2007 Ford F-150 Lariat
High Style Pickup

by Keith Burton

Quick Look:

1. Nicely Styled
2. Attractive Interior
3. Comfortable seats.
4. Center Console not as useful as other pickups
5. Very smooth and quiet ride
6. Good linear steering and handling, but brakes seem to delay somewhat. You tend to drive up to other vehicles quicker than you expect.
7. Rear door doesn’t open far enough, you can get trapped in the parking lot
8. Good acceleration
9. Excellent fit and finish, but materials seem not as luxurious as other premium pickups.
10. Gauges are mix of white faced dials and black, the fuel and temp gauges are black.

With all the hoopla over the new Toyota Tundra pickup that went on sale in February, it would be easy to forget about the really big player in pickup trucks, the 2007 Ford F-150. Day in and out, Ford sells more of these pickups than any other manufacturer and there are plenty of good reasons.

For 2007, Ford has continued to make improvements to their line of F series trucks and the F-150 Lariat in our review is a good example. Here's a full-sized pickup that is loaded with features and style, but with a rugged, overall goodness that is an easy reminder of why Ford has done so well with this truck over the years.

Our F-150 came equipped with a wealth of features, including a fine-looking and comfortable leather interior, a premium chrome package, which dress the truck up nicely, and a navigation system and DVD player for passengers in the back seat. We had the extended cab version and not the crew cab, and this is the model that most folks select.

Out truck also came equipped with a strong 300 hp 5.6 liter V8 that with the trucks five-speed automatic transmission, proved to be a good match. At the dragstrip, we say 0-60 times just over 8.7 seconds. This engine, transmission combination isn't as powerful as some of Ford's competitors, but it proved to be flexible and smooth running. Although we would have like to see better gas mileage. Our heavy footed soles found only an average of 15 mpg in combined city/hwy driving.

The 2007 Ford F-150 receives a standard tire-pressure-monitoring system (except heavy-duty payload package), new standard auxiliary audio input jack (on STX, XLT, FX and Lariat), a horsepower increase on the 4.6-liter V8 version to 248 and an E85-capable version on the 5.4-liter V8. The Lariat features a new grille and a new chrome grille surround on XLT.

What you will notice right away in driving the new F-150 is how quiet and smoothly this truck rides. Ford's engineers have been boasting that they have been working to be the class leaders on cutting the noise and overall ride harshness typical of pickup trucks, and their work really show off here. The F-150 Lariat feels more like a luxury sedan than a pickup truck, which makes this truck a comfortable daily driver and commuter vehicle (if you can handle the fuel use).

Steering is light but offers good feedback, the engine steps the truck off smartly from a dead stop and the brakes are strong. Although I felt that the pedal play was a bit off-putting. When you first hit the pedal, there is a bit of delay, the the stopping power comes on strong. I have seen this in other vehicle, and you get used to it quickly, but brake pedal feel could be better.

On the road, the 2007 F-150 is extremely quiet with no hums or low frequency shudders, which are common on many other pickups. The truck handles smoothly around corners and there is good visibility to the sides. However, the large sides of the pickup bed do cut into visibility toward the rear of this truck.

Inside, the styling really shines with a truly elegant, but rugged-looking interior. We like the large gear selector in the center console, but wish the chrome cap had less of an edge. The dash is cool looking with easy-to-see gauges. The new navigation system works well and is fairly easy to use. But it also doubles up with the radio controls, which means you have to spend more time on settings than you like, which is distracting. At least once you have your radio stations set, the steering wheel controls will help keep your eyes on the road.

The front bucket seats are perfectly designed for the typical American male. They are large and comfortable, and while they are not "sport" bucket seats, they do offer decent side support. Ford also has wisely made available adjustable foot pedals, which we think should be on all vehicles. The pedals allow drivers of any height to position themselves properly in front of the steering wheel, and its airbag.

The rear seating for our F-150 Lariat offers plenty of room for three, though the short seat cushion doesn't make this a seat suitable for long-distance runs. Still, it has plenty of legroom and elbow room. And when you want to get it out of the way to load stuff in back, it just takes a second to lift out of the way.

Ford definitely has a good thing going with the truck's overall styling. Everywhere we went, people commented on how good looking the Lariat was. The new chrome grill, the step down side windows, all are appreciated. If their is one criticism over the design, it is that the pickup bed sides are too tall, which gives this truck a "thick" look. The tall bed also makes it nearly impossible to reach inside from the side, even if you are tall.

Obviously, our F-150 was a model that was very well equipped with many optional features including large 20-inch wheels and tires. So, not every F-150 might look as sharp as ours. But I have to tell you, Ford has done an outstanding job with this truck and their wide choice of equipment level puts this truck in price ranges that almost anyone looking for a truck can afford.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS