Ford made a billion-dollar bet on the four-star 2015 F-150 full-size pickup, and it appears to have paid off. The F-150's switch from the steel body all previous pickups used to lighter aluminum reduces fuel consumption and increases hauling capacity. That gives Ford a couple of key advantages with truck buyers.
The aluminum body, and a new frame that uses high-strength steel to reduce weight further, reduce the 2015 F-150's weight as much as 700 pounds.
The F-150 also offers a number of features other pickups can't match.
Prices for the 2015 F-150 start at $25,420 for a base model with rear-wheel drive with a 283-hp 3.5L normally aspirated V6. All F-150s come with a six-speed automatic transmission. Four-wheel-drive models start at $30,395. Like all leading full-size pickups, the F-150 comes in a dizzying range of models: long- and short-wheelbase, two-door, a bigger cab with conventional front doors and rear-hinged back doors, and a crew cab with four regular full-size doors. Ford also offers four engines: the base 3.5L V6, a 325-hp twin-turbocharged 2.7L V6, a 365-hp 3.5L twin-turbo V6, and a 385-hp 5.0L V8.