2023 Ford F-150

The Ford F-150 has been the best-selling truck in the USA since the '70s and the best-selling US vehicle overall since the '80s. It's Ford's goose that lays the golden eggs. The current F-150 is the 14th generation of a truck that is not so much a vehicle as an American institution. And while the current design is still very fresh, Ford is not resting on its laurels and keeps improving it year after year. The latest round of improvements for the 2023 F-150 includes a bit of trim and engine reshuffling and two special editions, one of them to celebrate the F-Series' storied history stretching back 75 years to when the first F-Series was built. There's an F-150 pickup truck for everyone, with cab styles and bed lengths galore, and a potent lineup of powertrains that range from a 250-horsepower diesel to V6 turbocharged and naturally aspirated V8 models with 400 hp. Then there are the ballistic Raptor models that pack up to 700 hp and even the electric Lighting, all of which we review separately. While its sales success is undoubted, The Ford F-150's competitors give it a run for its money in terms of all-round ability; it doesn't drive as well as the Ram 1500, while the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 run it close in many areas. But brand loyalty counts for a lot in the American car market and right now, the F-150 has all comers licked in the sales race. With the latest refinements, Ford aims to keep it that way.

The most affordable Ford F-150 is the XL which begins at $28,940 in the USA before options, taxes, licensing, registration, and a destination charge of $1,695. Following this entry-level model is the XLT at $35,050 and the Lariat SuperCab at an MSRP of $44,695. Above this are three luxurious, SuperCrew-only trims, starting with the King Ranch at $56,330. The SuperCrew is, however, also offered on the cheaper trims. The top two trims are the Platinum at $59,110 and the Limited at a substantial $70,825. These prices all represent the trims in their cheapest form and in 4x2 guise.

Of course, there are numerous ways to increase the final cost of the Ford F-150. On the base XL Regular Cab, upgrading to the SuperCab costs $4,085, and going for the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 adds $1,195 to the bill. Opting for the Regular Cab 4x4 will cost $4,645. Elsewhere in the lineup, the King Ranch SuperCrew comes with the V8 as standard, but you can upgrade to the hybrid V6 for a total increase of $3,590. On this model, going from 4x2 to 4x4 costs $3,425. If money is no object, the Ford F-150 price can exceed $80,000.

The Ford's driving dynamics aren't bad and the weighting and feedback from the steering are commendable, making it more pleasant to drive than you might expect. However, it always feels its size and weight and leans through corners. Despite the roly-poly cornering behavior, the ride is not particularly plush, and the standard rear leaf-spring suspension traditionally fitted to trucks is present here, too - it makes for a rather jittery ride on rough roads. The Ram 1500, with its coil-sprung rear end, is certainly more adept at both ride and handling and has a clear advantage over the Ford - and the other class rivals. There aren't any complaints on the powertrain front and the base 290-hp 3.3L V6 engine does a decent job of it and puts its power down through a properly modern ten-speed automatic transmission. Power levels increase to 400 hp - available via either a 3.5L EcoBoost V6 or a 5.0L naturally aspirated V8 - and the potent V6 offer serious performance potential for a truck, catapulting the F-150 from 0-60 mph in the low-five-second region. The hybrid offers even more power, not to mention the insane Raptors.

This review of the Ford F-150 doesn't break tradition, and we have to conclude that the 2023 Ford F-150 is everything most people would ever want in a full-size truck. It's beaten on individual metrics by some of its rivals, but it's more innovative than most of them, thanks to its aluminum body, potent downsized turbocharged engines, and excellent tech features. As a truck family, it has the measure of the competition with an all-encompassing offering that allows you to shop in the F-150 range whether you want a gas, diesel, hybrid, or electric truck. Ford even bothers to cater to traditionalists and younger buyers alike by giving them a choice between a traditional naturally aspirated V8 and a similarly powerful V6 turbo. Ford is leaving nothing to chance to ensure that it has an answer ready even before you asked the question. For this and many other reasons, more Americans buy the F-150 than any other vehicle, and that won't be changing anytime soon.

Pickup trucks are highly personalized items ordered for different tasks, so it's tough to recommend a one-size-fits-all option. We think the Lariat trim offers the best overall combination of features at a reasonable price, starting at $48,045 for the SuperCrew model with 2WD. This trim level includes the 2.7-liter EcoBoost as the standard engine option but we'd upgrade to either the 5.0-liter V8 for $800 or the 3.5-liter EcoBoost for $1,400. If money was no object, we'd opt for the plush King Ranch trim level with the potent PowerBoost engine and a few options, bringing the price up to around $70,000.