2006 Ford F-150 Overview Change Vehicle

This 2006 Ford F-150 overview explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2006 Ford F-150, and includes safety, reliability, and fuel economy information for the 2006 Ford F-150.

Ford makes numerous changes to the 2006 Ford F-150, chief among them the return of the Harley-Davidson edition. The F-150 Harley-Davidson SuperCab sports black paint, 22-inch polished and forged alloy wheels, Piano Black interior trim, black aniline leather seats, a bunch of chrome detailing, numerous badges, and the option of all-wheel drive.

Other changes, by trim level:

• XL models can be equipped with a new XL Décor package

• STX editions offer the option of Sirius satellite radio and chrome tubular running boards

• XLT versions can be ordered with the new STX items plus a new Chrome package

• FX4 trucks can also have Sirius and chrome tubular running boards, plus there’s a new 20-inch wheel option and a new Luxury package

• Lariats can be decked out in Smokestone metallic paint, a new Chrome package, and new 20-inch wheels

• King Ranch models have a new 20-inch wheel option

Additionally, the F-150 SuperCrew gets a new 6.5-foot cargo bed option, the 5.4-liter V8 is available with flex-fuel capability allowing it to run on an 85/15 blend of ethanol and gasoline, and trucks equipped with a V8 engine and rear-wheel drive offer optional traction control.

For 2006, the Ford F-150 is offered in no fewer than seven trim levels. The least expensive version is the XL, equipped with vinyl seats, gray bumpers and black grille, a digital clock, a stereo, a tilt steering wheel, intermittent wipers, and a cargo box light. The new XL Décor package adds cloth seats, air conditioning, chrome bumpers, and carpeting. If you need an F-150 with more personality, try the sporty STX, which remains basic but adds body-color exterior trim, air conditioning, 17-inch alloy wheels, white-lettered tires, and a CD player to the XL model’s standard equipment list.

Most buyers will want to consider the F-150 XLT. Standard equipment includes features that most people expect on a modern vehicle, even if it is a pickup truck. Carpeting, floor mats, power mirrors, power windows, power door locks with remote keyless entry, and cruise control are included on the XLT. Other features of the XLT: a compass, an outside temperature display, variable wipers, automatic headlights, and dark tinted rear glass.

The F-150 FX4 is based on the XLT, offered only with 4WD and an electronic transfer case. The FX4 includes a more powerful 5.4-liter V8 engine and an off-road suspension, along with skid plates, a limited-slip differential, and all-terrain tires. Fog lights and painted bumpers set the FX4 model further apart from the XLT, along with an available floor shifter.

Lariat models are a more luxurious version of the XLT. Lariats include the 5.4-liter V8 engine along with leather seats, a power driver’s seat, automatic climate control, power adjustable pedals, and a premium stereo with controls on the leather-wrapped steering wheel. Homelink, a trip computer, heated side mirrors, a rear window defroster, and heated side mirrors are also standard, along with 18-inch alloy wheels. The Lariat can also be outfitted with a center console floor shifter like the FX4.

The most luxurious F-150 is the King Ranch edition, available only in SuperCrew configuration. It’s got special exterior badges and Arizona Beige color treatments, premium Castano leather, heated front captain’s chairs, a standard flow-through center console setup, and unique woodgrain trim on the dash. Power folding side mirrors are also part of the package.

New for 2006 is the F-150 Harley-Davidson, which is set apart by what Ford calls a “menacing” black paint job with black aniline leather seats and shiny black plastic interior trim. Polished wheels, a billet-style grille and chrome trim help the Harley look a little less like it should be patrolling roads in Amish country. With its 300-horsepower V8, tuned exhaust system, sport suspension, and shiny 22-inch wheels, it sure won’t look like it belongs on southern Pennsylvania roads. Hope you like the SuperCab. That’s the only way the Harley-Davidson is sold.

Depending on the trim level, Ford offers numerous options for the 2006 F-150. There’s a power sunroof and a rear seat DVD entertainment system, each available only on the SuperCrew model and not in combination with one another. Rear bumper sensors help when reversing or parking, and all models except the XL can be equipped with a premium Audiophile premium sound system. A power sliding rear window is optional on SuperCabs and SuperCrews in XLT, FX4 and Lariat trim, and models equipped with the 5.5-foot cargo bed can be had with a bed extender designed to be used with a lowered tailgate. There’s also a modular overhead rail system allowing owners to snap in and out various storage solutions.

The standard engine on the less expensive versions of the F-150 is a 4.2-liter V6 with 202 horsepower and 260 ft.-lbs. of torque at 3,750 rpm. The V6 is equipped with a five-speed manual, and a four-speed automatic is optional. The next step up is a 4.6-liter V8 rated to make 231 horsepower and 293 ft.-lbs. of torque at 3,500 rpm. Ford says that 90 percent of this engine’s torque is available at just 2,000 rpm, making it feel much stronger than the power rating indicates. If the 4.6-liter V8 is inadequate, Ford’s 5.4-liter V8 with 300 horsepower and 365 ft.-lbs. of torque at 3,750 rpm oughta do the trick.

The F-150’s maximum tow rating is 9,900 pounds and its maximum payload rating is 3,060 pounds. Both V8s come with a four-speed automatic, and the F-150 is available with a two-speed 4WD system that features electronic transfer case engagement on certain models.

A fully boxed frame with hydroformed front rails provides the foundation for the 2006 F-150. Ford also uses a double-wishbone front suspension with aluminum lower control arms on this truck, and a rear Hotchkiss-design suspension that places the shock absorbers outside the frame rails for an improved ride, greater stability in turns, and less chatter over bumps.

The F-150’s V6 engine, offered only with two-wheel drive, manages 15 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway with the standard manual transmission. With the optional automatic, the truck gets 16 mpg in the city. The V8 models get identical highway fuel economy with two-wheel drive, each engine returning 19 mpg. In the city, the 4.6-liter is slightly more frugal, rating 15 mpg vs. the 5.4-liter at 14 mpg. With 4WD, the EPA says both V8 engines get 14 mpg city/18 mpg highway.

According to NHTSA crash-test results, the F-150 receives 5 stars for the driver and front seat passenger in the frontal impact test, and gets 4-star rollover resistance ratings. Side impact testing was not performed by the NHTSA on the 2006 F-150. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the F-150 receives a Good rating for the offset frontal impact test. However, the IIHS says rear crash protection rates Poor for models equipped with seatbelts integrated into the seats, and Marginal for models without seatbelts integrated into the seats. Like the NHTSA, the IIHS did not test the F-150 for side impact crashworthiness.

JDPower.com says the 2006 F-150 rates above average for reliability.

With seven trim levels to choose from, including the new-for-2006 F-150 Harley-Davidson model, there’s gotta be a full-size Ford pickup that can fit your budget, and personality. Plus, the F-150 is still the most modern truck on the market today, though that changes next year with a redesigned Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, and Toyota Tundra hitting showrooms. Regardless, with impressive frontal crash scores, better than average reliability, and what Ford claims are the most robust towing and payload ratings for trucks under 8,500 GVWR, its hard to go wrong with the 2006 Ford F-150.