2021 Ford F-150 Platinum SuperCrew Review

This week we are looking at the most popular vehicle in America, the 2021 Ford F-150. Although it doesn’t look all that different, it actually is. Ford says 97% of the parts on this truck are new for 2021.

My review vehicle is the Platinum Edition, one step down from the Limited, and one step up from the King Ranch.

Powertrain

Under the hood, this one has the 5-liter V8 hooked to a 10-speed automatic. Together, they put out 400-horses and 410-pound feet of torque. My personal preference is the 3.5-liter Ecoboost, but this drivetrain performs well and the 10-speed works well. This vehicle is two-wheel drive, but is available with four wheel drive.

Exterior

This is a really good-looking truck with 20” polished aluminum wheels. A really cool feature is that when you walk up to the truck with the key in your pocket, the power running boards deploy for ease of entry.

Interior

The big story, however, in this Platinum Edition is the interior. You’d never know you were getting into a pickup when you see the beautiful seating and elegant stitching everywhere. There are also genuine wood accents throughout.

When you hit the start button, the configurable dash cluster comes to life and is almost like a mini movie. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen more colorful and clear graphics and everything is controlled from the power tilt and heated steering wheel.

The focal point of the interior is the massive 12” screen that sits center dash and houses the fantastic Sync 4 infotainment system.

From there, you operate the B&O sound system, Bluetooth, navigation, apps, and much more, including a cool feature called zone lighting, which allows you to control all the exterior lighting. There are spot lights on both mirrors and a really handy light built into the tailgate, if you need to hook a trailer up at night.

In front of the gear shifter, you’ll find USB ports and a built-in phone charger. Above the Sync screen you can control the cameras and turn off the start/stop system. Just to the right of the steering wheel, you can change the six drive modes, including Sport mode and tow/haul mode. The dash screen changes with each mode.

One amazing feature of this pickup is the gear shifter itself. One push of a button will fold it into the console to create a flat surface to allow you to put something there, like a laptop computer.

You can see it in action, here:

In front of the passenger seat, you’ll find two very handy glove boxes, and there is a very large center console that is soft to the touch.

The heated back seats are very comfortable for three people, and there is a massive amount of room, especially when you fold the back seats up. There are a couple of large air conditioning vents, USB ports, and power outlets.

Standard Equipment

This truck is completely loaded and has everything I can think of except the panoramic moonroof, and it has a lot of terrific safety features like blind spot monitoring, lane keep assist, reverse sensing system, auto brake hold when you hold the foot brake down, and evasive steering assist.

Cool features that I love about this 14th generation F-150 are the terrific rear camera system, a power tailgate that can be activated by the key fob, and on the tailgate there is a flat surface with measurements. There is also a very functional tailgate step.

Best of all, there is an outlet built into the bed to power any tools you might need to plug in.

Ride and Drive

This truck rides and drives like a luxury car, and the interior quietness is exceptional. Fuel economy with the big V8 is good at 17 in town, 24 on the highway, and with the 36-gallon fuel tank, you get well over 500 miles of range.

What You’ll Pay

Total MSRP is $62,365 and by today’s standards, that is a very attractive price, especially considering there are usually good rebates on all pickups in this competitive truck market.

Special thanks to General Manager Trey Russell of Five Star Ford in Carrollton, TX for supplying this weeks review vehicle.