MM3.9GT3

How easy is it to maneuver and park the F-150 in city traffic for someone who is not used to driving a big truck? I am looking at buying a 2010 F-150 SuperCrew with the 5.5' bed. My wife is pregnant, and there will be a lot of family coming to visit. They will most likely use the F-150, and I am worried that the truck is too big for them. My wife is a very good driver, and I have no worries about her driving the truck.

I really don't need a truck that big. A Toyota Tacoma or Nissan Frontier is the perfect size, buy I cannot get myself to buy a foreign truck when Ford makes a great truck. The Ranger is not an option since I do not like it. GM and Chrysler products are out for personal reasons (government bailout money).

The truck will be used for typical city slicker duties. The heaviest use it will ever see is transporting tires and rims when I go to the race track, and our occasional trips to Home Depot or a Garden Supply store (no flames...)

Thanks.

GatorMedic

Personally, I think you should base your decision on what truck to buy based on what you like and what you're comfortable driving vs. a few times when someone else has to drive it. Unless I'm just reading your post wrong, and these other people will be driving it on a consistent long-term basis.

I can say that when I was 16-17 and had to drive my step-dad's 2002 Dodge Ram for about a year (my 2001 Dodge Durango was t-boned and totaled in a wreck and I hadn't gotten a new vehicle at that point) it seemed overly big to me and I had an interesting time trying to park it at school with a cramped parking lot and tiny parking spaces. However, since then I've driven a F-250 diesel a few times and a 2004 F150 a few times also. When I bought my 2010 F150 Screw 5.5 ft bed two months ago (I'm 22 now), I've had no problems with parking or maneuvering. Not sure why the Ram seemed so big and somewhat cumbersome to me like five or six years ago, and now my truck seems easy to me. I'm guessing it was mostly due to that particular school parking lot which is where I had to park day in and day out for that year I had to drive the Ram. While my truck isn't nearly as maneuverable or agile as my 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee I've driven for the past five years, I easily adjusted to my new truck. Not sure if this helps you or not, but good luck

SFCFX4

Not very easy at all IMO, but you get used to it. Having the backup cam will help a bit if you find yourself in s tight spot. I've driven full-size Rams for years, all the way up to a dually quad cab and the Screw seems just as hard to park. The Screw's turning radius is not the best.

Pugnacious

I am 62 years old and grew up driving primarily small European sedans and sports cars and didn't get my first full sized truck until I got a new F150 in 1997. I had taken our work trucks out on weeks to go shooting or hunting prior to the '97 F150 but my DD was always a relatively small car. I still suck at parking my new F150 as I did with the Chevy 2500, Dodge 1500 and GMC 1500 before it but I see women in shopping malls whipping around and parking their big SUV's like they where in the Indy 500. We went to our grand daughters 8th grade graduation last night and I didn't fail to entertain my wife at my lack of mastery at parking my truck. Simply put; I suck at it.

camstng66

This question can only really be answered by those that are going to be driving it... If they are use to driving a Tercel and then put into a Screw F150, they may not feel comfortable, even in an empty parking lot... I would say go for it and just keep the deductible REALLY low... LOL

johnwill

Like a few have said, you will get used to it and it can be done. You just have to think ahead on where you are going and what you are getting you and your rig into. In parking lots, find a spot where you are pointing out (at the open end of an empty to bay thing, so you don't need to back out etc. A reverse camera is a GREAT option if you can get it factory and is well worth it. Mine did not have it, but I now have a setup I since put in, a Garmin Nuvi 5000 with very big screen and a video input, hooked up to a nice Boyo license plate camera.

Also, parking garages. A week after I got my truck I needed to go to DC and had to stay at a few hotels, which meant parking garages. A real pain in the *** and I learned to become aware of the height listings signs on outside of all garages. Even when I could get in height-wise, it was a pain undergorund sometimes. But, like everything else in life - you just learn to cope.

Good luck.

jared311

I live outside Washington DC and drive my truck in every Thursday night. I won't lie, its not easy. There are tons of one way roads that are extremely narrow due to vehicles parked on both sides. Parallel parking is probably the worst part. Most spaces I find would work fine for a car, but too damn tight for my truck. I found that if I have a friend with me who gets out, I can fit into some pretty tight spaces that I wouldn't normally try.

SteveVFX4

if you don't really need full-size truck, but want to stick with Ford, also check out the Sport Trac. It's a decent little suv/truck. I had one back in 2002, sure the bed was real small but served its purpose when needed. You can also park it easy and it fits in parking garages better too.

manic5_2001

agree.

MM3.9GT3

I am 46, and this is going to be my mid-life crisis vehicle.

I have a couple of extremely fast sports cars, but after I borrowed my friend's F-150 Lariat for a day (about three months ago), I cannot get it out of my mind. I was astounded as to how practical and comfortable it was, and the amount of interior space is unreal. I also felt much more relaxed driving it, since driving a fast sports car in traffic can feel like taking a Greyhound for a walk.