2024 Ford F-150 Review: The King Of Pickup Trucks

The Ford F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in the USA for around four decades now. The 14th generation was launched for the 2021 model year and is still fresh, but Ford has been continually improving it. This year, the base engine is more powerful and dual 12-inch digital displays become standard, along with a myriad of smaller changes to keep it at the cutting edge. It already tows more than GM's Chevrolet Silverado 1500/GMC Sierra 1500 twins and the Ram 1500, and performance is strong in all trims, with a minimum of 325 horsepower from the base engine. The gas range tops out with a 3.5L turbo V6 and 5.0L naturally aspirated V8, both with 400 hp - but the available hybrid is even more powerful, with 430 hp on tap and delivering better gas mileage, ensuring there's no dud engine in the range. There are three body styles, three bed sizes, and a choice of RWD and 4x4 drivetrains. What more do truck buyers want?

New for 2024

The 2024 F-150 range comes with quite a few changes. Last year's naturally aspirated 3.3-liter base V6 is dropped, making way for the previously optional 325-hp 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6. The diesel engine is discontinued as well. The truck's been subtly restyled, with tweaks to the grilles accompanied by standard LED headlights across the board from this year and new available wheel designs. A newly optional Pro Access Tailgate that allows you to open a section of the tailgate via a side hinge means access to the loading bed is easier with a trailer hitched to the truck. A bed storage box is now standard.

Dual 12-inch digital displays - a gauge cluster and touchscreen - are now fitted across the board. BlueCruise 1.2 hands-free highway driving and a head-up display become available on the F-150 for the first time, and more driver assists are standard. The Tremor is back for 2024, with orange accents in the grille and a new modular front bumper. Newly available this year on the Tremor are a front light bar and winch. A Platinum Plus Equipment Group is introduced as an option on the Platinum. With a sub-$37k starting price, the 2024 Ford F-150 starts on an equal footing with the Silverado. It's a $2k increase, but the extra equipment makes up for it.

2024 Ford F-150 Price: Which One to Buy

The price of a new Ford F-150 starts at $36,570 for the XL Regular Cab; this is the only trim offered with this body style. The STX SuperCab costs $45,895, followed by the XLT at $47,620. The Tremor costs $63,950, and the price of the Lariat is $64,995. The King Ranch and Platinum trims both retail for $73,425. The Platinum Plus Equipment Group adds $10,975 to this trim's MSRP. All of these prices are for the various trims in their base configuration and exclude extras, dealer markup, or the $1,995 destination fee.

As is standard in the pickup truck segment, there are many possible configurations. Changing the Regular Cab XL into a SuperCab will cost you $4,610. Upgrading from 2WD to 4WD costs anything from $3,800 to $5,015. Extending the SuperCrew's 5.5-ft box to 6.5 ft can cost from $305 to $1,790, depending on whether it goes with an engine change. It's worth noting that every body style and/or bed length can't be had with every engine on every trim.

There isn't any one preferred Ford F-150, because what's best depends on what you want a truck for. The XL is an excellent no-nonsense workhorse and impresses with its dual displays and extensive driver assists, but isn't comfortable enough for family use, and the STX can just be seen as a slightly spiced-up XL. The XLT is almost livable on a daily basis with a few extras added, but the Lariat is ideal for true family comfort, with 20-inch wheels, leather, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and a premium B&O audio system. If you want to do some off-road driving and you don't mind trading in a few Lariat luxuries for excellent off-road ability at a slightly lower price, the Tremor will be some people's favorite F-150. For uncommonly luxurious transportation in a truck, a fully specced Platinum gets to around $85k, which is a bit much for most people - but it's undoubtedly plush.

Interior and Features

The cabin is solid, and the materials are of good quality, but the Ram 1500 is still a bit plusher, especially on the base trims.

The F-150's cabin doesn't feel quite as plush as that of the Ram 1500, except at the top of the lineup where luxurious materials such as leather on both the seats and the dashboard make for an environment that would suit a premium car. Lower down the lineup, the plastics are hardy enough, and the construction is sufficiently solid to create an impression of durability and sturdiness over luxury. The interior gets a welcome tech boost this year with the standard fitment of dual 12-inch digital displays as standard equipment on all trims. Interior space isn't great in the SuperCab compared to similar short-format four-door models from rivals, but there is an abundance of space in the second row of the SuperCrew, even if nothing can quite match the hugely spacious Ram 1500 Crew Cab. Ground clearance varies between 8.2 and 9.4 inches, so the step-up height is substantial, but the doors are big, and running boards from the XLT and up make getting inside easier.

Space

The Regular Cab accommodates only three people in one row on a 40/20/40-split bench up front. The SuperCab adds a second three-seater row at the back to up seating capacity to six, but legroom is tight back there and less than in the similar cab styles of the Silverado and Ram. With an expansive wheelbase of over 164 inches, the SuperCrew redresses the imbalance with enormous second-row space, fully the equal of the Chevy and only 1.6 inches shy of the Ram, and with proper front-hinged doors over the half doors of the SuperCab.

The STX and higher trims lose the front bench in favor of two separate seats, reducing seating to five. Max Recline front seats that fold completely flat to form a sleeping surface are offered on top trims, but they lack some bolstering and are flatter than the normal seats, so they aren't as comfortable in normal use.

Cargo

There are three bed sizes: 5.5 feet, 6.5 feet, and eight feet. Bed space is comparable to that of its rivals, with the smallest one having a total bed volume of 52.8 cubic feet. The 6.5-ft bed has a volume of 62.3 cu-ft and the 8-ft box has the biggest volume of 77.4 cu-ft, marginally inching out the Ram, but behind the Silverado's 89.1 cu-ft.

Payload varies according to the body style but now sits at a maximum of 2,455 pounds, down from last year's model's figure of 3,315 pounds because the Heavy-Duty Payload package is no longer offered this year. The available new Pro Access Tailgate incorporates a 100-degree opening side swing gate, in which the center portion of the tailgate can be opened from the driver's side to more easily access the bed with a trailer attached. Every F-150 gets a standard lockable storage box in the side of the bed.

Ford has made ample provision for in-cabin storage spaces. The center seat's backrest can flip forward in the trims with a front bench to reveal a lidded storage space, a phone rest, and two cupholders. In trims with separate front seats, this space is occupied by a center console with a huge storage box, a phone rest/wireless charger, a phone slot next to the shifter, and other nooks and crannies. In the four-door models, the seat cushion of the 60/40-split rear bench can flip up to liberate a big, uniform cargo space behind the front seats. There are cupholders in the rear as well, along with big door pockets in all the doors. The Mobile Office package provides a console work surface and partitioned rear-cabin storage under the seat, the latter only in conjunction with the SuperCrew body.

Materials and Colors

The XL's cabin has Medium Dark Slate cloth on the seats, with black for the rest of the interior and a black urethane steering wheel, while the STX has a Black interior with a trim-specific Sport cloth on the seats. The XLT has a satin-silver finish on the spokes of its leatherette-trimmed steering wheel and dark-gray inserts on its Medium Dark Slate cloth seats, along with a satin-silver dashboard surround. The Tremor has patterned Black Sport cloth seats with seat stitching, an embroidered 'Tremor' script on the front seatbacks, and interior accents all rendered in orange, along with a darker gray for its dashboard surround.

The Lariat finally ushers in a choice of interior colors, and besides gaining genuine leather upholstery, you can choose a cabin in either Black or Medium Dark Slate; it's also the first trim to get a leather-trimmed steering wheel. The King Ranch comes only with a Java interior with two-tone leather seats and King Ranch logos on all the seatbacks and the center console. In tune with its blacked-out theme, the Platinum has an all-black interior with leather on the seats and a Platinum plaque on the center console. Opting for the Platinum Plus Equipment Group replaces the black with a Smoked Truffle/Admiral Blue interior.

Features and Infotainment

The XL's base status is given away by its vinyl flooring, two-way manually adjustable front seats without heating, a 40/20/40-split front bench, and a manually tilting/telescoping steering wheel. A 12-inch digital gauge cluster is standard from this year, though. The upper trims add a stack of features, such as dual-zone climate control, separate front seats with a console, power front seats, ventilation and/or heating for the front seats, heated rear seats, push-button start, leather upholstery, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, and more.

This year, the same dual digital displays feature in every F-150 - the 12-inch digital gauge cluster already mentioned and a centrally mounted touchscreen of the same size. The cloud-connected Sync 4 infotainment system comes with a 5G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot that can connect up to 10 devices, Stolen Vehicle Services with a one-year subscription, voice recognition, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, AppLink with App Catalog, 911 Assist, connected navigation with a one-year trial, SiriusXM, and a four-speaker (Regular Cab) or six-speaker (other cabs) audio system. The Tremor, Lariat, and Platinum come with an eight-speaker B&O sound system by Bang & Olufsen. On the former two, this can be upgraded to a B&O Unleashed setup that includes a subwoofer. The King Ranch is exclusively fitted with HD Radio and a B&O Unleashed sound system by Bang & Olufsen with 14 speakers, including a subwoofer, and this setup is only available on the Platinum as part of the Platinum Plus Equipment Group.

Performance

All the engines offer strong performance and competitive economy, but with the diesel engine no more, the hybrid is now the most economical F-150.

There are fewer Ford F-150 engine choices this year, with the loss of the diesel and last year's base V6. The latter's place is taken by the 2.7L twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 with 325 hp and 400 lb-ft. There's also a naturally aspirated 5.0L V8 with 400 hp/410 lb-ft, a 3.5L twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 with 400 hp/510 lb-ft, and a hybrid using the 3.5 EcoBoost V6 and a 47-hp electric motor to produce 430 hp and 570 lb-ft.

Not all engines are available on all trims. A 10-speed automatic is the only transmission choice, but you can choose between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive on the XL, STX, and XLT. The only drivetrain configuration for the Tremor, Lariat, King Ranch, or Platinum trims is 4WD, with varying axle ratios and differential types, including limited-slip and electronically locking diffs. With 9.4 inches of ground clearance, 33-inch all-terrain tires, off-road suspension with 1.7-inch twin-tube dampers, Rock Crawl and Trail Control driving modes, and an electronically locking rear diff, the Tremor does a very impressive job, though the available Trail One-Pedal Drive is difficult to modulate, with abrupt braking when you lift off until you learn to work with it.

The 400-hp 3.5L EcoBoost offers the best performance of the lot, giving the Ford F-150 a 0-60 time of only about 5.3 to 5.6 seconds, depending on the trim. The hybrid is close behind, with a time of around 5.7 seconds. We estimate the 325-hp 2.7L EcoBoost to be good for under seven seconds, while the 400-hp 5.0L V8 should match the 400-hp 3.5L. The top speed of the F-150 is limited to around 108 mph. Trailering is class-leading, with a maximum towing capacity of 13,500 pounds. Every F-150 is fitted as standard with a Class IV tow hitch.

The F-150's driving experience depends on the trim you select. Reviews of the F-150 confirm that the base trims don't ride as softly as the class-leading Ram 1500 with its coil-sprung rear end, but it's quiet and comfortable for a modern truck, with the leaf-spring rear suspension rarely reminding you of its presence. It remains remarkably composed and compliant for a leaf-spring setup, with only the occasional shudder intruding. The Tremor will jiggle you a bit more on its firmer off-road suspension. The top trims, which come with adaptive damping, elevate comfort and bring the F-150 close to the Ram's standards. The brakes are designed to haul down a fully laden rig and feel powerful; even the hybrid's regenerative braking is smoothly and unobtrusively blended in.

Fuel Efficiency

Nobody expects good gas mileage from a truck unless it's a diesel, and with that powertrain now gone, the Ford F-150's best mpg figures without hybrid assistance come from the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6, which returns EPA estimates of 20/26/22 mpg for the city/highway/combined cycles in RWD format, or 18/24/20 mpg with 4WD. The 3.5-liter EcoBoost does 18/24/21 mpg with RWD and 18/23/20 mpg with 4WD - or 16/20/18 mpg in the case of the off-road-focused Tremor. The 5.0-liter V8 does 17/25/20 mpg with 2WD and 17/22/19 mpg with 4WD - with the Tremor again trailing at 16/20/18 mpg. The most economical powertrain is the hybrid, which returns 25/25/25 mpg with RWD and 23/23/23 mpg with 4WD.

Fuel capacity varies greatly, with a 23-gallon gas tank standard on the Regular Cab and SuperCab and a 26-gallon tank on the SuperCrew. An extended-range 36-gallon tank is optionally available on all configurations except for the 122-inch wheelbase. The hybrid has a 30.6-gallon tank. This means that the distance you're able to travel on a tank will depend on the configuration of your truck. In theory, the hybrid should be able to reach up to 765 miles on a tank, while a 2WD F-150 with the 2.7-liter V6 and extended-range tank should be able to get as much as 792 miles.

Safety

The F-150 is a very safe truck, with very good crash scores and a comprehensive standard driver-assistance suite on all trims.

The 2024 Ford F-150's NHTSA safety review was very complimentary, with a full five stars overall, and five for most of the other tests, too. The IIHS's more extensive tests revealed some weaknesses, with the updated moderate front overlap test yielding a Poor result for the 2024 F-150, which has not yet been fully evaluated. Its results so far mimic those of the fully tested 2023 model, though, which was also marked down for some trims' headlights. We're keen to see how the newly standard LED headlights on the 2024 F-150 fare, once evaluated.

As standard on the base XL, you get regular cruise control and the Ford Co-Pilot 360 2.0 driver-assistance suite that includes rear parking sensors with reverse brake assist, automatic LED headlights with auto high beams, post-collision braking, front-collision alert with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure alert with lane-keep assist. Hill-start assist and trailer-sway control are fitted as well. The STX adds LED foglights with a cornering function, while the XLT additionally gets trailer backup and hitch assistance, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and a surround-view camera. Ford's BlueCruise hands-free highway driving is fitted to the Tremor, but only with a 90-day trial, while this trim also gets adaptive cruise control with stop & go, lane tracing, and speed-sign recognition as standard. The Lariat adds to the list rain-sensing wipers. The final piece of the puzzle is a head-up display, which is standard on the top two trims only.

US NHTSA Crash Test Result

Reliability

The 2023 Ford F-150's reliability was rated as average by JD Power, with a score of 78 out of 100 in that department - a little way off the 2024 Silverado's score of 80. The 2024 F-150 was still awaiting evaluation at the time of writing, with no recalls on record so far for the current model year. Last year's F-150 was recalled six times for issues relating to failing bolts and pinions on the drive axles, a transmission fault that may lead to a rollaway in Park, unexpected activation of the parking brake, a deactivated driver's airbag, and an improperly deploying passenger airbag.

An industry-average warranty applies to the 2024 Ford F-150 - three years/36,000 miles for the limited warranty and five years/60,000 miles for the powertrain warranty.

Warranty

Design

The F-150's looks have been slightly altered this year, but the changes are subtle, with minor tweaks to the grilles and headlights/DRLs. The frontal treatment differs by trim, with each one's grille different from the one before. It's still a rugged, squared-off truck with an intimidating, upright countenance and an imposing presence. Three body styles are offered - a two-door Regular Cab and four-door SuperCab and SuperCrew variants - and three bed lengths.

The XL rides on 17-inch steel wheels and has an unpainted black grille and bumpers, but the higher trims get smarter grille finishes with more chrome and alloy wheels across the board, from a minimum size of 18 inches. The Platinum trim is completely blacked out, while the Platinum Plus Equipment Group brings in silver 22-inch alloys. The King Ranch is the only trim to feature two-tone paintwork. A twin-panel moonroof is optional from Lariat level and standard only on the King Ranch and the Platinum with the Platinum Plus Equipment Group.

Verdict: Is The 2024 Ford F-150 A Good Truck?

Ford's F-150 is still all the truck most Americans want, and sales reflect this reality. Sure, a Ram is a little more comfortable and refined, and the Silverado beats it on the odd metric as well, but the F-150 is a superb all-rounder with high equipment levels, a decent suite of driver assist, dual digital displays, punchy engines, and class-leading trailering stats throughout the lineup. There's a trim, powertrain, body style, and bed size for everyone, and you even have a hybrid and a fully electric Lighting to choose from, the latter reviewed separately. This year's updates boost its appeal further, so it stays at the front of the pack for 2024.