From a former car reviewer's perspective, I say the F150 is the standout in half-ton trucks
I've test-driven and reviewed many vehicles over the years. In searching for our next 1/2 ton truck I drove each one I felt was a good option. To be fair, each of the US automaker trucks stood out among all the trucks as clearly the best in nearly every category. However, the Nissan Titan seemed to ride more car-like, and the Tundra seemed to have an excellent fit and finish, and both are capable off-roading and towing. I did not test the newest Honda Pilot against these because it is clearly not even in the same category as trucks which can actually be used for real-world work. Additionally, I did not test the Chevrolet Avalanche against these for the same reasons. Each of these are very nice vehicles, but I was more magnetized to the American automaker's trucks. Thank God. I'm glad we still make the best in this country! So, I tested back-to-back the crew cab 4x4 version of the Chevrolet, Ram, and Ford in the mud, snow, and in towing 5,000 in rural settings and on the highway. I did not test the diesel engines, but only in the preliminary tests with the basic 8 cylinder options - 5.3 liter in the Chevy, 5.0 liter in the Ford, and 5.7 liter in the Ram). Comparing apples to apples, I found myself constantly drawn to the Ford. Understand this: The GM and Ram trucks are absolutely fine vehicles all the way around. The Chevrolet in my opinion has the best appearance with such an aggressive grill and tough-looking curves (I believe the Ford is actually the least aesthetically pleasing of the 3 - except the Raptor, which was not compared in these tests.). It, also, handled with excellence in driving in the snow and mud - better than the Ram and Ford. Both the Ram and Ford felt as though the front-ends worked almost as plows, digging deeper at times, whereas the Chevrolet kept crawling out of deep ruts with more ease.
The Ram's leveling system was very cool, and I absolutely love the Rambox option which neither GM nor Ford offer. Darn! The Chevrolet's little steps built into the rear bumper is, also, a nice touch.
Towing, the Ford was hands-down the best. It felt like the trailer wasn't even behind me most of the time - and we did not use a trailer with trailer brakes. The Chevrolet was the worst of the 3. It felt like I was constantly having to manage the trailer in the Chevrolet. It felt a little like that in the Ram, but not in the Ford at all. All three of these trucks rode nicely, but the Ford felt the most nimble.
Ultimately, I focused on the Ford. So, I tested the 5.0, the 3.5, and the 2.7 liters in similar packages. The one I loved the most was the 2.7 liter. What a smooth and powerful ride! I realize some need more towing power, but if you don't, go with the 2.7 liter. For the average 1/2 ton driver, I'm guessing this is plenty.
After all this, my wife and I went to the dealership and ultimately settled on a used 2015 F150 Lariat Crew Cab 4x4. We discovered years ago buying used saves tons! We are very happy with our choice and would recommend this truck to anyone who tows less than 8000 lbs, and prefers a nice, comfortable, and quiet ride in a truck. We average about 15.7 mpg. My favorite feature? It's the ventilated seats. They're much better than those in our 2016 Mustang Convertible.
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