A grey 2020 Ford F-150 is parked in a grassy field with mountains in the background.

Plenty To Love With The 2020 Ford F-150

 

When it comes to pickups, the Ford F-150 is as legendary as they come. While other manufacturers and models have come after the king, the F-series of pickups has remained not only the best-selling pickup but the best selling vehicle in the United States for decades. And there is a good reason for this. When people buy a truck, they want a hard-working vehicle that’s built to last. They want a truck that can help get the job done, tow, haul, and do everything else other vehicle types simply are not able to do. More than a car, SUV, minivan, and everything else in between, the pickup must deliver; otherwise, customers will look for something else. And this 2020 model year, Ford continues its push as the greatest truck on the planet with the latest rendition, the 2020 Ford F-150.

The History Of Greatness

The Ford F-series first made its appearance back in post World War II America. Up through the 1940s, most manufacturers, including Ford, built trucks using a car-based design. Essentially these vehicles looked like cars but had open beds on the rear. But as America returned to work, and the Great Depression ended, the United States needed something built to handle more. To help, Ford released the Ford Bonus-Built, the first official F-Series pickup, in 1948. This is also known as the first generation of the Ford F-150.

The truck proved popular enough, and Ford saw the desire from customers for a truck with more power, so it quickly updated the pickup to the F-100 with its second-generation released in 1953. Ford continued to improve towing capacity and make the pickups stronger with each new generation, which is why new generations of the F-series came out every four to six years.

Up until 1974, Ford offered an F-100 (which would eventually go on to be the Ford Ranger), and the F-250. The company saw the need to build a pickup right in the middle of these two pickups. A truck designed for the consumer who needed a work truck a bit larger than the 100, but didn’t need all the size or muscle of the 250. So, in 1975, Ford released the F-150. Two years later, in 1977, The Ford F-150 sold more models than any other truck model in the United States. And since that date, no truck has ever sold more vehicles than the Ford F-150 every year. In fact, since 1982, no other vehicle in the United States has sold more on an annual basis than the F-150. In total, according to Business Insider, Ford has sold over 26 million F-series pickups since 1977 (through 2018).

A red 1949 Ford F-1 is driving on a treelined road on a sunny day.

Checking Out The Entry Ford F-150

The entry-level Ford F-150 comes with a standard 3.3L V6 that produces 290 horsepower and 265-lb ft of torque. It also comes with an optional V8, should you want an upgrade. Airbags on the pickup, as is the case with all the models, will depend on if you go with a two-door regular cab or a larger four-door offering. The reg cab option comes with a driver, front head, passenger, and front side airbags, plus 4-wheel ABS and 4-wheel disc brakes (which is standard on all F-150s), a 6-speed auto transmission with manual mode, plus a double-wishbone suspension at the front and leaf suspension on the rear.

As for entertainment features on the Ford F-150, the pickup comes standard with AM/FM stereo and an AUX input for connecting your favorite external audio devices that use a 3.5mm headphone jack. Optional upgrades for entertainment include an MP3 player, WiFi hotspot, satellite radio, and smart device integration via Bluetooth.

What’s New On The Ford F-150 Raptor

In terms of off-roading performance, no other pickup on the planet can compete with the Raptor. This pickup is built to handle driving off the beaten path, coming standard with everything from protective plating under the engine block and Fox Shox to give you up to 13 inches of wheel movement. Of course, the Ford F-150 Raptor is built for customizing, so you’re always able to upgrade and tweak the pickup to better fit your off-roading needs. With that said, it’s still important to know what kind of standard features will come with the F-150 Raptor.

The 2020 model will come standard with a 3.5L V6 engine. While 2020 is moving away from the larger V8, it still provides impressive performance at 450 horsepower and 510-lb ft of torque. It does use a double-wishbone front and leaf rear suspension type, although these are upgraded to give you the smoothest possible ride while taking the truck off-road.

In terms of safety, it comes with a driver, front head, front side, passenger, and rear head airbags, plus 4-wheel ABS and 4-wheel disc brakes. The brakes should never be understated. You almost always want a pickup that offers disc brakes. However, some imports use drum brakes. Drum brakes are more likely to run into problems during the colder months, and the last thing you need is for your brakes to malfunction when you’re off-road, driving down a snowy highway or while towing something. So why do other manufacturers still use drum brakes? One word: cheaper.

As for entertainment, the 2020 Raptor comes with AM/FM stereo, AUX input, an MP3 player, satellite radio, WiFi hotspot (data plan required), smart device integration, and an optional HD radio, premium sound system, and navigation system.

Want a Luxury Truck? Consider the Ford F-150 Limited

A side view of the 2020 Ford F-150 Limited interior is shown in grey and tan leather.

In terms of internal specs and riding in pure comfort, the Ford F-150 Limited is the ultimate pickup. While the Platinum series does offer some excellent features, as does the King Ranch, you simply can’t top out the Limited F-150.

The Limited comes with all the bells and whistles. It uses the same engine as the Raptor and still offers the 450 horsepower and 510-lb ft of torque (although the Raptor does use different shocks than the Limited). All the safety features are standard, including the airbags, brakes, plus over a dozen added safety features, like lane departure warning, cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist, front tow hooks, brake assist, and much more.

There basically is no “optional” feature on the Limited (realistically, there are a few add-ons you can go for, but in terms of significant features, everything is standard on the Limited). This includes the entertainment package, which includes AM/FM stereo, HD radio, AUX input, MP3 player, premium sound system, satellite radio, WiFi hotspot, smart device integration, and a navigation system.

Discover The All-New Ford F-150

For 42 years, Ford has sold more pickups than any other truck company in the United States. It also sold more models than any other car, truck, SUV, minivan, or any other vehicle in the United States for the last 37 years. These are impressive numbers, yet there is a reason why: Ford continues to build one of the very best designed trucks on the planet that is built to last and deliver. So, whether you’ve owned a Ford F-series pickup before, or you’re interested in joining the club, now is the perfect chance to get out and discover the all-new Ford F-150. From the base design to the Platinum or Raptor, whether you need it for work, for play, or for off-roading, there is absolutely a best-selling Ford F-150 with your name on it.