Spoiled, and lovin' it, in a Ford F-150 pickup

A menu of Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen on the Business page of The Sacramento Bee’s website – www.sacbee.com/news/business/article4005306.html

Sacramento, California -- Little wonder why the Ford F-150 has been ringing up monster-size sales forever ... A very good truck just keeps getting better.

For the 2018 model year, Ford boosted the F-150 package from nose to tail, offering more to what was already a major league menu of amenities to please truck driving Americans.

My recent tester was the 2018 Ford F-150 4X4 SuperCrew.

First thing I noticed: Plenty of interior room, front and back, for full-size adults.

Next thing: The tester was absolutely loaded with safety, comfort and convenience features ... scores of them.

Memory driver's seat, check ... Remote start, check ... 360-degree vehicle view, check ... electronic 10-speed automatic transmission with variable driving modes, ditto ... And I could go on for an hour as my ride was a finely dressed-up Platinum Series model.

What happened to the workhorse truck with basics?  It has been replaced by the 21st century truck with state-of-the-art technology.

Today's truck could probably run a worksite or a ranch with its own computerized brains.

And on top of all this, the big F-150 was smooth and quiet on city streets and dicey interstates.  It was a terrific freeway cruiser, with just-perfect steering and response.  Interior cabin noise was pretty much old-school-library quiet.

Quiet did not mean timid.  The V-6 turbodiesel engine was a stout performer on every roadway I traveled, including uphill runs in the Sierra Nevada foothills.  The F-150 is not the type of vehicle you can whip around in tight city traffic, but its handling characteristics are remarkable for a vehicle of this size.

Interior comfort was outstanding, but it might take some time for a contemporary pickup truck newbie to master all of the interior controls.  Once mastered, the world is your oyster.

My lifestyle does not lend itself to having a pickup as a daily driver, but I think I have a word to describe dedicated truck drivers who have vehicles like the current Ford F-150 to choose from.  That word is SPOILED.

Yeah, I'm sure they know that. And are loving it.  Can't blame them.