2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost One Year Review: Good, Bad, and Ugly
The 2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost is a powerful, and efficient tool that’s great for some and maybe too much for others.
By now, most every media outlet has driven and reviewed the 2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost, the very first hybrid version of America’s perennially best-selling pickup – including us. Most have been impressed with its power, capability, and impressive fuel economy, which is precisely the draw of owning a hybrid in the first place. However, Andre Smirnov of The Fast Lane Truck has actually owned a 2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost for just over a year now, and recently gave his long-term review on the pickup, which has some interesting thoughts.
For starters, the truck has been perfectly reliable over its first year of service, as one would expect from a new vehicle. But Smirnov’s favorite part about the F-150 is, of course, its 3.5-liter PowerBoost V6, which makes 430 horsepower and and 570 p0und-feet of torque and rocketed this particular pickup from 0-60 in just 5.6 seconds – impressive, indeed. It’s even solid off-road, even though this XL trimmed truck has regular old Pirelli Scorpion tires on it.
Ford’s award-winning Pro Power Onboard generator is another favorite feature, and Smirnov used it to power not only a house, but also charge multiple electric vehicles. But the fuel efficiency fell just short of the truck’s EPA combined rating of 23 mpg in this particular case at 21.4 mpg, though in all fairness, it’s been used to tow vehicles a lot – oftentimes up mountains – along with some off-roading, so that’s likely why Smirnov has experienced a dip in efficiency.
Inside the cabin, the cloth seats have proven to be comfortable and have held up well, though the cheap plastics present in the XL show some wear already. But a bigger concern has been the three check engine lights this truck has thrown, which have indicated a misfire in cold weather when filling up with gas, which could be related to fuel quality, as they went away by the next day.
As far as the bad goes, Smirnov isn’t a fan of the towing mirrors when he isn’t towing, and the F-150 overheated while towing near the truck’s max payload going up the Ike Gauntlet, though the truck reduced power and kept on chugging along with no problem, quickly cooling off once he stopped. The factory halogen headlights weren’t great either, and as is the case with all of these trucks, surface rust started showing up almost immediately underneath.
At the end of the day, Smirnov is pleased with his Ford F-150 PowerBoost and the truck fits his personal needs very well. He does point out, however, that the extra cost of the hybrid powerplant may not be worth it for some, which makes perfect sense. But for those that drive a lot and could benefit from the fuel savings, that extra cost may eventually pay off.
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