Americans buy a lot of trucks, and we buy them for a lot of different reasons. Some haul tools around job sites. Some drop off kids at school during the week and pull a boat to a local lake on weekends. Some even serve as luxury vehicles with the option to leave paved roads behind.
Automakers build their full-size trucks in a bewildering array of configurations because Americans will buy them for a bewildering array of tasks.
But no one does it as well as Ford. The Ford F-150, America’s best-selling vehicle, is our 2023 Best Buy Award winner in the full-size truck class.
How We Decide
Our editors spend all year evaluating cars, trucks, minivans, and SUVs for our annual Best Buy Awards.
We test drive more than 300 vehicles yearly to write our detailed reviews.
We flag those that combine affordability, dependability, reliability, and low ownership and operating costs as possible award winners. Our data analysts then take a detailed look at the financial aspects of owning each. They calculate the 5-Year Cost to Own, factoring in depreciation, insurance, maintenance, financing, fuel, fees, and taxes.
Finally, we bring the best contenders in for head-to-head testing.
A Flexible Solution for So Many Needs
Ford builds the F-150 with three cab configurations, six powertrain choices, and eight trim levels. Every one of them is a capable, hard-working truck. Properly equipped, it has the highest payload and towing capacities of any full-size pickup.
The F-150 starts at just $33,695 – a lower starting price than many far-less-capable SUVs. But there’s no longer such a thing as a stripped-down entry-level model. Even the base XL trim features Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Wi-Fi hot spot capability. Ford Co-Pilot360 technology gives it advanced safety aids like cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist, and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection.
Higher trim levels gain more convenience and technology, allowing you to configure an F-150 for anything from comfortable commuting duty to a replacement for a luxury car with added towing power.
Optional upgrades like the Pro Power Onboard mobile generator (which lets you run power tools or tailgate gear off the truck) and built-in scales to weigh the payload in the bed add incredible utility.
And, should you just want fun, off-road versions like the Tremor and legendary Raptor enable that, too.
Truck buyers are spoiled for choice in 2023, with the Chevy Silverado, Ram 1500, and more offering their most capable pickups ever. But none combine the flexibility and resale value of the F-150, making it our Best Buy Award winner in the class.
