It’s been a long time between drinks, but the Ford F-150 is once again available to purchase in Australia direct from dealerships. Available in XLT and LARIAT trim in both long and short wheel base form, this represents the return of a true American icon to our shores.
As the flagship of the Australian range, the F-150 LARIAT is Ford’s pinnacle of full-size pick-ups, boasting additional features over and above the XLT variant, including premium mesh insert grille with chrome surround, chrome appearance package including mirror scalps, door handles, belt moldings, tow hooks and running boards, powered twin-panel moonroof and LED headlights, fog lights and taillamps.
Powered by a 3.5 litre V6 twin-turbo petrol EcoBoost engine paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, the F-150 produces 298kW of power and 678Nm of torque based on overseas testing figures and has a maximum braked towing capacity of 4,500kg. The F-150 is fitted with the long-range fuel tank with a 136L capacity and the official combined fuel consumption figure is 12.5L/100km. For our week of exploring in the F-150 we used 15.2L/100km and I’m not going to lie it hurt when I filled up tank at $2.47/litre for petrol.
The drive modes include Mud/Ruts, Deep Snow/Sand, Slippery, Normal, Tow/Haul, Eco and Sport and all have an individual look on the 12-inch digital instrument cluster. LARIAT’s full-time 4WD system continually monitors road conditions for optimal traction and gives you the option to switch the 4WD between 2H, 4H, 4L and 4A. I spent most of my time in Normal mode in 4A, making it a synch driving along these damp gravel roads. The ride though was a bit harsh though and resulted in some complaints from the backseat passengers.
My Rapid Red LARIAT LWB was one luxury truck experience and I did feel like the queen of the road sitting up so high above the traffic. But this stately feeling quickly left me when I had to work out where I was going to park this very large truck so that I could go grocery shopping. How big is it, you ask? Well, my son thought it would be fun to equate the size of the F-150 into acres and this works out to be 0.004 acres or 16m2, which is just under half the size of a standard studio apartment in Sydney. It even has keypad entry on the passenger side, in addition to keyless entry on both front doors.
The LARIAT boasts leather-accented seats that are heated and cooled in the front and heated only for the outer rear seats. Both front seats get 12-way power adjustment (including lumbar) with the driver’s seat also having two memory settings. The steering column has power adjustment and you even get power adjustable foot pedals with memory settings for them as well.
Working on the go is made easier in the LARIAT with a fold out work surface created at the push of a button when parked. Simply stow the shifter and a table can unfold directly from the centre console, providing a place to grab a quick lunch break or a work surface for your laptop. Under the arm rest there is a pull-out shelf and one USB-A and one USB-C port, plus on the passenger’s side on the dash there is another USB-C port, USB-A port and a 12V socket. There’s also plenty of storage in the cabin with an upper and lower glove box and multiple pockets in the front door cubbies.
Wireless Android Auto connects seamlessly to the infotainment system and displays on the 12-inch centre touchscreen. The voice control worked well for me to change the radio station and make a phone call, but it could not set a destination on the sat nav. Under the sliding woodgrain cover in the centre console there is a wireless charging pad with yet another USB-C and USB-A port. The LARIAT also gets a B&O sound system by Bang & Olufsen with 18 speakers to listen to your music from the AM/FM radio, DAB, Bluetooth or smartphone connection.
I found that the rear seats had ample leg and head room for me, but taller individuals may find the headroom to be a bit tight, and I would have preferred a little more under thigh support as well. The F-150 has two ISOfix child seat restraint points and it says three rear tether points in the spec sheet, but I could only find two tethers, which a made from a braided material and not labelled.
The centre seat folds down as an arm rest with two rigid drink holders in it and there are more drink holders in the rear of the centre console and in the door cubbies. Rear passengers get two central air vents with individual direction and on/off controls and one USB-C, one USB-A, and one 12V socket below them. My children liked the centre rear window that can be opened using a switch in the front of the cabin.
One improvement that I think could be made here was the addition of one floor mat that covers the entire rear floor. This would be relatively simple as the floor is flat and would be better than the two mats that are currently on the floor, which move around and offer little protection to the carpet. The under-seat storage in the LARIAT is very clever though and allows you to keep your valuable cargo close at hand, yet out of sight, with the generous hidden storage area under F-150’s rear seat. LARIAT includes a partitioned lockable, fold-flat storage compartment for greater cargo organisation.
The tub of the F-150 is lined with a Tough Bed spray-in bedliner that helps to protect your F-150’s truck bed and tailgate against scratches and it’s grippy. The bed is 1.27 metres wide between the wheel arches and two metres deep and the payload for the LARIAT is 685kg. But as there is no cover or dividers, I had to put the groceries on the rear seats. To secure large items there are four BoxLink flexible and configurable tie down cleats located in the F-150 tub combined with four fixed points, one in each corner of the tub. There are also two lights in the tub, which can be turned on and off from the cabin, and one 12V socket located at the rear on the passenger side. The full-size spare tyre is located under the rear of the vehicle.
But by far, my absolute favourite exterior feature on the LARIAT was the powered open/close tailgate that can be operated from the button on the tailgate, key fob or in the cabin. Then once it was down you can fold out a step with handle from the tailgate to make it easy to get up into the tub. The tailgate is also designed as a work surface, with functional tools like dual rulers, clamp pockets, mobile holder, cupholder, tie downs and a utility tray for small parts.
The Ford F-150 range does not have an ANCAP safety rating, but does come standard with driver and front passenger airbags, driver and front passenger seat mounted side airbags and side curtain airbags. The LARIAT also comes with a long list of driver assist features including Blind Spot Monitoring with Cross Traffic Alert and Trailer Tow Coverage, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Centering, Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking, Reverse Brake Assist, and Evasive Steering Assist. The LARIAT also comes with a 360-Degree view reversing camera with dynamic hitch assist with front and rear parking sensors and for convenience you also get auto lights, auto wipers, and a towing connection checklist.
Extensive re-engineering work by Ford Australia and RMA Automotive undertaken in Melbourne, means that the new F-150 is backed with Ford Australia’s five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty. The service interval for the F-150 is 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first and costs $429 for the first four services according to Ford Australia’s website. Plus, when servicing undertaken at a Ford dealer you also get 12 months roadside assistance.
The Ford F-150 LARIAT LWB is priced from $140,945 excluding on-road costs and as tested with premium paint ($700) this LARIAT was $141,645 plus on-roads. You can build and price your F-150 online or visit your preferred Ford dealer for more information.
| Pros | Cons |
| Presence on the road | It’s really big |
| The powered tailgate and fold out step | Positioning of the rear tether points |
| Under rear seat storage | Mats on the rear floor |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.