10 Reasons the 2018 Ford F-150 is the AutoWeb Buyer’s Choice Best Truck of the Year

2018 Ford F 150 hero ・ Photo by Ford

The 2018 Ford F-150 takes home two AutoWeb Buyer’s Choice awards this year: It’s not only our winner in the full-size truck category, but it's also our Truck of the Year.

Ford took some big gambles when it introduced this version of the F-150 in 2015, including the controversial decision to switch from steel to aluminum for the truck's body. This change saved weight, which improved the truck's fuel economy, payload capacity and towing capabilities. And that seems to have paid off: Buyers recognize the F-150 as a cut above other pickups. Let’s take a closer look to see why the Ford F-150 is a standout.

10) People love Ford trucks.

The Ford F-Series line of pickups has been the best-selling truck in America for 40 years running, and the best-selling vehicle for 35 of those years.

Let that sink in: Nearly every year since 1977, regardless of what was going on on the marketplace — high gas prices, low gas prices, the minivan craze, the station-wagon craze, the SUV craze — people bought more Ford pickups than any other vehicle. As of the beginning of 2017, Ford sold over 26 million F-Series pickups. Line them up bumper-to-bumper and they’d circle the earth three times.

Photo by Ford

9) The Ford F-150 offers something for everyone.

Ford offers the F-150 in a dizzying array of cabs and configurations. There are three cab styles, three bed lengths and no fewer than six different trim levels. Whether you need a long bed for carrying bales of hay or a crew cab for ferrying the kids to school, an inexpensive bare-bones truck with rubber floor mats and dog-dish hubcaps, or a stocked-to-the-gills luxury liner with amenities that would impress a Mercedes owner, Ford can build an F-150 to your liking.

Photo by Ford

8) You want a luxury truck? Ford can do that.

There’s been a trend towards luxury-oriented trucks in recent years, and Ford has embraced it with the F-150. Today’s F-150 lineup includes three high-end trim levels, called King Ranch, Platinum and Limited. They look good and they can be equipped to beat the band, with features like a dual-pane sunroof, semi-automated parking and enough chrome to signal passing ships. They offer cool styling themes as well, from the Western-themed King Ranch to the urban-chic Platinum.

Photo by Ford

7) You need a work truck? Ford can do that, too.

Automakers generally don't extol the virtues of their low-end vehicles, but the Ford F-150 XL does make a great commercial-grade truck. We drove an example with a split-bench seat and column-shift transmission that provided plenty of room to get extra people to and from the job site.

The rubber floor mats are hard-wearing and easy to clean, and even the styled steel wheels (with the modern-day equivalent of “dog dish” hubcabs) show that it's possible for a truck to look good without spending a lot of money. If you need a truck that's just a truck, the F-150 has your back.

Photo by Ford

6) The F-150 has a great engine lineup.

While other manufacturers stick to traditional V6 and V8 engines, Ford has embraced more modern technology with its twin-turbocharged EcoBoost six-cylinders. The F-150 offers two: a 325-horsepower 2.7-liter V6 and a 375-hp 3.5 liter V6, which do the job of a small V8 and a big V8, respectively. We’ve towed trailers with both EcoBoost engines and found that they provided a great mix of power and fuel economy.

Of course, if you’re more of a traditionalist, Ford has you covered as well — the F-150 can be had with a naturally aspirated 3.3-liter V6, which develops a healthy 290 hp, or a 395-hp 5.0-liter V8 that can even be converted to run on propane or natural gas. All engines feature start-stop technology, which shuts down the engine at stoplights to save fuel and cut emissions.

Photo by Ford

5) That whole aluminum thing has some serious advantages.

A few years ago, Ford made the unusual choice to switch the F-150's bodies and beds to aluminum. Many cars use aluminum to cut weight and save fuel, and that certainly is an advantage to its use in a truck — but more important is the effect it has on payload capacity.

A given truck chassis can only haul a given amount of weight, and from that capacity must be subtracted the weight of the vehicle itself, its occupants, fuel and other fluids. What's left over is what the bed can carry. The F-150's aluminum body weighs less, so there's less of the truck to carry — and that weight savings is added directly on to the truck's payload.

Photo by Ford

4) The F-150 is one of the best towing platforms in the business.

We’ve towed trailers with all of the full-size half-ton pickups on the market, and the Ford F-150 remains a favorite. This is a great towing platform, one that provides good stability, a steady ride and excellent braking.

If you're looking at an F-150 to tow, be sure to take a careful look at the F-150 towing chart (available at Ford's website or from a dealer), because towing capacity depends on the exact configuration of the truck. The F-150 can tow as much as 12,200 lbs in some configurations — but it can manage as little as 4,900 lbs in others.

Photo by Ford

3) The F-150 has some really cool towing technology.

Ford's Pro Trailer Backup Assist is one of the best features we've seen in a while. It lets drivers use a dial on the dash to steer the trailer. Put the F-150 in reverse, let go of the steering wheel and twist the dial. If you twist left, the trailer goes left; twist right and it goes right; center it and the trailer goes straight back. It takes the headaches out of backing up a trailer.

“But wait, I can already back up a trailer!” you say. Well, so can we — but this system makes it much easier and more precise. It's easy to use, too: You affix a supplied checkerboard sticker to the trailer, program in a few key dimensions (the owner's manual walks you through the process) and that's it. As you back up, the F-150 uses its rearview camera and that checkerboard sticker to “see” the trailer, and it uses the electric power steering system to turn the wheel as needed.

Photo by Ford

2) And then there's the Raptor!

Let's not forget about the 2018 Ford F-150 Raptor, one of the only production trucks designed to bounce through the desert at triple-digit speeds. With a wider track, specially designed suspension, extra ground clearance, an electronic transfer case and specialized tires, the Raptor is the ultimate off-road weapon.

Impressively, the Raptor makes a decent street truck as well. Its 450-horsepower twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 can launch it to 60 mph in well under six seconds. And with the electronics in Sport mode, the Raptor handles surprisingly well, considering its high ground clearance and knobbly off-road tires. Switch to Normal mode and the ride smooths out for comfortable daily driving. The F-150 Raptor is a great example of better living through electronics.

Photo by Ford

1) You'll be able to find the Ford F-150 you need.

Ford seems to know truck buyers better than anyone, and the company understands that choices are key. Some of the F-150's competitors take a two-or-three-sizes-fit-all approach to their trucks, but Ford offers a wider variety of wheelbases, cabs, beds, drivelines, engines, option packages and stand-alone extras.

We think the best way to buy a truck is to figure out what you need it to do: Haul how much payload? Tow what kind of trailer? Take how many kids to school? Having done so, you can more easily find the truck that best meets your needs. With so many choices on offer, there's a good chance you can find a Ford F-150 perfectly tailored to your preferences.

Photo by Ford