2016 Ford F-150 Limited Review

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2016 Ford F-150 Limited Review

05/19/2016

First, let me preface this entire review by stating that the vehicle I reviewed was $79549.  At first, I was totally shocked – 80 grand for a truck?!  My full size luxury SUV that is my daily driver was $74,000, fully loaded and it included a fully finished trunk with 3 more seats.  However, for a family that needs a full size vehicle for 4-5 people AND needs it to tow a holiday trailer (large 5th wheel, in particular) this is probably your best options.  For families that have the extra money to purchase a holiday vehicle like a 5th wheel, they want a luxury truck to tow it.  They want all of the features that this truck has to have the most comfortable ride possible to their holiday destination.  Plus, Mom or Dad wants to still have a great vehicle as their daily driver when they aren’t towing.

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We have friends that recently bought a new longer and fancier trailer, so they bought a brand hew LTZ (loaded) Tahoe to pull that brand new trailer.  They took one trip and realized that the Tahoe just wasn’t cutting it for hauling.  The trailer was swaying, the Tahoe didn’t have enough power and everyone was getting car sick from so much swaying.  This is the exact situation when a family wants a fancy towing vehicle and probably a truck is the only vehicle that will do the job.  This is definitely when a gorgeous and luxury truck, like the F150 Limited, will come in handy.

If you are a trailer family, you will LOVE the Pro Trailer Back Up Assist with Trailer Hook Up Light.  I had the opportunity to try out this feature at the Edmonton Auto Show with a professional driver guiding me through.  There is a little dial just to the right of the steering wheel.  Think of it like a tiny little steering wheel that you can operate with your thumb and forefinger.  I backed up a big trailer (for the first time!) down a curvy passage for about 100 feet and did a pretty decent job with this handy little gadget.  When you finally arrive at your camp site and are already on your last nerve between the bad highway drivers and your kids in the back seat, the backing up and parking won’t start World War 3 with your spouse!  The steering system receives a hitch angle from the camera and then the dynamic hitch provides a sight line in the instrument panel to help direct your hitch to the trailer receiver.  You just back up nice and slow and turn the dial to correct as needed.

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I think my favourite part of the truck, which I would love to have on my own vehicle (besides the heated steering wheel – pure heaven!) is the camera system.  With the touch of a button, you can see one of four camera displays on their own or as a split view.   The four cameras on are the grille, tailgate, and under each of the sideview mirrors. The system enables you to see all sides of the truck by stitching the images together and displaying them on a centre stack screen. It’s useful when manoeuvring in tight spaces.  I love knowing how close I am to the vehicle in front of me when pulling into a tandem spot.  I also often park on a bit of an angle and being able to see the truck between the lines in parking spot is very handy (refer to photo 3 below)  It also has the back up senors, which is amazing for parking lots or even just backing out of your driveway.  The Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) with cross-traffic alert uses sensors to detect traffic in a driver’s blind spot, providing a visual warning if vehicles are detected. Cross-traffic alert audibly warns the driver of vehicles approaching from either side when backing out of a parking spot with obstructed views.  I love this feature when driving on the highway and have become used to seeing the light on the mirrors light up when a car is in your blind spot.

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This truck has all of the luxury features you would expect in this price range, heated steering wheel (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!) heated & cooled seats and like the Explorer and Edge we just reviewed, it also has the massaging seat.  This is a great feature for those long-haul trips for Mom or Dad when they are driving for hours on end to the camp ground!  The truck has a great steering wheel with all of the usual controls as well as a clear display.

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The F-150 Limited has great styling features, from the grill, lights, tail gate (that is automatic open and close from the fob!) console and doors.

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Having a truck is so useful!  I took the liberty of buying all of my flours, a few new shrubs and potting soil while I was reviewing the truck.  The bed rinsed out perfectly at the wand wash.  Having an auto tailgate was nice too – it definitely removed that ‘pick-up truck’ feel and made the truck more luxurious.  The spray bed liner, as shown on this model, was a $550 option.  Probably worth it to have a bed that cleans up so nicely!

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If you are going to be hauling people for extended periods, this truck has a lovely back seat.  It fit our 3 car seats across, no problem, which is unusual.  Most vehicles will only fit 3 car seats across if you are using a slim seat, like a Diono.  We easily fit a 5-point booster seat, backless booster and rear facing seat.  There wasn’t a tether for the forward facing 5-point seat, or not one that I could locate, so that is a bit of a safety issue for sure.  Something to check into, depending on the age of your kids.  If you have 2 kids, this is the perfect set up, with a seat in the middle, in case one parent needs to assist with something on road trip.  The back seat is so big, you can easily get right into the truck with the kids for buckling and whatnot.  The floor is totally flat, so there is tons of storage space and foot room.  A full size, tall man would have no problem sitting in the back seat.  My husband who is 6’4″ was able to set the drivers seat for himself and then sit behind that seat setting in the rear seat and he still had ample leg room.  The back seats also fold up 60/40.  You can also fold them up totally if you need to transport items inside the vehicle.  The one-piece mat easily comes out for a spray down too.  My kids loved the twin panel moonroof that extends over the front and rear seats.  It completely opened up the whole truck.

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Lastly, if you are towing, you are looking for power. The 3.5L V6 EcoBoost® engine delivers proven performance and durability in over half a million (yes – you read that right!) F-150 trucks on the road. Knowing that the 3.5L V6 EcoBoost® has a six per cent higher city and 11 per cent higher combined Government of Canada-estimated fuel efficiency ratings over the previous model, you can be certain that you’re getting into the toughest, smartest, most capable F-150 yet.

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If you are in the market for a towing vehicle that you can also enjoy in the city, this is a great truck.  For buyers that just love trucks (and aren’t in field that requires a truck) this is the perfect truck for you.  My neighbour, who doesn’t have a holiday trailer, and is a lawyer by day loves to drive a truck.  Guess what is in his garage? You guessed it, a 2015 Ford F-150 Limited.  The luxury truck for the luxury buyer!

 

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