Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews also can be seen in the Northern & Central California Cruisin’ News magazine published monthly out of Folsom, California.
Sacramento, California -- Back in January, the latest-generation Ford F-150 turned out to be a capable survival vehicle during a 48-hour power outage at my home.
Besides an occasional oasis of warmth, its Pro Power Onboard system -- essentially a vehicle-mounted power generator -- brewed coffee and charged other essentials.
So, when a hybrid-powered 2021 Ford F-150 4X4 SuperCrew Platinum pickup was delivered to my driveway recently, I figured it couldn't do much more to impress me.
The 3.5-liter PowerBoost Full Hybrid V6 blew me away with awesome displays of acceleration, muscular performance and hill-climbing ability.
Numbers tell only part of the story. The Full Hybrid is rated at 430 horsepower and 570 foot-pounds of torque at 3,000 rpm -- both substantially higher than the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 that was under the hood of the January delivery.
Beyond the numbers, the tested F-150 with the hybrid system was a bloody marvel.
It takes a lot to move a full-size pickup with a boxed steel frame and military-grade aluminum body, but this power plant did it with amazing ease.
Many times, I was thinking: "I can't believe I'm going this fast so quickly in this pickup."
And it wasn't just the rush of the surging engine. It was the power plant's ability to effortlessly hold the higher revs. I was cruising and darting around in freeway traffic with sports cars, horsepower-laden sedans and big-engine sport-utility vehicles ... almost like I was driving a sport-tuned midsize sedan. That gives you a clue of how well the suspension is married to the body of this F-150.
It takes some getting used to ... The last thing you expect when you hit the starter of a full-size pickup truck is silence and a "Ready" light showing up in the dash. Never mind that. The truck more than makes up for it on the fly.
Beyond the hybrid system, the tester was loaded up with the full lineup of perks that the Janauary-delivered SuperCrew had, which is to say that you could live comfortably in this pickup for days at a time. It's a rolling hotel room.
In fact, I've stayed in hotel rooms that had much less.
On top of scores of comfort/convenience and one-of-a-kind features, the newly reworked 2021 F-150 is loaded with state-of-the-art safety and driving-enhancement systems. For those who are nervous about maneuvering a full-size pickup in some urban/suburban/country settings, fear not. This F-150 has first-class systems to help you park, back up and thread on-road needles.
All this costs some cash, of course. On the tester, the bottom line was a hefty $72,310.
That's a serious investment, but for the devoted pickup fan who wants a long-term vehicle with plenty of bells and whistles, and a hybrid system to boot, it's a price worth paying.
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