Yahoo Autos 2021 Ford F-150 Review | Price, specs, features and photos
The 2021 Ford F-150 is as reworked as you can get without going completely back to the drawing board. The fully boxed frame is carried over, and the engine lineup seems awfully familiar. It also doesn't look all that different despite some aerodynamic tweaks and the choice of 11(!) new grilles specific to various models. Ah, but dig deeper and you'll find that Ford went through its best-seller with a fine-toothed comb, making small but impactful updates nearly everywhere that together add up to a substantially improved truck.
Take the ride, handling and steering response, for instance. There's nothing fundamentally different than before, but engineers widened the track and tread width, the ride height was lowered 0.4 inches, the engine and transmission mounts were enhanced, the front suspension got a more beneficially located stabilizer bar, the rear suspension got monotube shocks and new leaf springs, the electric power steering system was retuned … we could go on. The result: The new F-150 is surprisingly much better to drive.
Inside, the basic cab dimensions and seating architecture are the same, but surgery was performed on the dash so it can accommodate a massive 12-inch touchscreen. Materials quality was also enhanced, especially on the high-lux trim levels, and the center console reworked to include an innovative armrest that folds out to provide a long, flat work station. The new Max Recline front seats are for when you're definitely not working.
Under the hood, the engine choices are mostly carried over, but the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 gets an upgrade and the new PowerBoost hybrid wows by boasting the best power, torque and fuel economy in the F-150 lineup. That's without question the biggest single enhancement for 2021, but it's the multitude of smaller ones that ultimately make the most profound difference.
What's new for 2021?
The F-150 was given a substantial overhaul for 2021 that addressed virtually every aspect of the best-selling truck. The Raptor model is a late-year addition that you can read all about here, with a V8-powered "R" version coming for 2022.
What's the F-150 interior and in-car technology like?
Ford had to perform some surgery on the F-150's dash in order to swallow what is essentially a small television in top trim levels. The result is an awfully monolithic center stack that's less visually appealing than what you'd get in the Ram 1500. At least it doesn't look cheap and blobby like the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra. That's especially true when talking about the ritzy upper trim levels, as our Platinum test trucks featured buttery leather, open-pore wood trim and nicely textured metal-look trim. It can be a seriously luxurious cabin, even if that center stack is a tad ungainly.
As for that big 12-inch screen, we can't say it adds much to the Sync 4 interface beyond simply being bigger than the 8-inch standard unit. That's certainly still a benefit, but unlike the giant screens found in the Ram 1500, Ford's own Mustang Mach-E or various models with widescreen units, the larger screen doesn't maximize its extra acreage with rearranged or extra-large icons that improve functionality. It's also a further reach than what you'll find in the Ram, regardless of screen size. On the other hand, the available all-digital instrument panel is colorful and crisp, and there's no faulting the ample infotainment feature content.
We extensively reviewed the six-passenger cabin of a 2020 F-250 SuperCrew whose seating is essentially shared with the '21 F-150, including its front middle seat and fold-down console. Five-passenger F-150s, meanwhile, offer a new center console with a unique armrest lid that unfolds forward to become a flat surface to place a laptop, paperwork or road-side picnic. To make this origami possible, the shifter uniquely motors forward into a recess, though only when parked. We'll be curious to see how much owners utilize and appreciate this functionality. Ford also increased the steering wheel's tilt and telescoping travel, making for a more comfortable, less-truckish driving position.
How big is the F-150?
The various full-size trucks are so big that differences among them are effectively moot. An inch or two here and there won't make a difference outside. As before, you get a choice of regular, SuperCab (extended) and SuperCrew cabs with the latter two offering six-passenger or five-passenger seating arrangements. The SuperCab continues to have clamshell doors rather than the front-hinged ones offered by Ram and GM. Its back seat space continues to be on the cramped side, but that's common for the segment. So too is the vast amount of rear seat space in the SuperCrew.
This is also as good a place as any to mention the F-150's unique bed elements. One is familiar: the tailgate's pop-out assist step that makes repeatedly climbing up and down out of the bed a ridiculously quick-and-easy process. The second is new: the ProPower On Board electrical system that allows the F-150 to function as mobile generator and power station. A 2.0-kilowatt system is optional with the 2.7-, 5.0- and 3.5-liter gas engines, while the Power Boost hybrid offers a choice of standard 2.4-kW or optional 7.2-kW outputs. The lower-powered systems have a pair of 120-volt 20-amp outlets, while the 7.2-kW system adds two more 120-volt outlets plus a 240-volt 30-amp outlet.
Should you be plugging in a saw, there's also a ruler built into the tailgate to make measuring twice and cutting once just a bit quicker.
What are the F-150 fuel economy and performance specs?
The 2021 F-150 is available with the same number of engine options as before, but the range-topping choice is different. The High-Output 3.5-liter V6 found in the previous Limited and Raptor is on a temporary hiatus, while the new PowerBoost hybrid debuts as the most powerful choice.
Every F-150 has a 10-speed automatic and comes standard with rear-wheel drive. The basic four-wheel-drive system has an open diff at the rear, while the upgrade one has an electronic locking rear diff.
The lineup starts with a 3.3-liter naturally aspirated V6 good for 290 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque. Fuel economy is a combined 21 miles per gallon with 4x2, and 20 mpg combined with 4x4.
Next up is the first of two "EcoBoost" engines, which is just fancy Ford talk for "turbocharged." The 2.7-liter twin-turbo V6 produces 325 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque, while returning 22 mpg combined with 4x2 and 21 mpg with 4x4. Don't be surprise if your real-world fuel economy is much lower than that, however.
There's still a good-old V8 available: Ford's 5.0-liter "Coyote" good for 400 hp and 410 lb-ft, an increase of 5 hp and 10 lb-ft from last year. Despite its output and cylinder count, it still manages 20 mpg with 4x2 and 19 mpg with 4x4. Not bad.
We'd still choose the silky-smooth 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, though, which pumps out 400 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque. That doesn't quite match the old High Output EcoBoost, but it still pumps things up by a significant 25 hp and 30 lb-ft. Fuel economy is 20 mpg combined regardless of drivetrain.
