MotorMouths

In the 2011 F-150, last year’s top engine, the tepid 5.4-liter V8, has been replaced with not one but three more powerful engines, and the top tow rating is indeed attached to the 3.5-liter V6 twin-turbo EcoBoost. It’s the real deal.

The Ecoboost powered F-150 was quicker than the the Ford 5.0 liter and the Dodge 5.7 liter on the drag strip. While straight-line acceleration is where some find bragging rights, trucks are meant for more practical duties, such as towing. Here, the EcoBoost also shined.

Ford’s F-150 was already a very strong large pickup competitor, and we feel the new powertrains introduced for 2011 have only improved this Best Buy.

This new engine lineup puts Ford ahead of its competitors and the EcoBoost in particular puts the F-150 over the top because it doesn’t ask drivers to choose between power and efficiency. Giving them both should discourage shoppers from counting cylinders.

With the ability to sprint to 60 mph, tow a horse trailer and carry five oversized adults in comfort, the F-150 Ecoboost doesn’t fail to live up to its jack-of-all-trades billing. It is an eminently practical, utilitarian beast that lacks nothing in the way of creature comforts or performance.

Maybe truck makers could step back from the race to build ever-more-gargantuan pickups, and focus instead on making the best possible tool to helps truck buyers do what they need. The Ford F150 EcoBoost V-6 could be a start.

You actually get quite a lot for your money with the F-150 Platinum. From the high output engine to the decked out interior, this is more a high-performance luxury vehicle than a simple large work truck.

One way Ford may convince truck buyers to jump into these new F-150 trucks with an EcoBoost V-6 is the same way it is convincing me: Let them drive it. The near-instantaneous torque on this truck approaches unreal.

Impressive, satisfying and much more fun to drive. With the new drivetrains for 2011, improved noise isolation and general refinement, premium-car features and better fuel economy, the F-150 is very hard to beat.

You might not expect much from a V6, but man, oh man, you’d be hard-pressed to find any wimpiness in the new F-150’s 365 HP Ecoboost V-6. Even the base 3.7-liter V6 was strong and surprisingly fun.

The pick of the litter for mainstream users of the new Ford F-150 is certainly the surprising 3.7-liter V6. Simply put, it redefines the concept of pickup power. We’ve never said this about a full-size pickup before: Most buyers who qualify as light-duty users should buy the V6.

The Ford F-150 delivers a strong combination of style, interior comfort, performance, ride and hauling ability.