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1997 Ford F-150 User Reviews

1997 Ford F-150 Review Ratings

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Average Ratings from 45 reviews

  • Performance:3.7 out of 5 stars3.7 out of 5 stars3.7 out of 5 stars3.7 out of 5 stars3.7 out of 5 stars 3.7 / 5
  • Appearance:4.1 out of 5 stars4.1 out of 5 stars4.1 out of 5 stars4.1 out of 5 stars4.1 out of 5 stars 4.1 / 5
  • Build Quality:4.1 out of 5 stars4.1 out of 5 stars4.1 out of 5 stars4.1 out of 5 stars4.1 out of 5 stars 4.1 / 5
  • Overall:4.2 out of 5 stars4.2 out of 5 stars4.2 out of 5 stars4.2 out of 5 stars4.2 out of 5 stars 4.2 / 5

Review Highlights Click to filter reviews below

PROS
"power" 17 reviews
"ride" 13 reviews
"fuel economy" 5 reviews
"big car" 4 reviews
"handling" 4 reviews
CONS
"fuel economy" 15 reviews
"power" 6 reviews
"brakes" 2 reviews
"style" 2 reviews

User Reviews

Displaying 1 - 10 of 45 reviews 12345 Next
Austin writes:
1997 Ford F-150 3 Dr Lariat 4WD Extended Cab LB Review
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Pros

Good appearance inside and out makes the owner like it. Good gas mileage for a 4x4 which is unexpected. Easy and cheap to repair.

Cons

Rocker panel issue on all F-150 of the style. Back seats are uncomfortable after long periods of time.

105

Good Relaible Vehicle For Work Or Play — This truck is overall a good relaible work horse. The 4.6L 3V engine that it has offers enough power to get the jobs done that need to be done. As normal for trucks it does not have perfect acceleration/braking but from experience it does have power to go when needed. Appearance is a sharp look in this truck which a much needed improvement from the boxier style the year before. Interior on this is nice then most as it has the lariat option which gives this leather interior. The 4x4 feature is a good investment to make if going to off road as it comes in handy.

Primary Use: Sport/fun (spirited driving, track racing, off-roading, etc.)

2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Kyle writes:
1997 Ford F-150 2 Dr XLT 4WD Standard Cab LB Review
Appearance:
Performance:
Quality:
Overall:

Pros

For a four weel drive vehicle, it has power.

Cons

Cracking chassis seems to be an issue.

95

You Get What You Pay For I Guess. — As for performance, it's a good ride. The appearance is nice, however gas mileage is much to be determined. It's not the most fun vehicle on the planet. As for the build quality, the chassis has rusted out on the rear-end of the vehicle, along with the pan and radio (yes, it happened). The chassis ended up cracking and needed to be replaced. Other than that, it's a half decent vehicle.

Primary Use: Utility (towing boats, transporting cargo, etc.)

2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Ron writes:
1997 Ford F-150 3 Dr XLT 4WD Extended Cab Stepside SB Review
Appearance:
Performance:
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Pros

good looking plenty of power

Cons

I dont still have it

45

Pleasure Ride — Best vehicle I have ever had. went 2 tracking in canada for a week came back after a week it was clean enough to put in a parade was my favorite ride to the dunes avg. 18 mpg low maintenance.

Primary Use: Sport/fun (spirited driving, track racing, off-roading, etc.)

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Rob writes:
1997 Ford F-150 3 Dr Lariat 4WD Extended Cab Stepside SB Review
Appearance:
Performance:
Quality:
Overall:

Pros

Sharp Looking

Cons

Rust is starting to show

45

All Over Its A Great Truck And Ill Keep Rebuilding It Till It Cost To Much. — Love my V-8 engine with a 4.6L. Good pick up, great top speed. Overall apperence is awesome, only downside is that all three of my doors are rotting at the bottom and need to be replaced and my step bars into the truck have rust holes in them. I have 17" super swappers on them, with an upgraded suspension and towing package. Looking to put a lift kit on it this summer for an increse of 6".

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Bernie writes:
1997 Ford F-150 Review
Appearance:
Performance:
Quality:
Overall:

Pros

Sturdy, takes a licking and keeps on ticking, comfortable interior, not
too long for maneuvering through parking lots and narrow places,
handling is good.

Cons

Front heavy, skids easily, no 4-wheel Drive, braking faulty because of
front heaviness, acceleration nonexistent.

55

Sturdy, Homey, And Lovable. — I've had my F-150 for a long time now and I have really enjoyed it. No, it doesn't stop on a dime and no it doesn't go zero to sixty in four seconds but it's still a really reliable car. I personally can't handle a car that twitches when you touch the steering wheel, comes to a screeching halt when you tap the brakes, and goes zero to a hundred in two seconds when you press the gas. For people who are used to cars like that, I do not recommend the 1997 Ford F-150.

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Ttweakdave writes:
1997 Ford F-150 2 Dr STD 4WD Standard Cab SB Review
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Pros

Simple, no frills, utilitarian design. Extremely reliable. Low maintenance costs. Easy to drive and handle

Cons

Not luxurious. A bit noisy on highway due to lack of insulation.

Ttweakdave
35

A Pragmatist's Dream — This model was chosen for its simple ergonomic design. The bench seat allows ease of entry and exit. This truck is no frills and thus extremely reliable and low maintenance. Maintenance costs are low as the model has been around forever and it seems mechanics feel confident around them. Driving is comfortable and spacious. Visibility is great. Open and airy feeling. Six cylinder gets around 17 mpg in town. Not a particularly high performing vehicle but not underpowered either. Braking smooth and confident. Would recommend this truck highly for a new driver for its ease of handling and virtually no electronic distraction from driving experience.

Primary Use: Commuting to work

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Mholly writes:
1997 Ford F-150 3 Dr XLT 4WD Extended Cab SB Review
Back Seats:
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Pros

Dependable, useful and lots a power.

Cons

Burns through front breaks every 18mo

Mholly
35

Great Dependable Truck — Durability and use are great. It has been a very dependable truck. It does however burn through front breaks about every 18 months. It has amazing towing capacity. I have towed over 6 tons with no problem. I have driven it over 150K and love it but it is time to replace it.

Primary Use: Utility (towing boats, transporting cargo, etc.)

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kwolf1234 writes:
1997 Ford F-150 3 Dr XLT Extended Cab SB Review
Appearance:
Performance:
Quality:
Overall:

Pros

my woman likes it

Cons

styling, 4.6 v-8

kwolf1234
35

Dont Really Know What Ford Was Thinking With This Style — The preformance is great for towing with the small 4.6L v-8 Ford stuck in it. Acceleration and braking have some lacking. Its a ford so repairs are few and far between. I DO NOT like the contour styling of this generation. Thats why this is my womans truck. I drive a monte carlo (at least until I find a good mustang or f-150 with a 5.0 v-8), if that says anything about this style and motor. Gas mileage is pretty good we are getting 22-26mpg. I hate driving this thing but for some reason my woman loves it.

Primary Use: Family transportation

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Bryce writes:
1997 Ford F-150 3 Dr Lariat 4WD Extended Cab SB Review
Accessories:
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Pros

Nice body style, strong engine, comfortable and very capable. No wonder its the best selling truck.

Cons

Its getting outdated

25

Real Good Bang For Buck As Far As Trucks Go — As far as performance goes for a stock vehicle with no performance parts and being as old as it is, accelerates real strong, brakes and handles like a 4x4. Now needs some body work to repair some surface rust. Has needed a tuneup and new tires, so far very reliable. 2 tone black and silver exterior and grey leather interior, about as nice as it gets in 1997. It does not have to work very hard to pull the vehicle around with the 5.4 liter and with proper regular maintenance, achieves incredible mileage for a half tonne when you keep your foot out of it. Fun? about as much fun as you can have with a stock 4x4 half tonne.

Primary Use: Commuting to work

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Christian writes:
1997 Ford F-150 2 Dr Lariat 4WD Standard Cab Stepside SB Review
Cargo Capacity:
Fuel Economy:
Front Seats:
Handling:
Maintenance Cost:
Price:
Power:
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Overall:

Pros

good car

Cons

need more power

55

Car — it was a good car it was fun to drive a little hard to steer but easy after a while it was one bad as truck too 4x4 was great for camping great speakers but it need a ABS system i think

Primary Use: Commuting to work

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Similar Cars Compared to a 1997 Ford F-150

1997 Ford F-150 1997 Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 1997 GMC Sierra 1500
1997 Ford F-150 2 Dr XL Standard Cab LB picture, exterior
1997 Dodge Ram Pickup 1500 2 Dr LT 4WD Standard Cab LB picture, exterior
1997 GMC Sierra 1500 C1500 SL Standard Cab LB, 1997 GMC Sierra 1500 2 Dr C1500 SL Standard Cab LB picture, exterior
Cost $15,145 Original MSRP $4,953 Average Instant Market Value $5,376 Average Instant Market Value
Gas Mileage (highway) 20 20 21
Horsepower 210 175 200
Crash Test Rating 4 5 5
Front Leg Room (inches) 40.9 41.0 41.7

Reviews From Other Years

2013 Ford F-150 Reviews

Have Had One Or Another Ford Truck For 40 Years By DavidH25

My old 1978 F-250 I bought new, I need a truck, But the wife thinks I need a new truck like I need a hole in the head of course. My '78 is just plain worn out, all the TLC I have given it considered.... Read More

Read all 2013 Ford F-150 reviews

2012 Ford F-150 Reviews

This Truck So Far Has Been A Sweet Ride...quiet, Fast, Just An All Around Pleasure To Drive By meanoldmoe

I read up a lot on full size trucks and took a few for drives. I settled on the 2012 F-150 with the Ecoboost motor, just because it has gobs of power and was rated with excellent fuel economy. I h... Read More

A Nice Truck By nbogrette

the only thing i must say that i dont like about this truck is the gas mileage, everything els about it seems to be top of the line, sync is a great feature in this truck and the sony sound system is ... Read More

Read all 5 2012 Ford F-150 reviews

2011 Ford F-150 Reviews

Best Truck For The Money...period By Brianfoundmycar

The biggest news for 2011 is the fact that Ford has all new powertrains that kick the crap out of the 2010 and older models. Not only that but they deliver better fuel economy too! If you are going to... Read More

Haul Kids Or Haul Wood...it Does It All! By zjames

this truck gets excellent mileage for a full sized pickup and the cab is extremely well designed and spacious. the rear seats fold up and out of the way if you want to haul something large inside the... Read More

Read all 12 2011 Ford F-150 reviews

2010 Ford F-150 Reviews

Fantastic Truck By rangertmldr

Great acceleration with 5.4 v-8. Plenty of power and better gas mileage than the current 6.2l. sun roof and navigation set this apart from other raptors. Most comfortable truck I have ever driven. Bui... Read More

F-150 At Its Best! By barneshawk

This has been my favorite vehicle purchase EVER. This truck has taken my family on a roadtrip from Iowa to Florida with no complaints from the kids and no cramps in my legs. I've pulled both big and s... Read More

Read all 18 2010 Ford F-150 reviews

2009 Ford F-150 Reviews

Great Truck For Family Activities By daigleparker

This truly is the most comfortable p/u I've owned. The Super Crew cab is great, plenty for room for 5 Men. Love the leather and dual power seats. THe suspension gives a great ride on and off highway- ... Read More

I Love This Truck! By CedarPark3211

We love this truck! It provides every thing we need in a vehicle when we travel, whether its 200 miles or 2000. Still runs and drives like a new truck, we have driven it to Florida, Colorado and La... Read More

Read all 16 2009 Ford F-150 reviews
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