The best-selling truck in America just got a little better. 2018 was a banner year for the F-150, putting up sales numbers they haven't seen since the record-setting 2004 model year. Ford ups the ante with a number of improvements to its flagship model. That's right. The Ford F-150 is better than ever and we'll tell you all about that in this preview guide.
Diesel for the Diesel Crowd
For starters, there's a new option for the diesel-loving crowd. In addition to the F-150's V6, V8, and three EcoBoost turbocharged engines, there's an all-new turbodiesel. We're talking about the 3.0-liter Power Stroke turbodiesel V6 engine, generating 250 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque. Those numbers are impressive because they are higher than any other diesel engine in the pickup truck class. The turbodiesel is available on F-150 Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum trims.
Engine Options Trickle Down
In other engine news, the engine that used to be exclusive to the Raptor trim is now standard on the Limited trim as well. That engine is the heart-in-your-throat 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6, making 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque. This performance-oriented engine makes the F-150 far livelier and eager to accelerate. The agile performance doesn't put a dent in this F-150's work-a-day attitude, still hauling and towing as much as lower trims.
Another update exclusive to the Raptor and Limited trims is a new 36-gallon fuel tank. Other tank sizes are 23 or 26 gallons. With the 36-gallon tank, the Limited and Raptor trucks have an expanded range of hundreds of miles over trucks with smaller tanks. The final update for 2019 is that emergency braking is now a standard feature on every single 2019 Ford F-150, no matter the trim level. For those long trips, better safety is a big plus.
Hauling or Towing? No Problem
There's a good reason why so many people love the Ford F-150. This pickup really delivers. The F-150 has class-leading hauling and towing capacities. This Ford hauls up to 3,300 pounds and can tow an unbelievable 13,200 pounds, when properly equipped. That's more than the Chevy Silverado, more than the Ram 1500. So when you have a big job that needs doing, the 2019 Ford F-150 is more than equal to the task.
Infotainment Excellence
Another feather in the F-150's cap is its infotainment system. The SYNC3 infotainment system delivers an intuitive interface and fast response time, all on an 8-inch touch screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for smartphone integration. You can also get features like navigation, 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system, satellite radio, Bluetooth, USB port, and Wi-Fi hotspot that serves up to ten devices.
With all that great tech, class-best hauling and towing, and potent engine options, the 2019 Ford F-150 deserves its title as best-selling truck in America.