Just thought I would share my impressions. In the past few years I have owned a couple of pickups because I waffle around and feel guilty about owning something that gets poor mileage. When I purchase a fuel efficient car I immediately miss the utility of a pickup which is, in my opinion, the most useful vehicle on the planet.

ANYWAY...

Pickups I have owned:

Toyota T100
Previous style F150
Previous style Chevy 1500
Nissan Titan
And now this.

I am done with the flip flopping and guilty feelings for three reasons: a) it's plain stupid and I should make up my mind once and for all and b) my family is sick of my waffling and prefer pickups as well and c) just can't afford to keep on doing that.

But having owned all these I do at least have the ability to give some sort of review of my 2008 SuperCrew. So here it is...

Overall
------------
This is the best F-series truck I have driven and it reminds me very much of the 1984 F-250 I used to drive for landscaping and plowing. Absolutely loved that truck. This one has that same feel to me. It isn't as "fast" as the Titan, doesn't rumble like the Chevy, but it is solid as a rock, handles very well for a truck, and it just "feels right."

Interior
------------
Clean, simple with good materials and excellent layout. I have the upgraded cloth seats and they material feels very nice, the seats are comfortable. The pedals are designed for work boots so they are more comfortable when I wear my cowboy boots.

Exterior
-------------
I (personally) think this is the cleanest, most handsome design for any truck for many years. (Again with the "simple" thing, but I am a programmer and the most important phrase we try to remember when developing is the KISS principle: Keep it simple, stupid!).

The lines are strong and while the truck is pleasing to look at, it breathes utility.

Engine/Drive Train
--------------------
The 5.4 has gobs of torque, and the 4 speed auto is smooth. Having owned a Titan I will say that it seems "slow" but not intolerably so. On the other hand, the Titan weighed in over 700 pounds lighter than the F150 (partly because the Titan's engine is all aluminum, partly because the F150 is built to take a beating and apparently uses heavier gauge metal everywhere).

While I have not yet had the opportunity to test the truck with a heavy payload I will have to go by what I have read elsewhere which is that while the F150 seems slower than (for example) the Titan, it does not change much when at load and drives about the same as if it were unloaded.

Conclusion
------------
I feel safer in this truck than any before. I've read the crash reports and can see the obvious weight differences, the F150 being more heavily built than even larger trucks, and know that this is a solid truck that will not waiver or fail anytime soon.

I can park my SuperCrew in my garage, something I could not even do with my Titan (which again, weighed 700lbs less but was larger), I can comfortably seat my entire family in it (it has a larger back seat than the SEDAN it replaced?! Better leg room!!).

I can now go to Ace and pickup the soil I need for our gardens, the salt for our water treatment system, firewood, tote our camping equipment much more easily and other tasks that were a pain with my car. I can throw our church signs in the back where they used to hang out of the trunk of my car, etc.

The truck has more than ample power (5.4) to get me on I-17 without any worries and to pull (it came rigged to tow) a huge trailer if I ever need to, haul soil, gravel, furniture, etc.

Yeah, I don't like paying $120 to fill the tank, but then again I only will put 6000 to 8000 miles on her in a year so the gas expense is negligable compared to people who commute to work on a daily basis (I am truly blessed to be able to work from home).

Yeah I think I am done waffling and I am done feeling guilty about fuel consumption and global warming.

 

that is the reason I drive my '97 F250, the fuel bill is still cheaper than a truck payment.

 

Damn I thought I was in love with my truck, you have me beat LOL Sounds like you have a great truck!!!! Congrats on you new ride!!!!

 

Well for now it is! That could change in a few years.


Sounds like you like your New Truck!

 

Took her camping this weekend. We took the scenic trip home from White Horse Lake down into Perkinsville and onto Chino Valley, then across to Prescott Valley and on to 17 (via 69) back to Phoenix. (Could have taken even more back roads but with two young kids in back... it would have gotten a bit dicey).

If you ever get the chance to take 73 (Perkinsville Rd) from Williams, do so!! What a beautiful ride! The first 10 to 20 miles are paved, the rest is dirt. But the views are so worth it.

She's all coated in red dirt and needs a bath.

White Horse Lake is also a very nice place to camp. Pretty bare bones, with only out-house style (but very nice ones) toilets. Kids loved it! Lake is small enough to walk around with a 5 and 7 year old, and me.

I got 20 MPG with the cruise control set at 67 on the way TO Williams (17N to 40W), probably less on the way back because much of it was done between 25 and 40 MPH (have not topped off yet to see).

I will have to upload camping pictures to my .mac gallery and provide the link later. Just finished unloading, getting dishes going and laundry, now while my kids are at swimming lessons I'll go get the truck washed.

 

Sounds like a great trip!!!!! Glad to hear the truck did good. Get the pics up on here!

 

Here ya go! It's everything that was on my wife's camera... that includes VBS over the weekend so you need to skip down a bit. I have not named the photos yet either.

.Mac Web Gallery

 

Great pictures! Looks like you guys had a great time!!

 

great Pics! nice looking lake!

You mean you didnt opt for the rear seat dvd system with 2 kids?

BTW you missed a spot on the gym floor!

Mark

 

[quote=Tuishimi;6354706]Took her camping this weekend. We took the scenic trip home from White Horse Lake down into Perkinsville and onto Chino Valley, then across to Prescott Valley and on to 17 (via 69) back to Phoenix. (Could have taken even more back roads but with two young kids in back... it would have gotten a bit dicey).

If you ever get the chance to take 73 (Perkinsville Rd) from Williams, do so!! What a beautiful ride! The first 10 to 20 miles are paved, the rest is dirt. But the views are so worth it.

She's all coated in red dirt and needs a bath.

I have killed a lot of criters in that country.
my '70 CJ5 still has red stains from hunting up there in the late '80's.
you can also go strait south on Perkinsvill road and go to Jerome.
also East of Perkinsvill road is Sycamore canyon wilderness area which is awesome to hike in.

 

LOL! I did not even notice she had taken pictures of me mopping the gymnasium!! I was sore the next day. See that mess there in the middle? I had FINISHED the floor and was heading back to the sink when I DUMPED the dirty water all over!!!! Spent another 10 minutes mopping that up.

 

Here ya go!

.Mac Web Gallery

(Page 2 of the gallery)

 

Great rainbow!

looks like you had the place to yourself!

Mark

 

Yeah we did!! I was a little surprised. But it was during the week. Our closest neighbor was something like 5 or 6 sites away.