Redesigned Reengineered and Remarkable: The Three R's of the F150

I don't consider myself a true truck guy. I don't wear a ball cap featuring a Ford, GM or Chrysler logo, nor do I salivate at the thought of attending a tractor pull extravaganza. To me, people that drive full-size pickup trucks should do so out of necessity. Perhaps to haul construction materials, a fifth-wheel trailer or what-have-you that would exceed the cargo capacity of smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles.

I was eager to check out Ford's claim that their new truck is the most capable F150 "ever" in the 55-years of F150 production. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press)

With such a frame of reference, I headed to the regional Ford office and introduced myself to a black over Arizona beige, crew-cab, 4-wheel drive F150 Lariat. Now I had heard and read a lot about this latest edition of the patriarchal F150 and was eager to check out the journalistic hyperbole, not to mention Ford's claim that it is the most capable F150 "ever" in the 55-years of F150 production. Ford also claims this dynamic truck treats its passengers to the "quietest pickup interior on earth," and has achieved Best-In-Class maximum payload, interior volume, cargo box volume and trailer towing capacity. That's a lot of "bests" to live up to, not to mention the most recent accolade of being selected the 2004 North American Truck of The Year by a group of 49 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada.

The 2004 F150 has racked up an impressive list of "bests," including the 2004 North American Truck of The Year. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press)

The North American Automobile of The Year awards honor a vehicle in each class that has established new benchmarks in the areas of design, innovation, safety and handling. These winners were announced January 4th at a news conference held at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The jurors considered 13 "trucks," including the Nissan Titan and Cadillac SRX (this last one being more of a tall station wagon), before bestowing the F150 with this significant honor.