Road Test: 2001 Ford F-150 SuperCrew

You can have your Truck, and a Car, too.

For 23 years, the Ford F-150 has been America's best-selling full-size pickup. And it has been the country's best-selling vehicle for 18 years. No wonder -- it's well-built, reliable and it rides a fine balance between serious jobsite performer and comfortable cruiser.

So, if you want a legendary work truck that offers durability and hard-fisted attitude, the F-150 can deliver. But if you want all that and don't want to feel like you're riding in a tractor, the F-150 is also good looking, supple riding, easy driving, loaded with amenities and comfortable -- like a car.

That is not to say the competition can't claim similar attributes. Chevrolet Silverado, Dodge Ram, GMC Sierra and Toyota Tundra can all legitimately boast that they are comfortable and tough. However, Ford does it better. The F-150's road manners are not so truck-like as the broad-shouldered and menacing Ram and the Ford's interior design, fit and finish is better than the Chevy and GMC products. The F-150 has increased its lead further by producing the only full-size, four-door half-ton pickup on the market for 2001, which means if you want a pickup, but you really need the versatility of a minivan or SUV and you like the way a car drives, the F-150 SuperCrew offers all three in one.

So, now you can have your truck and a car, too.

Contradicting common belief that the F-150 SuperCrew was created for contractors and other laborers, a Ford executive told us it was built with families in mind. The SuperCrew's cavernous interior is essentially the same as the one used in the Expedition sport utility vehicle and his point is underscored by our test truck's family-oriented equipment, such as the child safety-seat anchors, multiple cupholders, standard power adjustable pedals and the optional rear seat audio/video package. The latter, with video game compatibility, is probably not meant to entertain the drywall crew while commuting to a job site, but more likely to keep the kids occupied while you travel to Disneyland. And the adjustable pedals allow family members of various heights to drive the SuperCrew comfortably.

In addition to the goodies above, our top-of-the-line Lariat tester offered air conditioning, cruise control, remote power door locks, power windows, an external temperature indicator with compass, leather upholstery and heated, six-way power-adjustable captain's chairs in front, a power moonroof, a leather-wrapped tilt steering wheel and a six-disc CD changer. It's like a rolling rec-room.

We found all the dashboard gauges and instruments easy to understand, and the switchgear could be operated while we were wearing gloves. We loved the huge greenhouse, which offered a commanding view of the road and our surroundings. In this regard, the SuperCrew's four full-sized, normally-opening doors have a huge advantage over the setup in the Ford F-150 SuperCab and other pickups with small rear doors that swing out backwards. Not only does that configuration create a large, vision-blocking B-pillar, but it also makes ingress and egress more difficult.

Not so in our SuperCrew. Three adults easily slipped into the back seat and were treated to copious amounts of head-, leg- and hiproom. All they wanted for was a tape of Super Bowl X.

The optional 260-horsepower 5.4-liter V8 engine does an adequate job of moving the 4,994-pound beast. In our instrumented tests, the SuperCrew moved from zero to 60 mph in 8.6 seconds, which may be slow for a sport sedan, but is sprightly for a near 5,000-lb. truck. And with its 7,700-lb. towing capacity and 350 ft.-lbs. of torque at 2,500 rpm, the SuperCrew possesses the oomph and low-end power to tow most recreational loads (such as campers, boats, horse and car trailers) with ease.

We found nothing to complain about with regards to the SuperCrew's ride. Because of its considerable weight and the fact that it has a 20-inch-longer wheelbase than a regular F-150 and 17-inch wheels with 265/70R17 all-terrain tires, the SuperCrew provides excellent insulation from harsh road surfaces, much like a sedan or luxury SUV.

What separates the SuperCrew from both those vehicles, though, is its 5-foot, 5-inch cargo bed, which is 7 inches shorter than the standard 6 feet. For those who want a pickup for messy loads (or just for looks), that means less room back there to carry supplies from Plumber's Mart or Big Al's Plant Emporium. The optional bed extender helps a little, but it's a cage and not good for unstable loads like soil, gravel or loose household items. Don't think that'll get you out of helping your cousin's sister's housekeeper's friend Dolores move, though. The rear seats fold flat to offer a large interior cargo space and her loveseat and buffet will easily fit in the bed. Then, when that's finished, you can take your kid's hockey team to the rink and come home just in time to clean up and go downtown for a night on the town. Tomorrow morning you can go four-wheeling to your favorite fishing spot, but don't forget you have to pick up your mother-in-law at 6 for dinner.

Sound exhausting? Don't blame us. We warned you the SuperCrew was attractive, comfortable, roomy and functional. That's why we recommend it.

Road Test: 2001 Ford F-150 SuperCrew
Road Test Summary

Ford has been making pickups for 76 years. It debuted the F-Series 52 years ago. The experience shows. F-Series trucks are durable, attractive, well-equipped, easy to drive, comfortable and reliable. The F-150 SuperCrew adds another dimension -- versatility. As the market's first full-size, four-door pickup, it has the utility of a pickup, the room of a sport ute, the family-friendliness of a minivan and the road manners of a car.  

If you want a legendary work truck that offers durability, good looks, a supple ride, loads of amenities, utility, versatility and comfort, we recommend you look at the F-150 SuperCrew.