Performance
Fleet Owner
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 24,724
Likes: 74
From: Blue Hill Township
Buy a F250 for all of Your heavy towing needs. Oh I forgot, We don't need a F250 anymore, We have the allmighty F150. So they might as well quit building the F250. It'll prolly save the corporation millions.
On edit: I better hurry up and sell My 15 YO trucks. They seem to be useless at towing/hauling. And it sounds like I'll die, if I ever get into an accident in one... very scary. I mean, I'll never survive a rollover, because my cab isn't heavy enough, right?
Come to think of it, maybe that's why my *** is numb after a 3 hr road trip. My old seats aren't air cooled.
Geese, Thanks guy's, I see the light, again! It's good to be a lemming. I should have started following blindly years ago.
On edit: I better hurry up and sell My 15 YO trucks. They seem to be useless at towing/hauling. And it sounds like I'll die, if I ever get into an accident in one... very scary. I mean, I'll never survive a rollover, because my cab isn't heavy enough, right?
Come to think of it, maybe that's why my *** is numb after a 3 hr road trip. My old seats aren't air cooled.
Geese, Thanks guy's, I see the light, again! It's good to be a lemming. I should have started following blindly years ago.
Elder User
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 819
Likes: 0
From: Denver USA
Last time I checked, all companies are having problems with every class of truck sales. Not soley limited to the domestics or Ford in general.
Guy needs to practice what he preaches.
Like others have stated, federally regulated safety equipment and emissions crap have hurt both the weight and efficiency of the newer trucks. Put all these items on an '80s model truck/motor and it would be just about as heavy but even less powerful and less efficient than what we have today.
Not saying 25mpgs in a 1/2 ton isn't possible, just think it'll take a few more years to get there.
Yup, and what Falcon can tow 7K+ lbs with and 8ft bed?
And does that 85 F250 have the required safety equipment and emissions requirements that trucks do today?
Wasn't the 4.2L killed in the F150 for the '09+ models, being it was less efficient than the 4.6L 2V & 3V motors?
+1
Guy needs to practice what he preaches.
Not saying 25mpgs in a 1/2 ton isn't possible, just think it'll take a few more years to get there.
And does that 85 F250 have the required safety equipment and emissions requirements that trucks do today?
I think its very possible as well. Like I said, my truck gets 22 on the highway. If it was lightened a little bit and a more fuel efficient engine put in it, I'm sure it could get 25. And yes, i just say a more fuel efficient engine, but I know there are more efficient engines out there than the 4.2. I know alot of people, including me, that could care less about anything power on a vehicle. It just takes up weight, costs more, and is more to tear up.
Thats a desiel which is why the EPA has a problem with it. The cars I'm talking about are gasoline.
I think one of the things is all the weight modern cars have. Just shaving that down would save alot. Those old escorts and festivas weight 2000 or less. A new focus comes in around 2600 or so. A classic mustang is 3000 or less. A new one is over 3500
I think one of the things is all the weight modern cars have. Just shaving that down would save alot. Those old escorts and festivas weight 2000 or less. A new focus comes in around 2600 or so. A classic mustang is 3000 or less. A new one is over 3500
Super Moderator
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 25,479
Likes: 738
From: Isanti, MN
I think its very possible as well. Like I said, my truck gets 22 on the highway. If it was lightened a little bit and a more fuel efficient engine put in it, I'm sure it could get 25. And yes, i just say a more fuel efficient engine, but I know there are more efficient engines out there than the 4.2. I know alot of people, including me, that could care less about anything power on a vehicle. It just takes up weight, costs more, and is more to tear up.
An automatic V6 is rated at 14/19, while a manual tranny is 14/20.
Everyone wants to see 25 MPGs, but when they say that...they are looking for an EPA 25 MPG highway. Sure, I can get over 20 in my truck...but certainly not all the time. Ford can't even use those numbers, because they are meaningless. Let's compare apples to apples, shall we?
Yours = 14/20
People want: 20/25.
Muuuch harder to do!
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,297
Likes: 34
From: S/W Virginia
Harder to do, but still possible I think.
I guess we'll see in the years to come. The time will come when they manufacturers will have to do something because people will stop buying them
I guess we'll see in the years to come. The time will come when they manufacturers will have to do something because people will stop buying them
Super Moderator
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 25,479
Likes: 738
From: Isanti, MN
The time will come when they manufacturers will have to do something because people will stop buying them
I'm not sure people will EVER stop needing capable vehicles for work and/or play. I just can't see a future where NOBODY ever tows a trailer, hauls things, or takes their vehicles off of a paved road.
There was an interesting article I read a few months ago, about the "death of the midsize SUV". It was talking about how cars like the Explorer, Blazer, Durango, etc. where a dying breed, as they were not powerful enough to tow heavy loads, and thus weren't economical anymore to own. Those NOT needing a towing machine have been opting to "crossovers", which are just as roomy, without the truck based driveline. Large SUVs and pickups, however, were predicted to soldier on, even in the face of high oil prices, as there will always be people who NEED the capacity.
Now, especially since oil is back down again, I'm not sure what you mean when you say people will stop buying them. They may not buy so many of them, which is what's happening now, but I don't understand why you feel they'd ever go away.
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 7,698
Likes: 4
From: Neenah, Wisconsin
Actually...now that you mention it....
2001 F-150
2004
Which one do you prefer? the heavier cab....or the lighter one?
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 937
Likes: 0
That was an issue that seem to be isolated to the Supercab models (lack of a B-pillar allowed the cab to "accordion" too easily). Dumb design, but if you've got a RC or S'Crew 97-03 you're much better off.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,684
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix, AZ
Well yeah, everyone knows, speed kills, so he wouldn't have been going that fast. They were obviously going for 0-60 times. On a treadmill. And it got 25mpg.
Elder User
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 819
Likes: 0
From: Denver USA
Now of course there was $16.5K worth of damage (including labor), which the insurance company ended up fixing, when the truck only KBB'd at $17K. Trucks frame was slightly tweaked due where the tow hooks made contact, which they ended up replacing the entire frame. Truck was in the shop 2 months (10/06), which 2 months (12/06) after I got it back, I traded it for my '06 F150 and got $16K for my trade.
Had just put the rubber on the truck, but couldn't swap to my '06, since the '06 had 18's and the '02 had 17's.
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 7,698
Likes: 4
From: Neenah, Wisconsin
You hit a moveable object.....crash tests are designed to mimick hitting a bridge piling, large tree, concrete barrier, ect. Hitting another vehicle is rarely as fatal or damaging as hitting a solid, imoveable, hard object.
Elder User
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 819
Likes: 0
From: Denver USA
Can anyone tell us how this F150 stacked up against the competition at the time of release (was a 1997 model release in 1996)?
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,684
Likes: 0
From: Phoenix, AZ
