2009 Ford F-150 | Tough trucks in tough times

The good news is the Ford F-Series pickup truck remains the top-selling new vehicle — car or truck — in the United States this year.

The bad news for Ford: Sales of the full-size truck are down 26 percent.

Despite the decline, which is more pronounced than the overall U.S. sales slide of 15 percent in the first 10 months of calendar 2008, the F-Series has been spruced up nicely for 2009.

The V6 engine is gone, replaced by V8s that are more fuel efficient because they're mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. One of the V8s provides about the same fuel mileage rating as the old V6.

The F-Series also has better ride and handling than its predecessor, a quiet interior with improved seats, bigger payload and towing capacities, and new styling and features.

The new features include a collapsible bed extender that, when not in use, folds against the sides of the bed so it doesn't interfere with loading of wide items. There's also a nifty Tool Link electronic system that uses Radio Frequency Identification to tell owners of F-Series trucks whether their work tools, with RFID tags embedded in them, are in the pickup bed.

Best of all, the $22,070 starting manufacturer's suggested retail price, including destination charge, for a base F-150 — a 2009 Regular Cab 4X2 model with V8 and automatic transmission — is compelling in the segment.

Note that Chevy and Dodge continue to offer lower-priced full-size Silverados and Rams with V6s that can carry MSRPs, including destination charges, closer to $20,000.

But Ford officials say the entry-level V8 in the 2009 F-Series provides more power than the previous F-150 V6 — 248 horsepower vs. 202 — while posting a nearly comparable-to-the-V6 federal government fuel economy rating of 14 miles per gallon in city driving and 19 mpg on the highway. This is for a 4X2 truck.

With the new uplevel V8 — a 292-horsepower, 4.6-liter engine — plus a six-speed automatic transmission, the new F-150 4X2 earns a 15/20-mpg rating. This engine and six-speed tranny combo provide the best fuel mileage rating for a four-wheel drive, 2009 F-150, too — 14/19 mpg. But the top V8, a more than 300-horspeower, 5.4-liter Triton unit that was in the test 4X4 truck, is rated lower at 14/18 mpg.

Everyone can tell there's something different about the 2009 F-150, even if the exact changes might be difficult to pinpoint.

The new front end is bolder but still similar in looks to last year's. The nose is higher than before and the hood now has a domed shape. In back, taillights are bigger and reminiscent of those used on Lincoln vehicles, but the deep bed remains the same as before. Ford made its bed deeper in the last major revamp of the F-150, for the 2004 model year.

The F-150 continues to be offered in myriad configurations. There are Regular Cab, Super Cab and SuperCrew interiors that provide seating for between two and six people.

There are seven trim levels, including a new top-of-the-line Platinum with captain's chairs with 10-way power adjustment. Two- and four-wheel drive versions are available, and buyers can select from three bed lengths.

All 2009 F-150s ride on a new, boxed, rugged frame whose torsional rigidity makes for a better ride. Towing and payload are increased, too. Every F-150 now can tow a minimum of 11,000 pounds. This compares with 10,000 pounds for a Silverado and 8,800 for a Ram.

The test F-150 XLT 4X4 sat up high and rode more smoothly than expected. Sure, there was truckish bounciness over some road bumps and a noticeable heaviness.

But the suspension — coil on shock double wishbone at the front and rear leaf springs — works out much of the road shocks.

With the first turn of the key, I noticed the second big change in this Ford truck. It was so quiet inside, I could have sworn I was riding in a nice car, not a truck. Even at highway speeds, wind noise was minimal.

Passengers now sink in a bit more into the F-150 seats and the added padding provided great support even for long drives.

In the test truck, power came on instantly from the top V8 — a 320-horsepower, 5.4-liter Triton engine with 390 foot-pounds at 3,500 rpm. The engine sounded strong, too.

Steering is more precise, making for more confident driving in mountain twisties.

Fit and finish were good, save for a ragged edge at the end of the ceiling material above the rear seat. I also wished that there was a dead pedal so a driver could brace his foot.

All safety equipment is standard, and Consumer Reports rates the F-150 "average" in expected reliability.