Ford F-150 | Best Truck in America for 45 Years

It’s no surprise that the Ford F-150 has dominated the American truck market for the last 45 years. With its brilliant strength, tow capacity, and integrated features that keep the driver and passenger in mind. The Ford F-150 is currently in its fourteenth generation.

But when did it all start?

Ford Released its first F series Truck in 1948

After the War there was less need for Ford to build military vehicles. This allowed Ford to re-think the pick-up truck and make it more available for everyday drivers. In 1948 the first F-series lineup was created known as the “Bonus Built Trucks”. They started with the F-1 and went all the way up to an F-8 with increased size, payload, and towing capabilities.

The F-1 Came Standard with

• 95 Horsepower
• Three speed manual transmission with a floor shift
• Color matched running boards
• Six and half foot cargo box with an all-steel floor
• 3.7L inline-six engine

A couple of fun facts, the F-1s were equipped with a foot plunger to pump the washer fluid on the windshield and the engines were painted red. This was considered pretty impressive technology for the time. Setting themselves apart and building trucks that TOUGH has always been a Ford standard. The slogan “Built Ford Tough” was created in 1979 and still rings true today.

The 2022 Ford F-150

The F-150 has come a long way since 1948. Starting at just 95 horsepower in the original F-1, the 2022 Ford F-150 now has a horsepower of 430 max available. Combined with 570lb ft torque max available and a 10 speed automatic transmission. Ford has kept the bold statement of being TOUGH. You can choose from 6 trim levels, 6 engines, 3 Cab configurations and 3 box lengths.

The 2022 Ford F-150 is rated Best-In-Class

• Towing with 14,000lbs max available
• Payload with 3,325lbs max available

The interior of the 2022 Ford F-150 has been re-engineered for the driver and crew alike. With so many of us spending so much time in our vehicles, comfort is important. The front seats now come available with Max-Recline. When fully reclined the seats cushions are nearly flat! The seats also offer built-in lower back, thoracic, and neck support. We can’t forget about the speakers built into the headrest for an amazing audio experience.

For those who work in their trucks you can now have the available Interior Work Surface option. This feature comes with a motorized, storable shifter which allows for the flow through center console. For trucks with a bench front seat, you still have the 40/20/40 front bench interior work surface option.

Ford Co-Pilot 360 Technology

Not only did Ford think of comfort when designing the new F-150 but also safety. This technology is a group of driver assist systems to help monitor different driving situations and conditions. Below is a list of standard and available options.

Standard

• Auto Hold
• Auto Lamp
• Lane Keeping System
• Pre-Collision Assist with automatic emergency braking
• Rear View Camera with Dynamic Hitch Assist

Available

• BLIS (blind spot information system) with cross traffic alert
• Post Collision Braking
• Reverse-Sensing System
• Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control with stop and go lane centering and speed sign recognition
• Evasive Steering Assist
• Intersection Assist
• Connected Built-In Navigation
• Active Park Assist
• Active Drive Assist Prep Kit

Exterior Highlights

Some next level engineering has also been done on the exterior of the Ford F-150. The tail gate of the truck has now transformed into a built-in workbench. This is an extremely practical feature that allows you to set up shop wherever your truck takes you.

• Tie down hooks that double as a bottle opener
• Tailgate clamp pockets
• Tailgate step
• Media holder
• Cup/ hardware holder
• Dual rulers
• Utility tray

Having your own workstation sure comes in handy but how about powering your tools to complete the job? Well Ford thought of that too with the available Pro Power Onboard. With the Pro Powered Onboard system you can have up to 6 available 120V outlets and 1 240V outlet conveniently located in the bed of your F-150. You can monitor your power draw from the center control using the center stock touchscreen, or remote control using the Ford Press app.  

We would love to show you how all this cutting edge technology works first hand. Stop into your friendly Kalispell Ford dealership soon for a full demo and test drive. Give us a call at 406-755-3673.