Review of the 2006 Ford F-150 Truck
I was recently in need of a new automobile, and like most, decided to do some research before purchasing my new vehicle. I originally kicked around the idea of purchasing a new Toyota Pick-Up truck, seeing as I know a good bit about Toyotas and have owned quite a few of them with very few problems over the years. But upon doing some research, I decided to purchase a 2006 Ford F-150, and now, here I am to give you my full blow review of that purchase, and the truck itself.
Safety- The 2006 F-150 has some very innovative safety features. It comes standard with Anti-Lock Brakes, and the newest generation of Airbags. This airbag has the ability to know whether it should be off or on, a plus for families with small children or the worker who has no need for a passenger side airbag. As we all know, it costs a pretty penny to have Airbags restuffed, so having one that is smart enough to not deploy unless you need it is a plus. On the other hand, you have no ability to turn the airbag off via a key at all, it is all internal.
-While the brakes are anti-lock, they are still a little spongy and don’t seem to be big enough to stop the truck real easily. You definitely have to keep an eye on the road and be prepared to apply the brakes as soon as possible. The breaks are rather smooth, and very quiet, but if you purchase this truck, an upgrade in breaks would be in order.
-The new F-150 rated very well in all areas of crash testing. In fact, much to my surprise, when I told my insurance company that I was purchasing an F-150 instead of a Toyota, the adjuster told me that I would be saving money on my insurance. Sweet!!
-This truck also comes standard with coded keys, and a passive anti-theft system. Coded keys ensure that no key, aside from yours can release and start your ignition. The passive anti-theft system is a little red light that blinks on your dashboard. A little cheap sure, but it is effective. If the light is blinking, your coded key system is working fine, if it’s not blinking, something is wrong and you need to go to the dealership ASAP.
Performance- I decided to go with the smaller Triton V-8, the 4.6 liter. The main reason I did that is because I didn’t need the 9,200 lbs of towing capacity, and the 14mpg that comes with the big 5.4L.
– The truck boasts over 8,000 lbs max tow capacity and so far, I have put somewhere around 5,500lbs on the back of my F-150, and it rides like a dream. The truck probably rides better with somewhere around 1,500 pounds in it then it does empty. Also, the brakes act the exact same with or without a trailer attached. I have had the bed loaded down with about 900 pounds of topsoil, and the shocks barely even budged. The brochure claims over 1,200lbs of carry capacity. The one downside to towing with the new F-150 is trying to find a drop hitch with just the right amount of drop to it. A two and a half inch drop isn’t quite enough, and a 3′ 1/4′ drop is a little too much.
– With 291ft lbs of torque, the new F-150 has no problem getting to where you want to go, and with 280 horsepower in the 4.6L it can get you there quickly as well. Of course this means no gas mileage at all. Ford claims that the 4.6L gets 15-19mpg, but in reality I have been averaging 14.4 miles in the city and somewhere around 18 miles to the gallon on the highway. If you killed the air conditioner and kept the windows up, you might see somewhere around 18.5 mpg, but don’t get your hopes up.
Comfort/Style- Ford redesigned their full size pick-up for the 2006 year, and boy does it look sharp. I get a lot of compliments on my truck and the only bad thing about it, in my honest opinion, would be the side view mirrors, while being very large and practical, they are large and a little unsightly, more time could have been put into the design of these mirrors to make them look a little prettier instead of just big square blocks. The quiet interior makes for a very nice highway ride, and the interior cab space is big enough for my 6’4″ brother to spread out and fall asleep in. You can easily fit 4 grown men in the Supercab (which is the 2 full doors, 2 half doors model) and still have room for gear and food that you don’t want getting wet in the cab.
– You have a choice of vinyl, cloth, or leather interiors, and I would recommend the vinyl. Sure it’s a little “old school,” but it cleans very easily, doesn’t get as hot as leather, and is still very comfortable.
– The new bed offers 6.6ft of length with the tail gate up and almost 9 feet of space with the tailgate down. The bed is over 2ft. deep, and 4.5ft wide offering the ability to carry just anything with ease. Unlike many foreign trucks though, a bedliner does not come standard with these trucks, and as most sane people would, I strongly recommend a spray-on bedliner such as Line-x or Rhino Liners.
Overall, I am very pleased with this purchase. I had to make a few small adjustments, such as better brakes, a spray on bedliner, and floor mats, but it was worth it. One of the big upsides is that the market for full size pick-ups is so low right now, that you can get one of these trucks for around $21,000, or lower depending on your local dealerships, and your haggling skills.
So, before you rush into buying this, or any truck, make sure you do all of your research, and get reviews from actual owners, not just some big name magazine. Most people are more than happy to give you an honest opinion of their autos.
