2009 F150 - Any experience?

Thinking about switching to gas this time around (have had three F250 diesels in the past 10 years). I am seriously considering the new F150 4x4, King Ranch, etc. I tow a X1 so not in need of a serious tow beast and will still have the 250 in the family if I need it (son #2's turn to inherit my current F250).

I test drove it last week and it was VERY nice! The rear seat leg room is huge and it appears/feels like a lot more room than my F250.

Fit and finish is top notch, very quiet ride (but I am coming from a diesel), etc. I did not care about shelling out $2300 for the Sony Nav system but when you see the rear camera view on that screen, all I can say is WOW.

I was at the dealership getting the oil changed in my F250 and decided to take a look. The list on the truck (4x4, Crew, King Ranch, Nav System, 20" wheels, etc.) is just over $48K and they verbally dropped it to $41,500 on the spot which leads me to believe they still have some additional wiggle room.

If anyone has any experience with this new truck, I would love to hear from you.

I am just waiting for ole Billy K. to chime in on this...

The new sway control sounds like a cool feature for people who tow a lot. I like the look of the new f-150's inside and out.

I wish I was buying right now because the deals appear pretty darn good.

They're sick and are easily the best built half ton ever if not truck period.

Don't know about the best, but I damn sure do like them.

I've driven a couple that we have put front level kits and 33's and it didn't seem to bog them down like the older ones. But stock for stock, I still don't think they have the "get up" like a 5.3 Chevy does.

I dunno, i have a GMC Sierra 1500 Crew 5.3L and my brother has a Ford F150 Crew 5.4L, Both '07's w/ factory tow packages and having driven both i'd have to give the nod slightly to the Ford. In fact i was going to due some suspension mods to mine but after reconsidering i'm holding off to see what happens in a few months as i might just buy the '09 F150.

The 09 150's are unbelievable, there is no 1/2 ton that even compares. If you have not driven one you should....just be careful cause you might end up taking one home with you. The turning radius is second to none.

"They're sick and are easily the best built half ton ever if not truck period."

This coming from a Ford Salesman .

Saw one up close today, the tailgate ruins the look of the truck for me.

Yep hes a ford salesman haha

but i wont rag on him, he sold us a Saleen

Thanks for the replies. I was very impressed when I drove it. Also, I think diesel will continue to cost more than premium unleaded so guess I will try gas for a couple of years then decide if I want to go back. When I purchased my first diesel (1999), fuel costs were less than low grade unleaded.

My next decision is when to purchase. I would prefer to wait about another 3-4 months but the deals are pretty good right now. Since everyone is dropping production, I am not sure if that will effect the great deals right now. On the other hand, I dont think the economy will pickup anytime soon so maybe the deals will get better or at least remain the same by late spring.

Anyone have a crystal ball on this??

Nu, you know I openly admit that I sell Fords and never front on that. This truck is flat out sick and yes I've sold them all. I'll fully admit when someone has a better product than us (my wife's car? not a Ford) but with this guy there just isn't one. I don't love the tail gate look either but the functionality of it is excellent the design you see in it has a lot to do with weight and structural rigidity.

Twitch you guys should see the 725HP Shelby super snake we have in now plus a few KR's. You should be able to scope em on the web cam.

^^I know, just giving you a hard time.

^^I know, just giving you a hard time. Other than the tailgate it's probably the nicest looking f-150 to date.

I agree with HATE. I've had 3 F-150's, currently have an 04 5.4L 4x4 Crew Lariat that pulls my 247 with no problem. I thought my truck couldn't get any better until I saw the new one. The 09 is INSANE! With the new Navigation, SYNC, 6-speed auto, and the fact that it has over 80% of its peak torque at 1,000 rpm, it's made to tow. Go look at a Platinum Edition, no truck on the market can touch that interior!

Personally i gave up on being so nitpicky that every aspect of a vehicle has to appeal to me, as with the tailgate thing. I'm more about function now as historically it's cost me more to convert a asthetically appealing vehicle to do what i want vs living with something like the tailgate looking funky. I'm not that thrilled about the ADA acceptable step and handrail thing but oh well.

what can they tow weight wise, is it comparable to the yota at 10K?

09 F150 towing capacity is 11,200.

Thats with the 5.4 and 3:73 not 4:10's and its across the board any cab configuration and bed length. What that means is we're holding a little something in our back hip in case the competition tries to step up.

The steps are an option don't like em don't get em.

Go to www.f150online.com

Yah they are nice trucks but remember, harder on fuel, less resale value, less power and more maintenance than a Chevy. Do your homework before buying a pretty truck.

I just want the trans.

Brad, it sounds like you need to do your homework. It gets more mpg, more payload, can tow more, and is the number one selling truck in the world....wonder why.

5.4 does not get better mpg's than the 5.3 and combine GMC & chevy truck sales together its not even close

Brad- How do you figure on more maitenance? Both have 110k tune-up intervals, and the same schedule for oil changes, 30k,60k,90k etc services.

Harder on fuel? If you want to go fast, you buy a Chevy, more HP less torque. If you want to tow or haul, you buy a Ford, more TORQUE and it's delivered at lower rpms. Since most on here would use the truck for towing, it would make more sense that a truck geared for towing would consume less fuel then one geared for speed.

I had a 04 F150 with the 5.4, very big disappointment. That thing was a dog. It didnt tow well at all, I got maybe 16 on the highway, about 11 in town. My 03 Suburban with the 5.3 has twice the power, and gets about 18 on the highway. Tows MUCH better as well. Maybe it was just mine, but it was bad enough to make me get rid of it within a year and a half.

The new F150 is a very nice rig.....I think that both the GM and Ford half tons are pretty solid. But if I HAD to buy one I think I would go for the GMC Denali half ton or maybe even the Cadillac EXT. Tow capacity is a little lower in the Denali, but the motor is top notch being a 6.2, and the AWD system has shown to be a very proven one. And if I was going to be towing close to capacity in a half ton, I would just buy a 3/4 or 1 ton instead. I haven't seen many half tons towing 10,000 lbs. on the road so I think that although it sounds nice, towing capacity is not that much of a factor for most people since they aren't towing anything heavier than their boats or smaller travel trailers with their half ton rigs. Same with payload....if you are carrying blocks of cement all the time, you would probably drive a bigger rig.

I have ridden in both an F150 and a GM for long trips and the GM seats were more confortable and seemed the leather seemed a bit higher quality. But I felt like I sat up higher in the F150 and had a better view.

1 or 2 mpg difference also isn't going to influence me either.......1-2 mpg over the course of a year with average miles, isn't going to amount to much more dough....maybe $200-300 tops in a years time.

But again, I would take either pick up on an given day. Both are super, all personal perference in what you want.

No one has mentioned the new Dodge Ram.......sorry I just can't go Dodge.....if I could buy a GM or a Ford, I would buy a Tundra before considering a Dodge Ram....although the SRT-10 Viper Crew Cab was a cool truck!!

I dont have much brand loyalty. I have owned a 2000 Dodge Ram (had the 318), our 03 Suburban (which we still own), an 04 F150, and now I drive an 07 Crewcab Chevy with the Duramax (guess which one tows the best). I never had any mechanical issues with any of them, and feel they all had some pros and cons. My Dodge had the cheapest interior, although the new ones look nice. I never had to touch that thing mechanicaly. It was only 230 HP if I remember right, not very powerful, and poor gas mileage. I beat the hell out of that thing, and it just kept going. The Ford didnt feel like it had anymore power then the 230 HP 318. But it never had any rattles, and just felt solid. The only reason I got rid of it was it towed horribly. Our suburban has been fantastic. I would put that generation chevy interior just below the ford, but still good. It has a few rattles, and I had to replace the fuel pump at 70,000 miles, other then that it has been great. My wife and I did a little stop light drag race once, me in the f150, her in the suburban(same gears, and tire size), had it been a 1/4 track the suburban would have won by half track. It towed that much better also. Obviously the duramax tows like a train. Apples and oranges for comparison.

Sorry for the rant, I wouldnt hesitate to own any of the big three trucks. But, me personally, I will stay clear of the 5.4 engine do to that lack of power I experienced. A buddy at works didnt feel any better either...

The Raptor is gonna be available with the 6.2L which generates 400HP and 400 lb./ft. of torque. That should get you around pretty good, we'll see if it becomes available in the regular truck.

Craig I had the exact same experience with that 5.4L engine in a company vehicle I had, it's a dog when towing, or while driving in general actually. This crap about producing torque down low, you don't take hills at 1K rmp's. Sorry don't buy it and that arguement doesn't work for me.

Its more for starting off with a load Nu and why wouldn't you want your torque available at a lower RPM range? Don't you have a diesel? Where do you think that torque is?

41k for a 1/2ton in this economy.. closer to 30k at the most.

Obviously you won't be buying one Johnny. "$1.35 for a loaf of bread, in this economy? Should be 18 cents"

the 09's are nice. I buy a lot of trucks for my company so I have dealt with a salesman or two. You can easily get 20% of MSRP. We usually go for at least that on a truck that just came out. More if you get an 08. The 09 is sick though. Get it.

Hate my response was more towards the argument of the lower RPM delivery of torque at 1K rmps makes it a better truck. No you don't need all your torque at 1K rpm's, you need it closer to 2K rpm's. Yes I have a cummins and it delivers maximum torque at about 1600-1800 rpms which is just below cruising rpms. I would not own one if the torque fell on it's face at 1K rpm's.

Aside from the torque, RPM, etc. arguments, anyone want to guess if the deals will get better in a few months? I dont see the economy getting better in the next several months but also see where all the automakers are cutting production (thus limiting supply). Demand will obviously remain low and with supply reflecting demand, you would assume that the price will be about the same or possibly even more.

On the other hand, a guy that works for me used to be in the auto-dealership business and he said the prices came up too fast and too quick (over the past 3-4 years) and the market cannot support those high prices.

That's a really good point Bob. They did come up quick.

It's actually 85% of the torque is available at 1500 RPM's and climbs to 100% at 3500 and remains to 90% at 4500 so Nu you'll be all good climbing those hills.

I saw a Platinum today for the first time and the tail gate on it looked tight with the aluminum cladding.

Sounds like theres been a couple bad experiences with the 04 F-150, I have an 04 I bought brand new, 5.4, 3:73 gears and have been towing with it since day one with absolutely no problems its always felt strong to me.

I have a 05 FX4 with the 5.4 and it's been a great truck even tough I beat the hell out of it. Tows great too but it's a pig on gas.

I drive it down a rough logging road every weekend during the summer and I've never been in a a truck that handles the wash board road as well as the late model F-150's.

I shouldnt have said more maintenance I should have said more repairs. I work for a large oil company in northern Alberta and we run approx, 250 trucks in our area.3 times in the last 6 years every run receives 20 Fords, 20 GMC's and 20 Dodges and does a cost comparison to run each brand over 1 year. For the last 6 years The GMC trucks have been lower due to better fuel economy, better resale ,when they are miled out, and less REPAIRS. And I can tell you these #'s were not even close per unit.

That is why we now have 244 GMC's, 3 Fords and 3 Dodges.

Who cares what the guy verbally quoted you. You would be CRAZY to buy a gas truck in this economy for 41k. Not to mention a Ford. Dont get me wrong, I wouldnt pay that much for any gas truck. A 310 HP motor is as weak as circus lemonade. You will get your ass raped to pay 41k for that!!

Look for a '08 F250 Harley Davidison! You get 10 times the truck and a MUCH MUCH MUCH better resale value.

Watch the news man, these guys are doing terribly in the economy. Play your cards right and make sure you get what you want.

Brad you will see a lot of fleet companys purchase heavy on Chevy/GMC side because of thier fleet lineup. The Fleet buyer is buying them at a much much better price than anyone else. When it comes to fleet programs, it is nothing to do with performance, the big wigs writing the checks could give a rats ass less about that. Its all about price. I assure you the big boys of the corporation are not driving what they are buying for the fleet.

(Message edited by HeHateMe on January 24, 2009)

Ford has smaller motors. And they gear them poorly. My 97 4.6 is a 3.77 rear end. You have to be pinned to get that thing to move. But the few that I have ridden in that were re geared or ordered with 4.10 or 4.55's were great. I have a 99 svt contour, when I need to go fast I jump in that. When I need to tow I use a truck. I think too many are asking too much from a 1/2 ton vehicle. Love em or hate em, they are the best selling truck for a reason.

My point exactly, its all about price in this economy. The GM's outperform the competition $ for $. I could careless if the big wigs are driving Mercedes or BMW's but I can assure you if they had a truck in their garage, it would be a GM.

I have owned a 5.4 Ford and a 5.3 Chevy, and the 5.3 far outperforms the 5.4.

I currently own a 5.4 Ford and a 5.3 GMC and have towed with both. I'll take my GMC any day over the Ford. Both have 3.73 gears and the GMC is way better on fuel and also gets over the hills easier while towing. I do my own maintenance and the GMC is a lot easier to work own. I have not looked under the hood of a new 09 Ford, but if it's like the 5.4 of old it looks like a pasta dish under the hood. The GMC is clean with easy access. Try changing the plugs in the 5.4 vs a 5.3.

Master Srg... and How old is the ford compared to the GMC ???

http://www.fordvehicles.com/trucks/f150/features/specs/

why does this truck make more HP and Tourqe on E-85 gas? 320HP and 390 Tourqe on E85 and 310 365 on 87octane.

It is a few years older, but I've also towed with an 03 5.4 and all of the things I stated above hold true with it as well. Before I bought my GMC in 07 I test drove the F-150 also...the decision was easy for me!

buguru, what is your tow rig?

5.4 ford = dog....get the chevy!

Comparisons to regular gasoline

Depending on composition and source, E85 has an octane rating of 100 - 105 compared to regular gasoline's typical rating of 85 - 93. This allows it to be used in higher compression engines which tend to produce more power per unit of displacement than their gasoline counterparts. Since the reciprocating mass of the engine increases in proportion to the displacement of the engine E85 has a higher potential efficiency for an engine of equal power.

Taken from Wikipedia