{"id":32750,"date":"2024-05-22T21:25:05","date_gmt":"2024-05-23T01:25:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=32750"},"modified":"2024-05-22T21:25:05","modified_gmt":"2024-05-23T01:25:05","slug":"payne-ford-f-150-swiss-army-knife-edition-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2024\/05\/payne-ford-f-150-swiss-army-knife-edition-2024","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Ford F-150 Swiss Army Knife, Edition 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

Palm Springs, California \u2014<\/em>\u00a0It\u2019s good to drive a Swiss Army Knife.<\/p>\n

Miles from my hotel in the California desert, work called. I needed to update a Detroit News story with a quote from a source in Texas. My 2024 Ford F-150 knife went into action. I pulled to the side of the road and dragged my big laptop briefcase out of the backseat. Pressed a button next to the gear stalk and (poof!) the shifter disappeared into the console.<\/p>\n

I pressed another button and the rear console folded forward \u2014 filling the front console with a tabletop. Opened the laptop, connected to the Internet via my Android phone\u2019s mobile hotspot (I could have used the truck\u2019s 5G WiFi as well), called the source. I typed in the story. Uploaded to our cloud server. Returned the Swiss Army Knife console to its original, gear-shifting purpose.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The 2024 Ford F-150 hope to continue Ford’s ride as the best-selling truck in the industry. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n

Back on the road. America\u2019s armies of remote business professionals take note.<\/p>\n

Full-size pickups \u2014 from GM, Ram, Toyota \u2014 are Swiss Army Knives and the Ford is the top-selling tool of the lot for 47 years. Heck, it\u2019s been the best-selling\u00a0vehicle<\/em>\u00a0for 42. For \u201824 it gets even more tools including semi-autonomous, hands-free Blue Cruise driving, a head-up display, and Pro Access Tailgate. Add to its dexterity the ability to capture carbon credits while Ford\u2019s Model-E electric vehicles division is hemorrhaging red ink trying to transition to an electric future mandated by government rules.<\/p>\n

In order to increase the percentage of Powerboost Hybrid V-6 sales from 10% to 20% to help satisfy regulations, F-150 is also offering customers a little sugar with a $1,900 discount \u00a0(to bring the price in line with the best-selling 3.5-liter V-6) and extending the hybrid powertrain option down to XLT and STX models (in addition to higher trims).<\/p>\n

That means more people with access to pickup bed tools that can run electric coolers, television screens, and cookers. America\u2019s army of tailgaters, picnic packers, and overlanders take note.<\/p>\n

All of this capability, however, doesn\u2019t come cheap, and the F-150 is now essentially a luxury-priced vehicle. The base, rear-wheel-drive work truck opens the bidding at nearly $40k and the best-selling, XLT trim \u2014 when equipped with popular four-wheel-drive and towing options \u2014 pushes $58k, the same price as a BMW 5-series. Oof.<\/p>\n

Like a Swiss Army Knife retail display, you can choose the number of accessories you want. My top-line, F-150 Platinum tester was a beauty with panoramic roof, padded leather thrones, chromed everything, and 22-inch chrome wheels that you can see from space. But I don\u2019t need all that bling.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/figure>\n
\n

The luxurious interior of the 2024 Ford F-150 Platinum. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

What I do need is that tabletop tool \u2014 aka, the $538 Mobile Office Package \u2014 to match my road-wandering lifestyle. It\u2019s available on any model, from the base, XT model right up the lineup. Four-wheel-drive is not.<\/p>\n

As a Michiganian with a weakness for off-roading at, say, Holly Oaks ORV Park, I covet the FX4 package which brings all-terrain tires, skid plates, and a rear locker. Which, let\u2019s be honest, I\u2019ll use in Michigan\u2019s relentless, snow-drifted winters more often than I\u2019ll need it on Holly\u2019s high hills. My Subaru-owning wife and I are on the same page: if you drive a lot in the chilly Mitten State better come equipped with 4WD (and mittens). That\u2019s a $3,880 bump.<\/p>\n

Gotta have the XLT or STX trim for the off-road-focused FX4 package. Ka-ching ka-ching. That\u2019s another $2,180 bump.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/figure>\n
\n

The console of the 2024 Ford F-150 can be used as a tabletop work space. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

And when it comes to off-roading, I\u2019ll likely be towing with my Ford more than getting its pretty face dirty. I\u2019m tempted by the Tremor, the F-150\u2019s off-road bruiser that can crush off-road trails with its 33-inch all-terrain tires while towing your house. While it can\u2019t leap tall buildings in a single bound like the legendary Raptor (see Thursday Drive review), it boasts more towing and payload capacity while delivering my coveted adaptive cruise control (still no standard head-up display) and fierce looks for $12k less than the V-6 Raptor. But that\u2019s still an eye-watering $68.5k.<\/p>\n