Ford F-150 Limited 4x4 Supercrew review

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Trucks are the backbone of our country. I’ve never been a “truck guy”, but recognizing them for what they are is an acknowledgement and appreciation of them. How the heck does the rest of the world get by with little vans? And what do they tow their campers, boats and other recreational vehicles with?

Ford’s F-150, the bestselling vehicle in the United States, and staring price is just over $28,000. This 2019 Limited 4x4 Supercrew model starts at $67,135 and features the twin turbocharged 3.5 liter Ecoboost V-6 engine producing 450 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque, class leading among gas and diesel full-size pick-ups under 8,500 lbs. gross vehicle weight rating. It’s mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission and I’m writing to tell you that it sounds good, more V-8 sounding than V-6, confirmed outside the truck, and not just artificially piped into the cabin.

Performance is impressive to the point of being fun with putting the pedal to the metal. Looking at third party performance test results, Car and Driver did a 13.7 second quarter mile at 102mph, the second quickest pick-up they have ever tested, beating the Edge ST, the first SUV from Ford Performance recently reviewed. And the Raptor for that matter. Just as impressive, and equipped with the big 22” wheels with 275 series rubber, it stopped in just 168 feet. Honestly, that is spectacular for a vehicle over 5500lbs.

Despite the mileage rating of 15 city and 18 highway, the 26 gallon tank provides plenty of range, and there’s an optional 36 gallon tank. A 170 mile round trip, almost all highway, saw 18mpg with much of the time at 75-78mph during which showed 17mpg at that speed. One notable observation was the adaptive cruise control was nearly perfect. Maybe it’s due to the higher mounting point of the sensors, but it is smartly programmed, didn’t rush up on slower traffic, kept an acceptable following distance and sped up smartly when a gap opened from a car moving over.

Opening the one of the four doors reveals the automated floorboard appearing from underneath the truck which is really convenient. Just don’t walk into it shin first! When they retract, they make a satisfying and positive sound of engagement. I’d love to know what Ford did to assure their continued operation many years and miles down the road while subjected to the elements and road grime. Other automated features include remote start and tailgate release from the key fob.

Once the tailgate is opened, a center button releases a pull out and drop-down step along with the yellow tip of a rod that can be pulled out and stood upright to assist with accessing and leaving the bed of the pickup. Absolutely brilliant in its simplicity and execution. 

Entering the Limited edition, you’re greeted with two tone leather covered seats and leather dash with a well thought out gauge display and easily figured out infotainment system with various display options. The navigation has a funny quirk that this and the previous Ford had. When you drive right past the front door of your destination, Home Depot of course, it still doesn’t know you’ve arrived until a little later. Thank goodness the system overall is very easy to use because if you only have a vehicle for a week, a 400+ page owner’s manual can be a significant commitment in a short amount of time. Alternatively, the Apple Car Play is works great as it always should.

A huge, wide, two level center console offers a lot of storage space, maybe enough for a laptop. The seats are immensely comfortable for the long haul, but not hauling around a turn but that’s not unexpected in a pickup truck. The seats are also heated and ventilated, the term captain’s chair immediately comes to mind due to their size, presence and comfort. Oh, they have a massage function as well! The seats don't hide the shuddery, jittery ride but despite the movement being felt in the glutes, it's still very much a luxury vehicle. 

Besides the USB outlet, there is a 12 volt household style socket which the wife said is great for drying her hair on a road trip. How many Ford engineers considered that I wonder? There is also an outlet in back and a ton of legroom. Fitting your three big work crew members back there is a non-issue with the full-size rear doors. They only nitpick from the driver’s perspective is the location of the door lock and parking brake functions.

Exploring various features, the center section of the rear window is powered and offers a nice ventilation option. Or to yell at your kids playing in the bed while you’re driving…. The sprayed bed lined offers lights in the side besides the top of the cab, as well as cargo tie down mounts.

Loaded with technology and options, it is truly a luxury vehicle that happens to have full functionality. With a sharp red paint and chrome trim, it looks like it would be owned by a successful farmer, construction or manufacturing business owner, or executive of an outdoor product company. The problem with a truck is when you do truck stuff, it many times means you’re going to be busy with projects. Or in other cases, busy having fun.

Ford Edge ST review - the big sporty SUV

When family members started adding more to their crew, us empty nesters noticed rear facing seats for the newbies take up a lot rear seat space, so much so it forced the front seat to be adjusted. The the conveniences of ride and cargo loading height then had the desire for more space added to the requirements. With two little ones, and a weekend trip somewhere, cargo space needed a boost beyond the personal or couple-sized SUV. Okay that’s cool, there’s lots of choices, but what if the bad-ass in you still wants some go-power?

Now this 2019 Ford Edge ST is the first SUV from Ford Performance rolled sporting more power, bigger wheels and a suite of technology for the occupants. Roomy, the big 6’3” athlete friend fit just fine in back, and a large cargo area allows for strollers, golf clubs, luggage and stuff from big hardware stores. Horsepower is up 20 to 335hp and the torque figure increases by 30 to 380 lb-ft. from the 2.7 liter twin turbocharged V-6. Loaded with the tech and comfort essential Equipment Group 401 A, a really nice, white paint color called White Platinum Metallic, it has an MSRP of $52,225. Base price is $42.355.  

Add some 21” black wheels with meaty 265 width tires, black mesh grills, and red brake calipers and now you’ve got a more serious looking machine that looks like it will show its taillights to the other soccer moms and baseball dads and leave competitors in plastic and chrome merping along at quarter throttle while you activated your inner g-meter.

The stiffer suspension definitely is felt and heard on the bumps but head toss isn’t bad at all. It’s a more connected feel vs. dissociation. It’s tall and so is the seating position, very upright. The combination is definitely give more truck perception car. Outward visibility is good, but there’s a lot dashboard and sloping glass held in place by long A-pillars that widen at the bottom. With the transverse mounted engine, what the heck us under all the dashboard? Is this part of hybrid space planning? The new Explorer is back to a longitudinal mounted engine which allows for lower placement in relation due to the front drive shafts and lower hood line. However the wife felt so safe in the Edge she said if we ran into an object it would take four days to get to her. Now that is a secure feeling.

Past experience with a family owned, well-used 2007 Ford Edge SEL isn’t a comparison whatsoever. The 2019 is alien technology compared to the old one. The steering wheel has lots of controls, and has a sporty look and feel although surprisingly a bit thin in some spots of its contours. Steering feel has certain firmness for further driving confidence, but if you’re looking for that easy (yet improper) two finger effort while turning, this isn’t it.

Sport mode, a button in the center of the rotary shifter increases the engine and transmission responsiveness, and also increases the engine note but it sounds like it is from the front, hence piped in as opposed to the mufflers opening up. It was tested by Car & Driver to 60mph in 5.7 seconds and a 14.3 second quarter mile at 98mph. Not bad, quick for the street, but leave your helmet at home if you hit the dragstrip. In sport mode, a tiny virtual tachometer appears on the left side of the driver’s display and also shows what gear is engaged. In non-sport mode, the tiny bar graph tachometer next to the fuel gauge bar is nearly useless in size and it’s the same color as the fuel gauge bar.

The EPA rating is 19 city, 26 highway. In the suburban shopping jungle, some idling, and turning off the engine auto off/start, 14mpg was observed, and a trip from the ‘burbs to the city and back saw 23mpg. The auto shutoff works very smoothly and starts quite rapidly, even allowing for a “jack rabbit” start with minimal hesitation.

The seats are very comfortable, but oddly the power tilt and telescoping steering wheel doesn’t have an auto-up exit position. And the panoramic moonroof shade must be fully retracted to tilt the roof for ventilation which is annoying. If you plan on venting the car when it’s parked, get your sunroof tinted.

The Edge ST has all the parking assists you could want, including an automatic parking mode that I was too far from the parked cars to fully activate. Assuming it would need to make one turn, front first, I learned reading the manual, you need to be within three feet of parked cars, and the illustration shows that it backs the car into the perpendicular space. It also offers parallel parking assist and parallel space exit as well. Although it doesn’t have a 360 camera system, the front and rear sensors work fine, but only within a couple feet.

Quirks aside, the ST is certainly a capable SUV, fulfilling two-row family needs. Styling is properly sporty, and despite feeling tall it’s braking and cornering limits are respectively high which can translate to better emergency avoidance. It’s a very comfortable cruiser and a strong contender if you want the size and the power.

Kia K900 luxury sedan review - it is all upper crust

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It’s got cooled, heated and reclining seats, digital temperature control, music and media controls, inductive phone charging, USB, 12 volt chargers and cup holders. Sounds like a typical decently equipped car, right? Well this is for the rear seat occupants. A little more evolved than just a leather armrest with cupholders. And the cupholders are forward of the control bank.

The 2019 Kia K900 Luxury is a long wheelbase, roomy, all-wheel drive, powerful luxury sedan that offers a near effortless driving experience with a full menu of technology. With an MSRP of $64,695, it’s a lot of sedan for the price. First impression of it's appearance is a stately and elegant sedan with some European influencers. The chrome touches and multi-spoke wheels speak to it's mission without any glaring faults. In fact, it's carefully crafted all around. 

Where Kia struggles is perceived image. It didn’t start as a luxury brand, nor did it branch off a luxury division. The name might be too cute, just like the hamsters, and the dealership experience may not be “high end” but it’s the ride that counts. Nissan does it with the GT-R, Chevrolet does it with the Corvette, so why not with a luxury sedan? Plus, their 2011 Superbowl commercial with the How You Like Me Now song from The Heavy is awesome.

This 3.3 twin-turbo 365hp V-6 model example was a gem around town and a 300 mile road trip. With the all-wheel drive traction allowing aggressive gear ratios afforded by the 8-speed automatic transmission, acceleration for a 4700lb car is definitely quick, feeling like more power than rated. It’s only at extra legal speeds does it drop off noticeably but still more than “adequate”.  The subtle sound, more like a muted domestic V-8 in a Cadillac from the 1970s or 80s than a V6 hum or wail is an artificial construct from the ASD – Active Sound Design system.  

The Kia is a great long distance cruiser, with excellent seats and a quiet ride. Despite the high speed travel, traffic jams and heavy foot antics, it indicated it slightly exceeded its 21mpg combined rating. When the K900 is in Sport mode though, it would be a bit choppy on the freeway and held a lower gear for a little too long, hoping for that next stab of the throttle. When Sport mode is activated, the lateral bolsters give you a little extra squeeze. The seatbelt gives you an extra snug, more like a hug, when shifting to drive no matter the mode.

The adaptive cruise control worked well but the closest setting meant it would hit the brakes hard when a much slower vehicle was way too late to move over. Lane departure steering wheel corrections were either smooth-subtle or smooth and surprisingly strong. One intersection with a hill crest confused it a little bit. Under normal driving it was gentle reminder to stay in the center lane. The automatic engine shutoff in this $64,895 model is far less noticeable and not nearly as annoying as it is in the wife’s 2018 Audi SQ5. But still detested at brief stops when merging is about to occur like pulling out of a parking lot. Interesting about the start-stop feature, tugging on the steering wheel will not restart the engine unlike other vehicles experienced, but engaging one of the shift paddles will do so.

The K900 is about luxury and technology and there is plenty, especially with the VIP package in this Luxury sub-model example. The 12.3” gauge screen is an LCD TFT display with prominent speed and engine rpm displays that have an absolutely brilliant feature of turning into a blind spot camera view on either side of the car depending which turn signal is activated. It takes a little getting used to, but once you do, it’s a fantastic feature for vehicle placement in relation to other vehicles and even curbs. It was during this time that the only non-luxury aspect of the car noticed was the feel of the control stalks wasn’t quite luxury level, but to borrow an old comparison, far from the broken wine glass stem comparison I once remember reading. The speaker grills are a beautiful laser cut pieces that go nicely with the leather, finished metal and wood surfaces.

The navigation screen is also 12.3 inches which enables map, music and climate settings at the same time. It’s a touch screen, a selection indicator allows rotary dial selection of functions and below the screen are push buttons a well. The configurable options are numerous from seat movement distance when ignition off to custom drive mode, and the drivers display displays the seat movement selected, which mode the windshield wipers are in, seat heating or cooling, etc. The seat cooling is spectacular, the fans cannot be heard, and I can only imagine how good they are on a triple digit day.

Kia’s K900 is a large, luxurious, quick sedan; full of tech, coddling the front and rear passengers, and a delight to travel in. Considering its size, equipment level, and price, it’s a serious contender in the large luxury segment. Check it out, and ask yourself, “How you like me now?”