So I got my new '09 Lariat Scab last Friday. Razor Red, heated & cooled captain's chairs, rear slider, 3.55LS rear end as options. Couldn't find one with the Sony system but no biggie, I'll just upgrade with my old stuff if needed.

Thus far, I must say I am impressed. I've owned the last three generations of F150s. Each one has been head and shoulders above the last one. This one did not disappoint. It is THAT much better than my '04 Lariat Screw. The interior design is more refined and more elegant. The high quality materials are there, and the color scheme kicks the crap out of my '04. Plus, scrapping the Ford green illumination was HUGE. The extra storage nooks and crannies are also very welcome on the interior.

Next, this thing is QUIET. I mean serious quiet. My Lincoln MKX I turned in for the F150 might as well have been an old Freightliner. While its plush and quiet, step on it and there is another first for an F150: A mean exhaust note. Yay!

The last gen was tight, tracked true and was surefooted on the road. A very nimble 3-ton machine. This gen... wow. It kicks it up a notch. Tighter, more confident, and feels lighter. Not a tremendous improvement as the last gen was really good, but like I said - this one kicks it up a notch.

The drive train rocks. 2 extra cogs makes a HUGE difference. God bless you FoMoCo for waking up on this. Love the new tranny. As for the 5.4L... well its the same great engine. Smooth & plenty of grunt. It propels the truck with authority. Sure not as fast as other pickups, but this thing has some *****. Feels about the same as my old tuned, CAI & Magnaflow'd '04. I bet the same mods on this '09 would be SAH-WHEET.

The traction control is a little aggressive but keeps wheel spin in check, and the stability control program is solid. It keeps the beast on track when you try to push it off course. Disable the system and let the good times roll!

With all the goodness this new F150 has to offer, I have a couple minor gripes. First... the stock stereo can suck my sack. It's god awful (I knew it would be) and will be replaced. I worry, however, about the horrid speaker placement in the doors. The imagining is **** poor with the speakers centered at the bottom of the door. What were you guys thinking?!!! While aftermarket components will drastically improve sound quality I fear I'll be stuck with the poor sound stage. We'll see.

The other grip... no auto up window(s). Seriously Ford, its 2009. Spend the extra $0.10 to include auto UP, not only down switch for the driver. The bean counter that whacked that feature needs to be smacked.

Oh, one last yay for the truck - lockable center console!!!

I've got a 500 mile road trip Wednesday, I'll list my road trip impressions upon my return this weekend.

Now go out and buy a new F150!

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UPDATE 2/10/09

Well I agree with everything I said above. After spending nearly 9 hours in the truck last weeknd I can say it is defintely more comfortable than the last generation. Seats are much better. Another Ford first - the heated/cooled seats do NOT have a time out on them!!! They will cook your **** as long as you want! YES!

My trip out west I averaged 16mpgs, I was hauling ****... speedo rarely saw anything below 80mph.

My trip back east I hauled **** the first ½, then backed it down to normal speeds in the 70mph range and got the mpg's up to 16.9. I know this truck could have done mid 17's had it not been for my lead foot.

Also note these MPG numbers are on an engine that's not broken in yet with a PCM that is still learning. I'm optomistic I'll be getting low 17s in the city and near 19 on the highway during the summer.

Stability control kicks MAJOR ****. I decided to test it out by passing some idiot going slow next to a semi on a three lane highway... the third lane wasn't being used since it was covered in a lot of snow... I decided to test the system out and use it to pass her. A little white-knuckled for a bit but the truck sayed on course and tracked true while keeping wheel spin in check. Gotta love technology folks!

 

Good write up! It's nice to see someone not bashing the F150 cause it's not the fastest in the quarter mile. Where's the pic's?

 

x2 on pics!

 

Great write-up. Can't wait to see the pictures.

 

Michigan winters are a beyatch. I'm going to clean it up before I hit the road Wednesday and I'll grab some pics.

Some inside pics while you wait... I had a spare set of mats from my '04... they kinda fit.

 

Totally random question, the exterior paint still have the god awful orange peel? Or did they finally overcome that?

 

My 04 was fine, this one looks sweet as well.

 

congrats. I didn't know you were still on this forum, I remember your old posts from several years ago.

 

Thanks, I'm back due to the new truck. Did some poking around here while I was researching and now looking forward to sharing again with other owners. Though I'm saddened this isn't the same F150online I left two years ago....

 

You have been gone two years?????

 

very nice truck, got a thing for the scabs + 6.5' bed.. Yes, I am/was a 'lack of power' complainer but after test driving all 2009 1/2 tons, the F150 SCAB is once again, my choice of trucks. Looking at an FX4 SCAB with the luxury package. And will definately be getting a tune. We also have an 08 Edge with the 6 speed trans and have a tuner installed, the 6 speed, makes a world of difference.

Good luck with it.

 

On and off, yeah... a bit less than two. I spend 22 months with my MKX, prolly stopped posting a couple months after I got in it. Popped in from time to time and posted but nothing major.

Thanks. My last was a screw and while I enjoyed it, I found I really didn't need to dump an extra 2K for space I really didn't use that often. I like the 6.5' bed and the interior is roomy with plenty of room to toss crap in the back.

One other BIG thing that allowed me to get the scab - no more horrid in-seat restraint systems on non-screw models. I hate those things. In '09 the belts are back on the door pillar where they belong.

As for the power issue... I think the quiet and smooth tranny play a role in a percieved lack of power. I didn't even floor it at a light, looked down a few seconds later and was going about 15mph+ than I thought I was. Same thing on the freeway yesterday, but it was 10-12mph faster that what I figured the truck scooted up to. Like I said, it may not be the quickest but that doesn't mean its gutless.

 

I thought you posted here when I signed up. Pretty sure you had the 04 listed as your vehicle before youswitched to the MKX. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't losing my mind

 

Well my sig listed the F150 for a long time, it was only an MKX sig briefly... I missed Satan. My vehicle description was always correct. I switched on 4/14/07

 

Maybe I'm just delusional.