These Used F-150 Pickups Are Great For Towing On a Budget

Towing on a Budget

The Ford F-150 has always been a great all-rounder, a vehicle that's able to haul the whole family in comfort while also providing the sort of capability that folks who buy trucks need. However, with new vehicle prices skyrocketing, those that are looking to buy an F-150 to tow with might have a hard time finding a deal. Luckily, there are a few modern versions of the pickup that offer quite a bit of capability for a more reasonable price.

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2009-2014 Ford F-150

The 12th generation Ford F-150 - introduced for the 2009 model year - ushered in the modern era of that model as we currently know it, with updated styling and technology, not to mention the beloved 5.0-liter Coyote V8 and 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, both of which debuted for the 2011 model year. 

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2009-2014 Ford F-150

This particular generation of the F-150 still holds up today with reasonably modern styling and tech, but it also offers plenty of capability for the money - up to 11,300 pounds of max towing capacity, in fact, with prices ranging between around $6k and $15k, depending on spec.

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2015-2020 Ford F-150

The 13th generation Ford F-150 debuted for the 2015 model year as a brand new, redesigned vehicle, even though it looks a lot like its predecessor. However, the big news here is the introduction of an aluminum body that helped shave 700 pounds off the truck's curb weight, 

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2015-2020 Ford F-150

With some more engine revisions, this newer-gen F-150 can tow up to 13,200 pounds, which is plenty for most people's needs. Since it's newer, pricing is a bit higher than the previous-gen, as one might expect, but you can still get a nice one between $15k and $20k, which is significantly cheaper than a new F-150, though it's nearly as capable.

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Important Considerations

It is worth pointing out that max tow ratings vary significantly depending not only on the type of engine one chooses but also on the configuration. For example, the 2015 F-150's tow ratings range from 4,900-7,600 pounds for models equipped with the base 3.5-liter V6 to 7,300-8,500 pounds for the 2.7L V6, 8,200-11,000 pounds for the Coyote, and 9,900-12,200 pounds for the 3.5L EcoBoost.

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Max Capacity

Typically, the configuration that is capable of towing the most weight is a regular or SuperCab, a two-wheel-drive pickup with a more powerful engine and optional equipment, such as Ford's Max Trailer Tow Package. These aren't generally common combinations in the used vehicle market, so finding one might prove to be rather difficult. Regardless, there are some SuperCrew models out there that can tow nearly as much.

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