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1999 F 250Ford designers didnt just make this truck bigger and better. They made it smarter. Realizing that todays truck owners spend a lot of time...
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Ford designers didnt just make this truck bigger and better. They made it smarter. Realizing that todays truck owners spend a lot of time in their vehicles, designers paid more attention to comfort and convenience. New interior features include a fold-down armrest, a floor console that can accommodate a laptop, and a removable hanging bin for storage that can attach to the dash. Controls are big, easy to reach and manipulate and gauges are easy to read. The only exception is the instrument panel dimmer, which is a bit hard to reach. Two large cupholders are provided. The standard cigar lighter is augmented with a second auxiliary power outlet.
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106 Reviews from Epinions.com
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1999 F 250
Author's Review
I test drove one and loved every second of it. Mark my words: In two years when I graduate I will be getting one. Here are the impressions that made me decide this is the vehicle that will replace my regular cab
Ranger.
Engine: It amazes me how Ford could conceive of a marvel like the sweet 5.4 Triton. The thing revs like a sports car engine but pulls like a locomotive. Downshifts came like my brain was hard wired into the transmission: Floor it and the tach needle jumps past 5000 rpm as the truck jumps forward so effortlessly it feels like the engine isn't even moving a 5000 pound truck and it's just you, that big V8, and 4 tires.
And yet, though it's performance will bring grins from ear to ear it isn't a big compromise like some other modern truck engines, which trade high revving performance and fuel economy for the low end torque that makes a truck what it is. With a class leading 350 lb-ft of it you'll never be lacking.
Transmission:Check above, it's very intuitive generous with the downshift.
Radio: Left something to be desired. The premium cassette deck didn't seem to have the power, base, and clarity of my 95 Ranger. If and when I get one some audio system upgrades will be in order.
Ride and handling: This truck hung on surprisingly well in the curves. Obviously you're gonna get yourself in trouble if you treat it like a Miata, but the before I took the wheel salesman floored it through some pretty tight bends and took an almost 75 degree curve at about 35 mph to try to impress me, and I have to admit I was: Body roll was suprisingly well controlled, the tires didn't make a peep, and I didn't even feel one bit of the axle hop that I usually feel when I do that in most trucks. And as for the ride, well, we didn't go on any washboard roads so I'm sure it gets jiggly there but we took some pretty big bumps that I expected would jolt us and maybe cause loud suspension clunks but I didn't feel or hear or hear any of them. The chasis stayed composed without excess disruption or bouncing felt inside the whole time. Not bad for a 4x4 with big tires and offroad package.
Interior: The 60/40 split bench was nice and comfy and very supportive for the lower back. The fold down center console had plenty of space but I would have preferred if it had not been placed so far back on the bench: I felt like I had to reach further back to access anything in it than I should have. Front leg, head, and shoulder room were ample enough to satisfy the NFL's biggest men. The rear seats are pretty comfy for short or medium length trips. There was plenty of legroom, even without the front drivers having to sacrifice much space. Pickups have come a long long way: This one had more rear seating space than most coups I've been in and I felt more stretch room than I do in my Friend's Integra Sedan. The only thing that would make it better for long trips would be retractable headrests and more rake.
I drove a four door, and that configuration made passenger and cargo loading very easy. However, one thing that would make it even more useful is if they would design the doors Tundra style, with handles on the outside so that you can open and close them independently of the front doors.
Overall Driving Impression: Everything was smooth and silky: The engine never sounded course, the transmission was great, it stopped well, and the cornering was without drama of any kind at speeds I didn't expect to be able to drive a pickup. It's a very high step up, but once you're in it feels good; You sit nice and high but it never feels tipsy.
The only other thing I didn't like: It sits so high that it's very difficult to reach anything in the bed from the side of the truck: You'll have to pull the tailgate down for many things.
Steering: felt very accurate, more so than the ranger. I never had to feed the wheel through my hands multiple times in tight turns, though I had to back up and go foreward a couple times.
Step in height: What can I say, this is a big, high riding, off road pickup. When they designed it, dialing in enough ground clearance to avoid scraping the brush takes priority over making sure the wife can get in without her skirt riding up. If easy step up height is a consideration get a 4x2 or look at the gm pickups, which sit a little lower.
All in all an excellent value: Comfortable, with classleading torque in a smooth and powerful engine.
Ford F150: What a truck!!!
| Author's Rating: |
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Pros: Everything is smooth an quiet. Cabin is comfortable and spacious
Cons: Radio could be better, on the rear seats Ford could take a lesson or two from the Silverado.
| Ease of Loading: |
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I test drove one and loved every second of it. Mark my words: In two years when I graduate I will be getting one. Here are the impressions that made me decide this is the vehicle that will replace my regular cab
Ranger.
Engine: It amazes me how Ford could conceive of a marvel like the sweet 5.4 Triton. The thing revs like a sports car engine but pulls like a locomotive. Downshifts came like my brain was hard wired into the transmission: Floor it and the tach needle jumps past 5000 rpm as the truck jumps forward so effortlessly it feels like the engine isn't even moving a 5000 pound truck and it's just you, that big V8, and 4 tires.
And yet, though it's performance will bring grins from ear to ear it isn't a big compromise like some other modern truck engines, which trade high revving performance and fuel economy for the low end torque that makes a truck what it is. With a class leading 350 lb-ft of it you'll never be lacking.
Transmission:Check above, it's very intuitive generous with the downshift.
Radio: Left something to be desired. The premium cassette deck didn't seem to have the power, base, and clarity of my 95 Ranger. If and when I get one some audio system upgrades will be in order.
Ride and handling: This truck hung on surprisingly well in the curves. Obviously you're gonna get yourself in trouble if you treat it like a Miata, but the before I took the wheel salesman floored it through some pretty tight bends and took an almost 75 degree curve at about 35 mph to try to impress me, and I have to admit I was: Body roll was suprisingly well controlled, the tires didn't make a peep, and I didn't even feel one bit of the axle hop that I usually feel when I do that in most trucks. And as for the ride, well, we didn't go on any washboard roads so I'm sure it gets jiggly there but we took some pretty big bumps that I expected would jolt us and maybe cause loud suspension clunks but I didn't feel or hear or hear any of them. The chasis stayed composed without excess disruption or bouncing felt inside the whole time. Not bad for a 4x4 with big tires and offroad package.
Interior: The 60/40 split bench was nice and comfy and very supportive for the lower back. The fold down center console had plenty of space but I would have preferred if it had not been placed so far back on the bench: I felt like I had to reach further back to access anything in it than I should have. Front leg, head, and shoulder room were ample enough to satisfy the NFL's biggest men. The rear seats are pretty comfy for short or medium length trips. There was plenty of legroom, even without the front drivers having to sacrifice much space. Pickups have come a long long way: This one had more rear seating space than most coups I've been in and I felt more stretch room than I do in my Friend's Integra Sedan. The only thing that would make it better for long trips would be retractable headrests and more rake.
I drove a four door, and that configuration made passenger and cargo loading very easy. However, one thing that would make it even more useful is if they would design the doors Tundra style, with handles on the outside so that you can open and close them independently of the front doors.
Overall Driving Impression: Everything was smooth and silky: The engine never sounded course, the transmission was great, it stopped well, and the cornering was without drama of any kind at speeds I didn't expect to be able to drive a pickup. It's a very high step up, but once you're in it feels good; You sit nice and high but it never feels tipsy.
The only other thing I didn't like: It sits so high that it's very difficult to reach anything in the bed from the side of the truck: You'll have to pull the tailgate down for many things.
Steering: felt very accurate, more so than the ranger. I never had to feed the wheel through my hands multiple times in tight turns, though I had to back up and go foreward a couple times.
Step in height: What can I say, this is a big, high riding, off road pickup. When they designed it, dialing in enough ground clearance to avoid scraping the brush takes priority over making sure the wife can get in without her skirt riding up. If easy step up height is a consideration get a 4x2 or look at the gm pickups, which sit a little lower.
All in all an excellent value: Comfortable, with classleading torque in a smooth and powerful engine.
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