You’ve been driving your truck for a while. Perhaps it isn’t as fun as you had hoped, or it doesn’t move the loads you need it to move. Should you trade it for the new Ford F150 Hybrid? Let’s take a look at what it can and can’t do.
Towing Power
At first glance, the idea of a hybrid truck would seem to imply that it wouldn’t have the towing capability of many trucks with regular gas engines. However, the PowerBoost engine actually pulls 12,700 pounds when properly equipped. This is on the top end for most trucks, even the F150 lineup.
A Toyota Tundra tops out at around 10,000 pounds. A Chevrolet Silverado Double Cab with a 6.2-liter engine can pull 13,100 pounds. So, the F150 Hybrid is above average in this category, but it can be beat. The question is: can your truck beat it?
Payload Capacity
The payload rating is 2,000 pounds. That compares somewhat favorably to the 2,300-pound maximum on the strongest Chevy Silverado 1500s. You can do even better with the Ford Ecoboost V6, capable of 2,400 or 3,600 pounds, depending on the exact configuration.
Fuel Economy
With a hybrid motor and Ecoboost turbo technology, you’d expect this truck to do better than yours. Here are the stats. It earns 25 miles per gallon, if rear-wheel drivetrain. That’s 26 mpg on the highway and 24 mpg in the city.
That drops to 24 miles per gallon city and highway for the 4×4 drivetrain. Still, that’s better than most trucks on the market, especially 4x4s. Many full-size light duty trucks are earning city gas mileage in the teens.
The Fuel Economy calculator shows the average F150 Hybrid driver spending $750 more than the average car. However, it shows the Toyota Tundra owner spending $7,000 more during that same five-year period. The Tundra earns only 13 mpg city and 17 mpg highway for a combined effort of only 15 miles per gallon.
Driveability
For many people, the real measure of a truck is how well it performs. The Ford F150 Hybrid has managed a best-in-class output of 430 horsepower and 570 pound-feet of torque. When you measure that kind of power against the typical light duty truck, you are getting as much as 150 more horses and as much as 100 extra pound-feet. That wouldn’t be so surprising, if it weren’t for the fuel economy. It’s this combination of great fuel economy and remarkable strength that seems like reason enough to check your trade in value, if there ever was one.
Extras
If your decision to trade is all about extras, here’s one for you. The Pro Power Onboard system is Ford’s offering to contractors and the like. It allows the driver to tap into 2.4 kilowatts for power tools. An upgrade to 7.2 kilowatts is available.
Then there are the Ford-exclusive technologies. The blind spot monitor can watch the trailer you are towing. A backup assist allows you to turn the trailer wheels with a knob while the truck continues to go straight back. The rearview camera system helps you line up the truck with the trailer for a safer hook-up.
All told, the 2021 Ford F150 Hybrid is definitely capable of competing with just about any light duty pickup you currently own. Only you can decide whether it’s worth trading in your old truck for this shiny new one.
