Let’s face it; full-size pickups are the most political of all American car markets.  Whether you know it or not, the brand of pickup you choose is as much of a statement as tattooing a Republican elephant or a Democrat mule on your bicep.  Whichever of the four “parties” you choose–Ford, Chevy, Dodge, or Toyota–you can expect onlookers to make inferences about what you represent based on your truck.  Of course, once you get past the friendly rivalries and stickers of cartoon characters peeing on one logo or another, all full-size pickups are designed to do pretty much the same thing:  carry stuff.  And these days, they all do it reasonably well.  Individual taste is frequently the deciding factor.

Clearly, Ford knows a thing or two about cultivating that individual taste.  The F-Series pickup has been the best-selling vehicle–car or truck–in the United States for the past eighteen years.  Fresh styling and the addition of the larger Super Duty line have only served to reinforce that popularity.  For 2001 the F-Series line is enhanced with the addition of standard antilock brakes on all models.

One of the key attributes of the F-Series is versatility.  There are so many different cab and bed configurations that it seems like with so many millions sold, Ford may only have had to build one of each combination.  Our test truck was a four-door extended cab model, with a flareside bed and four-wheel-drive, and it showed that the F-150′s design is aging well. The familiar, bull-nosed front end houses a black honeycomb grille. The smooth, aerodynamic look belies the truck’s toughness, but a closer look reveals tow hooks located in the bumpers and the ends of the sturdy frame peeking out at either end.  Cosmetically, the F-150 has a subtle plastic lip that runs around the lip of the bed and the back of the cab, to prevent carelessly handled loads from leaving dents and scratches.

From the wheel, F-150 drivers enjoy a commanding view of the road after hoisting themselves up with the aid of a grab handle on the A-pillar.  Again, despite the stylish trappings, the Ford is thoroughly businesslike.  F-Series’ interiors are carlike, but not so much so that it would be a shame to get it dirty, even with the available leather.  Switches are large and easily handled, and all of the trim is plastic–no need for carbon fiber or wood trim in a truck, right?  The instrument panel features six gauges, to keep the driver appraised of the inner workings, and a large center console has a removable twelve-CD holder and plenty of space below.  The captain’s chairs look inviting but are hard to get comfortable in.  With the high roof and low console, nimble drivers will find a degree of minivan-like walk-through in front.  Power adjustable pedals are standard on Lariat models like our test truck

Our SuperCab equipped model featured the folding rear seat and four reverse-opening mini-doors.  “Mini” is a misnomer; the truck is so big that getting into the back seat through the smaller rear door is a snap.  Staying in that back seat is another matter–with its bolt-upright rear cushion, passengers won’t want to sit back there for long.  F-150s expecting to regularly carry rear seat passengers are better off with the new SuperCrew cab and its more spacious seating.

After you’ve turned the key and started rolling, the F150 has no intention of letting you forget that it’s a brute-force tool.  Where trucks like the Toyota Tundra feel like big cars, the F150 feels like a comfortable truck.  It bobs, rather than bouncing.  Only just docile around town, the F150 gets quickly unstable at highway speeds.  The torsion bar suspension bucks and wanders on the freeway, thanks to stiff 4×4 springs and tall tires.  However, it’s also unstoppable when the roads turn unpleasant.

At lower speeds, the truck calms down somewhat.  The light controls belie its weight.  Our test truck was equipped with the optional 5.4 liter Triton V8, and its 260 horsepower ensured that the F150 didn’t feel sluggish or weak at the stoplights.  Parallel parking is another story.  As with any pickup, that long bed out back makes it hard to tell where the truck ends.

F-Series trucks can be had in so many permutations that we could devote an entire page of this newspaper to listing them all.  We’ll stick with our test vehicle today; a Lariat Supercab with the longer of two available wheelbases, and a Flareside bed.  It was optioned up nicely with a limited-slip rear end, 17″ wheels, Class III trailer hitch, and leather captain’s chairs.  All those options pushed the price to the dark side of $34,000.

Specifications:
All specs are for the Ford F-150 Lariat Supercab, which we tested.

Wheelbase:    138.8 in.
Curb weight:    4224-4424 lb.
Towing capacity:    8000 lb.
Payload:        1745 lb
Base price:        $29,995
Price as tested:     $34,160
Engine:     5.4 liter SOHC V8
Drivetrain:     four-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
Horsepower:     260 @    4500
Torque:     350 @    2500
Est. mileage:        14/18