Automotive Reviews
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2001 Ford F150 SuperCrew
Jul 13th
Is it possible for one truck to be all things to all people? The legendary array of body and engine configurations available for the Ford F-Series suggests that it’s not, but a drive in the 2001 F150 SuperCrew leaves us wondering if it’s not possible to get pretty darned close.
Introduced in March 2000, the SuperCrew combines the useful four-door cab style with a shortened bed, to satisfy pickup truck folk who could use the sedan-like seating but don’t want to drive a twenty-foot long extended-wheelbase crew cab. It’s been a hit so far. Available as a two- or four-wheel drive, and in several trim levels, the SuperCrew is one of the more popular personal-use pickups. Ford sold about 100,000 last year.
The look is basic F-150; rounded, bull-terrier styling up front is accented with heavy-duty tow hooks and a big chrome bumper. The bed is slightly sculpted, to make it look like something more than just a big soulless power tool. And in between, there’s the four-door cab which makes the SuperCrew what it is. The shortened bed is made of SMC plastic, with greater durability and lighter weight than steel. 4X8 sheets of plywood will lay flat, and the bed won’t dent or rust. An optional flip-out cargo extender allows for larger loads. Like the rest of the F-Series lineup, the SuperCrew is first and foremost a truck.
The big step up to get inside is as strong a reminder of this fact as anyone needs. The big, businesslike plastic on the dash and the chair-height, comfortable seats are also straight out of the F-Series, and very welcome. The rear seat is comfortable as well, obviously a far cry from the too-short, upright bench that lives in the back of the average extended cab. Rear-seat passengers definitely benefit from the lengthened cab. Ford has made the SuperCrew family-friendly, with anchors for three child seats in the rear and adjustable brake and gas pedals to make shorter drivers more comfortable. Four- or six-passenger seating is available, as are a leather interior or a moonroof. There’s even an optional rear-seat entertainment system with a VCR. The SuperCrew makes a good case for being little more than a very large sedan with a very truck-like ride. For extra cargo space instead of passengers, the rear seat folds flat.
Our test truck was equipped with the 5.4 liter V8 engine, which is the larger of the two available options. The 5.4 makes 260 horsepower, and more importantly, 350 pound-feet of torque. Below it in the lineup is a 4.6 liter V8. The big motor in the truck we drove proved more than adequate for helping to drag a dead Volkswagen Rabbit, a motor-less Volkswagen van, and a broken-down Volvo station wagon all in one surprisingly eventful day. The SuperCrew never complained or seemed remotely strange–hardly a surprise, given its 7700-pound towing capacity. The powerful engine is built to tow things, not race, so the SuperCrew isn’t quick off the line. The four-speed automatic transmission is lazy to downshift.
Four-wheel drive is controlled by a rotary switch on the dash, and is primarily for bad-weather or off-road usage. The SuperCrew features four-wheel antilock brakes as standard equipment.
On the road, the SuperCrew’s manners are actually better than that of traditional pickups. The heavier, longer body and short bed give the truck better weight distribution. The violent bouncing which accompanied bumps in the F150 longbed we tested last year was absent in the SuperCrew. The independent front and leaf spring rear suspensions are the same. The SuperCrew features slightly different shock absorber valving.
Our test truck was a four-wheel drive SuperCrew with the Lariat package. We were surprised by the high cost of pickup truck ownership these days; the SuperCrew stickered at $33,755. Then again, with a leather interior, in-dash CD changer, and captain’s chairs this work horse was just as well equipped as some luxury sedans.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2001 Ford F150 4×4 SuperCrew Lariat, which we tested.
Length: 225.9 in.
Width: 79.9 in.
Height: 76.9 in.
Wheelbase: 138.8 in.
Curb weight: 5032 lb.
Cargo space: 44.2 cu.ft.
Towing capacity: 7700 lb.
Payload: 1765 lb.
Base price: $31,175
Price as tested: $33,755
Engine: 5.4 liter OHV V8
Drivetrain: four-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
Horsepower: 260 @ 4500
Torque: 350 @ 2500
Fuel capacity: 25 gal.
Est. mileage: 13/17
2001 Ford SVT F-150 Lightning
Jul 13th
Thanks to the relentless desire of the gearheads of the world to go ever faster, there’s a performance champion in every possible class. Blisteringly fast sports coupes and sedans from BMW are often considered the top of the heap in their respective categories. Audi puts together rocketship station wagons with some help from Porsche. Mercedes cranks out 150-mph capable sport-utility vehicles. Chrysler has even considered a hot-rodded minivan. And the madness doesn’t end there. Witness the 2001 Ford SVT F-150 Lightning, the fastest pickup truck on the planet.
Granted, there isn’t a lot of competition for this particular title. That’s why the Lightning is content to embarrass many sports cars that happen into its path too. The Lightning was already the scariest thing with a pickup bed prowling the freeways of this country, and for 2001 the horsepower rating takes a jump to 380.
It’s not hard to mistake the Lightning for an ordinary pick ‘em up truck. The F-150 Flareside body is familiar, but hunkers down over massive 18″ wheels. A unique front fascia and grille with horizontal bars are part of the package, as are new taillights featuring round projector-style lenses inside a chrome surround, a look currently fashionable among hot-rodders. The headlights and turn signals are crystal units, as well. More subtle is the Lightning’s unique center brake light, which is made up of 10 LEDs. The exhaust is a muscle-car style side-exit, with two fat pipes jutting out just aft of the passenger door.
It looks like a sports car inside as well. An unusually upright and spacious sports car, to be exact. The seats are gray leather with dark inserts, unique to the Lightning, as are the SVT trademark white-faced gauges. All Lightnings have automatic transmissions, so the rest of the cabin is standard F-150 fare. The high seating is comfortable for most drivers. The CD changer is awkwardly located behind the seat, and requires some acrobatics to load. There’s also a nigh-inaccessible cargo bin behind the seat, next to the CD changer.
The Lightning isn’t about outstanding ergonomics, however; it’s about acceleration. When the distinctive whine-bellow of the supercharger subsides, be sure to pull over and pluck any squashed Mazda Miatas or BMW Z3s out of the grille. The poor things just can’t get out of the way fast enough. The 5.4 liter V8 is a monstrous beast, thanks to an intercooled Eaton supercharger which allows the engine to crank out 380 horsepower at 4750 rpm, and 450 ft-lb. of torque at 3250 rpm. Add to that an acceleration-happy 3.73:1 rear axle ratio, and the potential for mayhem is quite great indeed. Rolling acceleration rivals that of a Corvette, according to the seat-of-the-pants meter. The motor sounds just as brutal as it is, thanks to the dual side-exit exhaust. Off-boost the big V8 is docile. The Lightning is content to burble around town just looking mean, but the moment the supercharger spools up it’s all business.
For handling that’s able to keep up with that monster motor all the way to the dark side of 140 miles per hour, the suspension has been lowered. SVT slammed the Lightning a half inch closer to terra firma up front, and a full two inches at the rear, with special coil springs, unique five-leaf rear springs in the rear. Stabilizer bars have been added at both ends, and the rear shocks are staggered, to reduce the rear axle’s tendency to jump up and down and lose traction when the pedal is floored. lowered center of gravity works wonders on the handling, and the Lightning’s roadholding is nothing short of phenomenal in comparison to other pickup trucks. It compares favorably to many sports cars too. The ride is surprisingly comfortable, thanks to a magic combination of stiffness and responsiveness that escapes being harsh. Those big wheels and Goodyear Eagle F1 tires keep the 4670 pounds of pickup stuck to the road and going where it’s pointed. Four-wheel disc brakes have been borrowed from the larger Super Duty pickup trucks. Anti-lock brakes are standard.
The Lightning isn’t a normal pickup truck, of course, so its capacities are reduced. The fastest pickup truck on the planet will carry up to 800 pounds in the bed, and can tow 5000.
For 2002, a blue Lightning will be available for the first time, replacing the Oxford White. Previously, the only colors were red, white, black, and silver. Everything is standard; the only option SVT provides is a tonneau cover, which adds $150 to the Lightning’s out-the-door price of $32,460.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2001 Ford SVT F-150 Lightning, which we tested.
Length: 208.0 in.
Width: 79.1 in.
Height: 70.9 in.
Wheelbase: 119.8 in.
Curb weight: 4670 lb.
Payload: 800 lb.
Towing capacity: 5000 lb.
Base price: $31,745
Price as tested: $32,460
Engine: 5.4 liter SOHC supercharged and intercooled V8
Drivetrain: four speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Horsepower: 380 @ 4750
Torque: 450 @ 3250
Fuel capacity: 25 gal.
Est. mileage: 12/16
2001 Ford F150 Lariat
Jul 8th
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