Motor Mouth
Jeffrey Zygmont
July 05, 2009 12:33 am The Ford F-Series pickup truck has reigned as the top selling vehicle in this country for the last 27 years. That is a monumental achievement for Ford. It is also a largely unheralded testament to mobility in the lives of us independent Americans. After all, we Americans bought all those big, hardy trucks at a time when the moralizing media and other finger waggers smugly celebrated much more diminutive vehicles, like the gas-sipping Toyota Prius hybrid car, and the tiny two-seat Smart For-Two from the luxury moguls at Mercedes-Benz. Both the Prius and the Smart are innovative vehicles. Both are very popular in certain circles, and both certainly deserve a position in our marvelously diverse American auto world. I'll add as a personal note that I don't, personally, like driving pickup trucks. They're too large for my motoring style. I much prefer the spunk and agility of a small automobile. But I love the fact that collectively, we as a free-thinking people act out in defiance of clamoring scolds and make the Ford F-150 our most popular motoring choice — for towing a boat to the lake, snowplowing, hauling home lumber, collecting firewood, carting trash and yard debris to the town dump, camping, shuttling a lawn-service crew and equipment, plus dozens of other ambitious activities that involve moving not just a person or two, but also big loads of boisterous paraphernalia. "It's not about the pickup. It's about the lifestyle that the pickup provides," stressed Ann Regan, dealer principal of Regan Ford in Haverhill. She said that, during a recent conversation with her staff, "when we were thinking of all the things that the F-Series is used for, we realized that we were talking about lifestyles. The pickup enhances and is a necessity for so many lifestyles." This weekend, as we celebrate Independence Day for the 233rd time in our big land, it is the perfect moment to loudly trumpet the spontaneous popularity of the Ford F-Series pickup. I'll give you three reasons. First, the 2009 F-150 pickup is a new model, re-engineered to incorporate improved technology and re-styled to stay current with evolving tastes. Like any new generation of a popular model, the updated F-150 stimulates a rush of interest. Sure, on-the-job pickup owners who use a truck as a business tool sensibly hold out until they must retire their current work horse. But personal-use pickup drivers have come in a flurry to experience the new model, reported Henry Nassar Jr., dealer principal of Nassar Ford in Lawrence. They are impressed by the interior of the new model, he said. They also like the smoother ride it provides. "As good as the ride was, they made it better in the new model," Nassar said. In promoting the updated truck, Ford points out that the chassis underlying the vehicle is lighter weight, yet stronger than its predecessor. The 2009 F-150 can haul cargo weighing as much as 3,030 pounds, and tow up to 11,300 pounds. That makes it the leader among pickups in cargo capability, crows Ford. While Ford has increased the horsepower of engines available in the F-Series, it has also improved fuel economy by an average of 8 percent across the range of configurations sold. The best it does is 15 miles per gallon in city driving, and 21 mpg on the highway. The worst is 14 mpg city, 18 mpg highway. Like all pickups, the F-Series sells in a boggling array of mix-and-match combinations, with regular cabs, "super" cabs and "super crew" cabs, with short, medium and long boxes in back, rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, two transmissions, two variations of a 4.6-liter V8 and a 320-horsepower, 5.4-liter V8, and a long list of options. The truck can seat from three to six people, depending on cab set-up. Prices run from $20,815 to $44,355. A second reason to celebrate the stellar rank of the F-150 on Independence Day is the independence that the truck itself represents. I already mentioned how so many people, purchasing a heavy hauler despite condescending criticism from cultural elites, prove that Americans think for themselves. In addition, those take-it-along activities summarized by Ann Regan are the pastimes of people who refuse to be mere spectators or passive beneficiaries. They are the undertakings of citizens who choose do things for themselves. Americans buy more F-150 pickups than any car, wagon or other motor cruiser because so many Americans choose to live big. That doesn't necessarily mean they live irresponsibly, by carelessly consuming resources. Life itself is an act of resource consumption, and living big unavoidably consumes more than living small. Large, heavy pickups will always use more fuel, and leave behind more exhaust gas, than a Prius or a Smart For-Two. For pickups, the responsible path is to maximize efficiency while continuing to support so many ambitious, let's-grab-life activities. "They're continuing to work on improving the gas mileage, but that doesn't happen overnight," opined Henry Nassar in Lawrence. Across the Merrimack in Haverhill, Ann Regan concurred that "Ford is driven to supply the consumer with a fuel-efficient vehicle for the future." Finally, we should salute America's best-selling vehicle because its creator, Ford Motor Co., has itself demonstrated so much courageous independence. Alone among American auto companies, Ford said no to government bailout money early this year. Its rivals that grabbed the cash saw, with startling swiftness, the government take over their operations. Bravo to Ford for hanging tough, managing wisely and introducing a new F-150 pickup truck that matches the desires of mass America, not its detractors. Bravo to Ford for remaining an independent company. Long live its freedom. And ours. ÔÇ°ÔÇ°ÔÇ° Jeffrey Zygmont has written about automobiles since 1982. Based in Salem, N.H., he writes books and articles about innovation, technology and culture. He can be contacted through the Web site www.jeffreyzygmont.com
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