REVIEW 2015 Ford F-150 Platinum
Let’s start out with the obvious; I like this truck. But I should, considering the as-tested retail price is $62,095. There is more to the story than just the price with the 2015 Ford F-150 Platinum, as is the case with many vehicles. I just spent a week in Ford’s top-tier F-150 to see what makes the truck so special, and what options you might want to consider on your next purchase.
As I mentioned in the introductory post, this is the 2015 F-150 Platinum with 4-wheel drive, the FX4 off-road package, and the 3.5L EcoBoost V6. That engine makes 365 horsepower, and a healthy 420 lb-ft of torque. Oh, and it has fake engine noise.
Handling the shifting duties is Ford’s tried-and-true 6-speed automatic transmission. We won’t see a new 10-speed for a little while yet. There is both a Tow/Haul mode and a Sport mode selectable from the gear shift depending on what you’re looking for from shift points.
It drives pretty well. On the highway, the 3.55 gears keeps the revs on the engine fairly low, and help the truck eek out around 19 miles-per-gallon on normal driving. Try really hard, and you can see over 23.
The real question is, what sets this version apart from the XLT that I tested earlier in the year? The answer is, of course, features.
Exterior lighting is almost entirely LED, including quad-beam LED headlights with accent lighting. Spotter mirrors help light up the campsite or July 4th party nice and bright. Rear LED taillights let followers know quickly you’ve hit the stoppers.
I’m a fan of LED headlights. They are extremely bright at night, and generally cast a wide beam. It makes it easy to spot animals, especially deer, before the cross in the road for you to hit. I won’t own another vehicle without them.
https://youtu.be/VjmTDSsa7vM
Out back, you also get an automatic lowering tailgate that can be activated by a button on the key fob. Tap the button twice, and the soft-open tailgate drops giving you access to the bed. There’s even a smart key sensor in the tailgate, so if you press the button on the tailgate to open the gate, it’ll unlock the tailgate (as long as you have the intelligent key on you). The tailgate locks with the truck on 2015 models.
Inside, there’s leather trim everywhere, which feels better to me than the leather in the King Ranch models. Also, on the SuperCrew trim, there’s TONS of rear seat space for adults. I’ve been in full-size cars without as much space for people in the rear. The seats are also heated in the rear.
To get work done, there’s a 110v plug both front and rear that supports devices up to 400w. That’s enough to power a fog machine; not just a laptop computer.
Front seats are heated and cooled, and also have a massage function. While it sounds silly at first, you get used to them very quickly.
A panoramic moonroof, available on the SuperCrew trims, is actually a heck of a deal at $1,295, and an option I’d choose every time.
The Platinum F-150 has all the driver aids you can find on other Fords, including blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and a trick 360° camera system. The only option box not checked was the automatic parallel parking feature.
You might think a number of these extra options are frivolous in a truck, Â and you can fortunately still order a truck from Ford with just the options you want. For those looking for one vehicle that can replace two, the 2015 F-150 Platinum is certainly the truck to do it.
What do you think? Let us know over in the forums!
