Our 2016 Ford F150 4X4 Limited came loaded with just about every imaginable extra pricing it at $67,270. Remember: we’re talking about a six-cylinder pickup truck, not a German luxury sports saloon. That’s a lot of cabbage for any vehicle, much less a pick-em-up truck. Still, the 2016 Ford F150 4X4 Limited treats you like the Sultan of Brunei. That is to say, with heated and cooled, massaging leather seats, panoramic sun/moon roof and a killer sound system among the highlights, you may forget that this is an ‘Merican pick-em-up truck.
There’s more, a lot more. The 2016 Ford F150 4X4 Limited has ridiculous 22-inch satin-finish wheels, rear heated seats, tailgate step with handle, folding/extending loading ramps, spray-on bed-liner, luxurious wood and chrome trim and a vin/production plate on the armrest – just in case you need additional bragging rights. There’s a chrome exhaust tip, a 360-degree-view camera system, a massive “LIMITED” in chrome, across the hood, partially painted/color-match bumpers, Sync3, LED headlamps, adaptive cruise control and an LED side-mirror spotlight.
The highlight of the 2016 Ford F150 4X4 Limited is still the twin-turbo EcoBoost 3.5-liter V6 that makes 365 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. It’s hooked up to a six-speed automatic transmission which is about the smoothest unit I’ve tested. The power of the EcoBoost is addicting, especially up at high elevation where TFLtruck tests. It embarrasses most sports cars and is rarely passed by anything with less than 400 horsepower.
Despite the over-sized (overweight) wheels, the rest of the truck benefits from Ford Truck’s recent aluminum diet. Off the line and around corners, the 2016 Ford F150 4X4 Limited is eager to play, almost like its constantly tugging at the leash. The breaks are strong and never complained during sporty driving and down-hill coasting.
Unfortunately, the 2016 Ford F150 4X4 Limited has a watered-down towing rating because of those silly wheels. It’s tow rating is down to 10,400 lbs. Why bother getting something that takes away from the maximum utility of a pickup truck? It’s the only sticking point, other than its exuberant price.
TFLtruck’s managing editor, Andre Smirnov, had a few things to say about this rig too:
The 2016 F-150 Limited represents the new age of the pickup truck and the latest trend towards ever more luxurious pickups. This truck is packed full of latest driver assistance and technology features. It offers adaptive cruise control (although it disengages below 10 MPH) lane keep assist system, parking assist, trailer backup assist, massaging seats, and a panoramic sunroof. Most of these features were unthinkable in a pickup truck just a year ago. Yet, here they are.
The pickup truck is morphing into a do-anything family truckster and some families do not want to give up all the luxury features of a high-end sedan when they choose a pickup truck. This truck pushes the limits of what an American pickup can be. It is not a traditional approach.
The interior is where the top-of-the-line Limited model displays attention to detail and well thought-out design. Although, it’s not all perfect. The trailer brake controller is mounted really low near the center console and can be difficult to find. Some of the plastics on the top of the doors are a bit hard to the touch for a vehicle in this price range.
If you have the money and like the bling, the F-150 Limited is hard to beat in the current market.
While we never pushed it off-road or did heavy towing (those darn wheels and tires again), we did get a chance to live with it and even took it to the drag races.
The 2016 Ford F150 4X4 Limited is a damn good truck and it will be a popular choice. And that’s the rub, it’s a nearly $68,000 truck that is meant for the upper crust elite. A blue-collar truck fan could never hope to own such a vehicle. Even lower models are priced way out of the reach of many; and that’s a shame.
Check out the F-150 Limited vs. Explorer Platinum video here:
