2011 Ford F-150 Overview Change Vehicle

This 2011 Ford F-150 overview explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2011 F-150, and includes Ford F-150 safety, reliability, and fuel economy information.

Ford guts the 2011 F-150’s engine bay, installing four new engines, each connected to a new standard six-speed automatic transmission. Electric power steering is new this year, along with F-150 XLT Custom and Lariat Limited models. The F-150 FX2 now features the FX4’s rugged off-road appearance, and both the F-150 XLT and F-150 Lariat are available with off-road packages of their own.

After a successful launch last year, the F-150 SVT Raptor lineup returns with a new SuperCrew model, a standard 6.2-liter V8 engine, and new graphic and color choices.

Other changes for 2011 include a tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel, a 4.2-inch LCD information screen, a bigger reversing camera display with a higher resolution image and zoom feature, one-touch operation power front windows, a 110-volt power outlet, HD Radio, a perimeter alarm, remote starting capability, and a three-point seatbelt for the middle front seat passenger.

The least expensive F-150 is the XL model, which comes with vinyl seats, painted bumpers, a black grille, and 17-inch steel wheels. That sounds pretty basic, but the XL also has air conditioning, a stereo, intermittent wipers, a tilt steering wheel, and a cargo box light. If you buy the XL SuperCrew you’ll also get power windows, power door locks with remote keyless entry, floor mats, and carpeting.

For a sportier look and a few extra frills, try the F-150 STX. This model includes body-color bumpers and grille surround, power windows, power side mirrors, a six-disc CD changer, an auxiliary audio input jack, MyKey programmable features, cruise control, an outside temperature display, a cloth 40/20/40 front seat, and 17-inch alloy wheels.

Moving another rung up the F-150 trim ladder, the XLT adds interior refinements plus a chrome grille and bumpers, remote keyless entry, a compass, automatic headlights, fog lights, and dark-tinted rear glass. For 2011, there’s a new XLT Custom model with 18-inch machined-finish alloy wheels, body-color trim, a chrome billet insert for the grille, running boards, and a chrome exhaust tip.

The F-150 FX2 takes the STX model’s sporty truck theme and the XLT’s standard equipment to the next level with a gray billet-style grille insert, 18-inch machined aluminum wheels, and body-color trim. Inside, the FX2 features front bucket seats with sport cloth upholstery, a power driver’s seat, a large center console and an overhead console, and a tilt-and-telescopic leather-wrapped steering wheel. A trip computer and a 4.2-inch LCD information display are also standard, along with a 110-volt inverter, rear defroster, auto-dimming rearview mirror, Sirius satellite radio, and Sync hands-free communication and entertainment technology.

Designed for off-roading, the F-150 FX4 adds gray wheel-lip moldings, tow hooks, black rubber floor mats, an electronic locking rear differential, an off-road suspension, and skid plates to the FX2’s feature count.

If you’re looking for a luxury truck, the F-150 Lariat is one solution. It features a bolder chrome grille with mesh inserts, chrome wheels, leather, 10-way power heated front seats, and dual-zone climate control. Other goodies include heated side mirrors with embedded turn signal indicators and an auto-dimming feature on the driver’s side, a power sliding rear window, power adjustable pedals, and illuminated sun visor mirrors.

The F-150 King Ranch SuperCrew builds on Lariat trim with two-tone paint, Pale Adobe painted trim, chrome outside mirror covers, and woodgrain interior décor. Upgraded Chapparal leather covers the seats and steering wheel, and both the front and rear seats are heated while the fronts are ventilated. Other standard features include a Sony premium audio system, Homelink garage door opener, power folding side mirrors, remote engine start, rear bumper sensors and a rearview camera system.

Believe it or not, there’s even more stuff in the F-150 Platinum model. Identified by its satin chrome grille with eggcrate inserts, satin chrome tailgate trim, monotone paint job, and polished 20-inch alloy wheels, the Platinum adds ambient lighting, Lacrosse Ash wood, aluminum dash trim, and premium tuxedo-stitched leather to the Platinum’s cabin, which Ford claims is quieter on the highway than a Lexus LX. Platinum models also have power-deploying running boards and rain-sensing wipers.

New for 2011, only 3,500 examples of the Lariat Limited will be produced, and only as a SuperCrew model. Painted exclusively in a White Platinum tri-coat finish and powered by a standard 6.2-liter V8 engine, the Lariat Limited gets a bunch of extra chrome trim, 22-inch polished wheels, unique suspension tuning, power running boards, premium two-tone leather, ambient lighting, power folding side mirrors, a power moonroof, a trailer brake controller, and other features.

At the top of the F-150 hierarchy sits the Harley-Davidson SuperCrew model, stickering for close to $50,000 and equipped exactly like the limited production Lariat Limited but with special Harley-Davidson design cues, inside and out.

Don’t see what you want yet? Try the SVT Raptor, a genuine Baja-racer built by Ford’s Special Vehicle Team. With revised front styling including functional air extractors and orange marker lamps embedded into the truck’s bold face, the Raptor is unmistakably different from anything else on the market. Inside, the Raptor gets special trim and two-tone leather seats, as well as a leather-wrapped steering wheel with a bright orange centering sight line stripe. In terms of mechanical upgrades, the SVT Raptor comes standard with a 6.2-liter V8 engine, internal triple bypass FOX Racing Shox and a modified front suspension to generate maximum wheel travel. The Raptor’s body is seven inches wider to accommodate the revised suspension and the 35-inch off-road tires mounted to 17-inch alloy wheels. Skid plates, an Off-Road mode, Hill Descent Control, an integrated trailer brake controller, and an auxiliary switchboard to facilitate aftermarket customization are also standard.

Ford offers numerous options for the F-150, depending on the trim level chosen. Buyers choosing the F-150 for work or commercial purposes can take advantage of innovative Ford Work Solutions options such as an in-dash computer with Internet access, a radio-frequency identification tool inventory tracking system, and Crew Chief fleet telematics and vehicle diagnostics. The F-150 is also available with features more commonly found on luxury sedans, like a voice-activated navigation system and rear seat entertainment.

The big news for the 2011 Ford F-150 is the new lineup of engines under the hood, each one connected to a six-speed automatic transmission and offered with an optional four-wheel-drive system. The roster is dependent on trim and body style, so check with your Ford dealer regarding availability.

Starting at the bottom, there’s a new 3.7-liter V6 engine making 302 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 278 lb-ft. of torque at 4,000 rpm. Maximum towing capacity is 6,100 pounds, and the EPA says fuel economy ranges from 16 mpg in the city to 23 mpg on the highway.

Next up is a new 5.0-liter V8 with 360 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 380 lb-ft. of torque at 4,250 rpm. It’ll tow up to 10,000 pounds properly equipped, while getting between 14 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway.

Then there’s a 6.2-liter V8 putting out 411 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 434 lb-ft. of torque at 4,500 rpm. This motor will tow 11,300 pounds, and fuel economy ranges from 12 mpg in the city to 18 mpg on the highway. Installed in the SVT Raptor, the 6.2-liter is rated 11 mpg city/14 mpg highway.

Finally, Ford is offering a turbocharged, direct-injected 3.5-liter V6 engine. This EcoBoost engine option supplies 365 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 420 lb-ft. of torque at 2,500 rpm. Better yet, 90 percent of maximum twist is available from 1,700 and 5,000 rpm. And get this, the EcoBoost V6 will tow just as much weight as the 6.2-liter V8 while extracting from each gallon of gas a minimum of 15 miles in the city and a maximum of 22 miles on the highway.

Ford includes antilock brakes, traction control, stability control, trailer sway control, and roll stability control on every 2011 F-150. Dual front airbags, side-impact airbags, and side-curtain airbags are also standard. Ford’s standard SOS Post Crash Alert system can help authorities find the F-150 in the event of an accident that deploys both front airbags and the Ford MyKey* system allows the truck’s owner to program a limited top speed for the F-150, among other features.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revised its crash testing procedures for 2011, and the government agency had not conducted tests on any F-150 model as this review was written. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gives the F-150 its Good rating for frontal offset, side impact, and rear crash protection. The IIHS has not conducted its new roof crush strength test on the 2011 F-150.

J.D. Power and Associates predicts that the 2011 Ford F-150’s reliability will be slightly better than average. Consumer Reports agrees with this assessment, predicting that reliability will be average over time.

* Standard on all F-150s except the XL model.

Ford is dropping the compact Ranger pickup next year, replacing it with the F-150 V6. Compared to a Ranger V6, fuel economy estimates are better, towing and payload ratings are better, the size of the cargo bed is bigger, and the cabin is larger and more comfortable. Makes total sense, right? Trouble is, the price tag is bigger, too, and not by just a couple of hundred bucks.

We spent a week driving Ford’s new entry-level truck, the F-150 with the 3.7-liter V6 engine. Our test model was a two-wheel-drive SuperCab in XLT trim, and the sticker came to just more than $33,000 with a handful of options. We’re not sure compact truck buyers are going to be interested in paying that kind of money for a new pickup, even if it is better in almost every other way.

Fuel economy didn’t pan out the way the EPA estimates of 17 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway led us to believe: we got 15.2 mpg in mixed driving. The truck is geared to provide decent grunt out of the gate, but the F-150 V6 felt like it was running out of steam shortly thereafter, and passing power was essentially non-existent.

The other problem is that an F-150 is harder to wield in tight quarters than a Ranger, such as in urban environments where compact trucks are typically easier to drive. Even in suburbia, we experienced moderate difficulty wedging the Ford truck into parking slots.

Getting children out of the SuperCab’s rear seat through the clamshell side doors was also daunting. To characterize this operation as a colossal pain in the you-know-what would be an understatement. If you have kids, get the SuperCrew.

That said, the F-150 came in extremely handy for shuttling a bed full of Salvation Army donations, the truck was extremely comfortable and quiet on the highway, and even though it was fairly basic as F-150s go, it certainly did not feel cheap.

There’s a reason the F-150 is the best-selling full-size truck in America. All it takes is a test drive to figure out why.

Ford relentlessly pursues perfection with its best-selling F-150, a truck designed and engineered by people who understand what truck buyers want. From the bare-bones XL work truck to the luxurious Lariat Limited and Baja-ready SVT Raptor, there’s an F-150 for any possible need. And now, new powertrains, additional models, and further refinements make the 2011 Ford F-150 the best one yet.

By Christian Wardlaw