Next Generation F-150. (What would you like to see?)
 

I figure the 2009+ fourms is as good a place as any to post this.

This is just a for fun thing, I thought about. Today I was thinking about trucks and all, and I started wondering what the next Gen F-150's would look and perform like. And then I thought well...I wonder what every one else thinks? So anyway here it is.

I hear Ford is considering using Aluminum and Magnisum components to lighten the next truck by as much as 1,000lbs. As of 2011 Ford introduced 4 new engines, each of them more powerful and more ecomical than the engine it replace's. If Ford actually shave's that much weight off the F-150 those pesky C.A.F.E standerds may not be that hard to hit after all.

But anyway, What are your thoughts on the subject?
What would you like to see in the next gen F-150?

Also, What do NOT want them to do? Is there something you are afraid they may change that would mess what the F-150 is up? If so post about it!

You wonder what Ford might change in it. As far as what would be good is like the boxes in the bed side like Ram has. An maybe put like some more places to put stuff in the cab like a stow an go type thing.

I want to see the 6.2L engine available in the Supercrew with the 6.5' bed. ALso make more of the options not tied to packages.

id like to see the 6.2L available in the xlt package

I'd like to see it go on a diet.

would like to see the 6.2 and EB a option on ANY f-150. from a Reg cab, 2wd short bed to anything else. lightning anyone?

One-touch down and UP on all 4 windows from the drivers switch panel...

Brandon

30 mpg :)

I'd like to see the power folding running board on Lariats.

I'd like to see less busy interior colors on the Platinum. I'm skipping buying a Platinum for a Lariat because the interior color schemes are not only ugly but busy (and I'm not happy about the busy interior color schemes on the Lariats either). Look at your 2008 Lariats interior color schemes for inspiration.

I'd like to see 18" wheels available on the Platinum. We have frost-heaved roads and potholes deep enough to bend wheels here. Work with us.

I'd like to see the storage space in the fold-down arm rest in the bench seat be at least as big as the prior 04-08 version of the F150. Why is it smaller now? What were you thinking?

I'd like to see the armrest raised in relationship to the seat by 1/2"

I'd like to see a backup camera that isn't fuzzy and is predictive (meaning that the lines move with the steering wheel) and with a center line. The current fuztastic backup camera sucks. Why?

While we're at it, add a front camera option to the premium line. Ford, go drive an Infinity for inspiration.

In rural Minnesota night driving while avoiding critters can sometimes take on a surreal video game aspect. As a result of my "see and swerve" ideal, adding optional Xenon HID lights to the XLT, FX, and Lariat lines would be welcome.

I'd like to see power memory tilt added as an option from the Platinum to the Lariat.

I'd like to see larger size fuel tanks available on all trims and with all engines. The best feature of the truck is big fuel tanks.

I'd like to see a 3.55 e-locker differential made available without the off-road package and available without popping into 4 wheel drive as well as an option for an e-locker front differential. I'd like to think that my F150 can make it though a muddy field as well as a Range Rover but it never will without locking differentials. Be the first to market locking front and rear differentials, Ford.

I'd like to see a diesel option in the half ton not because I need more torque but because I want more economy without sacrificing torque.

I'd like to see the Navigation system and any other radios work well with Apple's products. Apple has something like 80% market share and is still expanding their market share. Stop designing for marginal product markets and begin catering first to the dominant market.

I'd like to see the Navigation system made available on the XLT trim.

It gets cold in Minnesota so keep all controls that matter like environmental controls as real buttons that work with gloves on and not as touch screens that do not work with gloves on as you did in your new Explorer and Edge.

- Larger fuel tank with EB!!!! No brainer.
- Driver side A pillar grab handle
- A real armrest on buckets... Like my '98. Or raise the center console.
- A recline funtion @ ear crew seats. Lots of room, still lacking enough comfort. Even cheap rear Escape seats recline for years now...
- 4wd knob that lights up
- Hydraulic/liquid fillied body mounts.
- 6.2L available in more trim levels. (FX4 for starters)
- Enhance the 6.2L with 4v heads.
- Ultimate dream scenario: EB 6.2L (heck I'd take a EB of any size if it was a V8 so I could enjoy the new kick azz V8 sound)
- 5.0L available with max tow pkg
- Smoked tails with no clear edge that looks white.
- LED 3rd brake light (Raptor) and LED tails at least optional.
- NO GOOFY LED DRLs like the new edge..
- New mount for front License plate on EB trucks thats not off center.
- Tilt/Telescoping wheel that tilts higher than '11s.
- High end stereo where sub doesn't cut out at higher volumes.
- Trailer wiring plugs mounted higher, not below and in from bumper edge.
- Neutral setting on 4wd models.
- E-locker that can be engaged while in 2wd (Raptor)
- Make power folding TT mirrors an option for max tow trucks.
- Would like to see a bump in GAWRs.

I'm sure I'll think of more.

Two speed rear end with a couple of options. 3.15 and 4.30 would be nice. Actually I'd like to see this across the entire truck line. Make the front diff the lower of the two ratios. Also an option for airbags in the rear that self level and dump for lower bed height.

Mike

Agreed. I think it's fine outside, but inside I feel like the plastic is swelling more and more with every generation. I miss the days of the cavernous, wide-open cabins. The interior on alot of these new trucks (and cars) is suffocating. I guess it's okay now, because the F150 is such a big truck, but any more plastic and I won't have room for both of my knees.

OK, here I go:

Trash all engines and have a complete ecoboost engine line-up
Continue to tweak the 6 speed tranny
E-locker available on 4x2 models
Front winch option on FX4 or offroad packages
A-pillar grab handle
More interior color options
Better front inner fenders for engine bay protection
Continue to strengthen and lighten the trucks
Cab clearance lights option
Sat radio standard
Rear window defroster standard
Slightly larger Scab
7700 lb package available on Screw and Scab models with 6.5' bed.
Expand the XLT custom package

Don't add any more trim levels.

To be all honest I am going to order a 2011 FX4 Extended cab this summer. I'm opting for the 5.0L V8. But if Ford offered the 6.2L in it, I don't know if I could resist the temptation of having 411 angry horses under the hood. Not to say the 5.0L wont cut it. I test drove a 5.0L and WOW what an engine!! And without a doubt the 5.0L will get much better mileage than the big 6.2L. But big V8's always do have that allure.

So I too would like to see the 6.2L available on more trim lines. Personally I think it should at least be avaible on the XLT, FX4 and FX2. I would also like to see the 6.2L go from a 2v SOHC to 4v DOHC like the 5.0L, Maybe add Direct Injection to all engines that don't already have it. I also agree with the commenter who said they would like to see an Ecoboosted 5.0L and 6.2L become an option. I too would be much more inclined to opt Ecboost if I could get it with that sweet V8 rumble.

A small V6 or V8 diesel option would be a nice addition to the new engine family, And IF they ever do get around to putting a Diesel in the F-150 it would need to be offered in ALL trim levels. From XL all the way to Platinum.

The diet seems to be the most concrete rumor I've heard of. I think that these trucks losing weight would be just fine as long as it didn't hinder any of the stabilty or saftey when towing. And personally I don't Ford or any other manufacture needs to worry about raising the 1/2 ton towing bar any higher...11,300lbs is in all truth excessive for any 1/2 ton. Instead of raising the bar now they need to focus on making these trucks tow what their already rated at...More comfortably.

Another thing I would like to see, is a optional (Front Locker) on 4x4 models. (Standered) on FX4 and Raptors.

The Raptor is awesome and I think its great that someone at Ford greenlighted the Raptor for production. But I would like to see a couple more specialty trucks. For example, I would like to see a Ford Lightning (Like) truck. Perhaps take a Regular cab short bed 2WD XL or XLT and stuff a supercharged 5.0L or 6.2L in it with a stout 3:73 or 4:10 rear end. Lower its stance some, take the speed govener off of it and give it some grippy street tires and stonger brakes and boom! You've got a modern day Lightning.

I would also like to see, (And I think this would be more of a Superduty application) But I would like to see Ford make a truck that competes directly with the Dodge Power Wagon. A tall 4WD with front and rear lockers and maybe a 4:10 or 4:88 gear set.

I'm sure I could think of other things I would like to see done.

I would like to see them shrink back to the size of the 80s and 90s.They are getting too big.

I am liking these ideas...Some I would like to see:

Redesigned doors/windows so the rattles and broken accuators stop. Also, living here in MN the doors never latch well in cold weather and ice snow builds up between the cab and door space

SOFTER INTERIOR MATERIALS!! Again living in a cold state, the current materials creak/rattle/groan waaay too much for my liking when cold

Better design of the windshield wipers and cowling area. Perhaps a heated reservoir for fluid and heat the area where the wipers meet the glass

Electroluminescent gauges

Better quality interior carpet/cloth seats

Already mentioned, but get better wheel wheel protection!! Way too much space for mud and water to get inside engine bay

Already mentioned, but lose some weight and get the Hydraulic Assist Technology up and running for 2012!!

Already mentioned, but illuminate the 4x4 knob!!

Already mentioned, but allow for diff. lock to engage in 2wd

HID headlights

Already mentioned, but expand Ecoboost line into 5.0

THIS! It's probably my biggest gripe about the interior of my new truck, I can't see any reason why they had to make that space so small, the armrest is the same size, so why would the inside of the arm rest have gotten smaller? That and giving us back the A-pillar grab handle would make me an even happier new truck owner.

Oh, and if they could put these things on a bit of a diet without sacrificing too much capability then I would consider that something of a plus as well.

Great ideas here from everyone. One question though......how is everyone going to react when things like this are implemented and the cost of a new truck goes way higher than it is now? I mean right now you can option an F-150 to an MSRP north of $54k. How much is this kind of stuff going to add to that? Just curious.

I would like to see a regular cab truck with roll down windows and the 6.2. You know a real truck for hauling stuff without the 42K price tag. Dang, do you have to be rich to haul a big boat?

Been saying that sence 2004 !:cool:

While already mentioned, I think the most economically sensible yet still great change would be to make drivetrains options not so attached to trim packages. F150s are not cheap trucks anymore, and if one could get almost any engine with any trim they could tailor the truck to their likings and buy something they can afford.

I agree that a lot of these luxury addition ideas will only drive prices up and only serve those who buy top dollar trucks. Unless they are only options, all will suffer the price hike.

I think a diesel option would be cool, but at this point I don't see the point in it. The ecoboost is accomplishing what a diesel would in a half ton, but with a motor that uses fuel that has been much cheaper for the past few years. Don't get me wrong, I have a 7.3 PSD Excursion with 270,000 miles on it that I love for the longevity and towing abilities, but I don't think a diesel would sell well in a half ton. Diesel prices are too high now. The towing advantage would be little if any unless displacement was relatively high, and therefore, fuel economy lower. And as for longevity, I think all of these new motors can be expected to be reliable and good for 250,000+ miles if treated well. I think the customers that want a diesel for towing would rather have a Super Duty.

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I'm willing to pay to play. I think Ford just needs to be careful not to make everything as standard features but at the same time not corner some really cool options to one model or trim level. The 6.2L is going to be a rare bird because you gotta reach way up on the top shelf to get it. And that's too bad. The same goes for the basic 3.7L XL & STX regular cab, V6 trucks. They're decked out with power this and roll stability that when you just really want an inexpensive commuter/job truck. There's my 2 cents

dunno, I guess that it depends on which of these things we've asked for they give us and how much the prices jump for those things but... in general I would be willing to pay SOME additional $$$ for SOME of the things listed thus far and if they had been in the option book then what is sitting in my driveway right now might be a somehwat different (and thus possibly more expensive) truck than what is there. Granted that you CAN spec an F-150 out into the 50k+ range but, my nicely equipped XLT came in at an MSRP of 36,995 so, even if we added a couple of grand to that we'd still be looking at a sub 40k truck which is a number I could learn to live with (for the right truck).

Sounds good. And don't get me wrong here, I'm not knocking any of the ideas. In fact, quite the contrary....I think there are a lot of great ideas here. I just question how much it may end up hurting Ford if the prices keep going through the roof. Of course, the same can be said for the Super Duty trucks and a lot of the rest of the lineup as well.

only two things i want
#1 a six speed that dont kick in and out of 1st to 2ND and back down 2ND to 1st hits so hard it makes me think i just got hit!
#2 better gas milage or a diesel that will have great milage!
oh hell make it 3
#3 back seats that recline

Make a Truck thats a Truck
 

They need to bring back a 150 XL long bed, reg cab, big engine, max tow. If you want a good work truck to tow and carry without spending 35k+. i.e
reg cab, long bed,6.2l,vinyl seats, vinyl floor, 6sp auto or 5sp man, and power nothing. Yes you can do this is a SD but I want it in a 150. Years ago ford gave us those options with the F100, F250 and, F350.

Bring back the option of a Basic work truck when a Truck was a Truck

John does bring up a good point about price though. It's important to improve on what's there and yet be care on what you really want.

As a for instance: An STX truck carries nearly the same price as an XLT. This shouldn't be happening. The STX and FX4 look the same, why buy the STX for none other than saving money?

I can remember in the '80-'96 models when the XLT Lariat was the cat's meow. Now the XLT is a base model truck with features available on the XL and STX models and it's still very pricey. Trucks have evolved and for the better.

I am sick of Ford's signature grey and tan interiors. Ford is doing some pretty cool interior choices on the SD's, howbout the F-150's?

But, to be totally honest with you guys, I think the future of trucks is changing in a away that many purists will not like. I personally believe that F-150 will eventually become unibody trucks, front wheel drive with locking rear axle and will take on the persona of a heavier duty Honda Ridgeline type of vehicle. For those that need / want more, the SD will answer the call.

Tim, are you hinting at a truck based off the new Explorer platform? Honestly, I would have to agree with you somewhat on this one. If you think about what 90% of the light duty/half ton truck owners out there do with their trucks, a unibody truck fits the bill. Sure it's not the most appealing from a "truck" standpoint, but if it meant lighter weight, better ride, could still take 1000-1500lbs in the bed, and could capably/safely tow 8000lbs then what more would a light duty/half ton owner need?
I actually considered the Ridgeline this past summer in my search, but I just couldn't get past the exterior looks. It fit my needs perfectly across the rest of my search though, aside from needing a slightly longer bed.

Don't think it will ever happen but I would like to see a F100 the size of the first generation Tundra.I love my 2011 F150 and it gets 18 to 20 MPG but it is just too big.The same engine and gears in a 1000lb lighter and smaller truck should get 22 to 24 MPG.

WV-150 you are right when i got my 2009 f-150screw after trading in my 06 screw ,
i could not believe how much bigger it is

Raptor
 

I would like to see the F150 redesigned with some of the Raptor styling.

Someone mentioned the grab handle for the driver side. I just traded in my 02 F150 FX4 for a 11 F150 FX4 and really miss the handle.

I wouldn't necessarily say quite that small but similar in nature.

WOW! I was really expecting to get hammered for my post! C'mon guys, keep this great thread rolling with more awesome ideas.

A small unibody truck is certainly an interesting idea. I can't help but thinking that the industry is going that direction. It seems like every truck has to have comfortable seating for the whole family, and all the SUVs are going unibody. With all the CUVs coming out, I don't think it's a unibody truck is impossible, or even a bad idea.

...As long as it stays R/A/4WD.

I am one of the purist I am afraid. I really don't like the idea of a watered down Unibody Front wheeler F-150. Hopefully IMO it will never come to that. After I get my 2011 FX4 I'll hang on to that for 15 or 20 years before I'll be in the market for a new truck again. If at that time, that is what the F-150 has become, I'll most likely start looking into the Base Model Superduty lineup.

But alas...The only one's who know what the future holds for the F-150 are those who are designing them now.

However to be all honest I don't know how well a true Unibody Front Wheel Drive F-150 would fly with the Ford Truck Community. For example, I came across this thread on another site a few months ago. Someone on it suggjested that the F-150 should go Unibody like the Honda Ridgeline and the memebers of that site crucified him.

(Here's the thread)
Should the F-150 go unibody? - F150online Forums

The unibody discussion is an interesting one that can be argued for years. Literally. There are some good unibody construction vehicles out there i.e. XJ and ZJ Jeeps have been unibody for years. They're still pretty good off the pavement, even in stock setup. IIRC isn't the HUMVEE (original Hummer, military spec) unibody too? Sure there are plenty of unibody designs that are horrible, but simply because something is unibody does not automatically rule it incapable.
So it's definitely possible to make a strong unibody chassis, but is it worth it to Ford? Time will tell. Ford ultimately has to play its cards in favor of the masses, and not the 1%ers (like many of us here). The SD trucks are there for a reason, and if you need big hauling capacity, you'll ultimately end up there without even thinking half-ton. BUT for the 90% of the half-ton market that spend most of the week commuting in their trucks, grabbing a load of mulch and some household items on the weekends, and needs something with some size that can haul the family and gear, then yes I think a lighter, slightly slimmer, more efficient unibody truck is a good idea.

I for one would love to see the trucks go on a diet, but I understand why they are heavier. I'll gladly sacrifice a little efficiency if my occupant's safety is at its highest.

Next Generation F-150. What would I like to see?, my new 2011 F150 Lariat 6.2L be delivered some time next week as they are telling me....for crying out loud, THE WAITING IS KILLING ME!!!! :)

uhmmm, sorry about that, I'm just a little excited as you could see. Thanks for understanding.


I do wish FoMoCo would try to cater to their customers a little more and offer any engine options, packages, etc across all the lines so that everyone could benefit regardless of budget and build their own custom dream. The F150 has been the best selling vehicle for how long now? Ford really should give a little back now for the loyalty the customers have shown over time and offer better choices for everyone.

I didn't mean to steer us top far of course but a front drive F-150 isn't too far beyond the realm of possibility.

I also like Dodge's bed compartments, likewise Nissan did a nice lower storage on the Titan.

I think an optional onboard air compressor would be cool too.

I hope that Ford doesn't go that far off in left field Tim. The front wheel drive, that is.

I think they risk alienating a lot of truck customers if they make a unibody truck with front wheel drive and hang an F-150 badge on it. Now coming out with a Ranger replacement like that wouldn't be as bad.

Truck buyers are fiercely loyal and dropping a bomb like that on loyal Ford customers could potentially drive away more sales than it ever gains them.

Oh yeah, I mean I actually took an old Jeep Comanche Pickup up threw some mountains in New Mexico last July and it was very capable offroad despite being a unibody design. And beleive me, the whole point of the trip was for offroad recreation so I was looking for the hardest possible route to take. Keep in mind the particular rig I took was slightly modified with a lift and larger tires. But other than that it was all stock. It went threw every mud hole, riverbed and hillside (Except for one) without much complaint.

I think I would feel more comfortable with a Unibody setup if it was done in this manner and not like a (Ridgeline). If they kept the F-150 a RWD/4WD setup with a very Jeep like Unibody setup it may not be such a hard thing to swallow, but if it were done the wrong way, ''And in my book the right way and the wrong way are on a very fine line'' then I would be looking at a baseline Superduty instead.

But as you already stated. Only time will tell what changes will actually be made and what is just speculation.

Ah I remember now... A dead pedal would be great! Find a way to make it work with the parking brake. :-headbang