Hey folks,

I currently drive the Frontier, but I'm up for a new vehicle. The F-150 is top on my list, however I have to commute into the city every day, where I deal with traffic, small streets, and parking garages with low ceilings. As a result, I haven't pulled the trigger on it yet. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have a big truck, but not when dealing with the city everyday...hence the Frontier.

But, I drove into a Ford dealership the other day and noticed that some F-150s are giant, while others seem to be on the smaller side. This could be an optical illusion, but if not, what are the models/features I should be looking at to keep them on the smaller side?

Thanks

 

The trucks are all the same "size". The wheel base are different based on the cab/bed configuration. Also a 4x4 will sit higher than a 2x4.

So if you had a 4x4 Super Crew 6.5' bed sitting next to a 2wd Reg Cab Short bed, they are going to look completely different.

 

Welcome to FTE.

The F150 does come in 3 cab configurations. Regular, SuperCab and Super Crew(4 full doors)

They also come in a few different wheel bases. I know the supercrew come with a 5.5' bed or a 6.5' bed. The 5.5 is easier to handle in traffic and tight places.

You can go to Ford.com and "Build your own" vehicle to see many of the different options.

Best of luck!!!

 

Short answer: The F150 is classified as a "full size" truck. The Ranger was the small truck, comparable to the Frontier, but is no longer sold here.

You can get an F150 that is short enough for "downtown" city use, but the extra width beyond the Frontier will be noticeable when you try to park. I have the longest F150 (crew cab, 6.5 bed) and I have no dreams of taking it downtown. I'm not even sure I could get into a parking spot in a multi-level.

 

It's a shame they didn't update the Ranger instead of killing it, or ever release that long-rumored F-100. There's a definite market here. The reason their rangers didn't sell well was because they were so outdated. I looked at them when I got my Frontier and their was no chance I was gonna go for it. Ford just needs a younger brother of the F-150, just like the Frontier is the younger brother of the Titan. The two look identical, except the Frontier is smaller. It's what Ford needs to do.

Oh well...I digress. My wife has her Edge and loves it. I'll keep out hope for the F-100.

Thanks everyone

 

My Family and I were in Frisco last weekend.

It was funny, she commented as we were driving down 19th ave how small everyone else looked. This was our first trip from where we live (in the mountains) to the city in the new truck.

It was really weird. We were just there to play disc golf, got some prime street parking.

I would not want to try and find parking in most places.

I have 2013 SCREW 4x4

 

Supposedly a smaller truck is on the way. The problem Ford has, is that the Ranger (which is still offered overseas, as the T6 Ranger) has grown in size over the years to meet safety requirements and has become more expensive. It's basically 9/10's the size of an F150 now, yet still costs about the same to manufacturer, and doesn't really offer much in the way of a fuel economy advantage except with the expensive small diesels.

That's why they kept the old Ranger in the states, because it was smaller, the research and design work was already paid for, and it got good fuel economy for the money. However, that only lasted for so long, as eventually the design was so outdated they could no longer sell it due to tightening safety regulations.

What they looked at doing instead, was making a FWD/AWD based pickup. Likely on the same unibody platform as the Transit Connect small van. That would save costs, it would be small (yet safe), and would get better fuel fuel economy than any of the body on frame vehicles they offer. It would also be a more nimble and better handling trucklet.

Of course, the question to that then becomes, would people buy a city-sized, FWD based, unibody pickup truck?

Personally, what I think is going to happen, is that eventually the F-150 is going to shrink slightly so that it will basically merge with the T6 Ranger and become one worldwide truck design. That would fall in line with Ford's whole 'One Ford' mantra, where they no longer want to build totally separate designs for North America and for the rest of the world. They've already said that they want to drop ~700lbs out of the F150 for fuel economy, and the only way I can see them doing that without making the F150 ridiculously expensive, is by shrinking it a little bit.

 

My 2005 Lariat SCREW F150 I used to have fit in downtown denver and just fine inside multi-level car parking with a longer bed (6.5') than my 09. My new 2009 has the smaller bed (5.5') which I would think make it easier (haven't had chance to take it up to Denver yet). I have confidence that a 4.6L Eco SCREW with a 5.5 would get you your fuel economy for your commute and the size to park where needed. Hope you find one that fits you. Good luck!

 

I find my 2011 Scab truck to be very cumbersome in the city, my 2004 Expy is much more parking lot friendly with a tighter turning radius and overall shorter length.

Unless Ford brings the Ranger back to US shores, this will be my last new truck. I will hold on to this truck and buy a compact sedan as a DD and use the beast as needed.

 

Same here, only it's my wifes' Focus we drive when I'm downstate. You should have seen me with my supercab SD, with 8' box down there. Why is everything "ricersized" now a days? I'd take my Ranger, but don't really want the parking lot dings I'd likely get on a like new '04.

 

Regarding F-series sizes ...

We've got ...

• Wee
• not so Wee
• and FRICKIN' HUGE!

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-click- the pic'
Goth 150
< This space intentionally -blank- >

 

As much as I love my truck, it is a hassle to park and drive in the city. Im in the Detroit area so if I go into the city for a Tiger game, or if I go to Ann Arbor for a night out, I always ask whomever Im going with if they could drive. Hey, it saves on gas in that regard!

 

Know what ya mean! My wife lives in Garbage City. Over at Wasteland mall it's not bad in that area. My daughter lives over in the Republic of Ann Arbor, and that's BAD.

 

I have a super cab with the 6.5' bed and it is also 4x4. I work in the city. Not many places I can easily park in. Most parking garages are too low for me to even fit in. Luckily I can park on campus and not have to many issues parking.

 

Maybe this will solve my problem!

2014 Ford F-150 Tremor provides full-size performance in a smaller package - SlashGear

Anyone know what size we're talking about? Is this about the size of a Nissan Frontier?

*UPDATE:* Crap, just read it's regular cab only. Ford....You're killing me!