2023 Ford F-150 XLT Heritage review

On average, a Ford F-150 truck was sold every 49 seconds last year in America.

The F-Series has been the US’s most popular truck for 46 years and is making a return to Australia this September.

So what better way to understand the enduring appeal of the F-150 than driving one in its native habitat – and the opportunity arose during the recent US launch of the 2024 Ford Mustang.

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JUMP AHEAD

• Pricing and specifications
• The F-150 is big, so can we presume the interior is more spacious than the Ranger's?
• What's it like to drive?
• Should I hold off on that RAM 1500 or Chevrolet Silverado purchase?
• Specifications

Pricing and specifications

Our test car in North America was an XLT Heritage. The Heritage part of the badge is new for 2023 – to mark 75 years of the F-Series.

It creates a distinctive two-tone look for our test car – featuring a black roof and pillars, Avalanche-beige main body, and black lower body work and bumpers.

The cabin gains unique seat inserts, a console-bin lid with ‘Heritage Edition’ embossing, and there’s a ’75 Years’ logo on the infotainment start-up screen.

The XLT part is particularly relevant, though, as this represents what will be the entry model in the local two-variant line-up.

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In the States, you can buy an F-150 from as little as the equivalent of A$52,000.

There’s a mind-boggling array of choices, with Regular, Super Cab (extended cab) and SuperCrew (four-door) body styles and eight trim grades – and that’s before even considering the electric F-150 Lightning.

Australian buyers have a far less complex scenario, with just the dual-cab Super Crew being offered from launch – in either XLT or Lariat grades.

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An XLT dual-cab costs about A$72,500 in North America, but that’s without any options.

Start adding some of the kit that will be standard in Australia, and it’s closer to A$95,000 – making the $106,950 RRP (approximately $117,000 driveaway) seem quite reasonable for a RHD conversion vehicle.

It’s a $995 option to have a longer wheelbase. The LWB adds more than 30cm between the front and rear axles – to nearly four metres. This also stretches the tray from 1676mm to 1981mm.

A more highly specified Lariat model costs from $139,950.

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The F-150 is big, so can we presume the interior is more spacious than the Ranger's?

That’s a big ‘yes’. The F-150 is about 52cm longer than the Ranger, about 11cm wider, and the truck’s wheelbase has a 41cm advantage – and it doesn’t waste those bigger dimensions.

The Ranger is in the lower half of its segment for rear-seat space but in the F-150 there’s an abundance of room for adults. It’s no coincidence that many of the journalists in our group were happy to ride in the back for chunks of a multi-day drive covering the states of North Carolina, West Virginia, and Virginia before ending up in Washington DC.

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Comfort is increased by backrests that have a more natural angle than the bolt-upright seats found in some HiLux-size utes.

The bench provides excellent under-thigh support, too.

The F-150’s rear cabin is also highly practical. Smaller bags can be stored beneath the ‘floating’ rear bench, and the rear seats can be flipped up individually to create wider storage space for larger items. This is particularly useful for transferring items from the tray when leaving it parked somewhere.

USB ports and a power outlet, plus air vents, are provided on the rear of the centre console.

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That centre console is very wide, and up front that creates a generous distance between front occupants.

It also features an ingenious ‘office workspace’, where the console lid can be folded towards the dash to create a flat table. In our US XLT and the Aussie-spec Lariat, one extra step is required: pressing a button to fold down the console-based gearlever. The Aussie XLT will feature a column-mounted shifter, which adds convenience beyond extra console space as the front passenger can use the table during driving.

More USB ports and power outlets feature up front.

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Our test XLT included the largest infotainment touchscreen, a 12.0-inch display with Ford’s familiar Sync 4 graphics and menus.

The Australian XLT comes with an 8.0-inch version that may be fine in a Ford Puma compact SUV but looks weirdly dwarfed in the F-150’s huge dash.

Similarly, the XLT gets a smaller digital driver’s cluster compared with the Lariat – and again it’s 8.0 versus 12 inches.

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What's it like to drive?

As with dual-cab utes, American pick-up trucks have come a long way in terms of driving manners, refinement, and safety.

On open roads and freeways in a big country like the US (and similar to Australia, of course), this big Ford is brilliant at devouring long distances while minimising fatigue.

A more definitive verdict on ride quality is only weeks away, but over lots of miles in America the F-150 defied its relatively basic suspension and platform – independent front, leaf-spring rear and ladder-frame – to deliver wonderfully cushioned transport.

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While the suspension is occasionally wallowy, the passive damping generally excels at keeping vertical body control in check.

Our test XLT was fitted with optional 20-inch wheels, which helped mirror the experience we’ll have locally as 20s are standard on both trim grades.

Local F-150s are also powered exclusively by the engine we sampled in America: a 3.5-litre V6 ‘EcoBoost’ petrol engine, paired to a 10-speed auto.

The twin-turbo motor produces 298kW and 678Nm, and it proves its grunt credentials with four adults and a week’s worth of luggage for each on board.

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It’s responsive at low revs and has no trouble pushing the F-150 into quick overtaking bursts – accompanied by a suitably meaty soundtrack.

We’re unlikely to shock by suggesting frugal fuel consumption isn't one of the F-150’s greatest assets, though we averaged a respectable 13L/100km after two long days of driving, though this comes with a caveat of mainly country roads and freeways being used.

Australia is missing out on a petrol-electric hybrid drivetrain offered in the US.

Towing capacity is one of the major drawcards of these big trucks, and 4500kg braked is confirmed for the F-150 in Australia - exactly a tonne above the Ranger. Payload has yet to be confirmed but is about 800kg in the US.

The cloth seats, featuring tastefully ribbed centre sections for backrest and cushion, add to the touring comfort, as does plenty of electric adjustment to achieve the ideal driving position.

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An expansive glasshouse and ‘Dumbo’ Trailer Tow side mirrors also reduce the intimidation factor of driving such a big vehicle.

At least until you get to underground or supermarket car parks, when you become nervously conscious of the F-150’s width – especially with those optional chunky Tow mirrors – and length.

Australia’s XLT comes standard only with rear parking sensors; a step up to the Lariat is required for a surround-view camera and front sensors.

Another disappointment is that our XLT has only standard cruise control, with the notably more expensive Lariat featuring adaptive cruise with stop-go functionality.

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Should I hold off on that RAM 1500 or Chevrolet Silverado purchase?

If you’re not beholden to a particular brand, then it’s worth waiting just a month or so to see how the biggest-selling truck in the world stacks up in local spec against its two key rivals. (Which will become three from early 2024 when Toyota introduces the Tundra.)

The F-150 may not be cheap but it is competitively priced against equivalent versions of the RAM 1500 and Silverado 1500.

Our US drive experience of the Ford revealed plenty of promising qualities that should transfer successfully to Australian roads. We’re looking forward to exploring the locally converted versions in more depth and setting up a fascinating big comparison of the big American trucks.

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