INTRODUCTION

Flash back to Fall of 1996. My Wife and I entered a Ford dealership for the first time, having committed to memory the myriad of plaudits heaped upon the all-new and radically redesigned 1997 Ford F-150 pickup truck. I was a car guy, but the photos of that white supercab with the flareside bed were destined to convert me. After all, this truck was a total departure from the boxes with beds we were so used to seeing.

Glancing around the lot for a moment, we see our future conveyance sitting alongside the boxy and no longer modern 1996 model. Collectively, we agree why we did not like pickup trucks. We then cast our eyes on the 1997 for the first time, with curves and grunt to match, we were instantly turned into a truck family. History went by. F-150online was launched. Enthusiasts gathered. 75,000 miles rang up on the odometer. Ford sold millions of "new" F-150's. Our once uniquely styled F-150 was now as ubiquitous as a Honda Accord sedan. The 1997 F-150 began to show its age.

Flash forward to Spring 2003. In just a few short years, the economy has drastically changed and Germany is actually opposed to war. The competition has caught up and perhaps even flown by, and Ford Motor Company has gone from a belle of Wall Street to the target of bankruptcy rumors. So, when the company that has claimed the top sales spot in light duty pickup trucks for 26 straight years announces an all-new version of their flagship (and most profitable) vehicle, the world (including Chevy and Dodge owners) took note.

So what is the result of such a bold and risky move? After a couple hundred miles behind the wheel of the 2004 F-150, including some offroad adventures, trailer towing, good old fashioned handling and acceleration maneuvers, competitive testing and nearly killing Bambi, I would conclude that Ford offers up an all new F-150 that makes a compelling reason to head on back into the dealership.

We tested the 2004 F-150 in late June under the hot San Antonio sun. Our travels took us through rolling hills and curving back country roads, as well as chewed up off-road terrain of private ranches. Simply stated, the 2004 F-150 performed flawlessly. And, considering the examples we were driving (which included a Lariat Supercab, FX4 Supercab and XLT Super Crew) were all pre-production models, they were amazingly rattle and creak free, a testament to the effort Ford has put forth in the design and building of this truck.