2023 Ford F-150 review: Australian first drive
Is the 2023 Ford F-150 just another Yank Tank taking up too much room on our roads, or is there something more to it? Ben Zachariah investigates the latest American pick-up to invade our shores.
- Interior space and comfort
- Doesn't feel huge on the road
- Capability and practicality
- Steering is too light
- Big price jump for the Lariat
- Facelifted model already revealed overseas
2023 Ford F-150
My best mate's family has owned a corner of Queensland for generations. It's a half-million-acre station that borders New South Wales and South Australia, and includes Cameron Corner – a popular spot for those touring the outback.
His old man has worked the station all his life, driving almost nothing but LandCruisers since they became available, but mainly 70 Series utes. But with some back issues after a lifetime of hard yakka, a few years ago he switched to a GMC – a former ambulance from the 1990s, with the body removed and replaced with a long tray for farm duties.
Japanese utes may be reliable and capable, he told me, but nobody does comfort like the Yanks.
When he finally decided to go into semi-retirement – still working harder than most people have seen in their lifetimes, mind – he decided to treat himself to something nicer. An all-new GMC dual-cab pick-up, imported from the US and converted to right-hand drive. Something to tow the new caravan across the country in comfort, my mate's mum by his side.
It was a few years later when Ram took a gamble, partnering with Walkinshaw to remanufacture the Ram 1500 pick-up to right-hand drive and introduce – or re-introduce, more accurately – the American 'truck' to Australian soil.
It was an unexpected hit, and soon Chevrolet joined the party with their Silverado. And now Ford and Toyota are following with their US-made pick-ups.
I mention all of this because every time there's a story about these vehicles, there's a loud minority calling for their abolition from Australian roads. I'm here to tell you: there's most definitely a market for these models here, whether you like it or not.
This brings us to the latest pick-up to join the ranks – the Ford F-150. Built in the US, shipped to Australia, and then remanufactured as a right-hand-drive vehicle.
And I do mean remanufactured. Ford took us for a tour of the RMA factory in Melbourne's northern suburbs, where each body is separated from its chassis and tub on arrival and stripped back to its frame. The firewall is then punched out and replaced with a right-hand-drive version, and the F-150 is rebuilt by hand, piece by piece.
I cannot fathom how the engineers and accountants all agreed this was the most efficient way of doing things, but according to Ford spokespeople, they are anticipating approximately 5000 sales annually. Compare that to the million F-Trucks sold in the US each year.
I also don't really understand how General Motors can justify making the Corvette in right-hand drive, while the F-150 has to be made – twice – in order for it to be sold in our market. Nor does it make sense how this can be done, and both Ford and RMA can extract enough of a profit from a projected 5000 sales.
But however they managed it, both Ford and RMA engineers have done everything to ensure the vehicle is as good – if not, better – than when it leaves the factory in Dearborn, Michigan.
How much does the 2023 Ford F-150 cost in Australia?
While US buyers have eight choices of the F-150, Australia has two to choose from – the XLT workhorse, and the range-topping Lariat.
The 2023 Ford F-150 XLT is priced from $106,950 before on-road costs, or $107,945 for the long-wheelbase version. Which, given the equivalent spec costs about $90,000 in the US (in Aussie dollars), seems entirely reasonable given the work that goes into re-engineering this car to right-hand-drive.
The 2023 Ford F-150 Lariat starts from $139,950 plus on-road costs, while the long-wheelbase Lariat costs $140,945 before on-road costs. Again, if you were Stateside, that would be roughly $111,100 of your Aussie pesos. A bit more of a jump, but there's also a bit more work involved given the T-bar auto – but we'll get into that in a bit.
Either way, you'll find a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine under the bonnet, producing 298kW and 678Nm, and mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission with low-range four-wheel drive.
Because of the complexities around remanufacturing, options are pretty much limited to your colour choice. But in order to offset that, Ford has loaded these Effies up with a tonne or three of standard equipment, so it's hard to imagine wanting for much more than what's available.
This includes an integrated trailer brake controller and a 4500kg-rated tow bar with a 70mm ball – though there's also an optional 3500kg version available with a 50mm ball.
Really, there are two choices to be made: Do you want the basic version with cloth interior or do you want the more luxurious leather interior with bigger screens, more tech, and heated/cooled seats? Okay, next – standard tub, or big tub?
Key details | 2023 Ford F-150 |
Price | From $106,950 plus on-road costs |
Colour of test car | Rapid Red / Agate Black |
Price as tested | $139,950 plus on-road costs |
Rivals | Ram 1500 | Chevrolet Silverado | Toyota Tundra |
How much space does the 2023 Ford F-150 have inside?
If you're after something with plenty of space, the F-150 has you covered. While modern passenger cars and SUVs keep increasing in size every generation, in many cases it feels like you have less space inside. Don't believe me? Go sit in a LandCruiser 300 Series, then jump into a 60 Series.
That all has to do with safety and technology. Manufacturers have to find places to hide airbags and complex wiring looms and computers and little electric motors for the seats, not to mention integrating crash structures that are more robust. Everything naturally becomes bloated.
And while there's a touch of that with the new F-150, it feels noticeably more spacious in the cabin compared with a new LandCruiser or Patrol, or most SUVs in the Upper Large category.
In the XLT, the driver gets a 12-way power seat with lumbar sport, while the passenger gets a 10-way power seat with lumbar. The XLT also gets cloth upholstery, which is comfortable and high-quality.
Both front seats in the Lariat are 12-way power adjustable, with memory for the driver, along with heating and cooling. The rear seats are also heated, and the interior is upholstered in leather.
The interior trims and plastics all felt well made and hard-wearing, with very little of the cheap hollow plastics that plagued American cars of the past. It feels like it's solidly built and could take a few trips around the equator.
What feels slightly unusual is the wide centre console between the driver and passenger. In the XLT, the automatic gear selector is column mounted – like a proper US vehicle – providing plenty of real estate for drinks, phones, or a small carnival.
But in the Lariat, the gear selector uses a more common T-bar, mounted next to your thigh just like you'd find on any Ford Falcon. What makes this one cool though is the fact that you can press a button, and the T-bar will retract, creating a flat surface which then allows you to flip open the forward-hinged console lid to create a picnic table.
There are big door pockets, medium-sized cubbies, and smaller nooks. There's also a tonne of space in the second-row seats – more than enough to keep adults comfortable – along with under-seat storage. All of which makes the F-150 a really great vehicle for road-tripping.
The Lariat also gains a huge dual sunroof and a power-sliding back window.
2023 Ford F-150 | |
Seats | Five |
Length | 5884-6184mm |
Width | 2030mm |
Height | 1995mm |
Wheelbase | 3694-3994mm |
Does the 2023 Ford F-150 have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
The F-150 XLT gets an 8.0-inch infotainment system running Ford's 'Sync 4' system, offering satellite navigation, wired Android Auto, and both wired and wireless Apple CarPlay. And while it's absolutely sufficient, the screen looks a bit undersized in the large dashboard once you compare it to the Lariat.
That's because the Lariat comes with a 12-inch infotainment screen – complete with 360-degree cameras – which really does make the interior look and feel a lot more modern and more worthy of its six-figure price tag.
The fully digital 12-inch dash cluster also helps with that, especially when compared to the traditional gauges found in the XLT – though the 8.0-inch screen mounted between the gauges allows the driver to access a whole host of additional information.
The Lariat also gets an 18-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, which works great – although there weren't any complaints about the system in the XLT.
The F-150 comes standard with FordPass Connect, allowing you to locate your vehicle using the FordPass App on your smartphone, as well as lock and unlock the doors, perform a trailer light check, receive trailer theft alerts, remotely start the car and heat or cool the car, and check things like the fuel level and tyre pressures.
Arguably the F-150's party trick is the Pro Trailer Back-Up Assist, which is designed to make reversing with a trailer as easy as possible. It provides multiple camera angles, and allows the driver to steer the vehicle and its trailer by simply turning a knob on the dash. It's a really neat piece of engineering, taking the guesswork and potential embarrassment out of the equation.
Is the 2023 Ford F-150 a safe car?
At the time of writing, the 2023 Ford F-150 has yet to be tested by either ANCAP or Euro NCAP, meaning there's no official star rating available.
However, both models come with six airbags, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), a rear-view camera, rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring with cross-traffic alert and trailer tow coverage, and lane-keep assist.
Step up to the Lariat and you'll also get front parking sensors, 360-degree cameras, lane centring, speed sign recognition, evasive steering assist, and AEB junction assist.
2023 Ford F-150 | |
ANCAP rating | Untested |
How much does the 2023 Ford F-150 cost to maintain?
UPDATE: Ford provided servicing costs for the F-150 after this review was first published. Logbook services are scheduled for every 12 months or 15,000 kilometres – whichever comes first – priced from $429 per service for the first four years or 60,000km.
In total, buyers will be spending a minimum of $1716 plus the cost of any wear and tear items that aren't part of the scheduled servicing.
The F-150 does come with an Intelligent Oil Life Monitor, which the company says measures the performance of your engine oil and alerts you if it needs changing.
As with all Fords, the F-150 is covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.
Unfortunately, the F-150 is so new, we were unable to obtain an insurance quote for the vehicle at this time.
At a glance | 2023 Ford F-150 |
Warranty | Five years, unlimited km |
Service intervals | 12 months or 15,000km |
Servicing costs | $1716 (four years) |
Is the 2023 Ford F-150 fuel efficient?
Despite weighing between 2451kg and 2555kg (depending on the variant), Ford claims the 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 sips an average of 12.5 litres per 100 kilometres.
Our limited time with the F-150 was predominantly freeway and country highway driving, meaning we weren't able to get an accurate, real-world reading on what the weekly fuel bill would be like for someone using the pick-up in a suburban environment.
If expensive petrol prices have the potential to ruin your household budget, then this probably isn't the vehicle for you. But in any case, it might be worth holding off on buying one until we've had a chance to get an F-150 into the Drive garage to get a more accurate fuel consumption reading. Watch this space.
Suspending disbelief for a minute, and assuming the F-150 can match its 12.5L/100km claim, it's a fairly astonishing feat of engineering. Consider a recent review I conducted of the Toyota GR86 returned an average of 10L/100km. The F-150 weighs almost double that of the GR86, and is a giant box-shaped pick-up rather than a svelt coupe.
Fuel Consumption - brought to you by bp
Fuel Useage | Fuel Stats |
Fuel cons. (claimed) | 12.5L/100km |
Fuel cons. (on test) | Not recorded |
Fuel type | Petrol |
Fuel tank size | 136L |
What is the 2023 Ford F-150 like to drive?
Let me start off by saying the F-150 didn't drive the way I was expecting it to. Almost exactly 10 years ago I owned a 1993 Ford F-150 Flareside – the smallest single-cab 2WD F-Truck on the road – which I used to drive across North America.
This latest F-150 seems to be roughly twice as long, a lot higher, a lot bigger in all dimensions, really, compared to my rusty steed. But you wouldn't know it.
I was expecting the same sort of reaction as the first time I drove a Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series – a vehicle I now own personally – which was minor shock and some intimidation at the size of the thing on Melbourne streets.
The F-150 did shock me, but not in that way. I was surprised because it felt like one notch up from a Ford Ranger. I was immediately comfortable behind the wheel, the dimensions were easy to get a handle on, and I felt at ease pulling out into freeway traffic.
It may have something to do with the fact that the F-150 is almost the same width as the Ford Ranger. It is 73mm taller than the Ranger, and either 502mm longer for the standard wheelbase, or an extra 803mm for the long-wheelbase Effie.
Put simply, when you're trucking down the freeway, you're not doing anything differently than you would be if you were driving the Ranger – Australia's second most popular new car. The only time you really notice the extra millimetres is when you're picking a line around a tight car-park corner, or if you're about to drive into an underground car park.
Ford Australia says one of the only differences between the right-hand drive F-150 and one bought off a lot in Texas is the steering box, which has been borrowed from a Ranger Raptor. While it's entirely subjective, Ford representatives claim it's better.
And frankly, I don't agree. There's not a huge amount in it, but I was able to spend some time in a left-hand drive F-150 in Michigan, and I frankly preferred the US version. It seemed a little weightier, more organic, less electric. Most people won't get to sample both, and even fewer will care, but I felt the Aussie F-150 was just a little too light and lacked the kind of feedback I personally prefer. It also felt as if the Ranger Raptor steering helped to mask the F-150's weight, for better or worse.
On the road, the V6 does its job commendably. The part of me that never grew up kinda wished for a big V8 under the bonnet, but it's entirely unnecessary. The turbocharged V6 sends the big girl towards the horizon as fast as anyone needs, and delivers more than enough torque to ensure you're getting up that hill with all 4500kg of boat or caravan – thanks, in part, to the smooth 10-speed automatic transmission working away in the background.
According to in-house VBOX tests conducted by our National Motoring Editor Joshua Dowling, the F-150 can consistently complete the 0-100km/h sprint in 6.0 seconds or less in all-wheel drive, while rear-wheel drive increases that figure by half a second. Compare that to the Silverado 1500 which takes 6.5 to 6.6 seconds, the Ram 1500 DT which takes 7.5 seconds, and the Ram 1500 DS which hits 100km/h from a standstill in 7.8 seconds.
Ford does try to compensate for the lack of cylinders by feeding in some artificial engine note through the speaker system – which amusingly makes the Lariat sound a little beefier, possibly due to its Bang & Olufsen sound system.
Company representatives say they never considered a special suspension tune for local roads, and once you get the F-150 out into the world it makes sense – US roads are as bad, or sometimes worse, than those found here. And the F-150 does a good job of mitigating those undulations and potholes, no doubt helped by its wheelbase and fat tyres.
Around corners, it does pretty well considering its size and weight. Less like an agricultural ute of the past, and more like a modern SUV. Composed, sure of itself, and comfortable.
Ford also gave us the opportunity to tow with the F-150 – one with a loaded machinery trailer, another with a caravan. I'd love to comment on how it handled, but I barely noticed the difference. Okay, that might be overstating it, but the fact is the F-150 was born to tow, and it's one of the best tow rigs I've had the pleasure of using.
Key details | 2023 Ford F-150 |
Engine | 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine |
Power | 298kW @ 6000rpm |
Torque | 678Nm @ 3100rpm |
Drive type | Four-wheel drive |
Transmission | 10-speed torque converter automatic |
Power-to-weight ratio | 121.6-116.6kW/t |
Weight | 2451-2555kg |
Spare tyre type | Full-size |
Tow rating | 4500kg braked |
Turning circle | 14.6-15.6m |
Should I buy a 2023 Ford F-150?
I'm not entirely sure how they managed it, but the F-150 is perfectly comfortable without ever feeling luxurious. There's no opulence, no showiness, just a well-built truck designed to carry people and their things wherever is needed. The more I think about it, the more genius it seems.
Cruising around in the 2023 Ford F-150 on Australian roads felt like it was the start of something. A new era, perhaps, where Aussies adopt the American pick-up, discovering a secret that folks in the US have known for decades.
Just like my mate's dad.
Sure, there will be people who buy it as a statement, simply because it's the bigger sibling to the Ranger. But I think there will be a strong movement of families from the country who are used to towing horse floats every weekend, or grey nomads who tow their house behind them, who will understand the value and practicality of the F-150 and will trust the Blue Oval badge on the front grille to get them where they're going reliably and comfortably.
While I'm a sucker for heated seats and enjoyed the radar cruise control and the oversized digital displays in the Lariat, the F-150 XLT with the standard wheelbase and the 5.5-foot tub (or 'styleside box' as they call it) is the pick of the bunch for me. I know six-figures is more than most people have to spend on a vehicle, but the XLT feels like the bargain – whereas the extra 30 per cent spend for the Lariat seems like a big step.
I was happy enough with the smaller infotainment screen, the analogue gauges do their job just as well as the digital versions, and the column shifter feels oddly satisfying to use. Also, there's a bit less chrome on the XLT, and I think a more attractive front grille.
There's something approachable about the F-150 that perhaps the Ram 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado are missing. A quiet confidence that I think Aussies will take to – perhaps in greater numbers than Ford is predicting.
However, one thing worth noting is that just prior to the local launch, Ford unveiled a facelifted F-150 in the US, and frankly it's a big design improvement. Company representatives have said it'll be around a year before the new-look F-Truck comes to Australia – but if you have the luxury of waiting, I suspect it would be the smart move to do so.
How do I buy a Ford F-F150 – next steps?
If you're in the market for an American pick-up, then it might be worth comparing the Ford F-150 against its main rivals, the Ram 1500, Chevrolet Silverado, and the forthcoming Toyota Tundra, by clicking here.
You can find your closest Ford dealership by clicking here.
If you do decide on the F-150, you can choose your specifications and build by visiting the brand's website by clicking here.
You can also find Ford models for sale at drive.com.au/cars-for-sale.
If you want to stay updated with everything that's happening with the F-150, you'll find all the latest news here.