Saw my old truck...04 f-150
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Joined: Nov 2004
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Originally Posted by Grubrunner
Now you're just plain embarrassing yourself.
You clearly know not a thing about Consumer Reports and how they carry out their tests.
Moving along...
You clearly know not a thing about Consumer Reports and how they carry out their tests.
Moving along...
Just curious because didn't they BlackBall the 2004 F-150?
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Joined: Sep 2005
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From: Rich, Virginia
Originally Posted by ThumperMX113
So you think that Consumer Reports doesn't give biased opinions? . . or even false opinions?
Just curious because didn't they BlackBall the 2004 F-150?
Just curious because didn't they BlackBall the 2004 F-150?
CR purchases ALL the vehicles they test just like you and me.... there are NO perks.
CR doesn't let people [manufacturers/dealers] stuff money into their pockets.
CR does NOT "always rate whatever is new to be the best, no matter what."
CR has their OWN testing facilities, their OWN testing equipment and work with their own [as well as, at times, independent] testers. I'm not speaking about vehicles [HERE], I'm speaking about everything they test.
How do I know all this? My brother-in-law is on the CR Senior Leadership Team [HERE].
You can read about how they carry out their test and whatnot HERE
I don't always agree with, or purchase, what CR recommends, because, after all, you know the saying about opinions; but the garbage JBMX928 posted earlier was, well, just that. He has/had no basis for what he said and I gaurantee you he would choke trying to back it. In fact, he should back his claim or retract it.... because, afterall, it's defamation.
Cheers.
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Joined: May 2001
Posts: 2,651
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From: Albany, GA
Originally Posted by tg150
Got my Consumer Reports yesterday.. They rated the Dodge Ram 1500 and 2500 as the WORST..6th Place out of 6.lol.. *Lows- Braking, Ride, Seat Comfort, Fit and Finish. Have you ever seen the interior in one of those things? ohh boy.. Maybe thats why the sad face. 
At any rate its not suprising that the Ram would be last....its by far the oldest design on the market right now.
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Joined: May 2007
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From: NOR CAL
Originally Posted by 02SuperCrew4X
I believe it was something like this:
1st - Titan
2nd - Tundra (yes, the all new one)
3rd - Chevrolet
4th - I CAN'T REMEMBER!?
5th - F-150
6th - Ram
1st - Titan
2nd - Tundra (yes, the all new one)
3rd - Chevrolet
4th - I CAN'T REMEMBER!?
5th - F-150
6th - Ram
1. Chevy
2. GMC
3. F150
4. Ram
5. Titan
Before new tundra, but still after new chevy/Gmc
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Joined: Sep 2005
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From: Rich, Virginia
For anyone who's interested, below is CR's review of the latest F-150
Road Test
Tested model: 2007 XLT crew cab 4WD, 5.4-liter V8, 4-speed automatic
Tested tires: General Ameritrac TR, size P255/70R17 110S
The F-150's handling is sound and the cabin is roomy, but the ride isn't that good and the noisy engine strains under acceleration. Uncomfortable seats detract from the driving experience. Stability control, full-time four-wheel drive, and curtain air bags are all lacking. (Only the Harley-Davidson version has AWD.) The F-250 Super Duty (which we also tested) is based on Ford's commercial truck platform, and is different from the F-150. It's a work truck with moderate payload but great towing capabilities and little else to recommend it. It has a lousy ride and mediocre brakes.
THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE
The F-150 rides stiffly and jiggles a lot even on the highway, and the heavy-duty F-250's ride is bone-jarring. Cabin noise is fairly quiet except for the harsh engine hum. The diesel F-250 is very noisy. Handling is quite sound for the F-150, with reasonably good steering feel. The F-250's steering is slow and numb, and the 8,000-pound truck feels ponderous. The 48-foot turning circle is fairly tight for this vehicle type, but the F-250's circle is large at 54 feet. In emergency maneuvers, the F-150 reaches its limits early on and tends to wag its tail if pushed too far. Stability control would help. The F-250 was clumsy but secure. The F-150's acceleration is just adequate, despite the 300-hp engine. We averaged 13 mpg overall. The four-speed automatic shifted smoothly. The F-150 pulled our 7,400-pound trailer to 60 mph in 24.1 seconds. The F-250 took 18.9 seconds. Its five-speed transmission shifted well. Both trucks were good off-road. Both Fords stopped straight but ate up a lot of pavement while coming to a halt. The halogen headlights shone a good distance and had good intensity for the high and low beams.
Cont...
Road Test
Tested model: 2007 XLT crew cab 4WD, 5.4-liter V8, 4-speed automatic
Tested tires: General Ameritrac TR, size P255/70R17 110S
The F-150's handling is sound and the cabin is roomy, but the ride isn't that good and the noisy engine strains under acceleration. Uncomfortable seats detract from the driving experience. Stability control, full-time four-wheel drive, and curtain air bags are all lacking. (Only the Harley-Davidson version has AWD.) The F-250 Super Duty (which we also tested) is based on Ford's commercial truck platform, and is different from the F-150. It's a work truck with moderate payload but great towing capabilities and little else to recommend it. It has a lousy ride and mediocre brakes.
THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE
The F-150 rides stiffly and jiggles a lot even on the highway, and the heavy-duty F-250's ride is bone-jarring. Cabin noise is fairly quiet except for the harsh engine hum. The diesel F-250 is very noisy. Handling is quite sound for the F-150, with reasonably good steering feel. The F-250's steering is slow and numb, and the 8,000-pound truck feels ponderous. The 48-foot turning circle is fairly tight for this vehicle type, but the F-250's circle is large at 54 feet. In emergency maneuvers, the F-150 reaches its limits early on and tends to wag its tail if pushed too far. Stability control would help. The F-250 was clumsy but secure. The F-150's acceleration is just adequate, despite the 300-hp engine. We averaged 13 mpg overall. The four-speed automatic shifted smoothly. The F-150 pulled our 7,400-pound trailer to 60 mph in 24.1 seconds. The F-250 took 18.9 seconds. Its five-speed transmission shifted well. Both trucks were good off-road. Both Fords stopped straight but ate up a lot of pavement while coming to a halt. The halogen headlights shone a good distance and had good intensity for the high and low beams.
Cont...
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Joined: Sep 2005
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From: Rich, Virginia
INSIDE THE CABIN
Drivers have plenty of room. The steering wheel is far away for some and doesn't telescope, but the power adjustable pedals help somewhat. The view is better out of the F-250, which has huge side mirrors and narrower roof pillars. Front-seat comfort could be better for both Fords. The F-150's seats push forward into your shoulder blades, hunching you forward. Cushion support underneath feels uneven. You slide around on the F-250's stiff, slab-like flat seats, and the cushion is too short for even medium-height drivers. Three adults easily fit in the rear; the F-250 has generous room. It takes some serious effort to climb into either truck, but especially the big-rig-high F-250. Although our tested F-250 Lariat has plusher interior appointments than the basic F-150 XLT, both interiors have wide trim-panel gaps and some rough edges. The F-250 has a massive center console, while our bench-seat-equipped F-150 has less cabin storage. Most controls are easy enough to use, but there is no radio-tuning ****. Reflections spoil the view of the displays, especially from the F-250's chrome-rimmed gauges. It's easy to flip up one or both rear-seat cushions to create indoor cargo space. With the tailgate open, the F-150 bed will support cargo 7 feet, 9 inches long; the F-250 extends that to 9 feet. Cargo-bed amenities include four tie-down loops. There are four stake pockets on F-250, but none on F-150. Protective covers on side rails and tailgate are a nice touch, and two-tier loading possible.
SAFETY NOTES
Required front air bags and three-point belts in all but the center front seating position provide the basic safety features in the F-150. The front center seat has a lap belt. Front outboard seatbelts have adjustable upper anchors for helping to provide a comfortable and safe fit and are equipped with pretensioners and energy management retractors to reduce belt slack and forces in the event of a crash. A passenger sensing system in the front passenger seat is designed to automatically disable the front air bag for that seat if it detects that a small child is seated there. A seat position sensor on the driver's seat also influences the correct level of air bag deployment. Power-adjustable pedals are an extra-cost option and can help drivers get a good reach to the pedals while maintaining a safe distance from the wheel and air bag. There are adjustable and locking head restraints in the outboard seats. The front restraints are tall enough even when lowered to offer adequate protection; the rear outboard versions require adjusting them upward to provide enough protection from whiplash. The center seats lack head restraints. Rocker-style window switches -- mounted on the armrests -- remain on the F-150; these switch types have been associated with the strangulation deaths of children who have accidentally activated them by leaning or kneeling on the armrest. Driving with kids: It may prove difficult to get a secure fit for rear-facing infant seat bases in the rear seats of the F-150, since they tilt in the rear center and can move side-to-side more than they should in the outboard seats. LATCH installation should provide a more secure fit; there are visible and easy to access lower LATCH anchors in the rear outboard seats. The top-tether anchor loops behind each rear seat, requiring that you route the straps to the adjacent loop to attachment. Thankfully, this procedure is outlined in the owner's manual.
RELIABILTY
We expect reliability to be worse than average, according to our latest subscriber survey.
Drivers have plenty of room. The steering wheel is far away for some and doesn't telescope, but the power adjustable pedals help somewhat. The view is better out of the F-250, which has huge side mirrors and narrower roof pillars. Front-seat comfort could be better for both Fords. The F-150's seats push forward into your shoulder blades, hunching you forward. Cushion support underneath feels uneven. You slide around on the F-250's stiff, slab-like flat seats, and the cushion is too short for even medium-height drivers. Three adults easily fit in the rear; the F-250 has generous room. It takes some serious effort to climb into either truck, but especially the big-rig-high F-250. Although our tested F-250 Lariat has plusher interior appointments than the basic F-150 XLT, both interiors have wide trim-panel gaps and some rough edges. The F-250 has a massive center console, while our bench-seat-equipped F-150 has less cabin storage. Most controls are easy enough to use, but there is no radio-tuning ****. Reflections spoil the view of the displays, especially from the F-250's chrome-rimmed gauges. It's easy to flip up one or both rear-seat cushions to create indoor cargo space. With the tailgate open, the F-150 bed will support cargo 7 feet, 9 inches long; the F-250 extends that to 9 feet. Cargo-bed amenities include four tie-down loops. There are four stake pockets on F-250, but none on F-150. Protective covers on side rails and tailgate are a nice touch, and two-tier loading possible.
SAFETY NOTES
Required front air bags and three-point belts in all but the center front seating position provide the basic safety features in the F-150. The front center seat has a lap belt. Front outboard seatbelts have adjustable upper anchors for helping to provide a comfortable and safe fit and are equipped with pretensioners and energy management retractors to reduce belt slack and forces in the event of a crash. A passenger sensing system in the front passenger seat is designed to automatically disable the front air bag for that seat if it detects that a small child is seated there. A seat position sensor on the driver's seat also influences the correct level of air bag deployment. Power-adjustable pedals are an extra-cost option and can help drivers get a good reach to the pedals while maintaining a safe distance from the wheel and air bag. There are adjustable and locking head restraints in the outboard seats. The front restraints are tall enough even when lowered to offer adequate protection; the rear outboard versions require adjusting them upward to provide enough protection from whiplash. The center seats lack head restraints. Rocker-style window switches -- mounted on the armrests -- remain on the F-150; these switch types have been associated with the strangulation deaths of children who have accidentally activated them by leaning or kneeling on the armrest. Driving with kids: It may prove difficult to get a secure fit for rear-facing infant seat bases in the rear seats of the F-150, since they tilt in the rear center and can move side-to-side more than they should in the outboard seats. LATCH installation should provide a more secure fit; there are visible and easy to access lower LATCH anchors in the rear outboard seats. The top-tether anchor loops behind each rear seat, requiring that you route the straps to the adjacent loop to attachment. Thankfully, this procedure is outlined in the owner's manual.
RELIABILTY
We expect reliability to be worse than average, according to our latest subscriber survey.
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,723
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From: Rich, Virginia
CR Model Summary
This full-sized F-150 pickup has sound handling and a fairly stiff ride. The cab is roomy, with some neat features such as movable overhead storage bins, a spring-assisted tailgate, and a power opening center rear-window panel. The four-wheel-drive system is part-time only. The powertrain is not as smooth as that in the Nissan Titan or Toyota Tundra, but it delivered reasonable acceleration and fuel economy. Braking performance was just adequate, with long stops in our tests. The F-150 is the only full-size pickup not to offer stability control. Reliability has been below average for the 4WD models, but average for 2WD models. A new heavy-duty model with an available diesel engine has just been introduced.
This full-sized F-150 pickup has sound handling and a fairly stiff ride. The cab is roomy, with some neat features such as movable overhead storage bins, a spring-assisted tailgate, and a power opening center rear-window panel. The four-wheel-drive system is part-time only. The powertrain is not as smooth as that in the Nissan Titan or Toyota Tundra, but it delivered reasonable acceleration and fuel economy. Braking performance was just adequate, with long stops in our tests. The F-150 is the only full-size pickup not to offer stability control. Reliability has been below average for the 4WD models, but average for 2WD models. A new heavy-duty model with an available diesel engine has just been introduced.
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 736
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From: Alberta Canada
Ford doesn't need a contract with Cummins, what they need is Cat to start building an engine for their pickups. That would be sweet 
I'd be the first in line trading my truck in for one of those.
CR is a group of bone heads, I never completely believe what I read or see that is done by CR, or any company or service like that. It seems like most of the reviews hate any american vehicle but love their jap crap boxes.
I'd be the first in line trading my truck in for one of those. CR is a group of bone heads, I never completely believe what I read or see that is done by CR, or any company or service like that. It seems like most of the reviews hate any american vehicle but love their jap crap boxes.
