#2018 ford f150 stereo upgrade full
#2018 ford f150 stereo upgrade plus

With rear-wheel drive, fuel economy is up 2 mpg in the city and 1 mpg both on the highway and overall, at 17/23/19 mpg.

Another editor noted engine lugging at slower speeds as well as some hunting of gears, but an easy way to resolve that is by switching to Sport mode, which hangs on to numerically lower gears and isn’t too aggressive to drive on a daily basis.įord F-150 buyers also get improved fuel-economy ratings, up an EPA-estimated 1 mpg in all categories with four-wheel drive to 16/22/18 mpg city/highway/combined. Programming is exceptionally intuitive, and the transmission downshifts promptly and can jump half its gears if needed.

#2018 ford f150 stereo upgrade plus

The result is less falloff in engine speed between gears, plus continuous, smooth pulling power. The 10-speed’s 7th gear is a 1:1 ratio, while 8th, 9th and 10th are overdrive gears. The 10-speed’s aggressive gearing gives the engine many more options (four, to be exact), and the first six gears are shorter than before: 4.7, 2.99, 2.15, 1.77, 1.52 and 1.28:1 versus the six-speed’s 4.17, 2.34, 1.5, 1.14, 0.86 and 0.69:1 gearing. The previous F-150 5.0-liter came with only six gears, which didn’t do the high-revving V-8 any favors it took too long to get the engine into its power-making range. The secret to the V-8’s improvements is primarily the new 10-speed automatic transmission, which uncorks more of the 5.0-liter’s potential in both highway and stop-and-go conditions. But if you must have a V-8, the 2018 F-150’s is better than before. That extra power and torque, teamed with the 10-speed’s added gears, make the 2018 5.0-liter a more compelling engine option for die-hard V-8 buyers - though if you’re looking for my recommended engine, the turbo 2.7-L V-6 is the jack-of-all-trades that no one should be ashamed to buy, even if it’s missing a few cylinders. Why? Because it was matched in our acceleration and towing tests by the less-expensive turbo 2.7-liter, and it was easily outperformed by the more fuel-economy-conscious 3.5-L EcoBoost engine.įor 2018, the 5.0-liter gains a new fuel-injection system with both port and direct fuel injection for 10 more horsepower and 13 more pounds-feet of torque, up to 395 hp and 400 pounds-feet. In previous years, the V-8 felt more like a courtesy engine for die-hard V-8 truck buyers. The 5.0-liter V-8 isn’t the flashiest powertrain option in the F-series lineup (the 2.7-liter and 3.5-liter turbocharged EcoBoost V-6s get that nod). Half-ton truck shoppers are no doubt familiar with sticker shock, so we’ll just mention our test truck’s $63,800 price tag and move right along.

#2018 ford f150 stereo upgrade full

You can read about the full engine lineup, including a new base 3.3-liter V-6, in our First Drive of the 2018 Ford F-150. Despite not accelerating as fast as the 6.2-liter-powered Chevrolet or GMC trucks in our previous testing, the Ford F-150 still takes the crown for drivability.įor this review, I drove a 2018 Ford F-150 Platinum (the second-most-expensive trim level) with the updated 5.0-liter V-8 and its new 10-speed automatic transmission. Will the Ford F-150 instantly be outdated as soon as there’s a new Silverado and Ram? Doubtful, given its updates for 2018.įor 2018, the F-150 gets more power, more torque, more gears and more mpg to better compete with a crop of new trucks on its way - trucks that have undoubtedly benchmarked the impressive F-150. It also got some unique features, such as adaptive cruise control and a forward collision warning system with automatic braking, that other trucks lack. Somewhat out of cycle from its competitors, the F-150 was last fully redesigned for 2015, when it got an aluminum body and steel frame and became one of the most civilized and high-tech trucks around. While currently a favorite, the F-150 will likely face stiff competition from upcoming Chevrolet Silverado and Ram redesigns.įord Motor Company’s 2018 Ford F-150 is preparing for an assault from its fiercest rivals, the soon-to-be-redesigned Chevrolet Silverado and Ram 1500.

The 2018 F-150 improves in all the right areas to make it future-proof for a few more years.