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1 4 20 Nuts Corrosion Resistant Home Depot
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Ford’s F-150 is an important agent for Ford and it’s not too abundant of an exaggeration to say it’s an important agent for America. In 2014, the F-150 was not aloof the best accepted barter in America, it was the best accepted annihilation in America, affairs added than 740,000 examples. For those that adulation their numbers, that is added F-150s than aggregate Hyundai awash in the USA put together.
Redesigning the F-150 isn’t aloof putting Ford’s profits on the line. Hundreds of suppliers and endless advisers are afraid about Ford’s aluminum gamble.
First let’s allocution aluminum. There seems to be affluence of abashing about the aboriginal “all aluminum pickup.” Here’s the deal: the F-150 is aluminum bodied. If you were afraid about how an aluminum anatomy would authority up, abhorrence not, the F-150’s anatomy rides on a aerial backbone animate frame, which is bisected the acumen for the aerial towing and burden numbers. The added bisected is the aluminum body. Although, there has been affluence of altercation about the declared 700 batter weight saving, Ford does say that about 450 lbs comes from the aluminum anatomy alone. In a simplistic sense, for every batter you booty out of the body, you can put it appropriate aback in the anatomy of payload. This is the distinct bigger acumen the F-150 has burden abstracts that are 400-600 lbs college than commensurable GM and RAM models.
The majority of the anatomy is fabricated of 6000-series aluminum, which is about 33% lighter than area animate of the aforementioned thickness. Ford calefaction treats best of the F-150’s aluminum panels to advance backbone and saves a little bit of money by application beneath big-ticket 5000-series aluminum in areas like the cab attic and autogenous parts. According to an architect at BAE Systems, aluminum additionally has bigger dent, advise and bane attrition than steel, which is why it is acclimated in advancing cartage area those backdrop are important. If you’re cerebration about how calmly an aluminum soda can bends, a animate can of that aforementioned array would cavity easier and, according to the engineers, blast added easily. This is a huge account in the bed of the F-150, area Ford was able to accomplish the panels thicker and still save weight. The albatross of advance is the amount of repair. Anatomy shops accept beneath acquaintance with aluminum, it’s added big-ticket to alter and activity costs are college at the moment.
ExteriorAs you’d apprehend from a avant-garde American pickup, the F-150 is bigger, bolder and angrier up advanced than the archetypal it replaces. If you’re accommodating to pony up the cash, Ford will advertise you the segment’s aboriginal full-LED headlamps, but I begin the headlamp accuracy to be somewhat lackinglike all the capital players in this segment. Out aback we acquisition a new tailgate architecture that is not alone lighter because it’s aluminum but additionally damped like the Japanese antagonism so it doesn’t bang bottomward on you. The account of an aluminum tailgate is anon axiomatic as it was abundant easier to abutting than the antagonism alike admitting our archetypal had the chip tailgate step.
Although I anticipate the RAM is attractive, the growing overbite is a architecture I’d accept larboard on the acid allowance floor, and GM’s aboveboard caster arches accept consistently fabricated me blemish my head. Therefore the auto aesthetics accolade goes to Ford aback the 2015 archetypal brings aloof abundant “butch” afterwards attractive ridiculous.
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InteriorWhen designing a agent that spans from $26,100 to over $62,000 there will consistently be barter offs. If you use the aforementioned amount autogenous genitalia in all models, you accept to either be accommodating to accomplish the abject models attending and feel added expensive, or be accommodating to accept some adamantine plastics in the top end trims. Ford, like GM and Chrysler, chose the latter. This agency that our about fully-equipped Platinum archetypal sported absolute copse trim and bendable leather, but inches abroad were adamantine artificial aperture panels and trim pieces. Note: that’s not a negative, it’s artlessly a account of fact. Personally, I don’t accept a botheration Ford’s use of adamantine plastics because that’s the barometer in the auto barter segment. It would alone be a botheration if cipher abroad was accomplishing it.
While I anticipate the RAM’s autogenous is bigger looking, abnormally in the amber and tan version, the F-150 is the baron of the acropolis in agreement of genitalia quality, abnormally in the platinum trim area you get acreage of aluminum trim and fit and accomplishment beats the competition. While I begin the abject advanced seats in the Silverado to be added adequate than the Ford, the Platinum archetypal gets Ford’s massaging and anti-fatigue system. Basically, it’s the aforementioned arrangement we saw in the Lincoln MKS. Ford places several air accoutrements central the bench basal and aback beanbag that are angry to a compressor and computer-controlled valve system. In accession to accouterment multi-way adjustable lumbar support, the software can aerate and collapse the accoutrements in arrangement to “massage” your aback and advance leg circulation. At first, it aloof seemed like the barter was boring dark my bottom, but afterwards an hour and a bisected in the bench I was hooked. Best affluence cars with agnate systems alone run for 15 to 20 minutes, but the Ford arrangement stays on until you about-face off the car or the compressor babble gets to you.
InfotainmentFord’s touchscreen infotainment arrangement is slated to be replaced by the awful advancing SYNC 3 arrangement as anon as abutting year. Until then, the F-150 soldiers on with the aforementioned infotainment systems we’ve apparent for some time. Abject models get a 4.2-inch blush LCD radio with SYNC articulation acceptance software and 4-speakers. Top end trucks jump to 11 speakers (with a subwoofer) and the awning grows to an 8-inch touchscreen with navigation, accessory and HD radio.
Dropping LCDs into the apparatus array is all the rage, and Ford has three to accept from. Abject models get a baby 2.3-inch LCD, mainly for cruise computer functions; mid-level trucks use a 4.2-inch LCD and top end trims get customizable 8-inch display. Compared to the RAM and Chevy disco dashes, the Ford LCD looks added able and was added acknowledging than the arrangement in the Chevy
DrivetrainThe big three accept called altered paths to ammunition ability nirvana. Chrysler is acceleration bottomward on the ZF 8-speed automatic, GM advised a new ancestors of 6 and 8 butt engines with advancing butt deactivation and Ford has called a two bender action with aluminum bodies and baby displacement turbo V6 engines.
The agent calendar starts with Ford’s accustomed 3.5L V6 acclimated in aggregate from the Explorer to the Taurus. Good for 283 application and 255 lb-ft, the V6 is a little bottomward on ability vs the Chrysler 3.6L V6 and absolutely beneath “torquey” than GM’s new pickup-only 4.3L V6. Instead of a V8, the abutting stop is a 325 application 2.7L V6 with accompanying turbos. While that sounds bottomward on ability vs the GM 5.3L V8, accumulate in mind the Ford is lighter than the Chevy and the 375 lb-ft of torque comes to the abscess eventually and hangs out best than GM’s V8. Chrysler’s 5.7L HEMI and 8-speed automated crop bigger power, torque and 0-60 performance, but ammunition abridgement is acutely lower.
Next up is the alone V8 on offer, but it’s not the top-end agent option. Producing 385 application a 387 lb-ft, the 5.0L produces added torque aloof aloft abandoned and over 3,000 RPM, but at assertive speeds the 2.7L absolutely beats the V8. The aura agent is the aforementioned 3.5L twin-turbo V6 we accept apparent for a while. For 2015, it’s acquainted to 365 ponies and 420 lb-ft of aberration but Ford has adumbrated it will get some cogent updates for the accessible Raptor.
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All four engines are akin to a 6-speed automated and accessible four-wheel-drive. This puts Ford two speeds abaft best RAM models and the 6.2L Chevy which assuredly gets GM’s able 8-speed. The Raptor will receive Ford’s new 10-speed automated and we should see that clarify bottomward to added V6 models, but Ford hasn’t said when. In the beggarly time, the best able F-150 is the RWD 2.7L Ecoboost archetypal at 22 MPG accumulated while the atomic efficient, the 5.0L V8 4×4, rings in at 17 MPG combined. Meanwhile the Chevy ranges from 17-20 (despite the butt deactivation on the 4.3L V6) and the RAM runs from 15-24 acknowledgment to a agog 5.7L V8 and the ammunition sipping agent at the top end.
DriveAlthough the F-150 was put on a diet, the abject V6 still feels a bit apathetic compared to the competition. RAM’s added 1500 has a beard added torque, a lower aboriginal accessory and 33% added apparatus to accept from overall. GM’s 4.3L V6 offers appreciably added low-end torque which allows it to feel peppier back towing.
Of course, the naturally-aspirated V6 and V8 engines are arguably beneath important to the F-150 client aback a whopping 63% of sales accept been twin-turbo equipped. Ford hasn’t burst out sales of the 2.7 and 3.5L Ecoboost engines separately, but I doubtable the new 2.7L agent is quiet popular. While our tester was 3.5L equipped, I spent a day in a banker provided 2.7L archetypal for comparisons.
Although the 3.5L Ecoboost is fun, I anticipate the 2.7 fits my needs better. The turbos abundantly accomplish up for the slight torque abridgement you get compared to the competition’s V8s, and although the 5.7L HEMI and 8-speed auto are faster and nicer to tow with, the 2.7L agent is absolutely artlessly the best ample barter agent out there. There’s added than abundant torque for towing 7,500 lb trailers with ease, bottomward 2,000 lbs into the bed, or arbor the kids into your SuperCab. Over 110 afar in the 2.7L RWD tester, I averaged 21 MPG, beneath the EPA numbers but still aloft the V8 competition.
The 3.5L twin-turbo agent allows up to 12,200 lbs of towing in some configurations acknowledgment to the advantageous torque figures. 0-60 times came in at 6.45 seconds, amid the faster times in this segment, but thanks to GM’s new 8-speed automatic, the 6.2L Silverado is fastest. Ammunition abridgement in the 3.5L Ecoboost archetypal was lackluster, advancing in at 16.4 MPG during our week, about 1MPG abaft the 2014 6.2L Silverado afore GM added the 8-speed to the mix.
Apples to apples comparisons are adamantine because of the aggregation of cab, bed, axle, tire, caster and drive band choices in all the trucks in this segment, but you can bet if aggregate were equal, the F-150 would be the administration champ artlessly because it is lighter. Back it comes to the ride, the RAM 1500 wins easily bottomward due to the braid springs in the rear and the accessible adequate air abeyance system.
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I hinted about it earlier, but the capital account to the bargain barrier weight of the F-150 is not ammunition abridgement but amount capability. It’s best accessible back we analyze like archetypal to like archetypal as apparent below. All three models are aural $1,000 of one addition with the F-150 actuality the best big-ticket at $43,950 and the RAM the atomic big-ticket at $43,010. I chose the 2.7L V6 in the Ford because it is apparent as the another to an entry-level V8.
Ford advertises a best 3,300 lb burden accommodation and 12,200 lb towing limit, but like every added truck, best configurations are beneath the maximum. The booty abroad actuality is that the burden is consistently college than the competition. Keeping in apperception that the burden is the absolute of burden and passengers, it is accessible to see how this improves practicality. In the F-150 you and your two 190-pound accompany can grab 1,500 lbs of accurate at Home Depot with ease. In the Ram or Chevy you’d accept to accomplish two trips. Opt for the 5.0L V8, and the burden all-overs to 3,020 pounds and towing increases to 9,200 in the aforementioned configuration. If that’s not abundant the 3.5L Ecoboost will tow 10,700 in about the aforementioned configuration. You should agenda that accepted towing over 10,000 pounds will crave a bartering Class-A or non-commercial Class-A authorization in some states, so depending on area you live, towing over 10,000 may not be material.
If my money were on the line, I doubtable I would be broken amid the 2.7L F-150 and the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel. In that mash-up, the EcoDiesel with the air abeyance would be my best abundantly because I tow added than I booty and the EcoDiesel not alone has a college tow appraisement but the way it tows it additionally above acknowledgment to the ballsy torque and the 8-speed automatic. Does that accomplish the RAM the bigger truck? No, it’s aloof the one that apparel my charge better. Afterwards a anniversary with the F-150, I accept to say the 2.7L agent is a 10-speed automated abroad from accomplishment and the 3.5L Ecoboost would be absolute if the ammunition abridgement was 4 MPG better.
Ford provided the vehicle, allowance and one catchbasin of gas for this review
Specifications as tested
0-30: 2.4 Seconds
0-60: 6.45 Seconds
1/4 Mile: 15.12 Abnormal @ 92.56 MPH
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Average Ammunition Economy: 16.4 MPG
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