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2009 Ford F-150 Lariat

It wasn’t long ago when Ford’s F-150 was the best-selling vehicle in the country, but a lot of those buyers chose a big pickup simply because they liked the image it projects.

Those days are probably over, but there are still plenty of people who work in construction or who haul horses and who like more than just a truck’s persona — they actually work their trucks hard. So why not buy the truck that boasts the most capabilities?

Ford says the new F-150 has the highest towing capacity and the highest payload of any truck in its class. But it also has standard trailer sway control, which takes vehicle stability control to new levels by helping to control heavy trailer loads. There’s also an optional integrated trailer brake controller – so no more add-on controller hanging under the dash.

Ford also spent some time thinking about how to access the stuff in the bed. Full-size pickups have grown, making them difficult to climb into, so Ford offers an optional tailgate step and boxside step. While one other automaker makes fun of Ford’s tailgate step in its ads, there’s no denying that it makes accessing the bed a lot easier.

Another major change is in the Crew Cab’s back seat. Ford added 6 inches, giving the back seat limo-like legroom. As in most pickups, the seatback is still too upright, and it doesn’t lean back. I’d gladly give up a couple of inches of legroom for little room to tilt the backrest.

While the F-150 may have terrific capabilities, it continues the trend toward luxury-carlike interiors. The F-150 Lariat tested here has leather that would be at home in a Lincoln, fit and finish up to the standards of discriminating luxury-car buyers and all of the options such as a high-end stereo, heated and cooled seats and a DVD entertainment system that buyers of expensive vehicles expect.

And expensive it is. The truck tested here scooted under the $40,000 mark — but just barely — with a price tag of $39,935, and that’s for a two-wheel-drive version.

As is the case with all of the domestic manufacturers’ trucks, the F-150 is available in a wide variety of configurations. There are three engines, four box styles for the bed, three cab styles and seven trim levels. The entry-level truck is priced at $21,790, including destination.

The base powertrain is a 4.6-liter, two-valve V-8 mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. A 4.6-liter three-valve V-8 is optional, as is a 5.4-liter V-8. Both of the optional engines come with new six-speed transmissions.

The 5.4-liter engine achieved stellar fuel-economy numbers in the test truck. In a mix of mostly highway and rural two-lane roads, the truck returned about 18.5 miles per gallon, which was about the same as a Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid. The hybrid Chevy had better acceleration and felt more powerful, but the Ford beats it in towing capacity. This one is rated at 9,800 pounds, and it can be optioned to tow up to 11,300 pounds. Ford does not offer a hybrid pickup.

The new transmission did well finding the right gear, except at slow speeds when it sometimes stumbled. Expect Ford to work out such kinks with revised computer programming in the coming months.

The truck has a comfortable ride and tracks well on the freeway.

Like most Fords available these days, the F-150 is available with Sync, Ford’s groundbreaking communications system that allows voice-activated control of a digital music player such as an iPod as well as Bluetooth-enabled cell phones. In fact, Sync automatically downloads your phone book as soon as you pair it with the vehicle’s Bluetooth system, so you don’t have to input that separately.

I’ve driven several vehicles with Sync and have found it works best in Ford’s quietest vehicles, such as the Lincoln MKS. It seems to have more trouble understanding voice commands in vehicles such as the F-150 and Fusion, which have more cabin noise. Ford also needs to do more work so that the system’s voice doesn’t sound so computerized.

While the new truck is very good, there’s another new truck that offers just slightly better refinement. Dodge’s new Ram also has an excellent interior, but its handling is slightly better. The Ram features coil springs instead of leafs, a first for big pickups.

While the Ford boasts the highest capabilities, the trucks from General Motors are not far behind.

For a lot of domestic pickup buyers, the decision may come down to the persona they want to project. The Ram is the truck for extroverts who like to make a statement. The Silverado is for those who strike a more conservative outlook.

Ford’s truck goes toward luxurious sophistication. It’s the luxury vehicle of big pickups.

How it rated
(1-5 stars, 5 being best)
performance *****
interior ****
handling *****
styling ****
overall ****

Good: Excellent fuel economy, useful features that make accessing the bed easier, available best-in-class capabilities

Bad: New six-speed automatic transmission sometimes clunks at slow speeds

Bottom line: Capability with the creature comforts of a luxury car

• Base price: $21,790 (including destination)
• Price as tested: $39,935
• Powertrain: rear-wheel drive, six-speed transmission
• Engine: 5.4-liter V-8
• Horsepower: 320
• Curb weight: 5,314 pounds
• MPG: 14 city, 20 highway
• Built: Kansas City, Mo.