The Ford F-150 is America’s top-selling vehicle and has dominated the pickup segment for decades. It’s much anticipated 2015 model is all new with an aluminum body. Consumer Reports’ engineers got a first hand look at their test track.
There is no dramatic change to the looks of the Ford F-150, but the aluminum body makes a big change in weight, it’s 700 pounds lighter then the previous generation.
Fuel economy regulations are getting tougher. So pickup truck manufacturers have to make changes. The previous F-150 got 15 miles per gallon in Consumer Reports tests. Making the truck lighter, the engineers say, should make fuel economy better. And the lighter weight also allows Ford to use smaller engines.
Many new F-150s will have a 2.7-liter eco-boost turbo-charged V6 engine. That sounds really small. But it’s rated to tow 8500 pounds. And it does a pretty good job. Consumer Reports will be buying the new Ford F-150 and putting it through the full battery of tests.
