2012 Ford F-150 Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 Ford F-150 overview explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 F-150, and includes Ford F-150 safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

The Ford F-150 is one of the most popular vehicles in America. A full-size pickup truck, the F-150 is the light-duty version of the F-Series lineup. Sold in a variety of styles, from the bare-bones XL to the luxurious Platinum, and from the rugged FX4 to the Baja-ready SVT Raptor, there’s a Ford F-150 to fit almost any budget and any need.

Compared to years past, there are relatively few changes for the 2012 F-150. Hill Start Assist is added as a standard feature on all F-150s, working to hold the truck on an incline for two seconds after the driver releases the brake pedal. More F-150 models can be equipped with an electronic locking rear axle this year, and all F-150s with four-wheel drive get neutral-tow capability for 2012, meaning they can be flat-towed.

Speaking of 4WD, a new automatic 4WD system is available on Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum models, replacing the electronic shift-on-the-fly system currently offered as an option. That electronic shift-on-the-fly system is now included on XL, STX, XLT, and FX4 trucks with four-wheel drive. To improve the F-150’s appeal with people who buy full-size trucks for work, Ford also adds a SuperCab longbed model in XL and XLT trim, and the Crew Cab regular length truck bed can be equipped with a heavy-duty payload rating in XL, XLT and Lariat trim.

A new FX Appearance Package is optional on FX2 and FX4 models. It includes 20-inch matte-black wheels, flat-black body side graphics, black badges with red lettering, a black grille, and blacked-out headlamps and tail lights. Inside, black leather with red stitching, perforations, and piping are included, along with black-painted trim panels, brushed metal dash trim, and satin interior accents. Get the FX2 or FX4 with the optional Luxury Package, and new-for-2012 ventilated front seats are included.

The F-150 Harley-Davidson edition gets new snakeskin leather interior accents combined with new 22-inch wheels, available White Platinum Tri-Coat paint in addition to Tuxedo Black, and a unique snakeskin-textured body side graphic. The standard features list now includes a navigation system.

The SVT Raptor off-road performance truck gets a Torsen front differential this year, and Ford says it improves the Raptor’s ability to handle steep grades, slippery conditions, and other obstacles. A new front camera system is optionally available when the navigation system has been ordered, allowing the driver to see ahead of the truck when the hood blocks the view from behind the steering wheel. The front camera works at speeds under 15 mph and comes with its own washer system. Other SVT Raptor changes include new Euro-flange wheels with wheel weights mounted on the inside of the rim, new body side graphics, and new ventilated front seats as part of the Luxury Package.

As you’ve no doubt discovered, there are numerous F-150 models designed to meet a wide variety of truck-buyer needs. Anchoring the bottom of the lineup and popular with commercial buyers who intend to use the F-150 as a daily workhorse, with the XL model is equipped with vinyl seats, painted bumpers, a black grille, and 17-inch steel wheels. Though it’s a basic set of wheels, the XL does include air conditioning, a stereo, intermittent wipers, a tilt steering wheel, and an exterior light for the cargo bed. Power windows, power door locks with remote keyless entry, floor mats, and carpeting are included with the XL SuperCrew cab style.

If you just cannot accept the XL’s no-frills appearance, try the F-150 STX, available in Regular Cab and SuperCab styles. The STX gets body-color bumpers and grille trim, and a set of 17-inch alloy wheels. Better yet, the cabin is upgraded with a cloth 40/20/40 bench seat, power windows, power mirror adjustment, cruise control, an outside temperature indicator, an auxiliary audio input jack, and a CD changer. MyKey programmable vehicle technology allows the STX owner to program warnings for seatbelt use and vehicle speed as well as maximum vehicle speed and stereo volume, making it great for parents with teenaged drivers in the house.

One of the most popular F-150 models is the XLT, sold in all three cab styles. The XLT adds a chrome grille, chrome bumpers, fog lights, automatic headlights, and dark-tined rear privacy glass. The XLT’s interior is further refined over the STX, and this model also comes with a compass and remote keyless entry. Choose the XLT Custom model and you’ll get a billet-style grille, body-color exterior trim, running boards, a chrome exhaust tip, and 18-inch machined-finish alloy wheels.

Combine the STX model’s sporty truck theme and the XLT’s standard equipment list to create the F-150 FX2 SuperCab and SuperCrew. A gray billet-style grille, body-color trim, and 18-inch machined aluminum wheels decorate the outside, while the cabin gains front bucket seats with sport cloth upholstery, a power driver’s seat, a leather-wrapped tilt/telescopic steering wheel, a large center console and an overhead storage console. Additional upgrades include a trip computer and a 4.2-inch LCD information display, as well as a 110-volt inverter, a rear defroster, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, satellite radio, and Sync hands-free communication and entertainment technology.

If you like the FX2’s custom look, but you need a truck for off-roading, the F-150 FX4 is a great choice unless you want a Regular Cab truck. The FX4, offered only in SuperCab and SuperCrew format, includes an off-road suspension, skid plates, tow hooks, and an electronic locking rear differential. Gray wheel-lip moldings and black rubber floor mats are also part of the package.

For 2012, a new FX Appearance Package can be added to the FX2 or FX4. There’s no mistaking this model, which has a black grille, blacked out headlamps and tail lights, 20-inch matte-black wheels, flat-black body side graphics, and black badges with red lettering. Open the cab door and you’ll find red-stitched black leather with red perforations and piping, black-painted trim panels, brushed metal dash trim, and satin interior accents.

Next on the F-150 menu are three luxury-oriented trim levels that focus on providing successive levels of comfort and technology upgrades. You can spot the first of these, the Lariat SuperCab or SuperCrew, by its sparkly chrome grille with mesh inserts, chrome wheels, and side mirrors with embedded turn signal indicators. Inside, the Lariat is luxed up with leather upholstery, 10-way power heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, heated side mirrors with an auto-dimming feature on the driver’s side, power adjustable pedals, and illuminated visor vanity mirrors. A power sliding rear window is also standard on this model, along with automatic four-wheel drive when 4WD is specified.

The F-150 King Ranch SuperCrew builds on the Lariat’s standard equipment with two-tone Pale Adobe paint, chrome outside mirror housings, and fake wood interior trim. Premium Chaparral leather covers the seats and steering wheel, and the front seats are both heated and ventilated. Other standard features include heated rear seats, Sony premium audio, a HomeLink universal remote, power folding side mirrors, remote engine starting, rear bumper sensors and a reversing camera.

Luxury is taken to the extreme in the F-150 Platinum SuperCrew. Starting on the outside, the Platinum has a satin chrome grille with unique eggcrate inserts, satin chrome tailgate trim, monotone paint, and polished 20-inch alloy wheels. Inside, the lavish Platinum includes ambient lighting, Lacrosse Ash wood, aluminum dash trim, and premium tuxedo-stitched leather. Power-deploying running boards and rain-sensing wipers are also standard on this model.

At the top of the F-150 hierarchy sit two vastly different trucks: the Harley-Davidson SuperCrew and the SVT Raptor in SuperCab and SuperCrew styles, each equipped with a standard 6.2-liter V8 engine.

The Harley-Davidson truck is meant for paved roads, and naturally features unique Harley-Davidson design cues, inside and out. Chrome exterior trim, massive 22-inch polished aluminum wheels, power running boards, power folding side mirrors, and unique suspension tuning are standard on the Harley-Davidson model, along with special snakeskin leather and textured surfaces, satin chrome cabin detailing, and ambient interior lighting. A navigation system, a power moonroof and a trailer brake controller are also included, and the Harley-Davidson truck can be painted Tuxedo Black or White Platinum Tri-Coat.

The SVT Raptor is a genuine Baja-ready off-road performance truck built by Ford’s Special Vehicle Team. With a body that’s seven inches wider than other F-150s and unique front styling with functional air extractors and orange marker lamps embedded into the truck’s bold face, the Raptor is unmistakably different from other F-150 models – or anything else on the market.

Mechanically, the SVT Raptor is upgraded with internal triple bypass FOX Racing Shox, a modified front suspension to generate maximum wheel travel, and a Torsen front differential for maximum traction on steep and slippery surfaces. To accommodate the revised suspension and the 35-inch off-road tires mounted to 17-inch Euro-flange aluminum wheels, the SVT Raptor’s body is widened by more than half a foot. 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, and the SVT Raptor can be equipped with a new forward-view camera system that allows the driver to see what’s happening with the terrain in front of the truck when outward visibility is blocked by the hood. Inside, SVT Raptors are outfitted with special trim and two-tone leather seats, as well as a leather-wrapped steering wheel with a bright orange centering sight line stripe.

As you might imagine, Ford offers numerous ways to upgrade an F-150, depending on the trim level. Buyers seeking to employ the F-150 for work or commercial purposes will want to investigate the Ford Work Solutions options, including 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 ventilated front seats, a voice-activated navigation system, and a rear seat entertainment system.

Ford offers four different engines for the 2012 F-150, and likes to point out that every model is equipped with a standard six-speed automatic transmission. Buyers can also choose between an electronic shift-on-the-fly and an automatic four-wheel-drive system. To be sure which engines and drive systems are offered on the different F-150 models, Vehix recommends checking with your Ford dealer.

The least powerful engine choice is the 3.7-liter V6, good for 302 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 278 lb-ft. of torque at 4,000 rpm. Maximum towing capacity is 6,100 pounds, and last year’s fuel economy estimates ranged from 16 mpg in the city to 23 mpg on the highway.

Many F-150 buyers elect to upgrade to the 5.0-liter V8 with 360 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 380 lb-ft. of torque at 4,250 rpm, either by choosing it as an option or by buying a model in which this V8 comes standard. The 5.0-liter V8 tows up to 10,000 pounds while getting anywhere between 14 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway.

The 6.2-liter V8 generates 411 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 434 lb-ft. of torque at 4,500 rpm, can tow up to 11,300 pounds, and gets between 12 mpg in the city and 18 mpg on the highway. When installed in the SVT Raptor, the 6.2-liter’s fuel economy ratings are 11-mpg city/14-mpg highway.

Ford also offers a turbocharged, direct-injected 3.5-liter V6 engine in the F-150, and this has, surprisingly, become one of the most popular engine choices. With 365 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 420 lb-ft. of torque at 2,500 rpm, the turbocharged engine blends the fuel economy of a V6 with the towing capacity of the 6.2-liter V8. Plus, with 90 percent of maximum torque available from 1,700 to 5,000 rpm, the EcoBoost engine provides outstanding acceleration. Fuel economy ranges from a minimum of 15 mpg in the city to as much as 22 mpg on the highway.

Every 2012 Ford F-150 is equipped with a full menu of standard safety features including four-wheel vented-disc antilock brakes, traction control, stability control, trailer sway control, hill start assist, and roll stability control. Dual front airbags, side-impact airbags, and side-curtain airbags are also standard, and Ford’s SOS Post Crash Alert system helps authorities find the F-150 in the event of an accident while MyKey* technology allows the truck’s owner to program a limited top speed, a seatbelt warning chime, a stereo volume limit, and other features.

In tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Ford F-150 SuperCrew receives an overall rating of 4 Stars. The area of concern is the F-150’s frontal-impact rating, which is rated 3 Stars because of a 3-Star front passenger protection rating. Of course, this rating reflects crashworthiness when the F-150 hits a stationary object or crashes with a vehicle of equal size and weight, so in an accident with most other vehicles on the road, the F-150 is likely to fare quite well. In side-impact tests, all three F-150 cab styles receive a 5-Star rating, and rollover resistance ratings are 4 Stars with rear-wheel drive and 3 Stars with 4WD.

During the course of 2011, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the F-150 Crew Cab a Top Safety Pick rating for its top-rated performance in the offset frontal-, side-, and rear-impact crashworthiness assessments, as well as in the roof crush strength test.

Consumer Reports expects the F-150 to return average reliability over time. J.D. Power and Associates is more bullish, giving the truck a rating of slightly better than average in this regard. J.D. Power also gave the 2011 F-150 an award for its performance in initial quality.

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

The 2012 Ford F-150 is built in two different assembly plants, one in Michigan and one in Missouri.

The full-size pickup truck market is populated with several good choices, and buyers in this segment tend be very brand loyal. Nevertheless, there’s a reason the Ford F-150 is the best-selling truck. With an impressive engine lineup, ruggedly handsome design, a roomy and comfortable cab, and one of the most diverse model ranges available, the F-150 gets a thumbs-up from Vehix.

By Christian Wardlaw