CarGurus' Preview

You probably know someone who owns one already. Ford's F-150 held the record as the best-selling vehicle in the United States for almost a quarter-century. It’s been the best-selling truck in the United States for over 30 years. In 2005 alone, almost a million new F-150s showed up on American roads. Now having passed the half-century mark, the F-150 is in its twelfth generation, and shows up in 2010 with two new specialty trims to woo the masses anew.

With nine trim levels - XL, STX, FX4, XLT, new-for 2010 special edition Harley-Davidson and Raptor trims, King Ranch, Lariat, and Platinum - one has to wonder how many iterations of the same truck can be produced. Throughout the lineup, a total of four V8 engines and two transmissions provide subtle variety, but it’s the body and styling options that really distinguish, with most trims available in Regular Cab, SuperCab, and SuperCrew configurations, not to mention three available bed lengths of 5.5, 6.5, and 8 feet.

Most trims are available in rear-wheel-drive (RWD) and four-wheel-drive (4WD) configurations, and the special Harley-Davidson edition - which comes with unique styling inside and out, a sport suspension, and unique exhaust - is available with an AWD system that can be left engaged on dry pavement. All come with a low-range gear for off-road duty, and maximum towing capacity is an impressive 11,300 pounds.

The base V8 engine is a 2V, 248-hp, 4.6-liter that comes attached to a four-speed automatic and comes in the XL and STX trims. The XLT alone gets a 3V, 292-hp version of the 4.6 when ordered in SuperCab or SuperCrew configurations, while the remaining trims receive a 3V, 310-hp, E85-friendly, 5.4-liter V8. Interestingly, when using E85 fuel, hp figures bump up to 320, as the engine was designed with this in mind. Later this year, the Raptor is slated to receive the option of a 400-hp, 6.2-liter V8, a de-tuned version of the engine used in the F-150 Raptor R used in the Baja 1000 races.

This newest generation of F-150 is being touted as a “smart” truck, with many unique upgrades. In addition to the use of a hydro-formed chassis including high-strength, lightweight materials like boron, the F-150 has the option of features such as a dashboard computer with printer, a tool inventory system, and a fleet-tracking device. As the F-150 continues to evolve, the lines between truck and car continue to blur. Thankfully, the characteristics that have always made the F-150 a winner, namely power, safety, and reliability, seem to be well-entrenched.