The 2018 F-150’s fresh looks and useful tech are nice, but not as satisfying as its available 5.0-liter V8.
The current generation of the Ford F-150 has been surprising people. Before it came around, modern pickups were made out of steel. The aluminum 2015 F-150 changed all of that. The 2017 model introduced the truck world to the concept of a 10-speed automatic.
In the video above, the revamped 2018 F-150 shocks Chicago News‘s Jason Saini. He doesn’t think he can like the F-150 any more than he already does. He soon learns how wrong he was.
Saini’s test truck is a Platinum model, so it comes loaded with a variety of technology and luxury features. It has cameras everywhere to help him see what’s around him when he’s parking and maneuvering through an off-highway vehicle (OHV) park. A massive moonroof tops a cabin full of safety features, including adaptive cruise control, parallel parking assist, lane-keeping assist, and emergency braking. Instead of a Sony unit, Ford now uses a Bang & Olufsen audio system for its high-line trucks. After extensive testing, B&O has created a setup that has few rivals in other vehicles, especially competing pickups, according to Saini. Legroom in the second row is abundant and comparable to that offered by some long-wheelbase luxury sedans.
At the OHV park, Saini finds the F-150 more than capable. It’s just a regular four-wheel-drive truck without an off-road suspension package, but it gets past every obstacle that Saini approaches. It has the ground clearance and traction to get Saini through, over, and around every part of the rough terrain.
The F-150 offers plenty of usable and likable features. One of Saini’s favorites is his review truck’s naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8. It may not have the turbocharged urgency or fuel economy of the EcoBoost V6 twins available in the F-150, but that doesn’t stop Saini from enjoying its 395 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. Or its throaty sound. No surprises there…
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
