11 Times Ford Crushed the Competition in 2024: Ford Awards
Ford trucks and SUVs took home an impressive amount of significant awards this year. Here are 11 of their biggest wins for Super Duty, F-150, Maverick, & More!
Intro
2024 is winding down but it has been a successful one for Ford trucks and SUVs. Not only have sales been strong but they have added quite a few trophies to the Ford trophy case. We thought it would be a good time to highlight some of the awards that Ford trucks and SUVs won during 2024. As impressive as this list is, it isn’t comprehensive. We had to keep the list manageable, so we didn’t include any EVs or the Mustang. We also didn’t include the Edge or Escape. But if you want to see the full list Ford has an awards page that you can visit. The following is what we think were the most impressive wins of 2024.
1. Super Duty – 2024 North American Truck of the Year
The North American Car, Utility, and Truck awards committee named the Ford Super Duty the 2024 North American Truck of the Year. Does that sound familiar? It should. This is the fourth year in a row that the Super Duty won this award. The committee loves the combination of the workhouse powertrain and the class-exclusive features like Pro Trailer Hitch Assist, Onboard Scales, and Smart Hitch.
2. Super Duty – J.D. Power Most Dependable Heavy-Duty Truck 2024
The J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study was based on feedback from drivers after three years of ownership. And what was found was that the 2021 Ford Super Duty is the most dependable large heavy-duty pickup. “The Ford Super Duty is a deserving winner in the Large Heavy-Duty Pickup segment, and it exemplifies outstanding dependability in the first three years of ownership,” said Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking, J.D. Power.
3. Super Duty – J.D. Power Most Appealing Heavy-Duty Truck 2024
The Super Duty grabs another J.D. Power award, this time it is the winner in the 2024 U.S. Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study. This study measures the owner’s connection with their vehicle and their level of excitement over it. The Ford Super Duty always comes with high expectations, and yet, it always seems to exceed those lofty expectations.
4. F-150 Raptor R – 2024 KBB Most Powerful Super Truck
As you probably already know, the 2024 Ford F-150 Raptor R has an updated 5.2L supercharged V8 engine under the hood. It makes a staggering 720 horsepower. In the 2024 KBB battle of the super trucks that is enough power to put the Raptor R on top. The closest competitor was the RAM TRX, but that model has been killed and will be replaced with a less powerful twin-turbo 6-cylinder model. The Raptor R soldiers on as the top super truck. (Assuming one doesn't include EV trucks at least.)
5. F-150 – 2024 KBB Best Buy Award for Full-Size Trucks
KBB named the Ford F-150 the Best Buy Full-Size Truck for 2024. They called out the best-in-class payload and towing, available BlueCruise hands-free driving technology, and outstanding luxury and off-road trims as the main reasons for its decision. There is a reason why these trucks have been the best-selling in America for decades.
6. Bronco – 2024 KBB #1 Best Resale Value Award/Best Resale Value Award for Off-Road SUVs
New cars, trucks and SUVs are expensive, and getting more expensive every day. And while a lot of people fixate on the MSRP, there is another major expense related to buying a new vehicle, depreciation. When you invest tens of thousands of dollars in a new SUV you would like for it to maintain as much of that value as possible. And this is one area where the Bronco excels. In the Off-Road SUV category, KBB named the Ford Bronco as the best in resale value. It was also ranked number one overall out of all vehicles. The expected 5-year resale value of the Bronco is 66.7 percent.
7. Maverick – 2024 KBB Best Buy Award Compact Trucks
The F-150 took home the KBB Best Buy Award for Full-Size trucks, and the Maverick took home the trophy in the compact truck category. KBB was impressed by the exceptional fuel economy that comes with the hybrid engine, strong acceleration from the 2.0L EcoBoost, the 4,000-pound towing and 1,500-pound payload capacities, and the Tremor package option. As awesome as the Super Duty and F-150 trucks are, not every needs or can afford them. For a lot of people, the Maverick is more than enough, and KBB agrees.
8. Maverick – 2024 KBB Top 10 Best Resale Value/Best Resale Value for Compact Trucks
As we mentioned in the Bronco award section, depreciation is a major expense when buying a new vehicle. But the compact Maverick not only has a friendly starting price, but it also holds onto that value better that any other truck in its class. In addition, the Maverick ranked in the top ten overall out of all available vehicles. The expected 5-year resale value of the Maverick is 54.0 percent.
9. Expedition – 2024 KBB Best Buy Award for Full-Size SUVs
It was not just Ford trucks that took home the KBB Best Buy Awards in 2024, the Expedition took home the prize in the full-size SUV category. It was given the honor thanks to the 440 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque available with the high-output 3.5L EcoBoost V6. It also got high marks for the 9,300-pound towing capacity, intuitive infotainment and towing technology, the standard suite of safety technology, and the general roominess and comfort offered. If you need or want a full-size SUV the Ford Expedition is an excellent choice.
10. Explorer – 2024 IIHS Top Safety Pick+
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is an independent, non-profit organization that tests the safety of vehicles offered for sale in America. Their top award is the Top Safety Pick+ designation. 32 mid-size SUVs were tested and only 7 were named as a Top Safety Pick+ for 2024. One of those 7 vehicles was the Ford Explorer. Safety is obviously an important aspect to consider when looking for a family vehicle such as a mid-size SUV. It is reassuring to see that the Explorer aced the test.
11. Bronco Sport – J.D. Power Highest Initial Quality for Small SUVs 2024
The Bronco Sport lives in the shadow of its big brother, but this is one thing that the Sport can brag about that the regular Bronco can’t. The Bronco Sport won the J.D. Power Highest Initial Quality for Small SUVs award in 2024. The study is based on responses from 99,144 purchasers and lessees of new 2024 model-year vehicles who were surveyed after 90 days of ownership. The study asks a comprehensive set of 227 questions regarding any reported problems, repairs, or dissatisfaction with the vehicle. The industry average at the brand level is 195 problems reported per 100 vehicles (PP100). Ford ranked significantly above average with only 179 PP100. That is just behind Lexus but ahead of Honda. The highest ranked small SUV in the study was the Bronco Sport.
Honorable mention goes to the Ford Explorer, Edge, Maverick, and Super Duty which all ranked in the top three of their respective vehicle segments.
Images: Ford