The new and improved 5.0L V8 makes the 2018 F-150 a strong choice, but a 2017 model can save you big bucks.
We’ve reached that time of the year when the 2017 Ford F-150 is still available at dealerships, even though the incoming 2018 model is making its debut. Although this happens every year, there are significant improvements on the new truck that might make future buyers scratch their heads as they shop for a good deal.
Ford Motor Company has announced the official power, payload, towing and pricing figures for the upcoming F-150. The 5.0L V8 has 10 horsepower and 13 lb-ft of torque more than its V8-powered predecessor, totaling at 395 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque for 2018. More importantly, the same combination offers best-in-class payload capacity of 3,270 lbs – which beats any gasoline or diesel-powered half-ton truck in America. Lastly, the new 10-speed automatic transmission yields EPA figures of 17 mpg city and 23 mpg highway and 19 mpg combined. That’s a respective two, one, and one mpg better than the outgoing V8-powered truck.
That leads us to our “Question of the Week.”
If you were in the market for a Ford F-150 with the 5.0L V8, would you opt for the more capable 2018 model and pay a little more, or stick with the slightly less powerful 2017 F-150 and save some coin?
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
