What Do Canadian Farmers Think about the 2018 F-150?
Farmers like to shoot straight — and so do their publications.
Pickups – especially the Ford F-Series – are more popular than ever before. Sure, plenty are still put to work every day. But a growing number of buyers are buying them as commuter or family vehicles. So, automakers like Ford have put a lot of work into making their trucks as upscale and lifestyle-friendly as possible.
That’s why we find this 2018 F-150 Platinum review so refreshing. Grainews, a Canadian farm publication, got their hands on a full-size Ford. And while the automotive press (ourselves included) sometimes gets sidetracked by Ford’s latest amenities or tech, Grainnews just puts the truck to work and reports what happens. In case you’re wondering, it acquits itself very nicely.
Unfortunately, the outlet didn’t fill the bed with grain and drive it across an unplowed farmer’s field. But in the Great White North, it punished it with temperatures that dipped to -20 C. While the truck fired up every time, reviewer Scott Garvey noted: “As the mercury rose to near zero by the end of the week there was a noticeable difference in fuel economy.” We’re not surprised.
‘Overall, the Platinum was a nice truck to drive, and it tackled the extreme cold-weather driving easily. Of course, with an MSRP of $80,499, it should.’
Garvey also takes the truck on some rough, rutted roads. And therein, he finds his biggest issue with the truck. “The composite valance below the front bumper would likely disintegrate if you hit a big snow drift on a rural road,” he says. And this was no vanity model either. As he points out: “We expected a more capable design there, especially considering this truck had the FX4 off-road package with skid plates.” We agree with him here. Why make great ground clearance exclusive to the Raptor?
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Other than that, the review is fairly standard fare. He likes the comfortable, upscale interior. The parking sensors and backup camera come in handy driving around town. The 10-speed automatic transmission aids fuel efficiency but still lets the truck get out of its own way.
The author saves the drama in his otherwise honest, no-frills review for the last paragraph. He begins by saying: “Overall, though, the Platinum was a nice truck to drive, and it tackled the extreme cold-weather driving easily.” Fair enough. But are you ready for the kicker? “Of course, with an MSRP on our test truck of $80,499 plus taxes, it should.” Keep in mind, that’s in Canadian. But still, if it’s good enough for Grainews, it’s good enough for us.
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