford back off early tonight... and conveyed my only concern about the RAM - the hemi tick. They tried to tell me it was because all new engines are tight and they do that till they break in. BULL****..... you can watch countless videos online and see used ones galore ticking and rattling away. So, they are out too. In fact, when I first walked into the RAM dealer, I walked straight into the service dept to ask a few mechanics about the hemi tick and get their thoughts on it...well, I got there late enough that the mechanics were gone.... but nobody saw me walk in there, and I noticed two new engines sitting on the floor by vehicles.... if THAT wasn't a concerning site..... sitting on the cement floor waiting to be installed it appeared. I took this photo....



So.... RAM is out.... FORD F150 is out..... not sure what I will do. The 2019 GMC Sierra looks really cool, but it is a 'new model' and that scares the crap out of me.... I may just forget the entire damn thing.

I hold too high standards for an automobile, apparently..... I am sure I will get eviscerated by the F150 fanboys, and I don't really blame you.... but sometimes it is good to get an unbiased dose of someone else's reality into the mix.... let's face it, there is always room for improvement and that can only happen when discerning people are willing to step up and show the light of day on a vehicle's shortcomings.

At the end of the day, Ford will continue to sell countless F150's and I hope each person enjoys theirs to the fullest.... and I envy those that don't get caught up in the nuances.... I wish I was part of a product focus group, because I know that I could easily bring a new level of refined expectations into the development of new vehicles. I sweat the small stuff.

Guys - thanks a bunch for all the help in my many posts... You were each very kind and generous....some of you may be very irritated by my driving impressions... which I can understand.... but it is what it is. I will hurry out and not let the door slam me in the ***. Thanks again... enjoy your rides.

Sirikenewtron

Hey if you don't like it you don't like it that's all there is to it, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks at the end of the day.

The F150 does ride rough compared to some other trucks one of the main reasons is it's suspension and the fact that it can tow more weight than most all of the other 1/2 ton brands, the suspension has to be stiff to accommodate that.

The "twitchy" feeling of the EcoBoost is pretty common for a turbo charged vehicle that's why some people prefer the linear power of a na V8 over a turbo vehicle.

I agree the interior of the new Dodge is really nice but man other than that Dodge can and does have a lot of issues from everything from the transmissiontto the electrical.

Unfortunately I think the throttle and torque management really holds back the 5.0, something a custom tune can drastically change for the better.

As far as Chevy, personally I think the 2019 is butt ugly, regardless I would never touch a Chevy with a ten-foot pole LOL. Those 5.3's are really gutless. I will say though at least they don't have those damn Square wheel wells anymore that was the dumbest thing ever.

One thing I noticed is the F150 seems to drive differently from truck to truck as far as ride quality, my friend has a 2018 5.0 that drives smooth as butter but my 2017 2.7 is pretty rough, even my old 2013 3.5 4 X4 crew cab that was lifted 2in all around with 34 inch tires was smoother than my 2017. Just having too much air in the tires can make a difference.

Hopefully you'll find something that you really like eventually, no matter what brand it is.
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gopherman

I love Fords...but their quality as of late is fairly poor. I'm trying to get my '16 bought back and had my mind made up that I would try one last time. Then I come here and the entire first page is about Ecoboost rattles, 10-speed problems, 5.0 dropping valves, problems with steering, problems with brakes, collapsed seats, recalls, TSBs, etc, etc, so on and so forth....

I don't blame you for closing the door on the F-150. It's going to take many more though to get Ford to start taking quality seriously again. It's such a great truck all the defects aside....

I'll be looking at GMC Sierras with a 6.2 if I decide to jump ship and replace my F-150. It's probably a crapshoot either way but at least I won't feel stupid for being fooled 3 times in a row by the same brand.

DK in NC

Interesting, my F150 gives me none of the impressions you mentioned. I chose it over all the other trucks on the market after alot of careful research and test drives. And as far as the interior, I find it hard to believe anyone would think the Chevy/GMC is nicer than the F150. It took me every bit of 3 seconds to determine a 3rd grader designed the GM interiors and did it with the cheapest parts in the bin. To each his own, and I couldn't care less what anyone else drives, but I love my F150 and glad I bought it.

Ricktwuhk

Summary of post for those that can't be bothered to read it:

"After starting numerous threads about every possible option I could choose (including that famous thread "what color bolts are best under the driver's seat"), I finally actually DROVE a freakin' truck and decided I am not buying a Ford so that's the end. Had I driven it first, I could have saved myself a lot of time."

jcb206

duck9191

If you think the ford interior is cheap and plastic the gm's will be out too. Ride wise, its a truck, meant to do truck things so you have to give up the car like ride, butI though the ford and ram were the best out of the group for ride both on the soft side, i have drove a few of each while my trucks been in and out of the shop for a few days at a time. The ram, while it shifted smooth felt like mush until you really got into it. Maybe it was the MDS but it wasn't very inspired unless you got on it out of the hole. The gmc sierra had windows sticker that said 5.3 but i had to check and make sure someone didn't swap a 4 cylinder, what a dog.

scottmoyer

I personally have to agree with the OP in many ways. But, I also need to state that I am a GM guy and bought the F150 due to issues also present on the GM trucks.

The 5.3 is a slug because GM added so much torque management that it falls on it's face when you hit the go pedal. A custom tune does remove that, but you're taking a chance on GM voiding your warranty for doing it. The GM trucks also are plagued with frame shake. The crew cab, short box trucks (the majority of the ones on the road), wil start to bounce at 45mph and around 70mph. It feels like you have tires not balanced properly. I had this with my 2006, and when gm-trucks.com has a thread with over 800 pages of posts with people griping about frame shake on the '15-'18s, I had to say no.

The Ram is a nice looking truck for a 12 year old design and the engine is the same as it's been for about the same number of years. But, Dodge quality is not number 1. The panel fitment, the feel of certain plastics, etc. My Charger had 3 door jambs that were clear coated and 1 that wasn't. This was found by other members on the scatpack forums. They also have issues with hood corrosion due to dis-similar metals at he hood latch. The seal between the hood and the front bumper cover fell off my car within the first month. So, Dodge is not the way to go, if you think the F150 is junk.

I chose the F150 because it was the lesser of the evils. I agree with the comments that things could be better for a $54k truck (in my case), but after all of the rebates and discounts, I paid $39k. My 2006 Silverado that I keep comparing the F150 to was a $38k truck MSRP that I bought for $32k. So, I'm comparing a $32k 2006 vehicle to a $39k 2018 vehicle. I probably should've gotten the Lariat 502A to be more comparable to what I used to have. Granted the 2006 didn't have navigation and some features that the 2018 have today, but if these were available in 2006, that truck would've had those options.

Can we just blame the federal government for all of this? The EPA requirements are causing the factories to use lighter materials and in the case of the 10 speed trans, technology that really doesn't benefit the driver in any way except to meet gas standards. My 2006 5.3 V8 got 17mpg with the 4L80E auto trans. Today, I'm getting about the same in a truck that weighs less, but has 10 annoying gears to help me get better mileage. Explain that.

moparado

OPer, at the end of the day, its your money and so far this is still a relatively free country to buy whatever you want.
Good luck on your choice.

However This:
VS. This:

.

Those two statements combined make no sense to me. One engine is too fast/twitchy and the other too slow/gutless?
I can tell you the 5.0 is NOT a beached whale with no guts. I own one.

It amazes me all the past threads here where some people want a truck to drive like a Cadillac.
Its a truck designed to be capable to do truck things!
If people want a soft riding diarrhea suspension like a Cadillac then buy a Cadillac.

butcher73

^bingo... was just going to say its a truck and drives like a truck. OP must have never driven a truck before, maybe he currently owns a Cadillac and expected a truck to drive like a Cadillac...???!!?? Oh well, good luck finding your next vehicle.