2026 Ford F-150 review

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The Ford F-Series pickup range is one of the world’s success stories.

As of the 2025 anniversary, in its 49th consecutive year as best-selling truck company in the US, The Blue Oval was the 44th year of being the market’s best selling vehicle series – they’re so popular there’a really well priced one sold every 38 seconds in USA alone.

Yes, the F-Series encompasses a number of sub-model lines starting with the F-150 and including everything up to the F-750, but the sweet spot of the lineup is the ‘smallest’ model, which is the focus of this review.

This is a new version of the full-size American pickup, with 2026 Ford F-150 (technically ‘2025’ in Australia and model year 2024 in the US). This is a combination of mild design changes, improved tech levels from the base grade and redesigned Platinum hero variant that adds luxury to the truck’s heavy-duty capabilities.

Originally made to right-hand drive in Mickleham, Victoria – just north of Melbourne the F-150 hasn’t been easy for Australia with a series of recalls and teething problems at the brand’s partner, RMA Automotive, which is also known for its conversion.

Last year saw the F-150 slapped with a ‘stop-delivery’ and ‘stop-sale’ order for much of 2025, but the Blue Oval is confident it’s sorted things out and is committed to supporting existing and new customers of its “class-leading” truck.

The look and the spec sheet have been changed, but there are also changes to the running gear (although it is mostly the same) as in the . Under the ‘hood’, 4 – there is still a powerful twin-turbo petrol V6. It has a braked towing capability of 5 tonnes, and two wheelbase lengths are also available.

Are Ford’s claims accurate? Is the F-150 better than its only three rivals in Australia – the Chevrolet Silverado, Toyota Tundra and Ram 1500? We joined the local media launch to find out.

How much does the Ford F-150 cost?

Prices are high across the XLT and Lariat grades (renewable for this update), while top-end prices are more than $20,000 higher than before with the new Platinum variants.

| Model | Price before on-road costs |
| — | — |
| 2026 Ford F-150 XLT SWB | $114,950 (+$8000) |
| 2026 Ford F-150 XLT LWB | $114,950 (+$7005) |
| 2026 Ford F-150 Lariat SWB | $143,950 (+$4000) |
| 2026 Ford F-150 Lariat LWB | $143,950 (+$3000) |
| 2026 Ford F-150 Platinum SWB | $163,950 |
| 2026 Ford F-150 Platinum LWB | $163,950 |

The SWB and LWB versions are now available for the same price across all three grades, and it’s varying wheelbase lengths is one of the biggest differences among its competitors in lieu of a larger ‘2500’ series pickup (the F-250 isn’t officially offered here by Ford).

But the XLT grade is less expensive than its lowest Ram 1500 Big Horn (with its Hemi V8) and well under the starting price of Chevrolet Silverado LTZ (also powered by a V8, but better aligned with that class, which is more expensive) to the Lariat.

The new F-150 Platinum carries the local range into new territory at the higher end, and cuts the new Tundra Platinum by nearly $10,000.

To see how the Ford F-150 lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool

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What is the Ford F-150 like on the inside?

But we’re going to focus mainly on the new Platinum – that’s the brand-newbie in the range but will be covering the updated XLT and Lariat as they’ve also received some updates.

As with most American trucks, the cabin of the F-150 is a balance between utility, practicality and comfort – without really having the plush feeling that you might be from ‘four-wheel drive SUVs at essentially the same price point.

Ford’s local team (with RMA Automotive) has done a great job of making everything look and feel like it was from the US factory just like this, with tech integration and general detailing looking and feeling world-class.

All variants are standard digital instrument cluster, and the 12 digit instruments cluster is also included in their standard. The brand’s SYNC interface is now standardised across the lineup with 0-inch central infotainment touchscreen running the brand’s newer, CSE.

The Blue Oval is a master at doing clean and easy-to-use in-car software, while the tech suite of the F-150 is no different. It’s a functional, attractive look at and easy to navigate. The load times are also very good, as well as input answers and input responses.

As you’d expect, space in both rows is cavernous relative to ‘regular’ (mid-size) dual-cab utes like the Ranger, made more conspicuous by the bluff upright dashboard and door cards, chunky design elements, and supersized centre console.

It certainly has a more traditional ‘truck’ feel than smaller utes, which is why sense given manufacturers are designing them more and more like SUVs to make them easier to live with everyday family. But larger SUVs in North America, that’s certainly the trucker-feel of the F-150, aren’t just as much as the market preference there is for large SUV a phraser has.

Throughout all grades, the seats are comfortable The Platinum’s leather-trimmed units offer full electric adjustment to go with the more widespread bolstering and heating (along with ventilation/masaging) functions – the Lariat also receives auto climate controlled front seats.

All three trim levels were a bit of time behind the wheel and in-cabin comfort levels as well as general ambience was quite impressive.

The storage and utility solutions are also a number of heaps, from the chunky cupholders and storage bins to the reversible centre console armrests that double as desk if you need to use ‘book or laptop on the fly’.

Throughout, USB-C charging ports are littered with the available wireless charger (standard in the Lariat and Platinum) which adds to the convenience when you have to charge multiple devices.

Both sides of the centre console have deep pockets; there are also good bins in doors to store your odds and ends out of sight, with some sort of ad-hoc bin.

Aside from their smaller (mostly Thai-made) counterparts, another feature of these full size American pickups is the sheer space in the back.

Besides more elbow and shoulder room for everyone, the size of F-150 means you fit three adults in the back much more comfortably than you would with a Ranger (e.g.

A lot of leg, knee and head room are compared to the regular dual-cab utes on sale today; that’s a comfortable seat at back bench. They may be folded up to allow the seat bases to free up more storage space in the cabin, and there is even a partition so your cargo can remain at room.

Other accessories in the rear include air vents and fan controls, more USB-C charge ports (e.g fans) – Air venting with Fan Control; additional USBC charger port control devices are also available. a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders, bottle holders in the doors and map pockets behind front seats of. Also heated outboard rear seats for Lariat and Platinum grades are also available.

Note to parents though – there are no ISOFIX points for child seats in the F-150, just top-tether points.

If you go for the LWB model, then further back is the tray (or Load Box, as Americans call it) very long.

A Ranger’s tub is 1464mm long, 1520mm wide and 525mm deep – the F-150 betters that significantly in each dimension to paint the picture. If tray space is important for you, it’s worth noting as well with this fact ‘Taddress space will be an important thing I should know about your job?

F-150 vehicles have ‘Load Box Elements’ like a 12V socket in the bedliner, inner tie-down points, locking cleats, illumination, power tailgate lock and – as well as work surface and ruler built into the inner tail gate. This is the pop-out side step to clamber in another handy feature of it’s also known as an extra for that pop out sidestep.

The ProAccess tailgate is the addition of a manual swinging door that allows quick access to Lariat and Platinum models, while the Platinum only receives ‘a folding hard toneau cover’. It also provides an 18-inch temporary spare wheel with 265/70 rubber for all models, as is the case in s.

| Dimensions | Ford F-150 |
| — | — |
| Length | 5908-6208mm |
| Width | 2089mm |
| Height | 1995mm |
| Wheelbase | 3697-3997mm |
| Tray dimensions (LWH) | 1662 x 1650 x 543mm – SWB 2000 x 1650 x 543mm – LWB 1285mm – between arches |

To see how the Ford F-150 lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

Although the versions of V8 and ‘Full Hybrid’ are available in the States, the Australian-market F-150 is only available with the 3 models. V6 petrol engine 5-litre ‘EcoBoost’ twin-turbo is a petrol equivalent of the same.

| Specifications | Ford F-150 |
| — | — |
| Engine | 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol |
| Power | 298kW at 6000rpm |
| Torque | 678Nm at 3100rpm |
| Transmission | 10-speed auto |
| Drive type | 4WD with 4A, 4H, 4L |
| Fuel economy (claimed) | 13.4L/100km |
| Fuel economy (as tested) | 11.0-13.6L/100km |
| CO2 emissions (claimed) | 306g/km |
| Fuel tank | 136L |
| Weight | 2462-2636kg |
| Payload | 704-878kg |
| Braked towing capacity | 4500kg |
| Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) | 3315-3360kg |
| Gross Combination Mass (GCM) | 7365-7410kg |

While Ford hasn’t been pursuing any further powertrain or trim variants at this stage, the door is open to more if there are enough customer demand – make of that what you will be doing.

No doubt Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES), which requires manufacturers to meet specific CO2 emissions caps or face financial penalties, may eventually pressure Ford to introduce the hybrid version.

cylinder count, is another more subjective aspect of the powertrain debate. Like Americans, Australians have tended to gravitate towards more displacement and cylinders (especially in a segment like this) such as the one that is often used for paraphrasing.

In the Silverado, there is a V8 in all of its ranges only; The Ram 1500 has stock of the Hemi V8, powered Big Horn.

To see how the Ford F-150 lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool

How does the Ford F-150 drive?

We had the opportunity to drive all three trim levels across SWB and LWB bodies at the launch event, as well as some time towing in the XLT and Platinum.

In your opinion, why are those two different variants? The Platinum actually introduces a new-for–Australia Continuously Controlled Damping system which adjusts with drive modes – the most notable differences in Sport and Tow/Haul mode have been claimed.

So, we started the program with the passive damped XLT towing a horse float filled with hay and about 1 kg of weight. Upon arriving at 5 tonnes, they then drove up the hill with an Mustang GT Fastback on a trailer that would have totaled about 2lbs. 0 tonnes, .

The shortest loops on the northern edge of Melbourne demonstrated how easy the F-150 is at carrying medium-sized trailer loads, and the difference that the adaptively damped Platinum made was evident.

performances on performance from the 3 . The 2-litre V6 is easy even with 5-litre v6, and it’s effortless. There are 0 tonnes on the back, and in these new trucks there was no doubt that the 10-speed auto wasn’t as slow or indecisive as other Ford models I’ve driven with this transmission.

The most impressive was the general ride and refinement when towing, even the base XLT doing well as it did not look like carrying anything behind it. One or two extra body movements that it took to settle over larger bumps was the only real thing of note The seesaw effect at rear-end levelled out, and this sawsaw effects were a result of its own weight loss.

Despite the larger trailer on the back, it was much more likely that the Platinum’s adaptive dampers had increased levels of body movement and kept this quieter. It’s a bit sharp over pockmarked B-roads, but it certainly didn’t feel laboured or cumbersome with.

A. phrase which also has to be said is that the big mirrors and tall glasshouse of the F-150 give you great visibility, especially when it comes with towing. They were strangely large trailers but I could adjust the mirrors perfectly to see where all the corners and edges were, and there are also features like Pro Trailer Backup Assist when you have to park.

Pro Trailer Backup Assist (like in the likes of the Ranger and Everest) tries to think out counter-steering when turning over a trailer, so you can turn with ‘a knob on the dial that directs the trailer into the direction you’re going rather than playing opposites with the steering wheel.

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We drove from there to the road in the XLT for the first driving leg, about two hours between a pair of drivers through Victoria’s northern parts.

Then there is plenty of road and B-roads, as well as the occasional town stint; away from city you can see why bigger trucks like the F-150 have become more common in Australia.

On the open road you get a proper ‘king of the road’ feel, with ‘a wonderfully settled and refined cruising character that just feeds up the miles.

A comfortable seat, a relatively quiet road and wind noise (and settling ride) make touring in the F-150 easy; although the base XLT is annoyingly unresponsive to adaptive cruise control for said touring ventures.

Now, I know that I can turn the cruise control on and do it make sense to take control of the car myself. But given the price point Ford didn’t just put adaptive cruise controls standard across the range – this is silly.

When you’re off the freeway, surprisingly manoeuvrable and with its large size, it is an impressive F-150 that looks like one of the most powerful s ever used. The large truck is shrinking around you, and a confident driver when it’s going through narrower streets thanks to careful responsive steering.

Thankfully, while the $115,000 base price for surround parking cameras is not included in adaptive cruise and lane-centring of the XLT, it’s no longer considered an important factor. This is a big rig that slotted into parking bays, which makes it less easy to do so with the large infotainment display for the camera feeds and rear parking sensors.

The SWB and LWB versions of the F-150 are longer than most standard parking bays, as they measure 5 inches in terms of Parking. 6 and 9m . 1m – they’re funny.

In that respect, front parking sensors are reserved for the Lariat and above, but if you ever want to park nose-in in your car, the forward-facing camera somewhat replaces this.

The XLT and Lariat step is lesspronounced than the step up to the Platinum because the driving experience is more or less changed only by convenience features rather than any mechanical changes.

lane-centringAdaptive cruise control is very useful in a truck this large, and more fitting to the price tag. Same for the standard parking sensors, and the added amenities such as leather trim and ventilated seats.

Hence, the driving behaviour of the Lariat is near-identical to that of those of The XLT; for example, driveline, steering, visibility and refinement levels are pretty much identical with no discernible differences.

Across the range, even the wheel and tyre size are same; every model has 20-inch wheels wrapped in 275/60-profile Hankook Dynamic AT2 rubber.

At last, the Platinum is characterized by its adaptive dampers and the cabin is accessible via retractable side steps that automatically fold out and back up when you open or close the car.

While it doesn’t really make a lot of difference in how it rides, when you flick it into Sport it’s noticeably firmer and tighter–like like the way it is slightly tightier and more settled when I’m in Tow/Haul mode.

While Ford’s high-speed country roads and highways were generally portrayed in the best light of how it drives, there were some sections of particularly broken and pockmarked tarmac that really upset the ride – and somehow we only hit right at the end of our drive.

Not only was it so shaky, and busy over these parts of the LWB Platinum we were driving there was a bit of porpoising from front to rear in our car – I don’t know whether that would be the case in the SWB.

Here’s where I’d normally break down the driver assistance systems, but I’ve covered the bulk off already.

A simple lane keep aid, which isn’t too big for this thing because it has so much width that the driver monitor doesn’s not beeping and bonging at you all the time on top of the adaptive cruise and Lane-centring features mentioned above.

#longboi measures 6 – standard blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are useful. When you’re driving it, you are sat at 0m length and in the clouds while on board; trailer coverage when you have one hooked up is also included.

It is also to note that the base XLT loses some things beyond adaptive cruise control. It also does not recognize Evasive Steering Assist, Intersection AEB and speed sign as compared to the Lariat and Platinum.

Last night, we took off the road of the F-150 so you’ll need to wait until one is gotten through the childcareman.xyz garage and Paul takes it through its paces at the Lang Lang proving ground.

However, Ford does not quote off-road specs such as ground clearance and approach, departure or breakover angles for the F-150 range in Australia – although it may be more rugged Tremor variant that is available overseas.

| Off-road dimensions | Ford F-150 |
| — | — |
| Track front and rear | 1725mm – front 1735mm – rear |
| Ground clearance | – |
| Approach angle | – |
| Departure angle | – |
| Ramp breakover angle | – |
| Wading depth | – |

To see how the Ford F-150 lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool

What do you get?

The 2025/2026 Ford F-150 range now offers three trim levels – XLT, Lariat and Platinum.

2026 Ford F-150 XLT equipment highlights:

• LED reflector headlights (new)
• LED fog lights (new)
• LED tail-lights
• Black-painted mesh grille with chrome centre bar (new)
• XLT amber indicators (new)
• 20-inch machined alloy wheels
• 2-bar style grille with chrome surround, black accents
• Chrome front and rear bumpers
• Black/chrome platform side steps (new)
• Tailgate with flexible step and work surface
• Loadbox are lighting(new)
• 12V port in load box (new)
• Spray-in bedliner
• Boxlink cargo management locking cleats
• Underbody skidplates
• Chrome exhaust extension (new)
• 12.0-inch digital instrument cluster (new)
• 12.0-inch SYNC 4 touchscreen infotainment system(new)
• Satellite navigation
• 7-speaker sound system
• FordPass connect
• Dual-zone climate control
• Foldout office workspace
• Column-mounted gear selector
• Cloth upholstery
• 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat
• 10-way power-adjustable front passenger’s seat
• Power-adjustable foot pedals
• USB-A centre stack port (new)
• USB-C port in centre stack, centre console, rear of centre console (new)

F-150 Lariat adds:

• Premium chrome grille (new)
• 20-inch chrome alloy wheels (new)
• Active LED headlights with dynamic bending, auto levelling
• Chrome mirror caps, door handles, belt mouldings, tow hooks
• Extended chrome side steps (new, SWB only)
• Powered twin-panel moonroof
• Power release and close tailgate
• Power sliding rear window
• 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system (new)
• Wireless phone charger
• Console-mounted gear shifter
• Leather-accented upholstery
• Auto heated, cooled front seats (new, previously manual)
• Heated rear outboard rear seats
• Driver seat memory
• 12-way power-adjustable front seats
• Power-adjustable foot pedals with memory
• Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
• Lane centring
• Evasive steering assist
• Speed sign recognition
• Surround-view camera
• Front parking sensors

F-150 Platinum adds:

• 20-inch gloss black alloy wheels (new)
• Black Ford badging (new)
• Unique gloss black window surrounds, gloss black accents
• Smoked colour F-150 fender decoration (new)
• Continuously Controlled Damping – CCD (new)
• Body colour mirrors, door handles (new)
• Auto power-deployable black side steps (new)
• Multi-folding hard tonneau cover (new)
• 360-degree camera incl. additional rear cargo camera(new)
• Smoked colour exhaust tip extension (new)
• Black Onyx luxury interior trim (new)
• Driver and front passenger six-way power seats with memory function(new)
• Multi setting massage functionality in seat back and seat base (new)
• Platinum-branded elements (new)

• Front scuff plates
• Steering wheel
• Front seats
• Console lid

To see how the Ford F-150 lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool

Is the Ford F-150 safe?

A ANCAP (National Association of Automobiles and Motor Vehicles) has given the F-150 Lariat and Platinum a ‘Platinum’ rating in the large utility category, which applies to vehicles sold from October 2025.

| Category | Ford F-150 |
| — | — |
| Vulnerable road user protection | 82 per cent |
| Safety assist | 81 per cent |

Among the categories awarded to the category, the F-150 is best for its rating of 82 per cent in vulnerable road user protection and 81 percent on safety assist in an updated set up test tests for larger pickup trucks.

Ram 1500 70 per cent overall for a ‘Gold’ rating, while Toyota LandCruiser 79 Series and Tundra were both given 55 and 60 percent ratings respectively.

A bigger factor, perhaps more important is that the gap between the Ford and its Chevrolet modern-day car which earned a ‘Bronze’ grade on based on an average of 27 per cent.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• 6 airbags
• 360-degree camera (new)
• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
• Blind-spot monitoring incl. trailer coverage
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Lane-keep assist
• Driver alert system
• Cruise control
• Rear parking sensors
• Pro Trailer Back-Up Assist
• Pre-Collision Assist

F-150 Lariat and Platinum add:

• Intersection assist – AEB
• Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
• Lane centring
• Evasive steering assist
• Speed sign recognition
• Surround-view camera
• Front parking sensors

To see how the Ford F-150 lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool

How much does the Ford F-150 cost to run?

The F-150 family is covered by Ford Australia’s five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

| Servicing and Warranty | Ford F-150 |
| — | — |
| Warranty | 5 years, unlimited kilometres |
| Roadside assistance | 12 months – then service activated |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 15,000 kilometres |
| Capped-price servicing | 5 years or 75,000 kilometres |
| Average annual service cost | $394 |
| Total capped-price service cost | $1968 – 5 years |

A free 12 months of roadside assistance is provided, and a further 12 month each time you service at re-service to’separate’ the Ford dealer for up to seven years after purchase.

To see how the Ford F-150 lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool

childcareman.xyz’s Take on the Ford F-150

I don’t think ute guy, let alone a ‘Murican pickup guy” but it’s easy to see why someone in the market for e-bike like this could be being affected by the new F-150.

Although the segment is largely well-rounded, it does not have the on-paper displacement and cylinder count of something like a Silverado but its Ford’s on road performance, tech integration and tough looks make it an extremely popular choice for that segment.

The EcoBoost V6 is an extreme motor-bearing slack at your feet, with mountains of torque and the SYNC interface and assistance tech calibration are excellent – it has been shown in its class-leading ANCAP safety performance, too.

A lower-budget XLT has quite a bit of extra kit than before and well undercuts its direct rivalry, while the Lariat and Platinum grades are pretty competitive in the space.

But questions still remain to be about quality and reliability after a series of recall and stop-sale actions from both the American factory and the local outlet.

But, as Australia’s fuel shortages and skyrocketing prices are a long-running one of these big trucks is becoming increasingly expensive to run for many potential customers with running one more complicated issues to consider when it comes to buying the whole segment.

But as it stands, the F-150 remains one of the segment standouts.

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