<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/trucks/" rel="tag">Truck</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/commercial-trucks/" rel="tag">Work</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/" rel="tag">Ford</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/driving/" rel="tag">First Drive</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/off-road/" rel="tag">Off-Road</a></p><em><big>Will Pickup Buyers Embrace A Turbocharged V6? They Should, And Fast.</big></em><br />
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<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-f-150-first-drive/"><img hspace="0" border="1" vspace="4" alt="2011 Ford F-150" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/lead1f150fd2011.jpg" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>2011 Ford F-150 - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
<br />
The year is 1977. Jimmy Carter replaces Gerald Ford to become the 39th President of the United States and creates the United States Department of Energy. Apple Computer is incorporated, and the Commodore PET, the world's first personal computer, is sold. NASA's first space shuttle is christened Enterprise and performs its initial test flight.<br />
<br />
Music lovers welcome Fleetwood Mac's latest release, the Grammy-winning album<em> Rumours</em>. The Supremes, Elvis Presley and Led Zeppelin play their final concerts, and, later in the year, Elvis leaves the building for good. The top grossing movie? <em>Star Wars</em>. On television, Fonzie rather famously jumps the shark.<br />
<br />
In the world of automobiles, <a href="http://autoblog.com/make/porsche">Porsche</a> introduces the front-engine 928 and Burt Reynolds turns the black and gold <a href="http://autoblog.com/make/pontiac">Pontiac</a> Trans-Am into an object of desire. And, finally, the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/f-150">Ford F-Series</a> earns its status as the best-selling vehicle line in America. Clearly, a lot has changed since 1977... except, of course, for the Blue Oval, which can still boast that its full-size pickup truck is the number one nameplate in the United States.<br />
<br />
Ford has no intention of passing that particular baton to anyone else, and in order to maintain this impressive bit of marketing gold for a 34th straight year, the Dearborn-based automaker is putting four brand-new engines, including a 3.5-liter turbocharged EcoBoost V6, in the engine bay of its F-150. The automaker says 2011 marks "the most significant powertrain upgrade in 62 years of the F-Series." We, of course, had to verify that claim for ourselves.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/27/2011-ford-f-150-first-drive-review-road-test/#continued">Continue reading</a>...<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-f-150-first-drive">2011 Ford F-150: First Drive</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-f-150-first-drive/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/01f150fd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="2011 Ford F-150" title="2011 Ford F-150" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-f-150-first-drive/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/02f150fd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="2011 Ford F-150" title="2011 Ford F-150" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-f-150-first-drive/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/03f150fd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="2011 Ford F-150" title="2011 Ford F-150" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-f-150-first-drive/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/04f150fd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="2011 Ford F-150" title="2011 Ford F-150" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-f-150-first-drive/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/05f150fd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="2011 Ford F-150" title="2011 Ford F-150" /></a></div><br />
<strong><em><font size="1">Photos copyright (C)2010 Jeremy Korzeniewski / AOL and Ford Motor Company</font></em></strong><p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/27/2011-ford-f-150-first-drive-review-road-test/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>First Drive: 2011 Ford F-150 and its four new engines</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/27/2011-ford-f-150-first-drive-review-road-test/">First Drive: 2011 Ford F-150 and its four new engines</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/27/2011-ford-f-150-first-drive-review-road-test/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19646541/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/27/2011-ford-f-150-first-drive-review-road-test/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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<br />
<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-f-150-first-drive/"><img hspace="0" border="1" vspace="4" alt="2011 Ford F-150" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/lead1f150fd2011.jpg" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>2011 Ford F-150 - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
<br />
The year is 1977. Jimmy Carter replaces Gerald Ford to become the 39th President of the United States and creates the United States Department of Energy. Apple Computer is incorporated, and the Commodore PET, the world's first personal computer, is sold. NASA's first space shuttle is christened Enterprise and performs its initial test flight.<br />
<br />
Music lovers welcome Fleetwood Mac's latest release, the Grammy-winning album<em> Rumours</em>. The Supremes, Elvis Presley and Led Zeppelin play their final concerts, and, later in the year, Elvis leaves the building for good. The top grossing movie? <em>Star Wars</em>. On television, Fonzie rather famously jumps the shark.<br />
<br />
In the world of automobiles, <a href="http://autoblog.com/make/porsche">Porsche</a> introduces the front-engine 928 and Burt Reynolds turns the black and gold <a href="http://autoblog.com/make/pontiac">Pontiac</a> Trans-Am into an object of desire. And, finally, the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/f-150">Ford F-Series</a> earns its status as the best-selling vehicle line in America. Clearly, a lot has changed since 1977... except, of course, for the Blue Oval, which can still boast that its full-size pickup truck is the number one nameplate in the United States.<br />
<br />
Ford has no intention of passing that particular baton to anyone else, and in order to maintain this impressive bit of marketing gold for a 34th straight year, the Dearborn-based automaker is putting four brand-new engines, including a 3.5-liter turbocharged EcoBoost V6, in the engine bay of its F-150. The automaker says 2011 marks "the most significant powertrain upgrade in 62 years of the F-Series." We, of course, had to verify that claim for ourselves.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/27/2011-ford-f-150-first-drive-review-road-test/#continued">Continue reading</a>...<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-f-150-first-drive">2011 Ford F-150: First Drive</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-f-150-first-drive/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/01f150fd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="2011 Ford F-150" title="2011 Ford F-150" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-f-150-first-drive/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/02f150fd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="2011 Ford F-150" title="2011 Ford F-150" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-f-150-first-drive/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/03f150fd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="2011 Ford F-150" title="2011 Ford F-150" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-f-150-first-drive/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/04f150fd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="2011 Ford F-150" title="2011 Ford F-150" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2011-ford-f-150-first-drive/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/05f150fd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="2011 Ford F-150" title="2011 Ford F-150" /></a></div><br />
<strong><em><font size="1">Photos copyright (C)2010 Jeremy Korzeniewski / AOL and Ford Motor Company</font></em></strong><p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/27/2011-ford-f-150-first-drive-review-road-test/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>First Drive: 2011 Ford F-150 and its four new engines</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/27/2011-ford-f-150-first-drive-review-road-test/">First Drive: 2011 Ford F-150 and its four new engines</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/27/2011-ford-f-150-first-drive-review-road-test/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19646541/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/27/2011-ford-f-150-first-drive-review-road-test/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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