Owning A Ford F-150: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

The Ford F-150 full sized pickup was introduced in 1948. It has been the best selling vehicle in America since 1981. In January of this year, Ford built the 40 millionth F-Series truck. (This is the best selling car of 2022.)

Part of the reason for the remarkable sales of the F-series line is the variety of available models. The great majority of those sold are F-150 light-duty pickups. Ford also makes the F-250, F-350, and F-450 Super Duty versions, which are heavier, can have more powerful engines, and can pull larger loads. The F-150 has eight basic models, from the base XL to the high-end Limited. Each of these can be customized, which means the pickup can be configured dozens of ways.

The F-150 also has models for almost any income level. The XL has a base price of $30,870. A Limited can cost nearly $90,000. (These are the most trusted trucks of all time.)

One challenge Ford has is that the F-series represents a substantial share of its overall sales. This can create risks for the automaker. In June, F-series sales represented 37.9% of Ford’s U.S. sales. And while Ford’s sales rose by 31.5% to 152,262 in June compared with June 2021, F-series sales were up only 26.3% during the same time. If F-series sales tumble, Ford is in trouble.

Ford recently moved aggressively into the electric vehicle market with the F-150 Lightning. While the company sold only 1,837 of these in June, this is the start of a plan to ramp sales well into the tens of thousands per quarter. William C. Ford Jr., Ford’s executive chairman recently commented, “If this launch doesn’t go well, we can tarnish the entire franchise.” The Ford family controls a significant share of voting power through a special class of shares.

What does it mean to own a Ford F-150, or to buy one? As the top-selling vehicle in the U.S, with dozens of configurations, the experience of driving this pickup is not the same for everyone. 

Click here to see the good, the bad, and the ugly about owning a Ford F-150.

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