Filed under: Trucks/Pickups, Marketing/Advertising, Dodge, Ford
'09 Ford F-150 wins Truck of Texas award
Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Ford F-150
Ford has managed to snag an important early victory over the equally-new Dodge Ram by being crowned the 2009 Truck of Texas over the weekend. Both the Dodge Ram and Ford F-150 are nearly all new for '09 and are competing against stiff competition from the relatively new Chevy Silverado and Toyota Tundra for a parking spot in Texan garages. Some 15% of full-size trucks sold in the United States end up in Texas and the sales crown usually goes to the Truck of Texas award winner. The Blue Oval also managed to snag the best truck-line award, the best SUV of Texas and the best CUV of Texas with its Expedition King Ranch and new Flex, respectively. Mopar fans will be happy to know that Dodge didn't leave the Lone Star state empty handed. We're not sure how given that the F-150 is also a full-size truck and took the top trophy overal, but the new '09 Ram managed to win the full-sized Truck of Texas award and its optional RamBox was named Outstanding Truck Feature.
Gallery: First Drive: 2009 Ford F-150
[Source: The Detroit Free Press]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Allan 11:17AM (10/20/2008)
"We're not sure how given that the F-150 is also a full-size truck and took the top trophy overal, but the new '09 Ram managed to win the full-sized Truck of Texas award"
Ya, that sounds pretty retarded. But that could just be how they do things in Texas... ass backwards.
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The Luigiian 11:41AM (10/20/2008)
Wow. So, lemme get this straight:
F-150 gets "Truck of Texas" award, overall.
Dodge Ram gets "Full Size Truck of Texas" award.
So where's the "Compact Truck of Texas" award? If there's an overall award and a full size award, there should be a midsize Truck of Texas award and a compact Truck of Texas award.
I nominate the Ranger the Compact Truck of Texas, and the Nissan Frontier the Midsize Truck of Texas.
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Torrent 11:55AM (10/20/2008)
The Ranger? The one based on a 20 year platform? If anything, the Tacoma wins the Compact truck award.
JZeke 12:23PM (10/20/2008)
Its Texas, they don't recognize anything "compact" or "midsize" as actually existing. Well everywhere outside of Austin.
RL 12:29PM (10/20/2008)
I'd still take the '20 year old' platform Ranger over any other of those choices any day.
Shipey 1:07PM (10/20/2008)
@RL
+1
It's easy to have an opinion based on the numbers, but if you test them in person it's easy to feel the difference between the small trucks.
Despite its age the Ranger is a very solid offering. In person, the Frontier seems especially flimsy in comparison.
Jimbo 1:26PM (10/20/2008)
The Ranger is really the only true "compact" pickup left. All the other "compact" trucks have graduated in size to the "mid-size" class with the Dodge Dakota.
Brn 1:11PM (10/20/2008)
Yet another award from some outfit I've never heard of.
I'm a fan of Ford, but I don't give a lot of credit to meaningless awards.
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Jimbo 1:30PM (10/20/2008)
The Dodge Ram truly is "all-new". The F-150 is a mid-cycle refresh. Sure, there were some enhancements made to the engines and the frame. But put last year's front end on it and it would look exactly the same.
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pwcopy 2:16PM (10/20/2008)
"The F-150 is a mid-cycle refresh."
Wrong. 95% of the truck is new. The outside sheetmetal between the A pillar and back of the cab is the only thing that didn't change.
NEW:
New sheetmetal from front bumper to A-pillar and back-of-cab to rear bumper, plus larger cargo boxes
Unsurpassed 21 mpg hwy with SFE Package
Three V8 engine lineup
4.6L 3-valve V8
6-speed automatic transmission w/Tow-Haul Mode
Strongest-in-class frames (Not just revisions - all-new parts)
Towing capacity increased to 11,300 lbs. and available with every cab style
Standard AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control
Standard Trailer Sway Control
Class-exclusive box-side steps
Class-exclusive tailgate step
New safety cage with hydroformed ultra-high-strength steel: 75% stronger than '08
Standard 6-airbags including front seat-side airbags and Safety Canopy System with roll-fold side-curtain airbags and rollover protection
All-new interior including new seat designs, new instrument panel and flat rear loadfloor in SuperCab and SuperCrew.
One-touch folding rear seat in SuperCrew
Ford Sync Communications and Entertainment System
Ford Work Solutions full-function in-dash computer, with available tool tracking, fleet tracking and tool anti-theft systems
Advanced Navigation Radio with available SIRIUS Travel Link
Jimbo 6:58PM (10/20/2008)
Wow, you sound like a press release. You actually just proved my point. Changing the sheetmetal does not make for an all-new vehicle. If that were the case, then the Ford Focus was "all new" last year when they did their mid-cycle refresh. Although Ford certainly spun it as such. Or they will label the Mustang as "all new" next year when everyone know's it's not. Even the doors are the same on the "all-new" vs previous F150.
Changing the materials that the cab and the frame are made of also do not constitute all-new. That would be like saying the Corvette Z06 was "all-new" compared to basic Corvette coupe because the Z06 has an aluminum chassis and the Coupe has a steel one.
"All new" means a redesign from the ground-up that brings innovations. The Ram certainly has plenty of those whereas most of the features you gave can be found on other trucks. Chevy has a "3 V8 lineup" plus a V6. Hell, is having a "3 V8 lineup" even a bragging point in this era of fueleconomy? Dodge and Nissan have cargo boxes.
TKOsoccer03 1:45PM (10/20/2008)
First of all, the Ranger is the only compact truck left on the market. The Tacoma has been a mid-size for several years now.
Second, the Ranger is miles ahead of the Tacoma. It's a much more solid and reliable truck, plus, you can't go wrong with 22 mpg with a 4.0L V6.
Lastly .. I'm also confused as to how the F150 doesn't fall into the 'Full-size" segment. It is longer than any other truck, taller, and has more interior space overall. It's a bigger truck.. it's always been a full-size truck, so what's the deal? There has to be some confusion somewhere between Texas and Autoblog.
Either way, I didn't think Ford could out-due themselves two generations in a row, but apparently they have. I am astonished. Ford did it again, to say the least.
I have to say though, the Ram is certainly the best looking truck. When I think of a truck, I think of the Ram. It looks amazing.
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amdfan12 5:20PM (10/20/2008)
Ranger is not miles ahead of a Tacoma. Its has essentially the same frame it was introduced with in 1983. Bad ride and handling, interior is fairly small and cramped (even the old "compact" tacomas still feel roomier then a ranger). Reliable is also funny as well, you got the 4.0 SOHC with a whopping 210 HP that loves to blow cam chains, and fords horrific 5R55E transmission. I think you should also take a look around the Ford forums, there is no one getting 22MPG with a 4.0 Ranger. The average is about 18, with a low of 16 and highest around 20. I mean, the maximum payload and towing has remained the EXACT same since 1983. This is part of the problem why American auto manufactureres are now in trouble, they keep trying to recycle the same vehicle platforms as long as they can without any modifications. Then the manufactueres wonder why the sales of these vehicles are dropping. I'm in no way a Ford or American car hater, I actually own an 87 Ranger myself. My dad has owned American cars all his life as well.
As to the original topic, I am a bit confused on the whole Ford/Dodge thing. I do think that they are both great trucks, with the dodge slightly ahread imo in breaking the standard in truck suspension with coil springs and a 4 link. Although Ford getting the top place in all 3 things does sound a little fishy to me
TKOsoccer03 6:28PM (10/20/2008)
My dad's company has a 2006 Ranger .. 100K miles, no repairs. It's a solid truck .. Oh, and did I mention he puts 2000 pounds in the bed 2 to 3 times a week, and hauls it anywhere from 30 - 100 miles? And ya .. it gets 22 mpg on the highway slick. My high school soccer coach had an '05 Tacoma, and the best mpg's he ever got was 19.5 .. and the manny 5-speed in the Ranger isn't a bad transmission.
I've had experience with both trucks. Anybody who has a Ranger and take scare of it swears by it because Ford has perfected it over the years.
pwcopy 11:05AM (10/21/2008)
Again Jimbo, 95% of the truck is new. How do I know? I wrote the 2009 showroom brochure. I have worked on the project since 2006, saw the truck at the Ford Product Development Center (PDC) at its first introduction to Ford marketing groups, spent 3 days at PDC getting a front-to-back review of all the new vehicle systems. The frames were completely reconfigured to provide the flat loadfloor in SuperCab and SuperCrew (innovation), they are stronger yet lighter than before (for increased towing capacity and fuel savings), and as far as the guys who designed them are concerned, they are new. How do I know? I asked them. The safety cage and front structure we redesigned from the ground up and use new materials, per my interviews with the guys who designed them. Ditto the interior. The SFE version gets 21 mpg hwy; a mileage barrier that only Ford and Chevy have managed to break in a full-size pickup. That's new. Ford is the only company to offer a full-function (internet access, word-processing, spreadsheets) in-dash computer with wireless keyboard, available wireless printer and Bluetooth phone connectivity. That's innovative. Apparently u missed the word LARGER to describe the word cargo boxes. That means they were redesigned. About the only systems that didn't get a complete makeover were brakes and suspension. Yet even these were significantly upgraded to improve ride and handling, as well as support the increased towing capacity. And this is why Ford's legal department put the kibosh on calling the truck all-new.
Now, pls provide your credentials and sources to support your argument that the 2009 F-150 is not new.
Swede 4:39PM (10/20/2008)
Is the trophy engraved with "yeeeehaww!"?
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mike 6:53PM (10/20/2008)
Voting after their annual Truck Rodeo, members of the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) named the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 “Full-Size Pickup Truck of Texas,” giving Dodge honors over competitors from Ford, Chevrolet, GMC, Nissan, Honda and Toyota.
The RamBox won the “Best Feature” category in a landslide.
“This is quite an honor,” said Mike Accavitti, Director, Dodge Marketing. “In a head-to-head competition, our game-changing all-new 2009 Dodge Ram unseated the new Ford F-150, long considered the leader in the market. This is not only the best pickup truck we’ve ever built, it’s the best pickup on the market, period.”
TAWA’s competition names three overall winners, including Truck of Texas, SUV of Texas and Crossover of Texas (a new category this year), along with 12 additional categories.
Judging by the 40-plus TAWA members occurs over two full days of on- and off-road evaluation. Consideration is given to everything from exterior styling and off-road capability to the entrant’s overall utility, value and fuel efficiency.
“The TAWA Truck Rodeo is the most comprehensive evaluation of new trucks and SUVs in the country and manufacturers consider it a great honor to win their category,” said Harold Gunn, President of TAWA. “This was an especially tight competition because several manufacturers are building great product. We’re proud that the Texas truck rodeo is considered the most important competition of its type in the nation.”
The winners were announced Sunday.
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pwcopy 11:19AM (10/21/2008)
Couple things I forgot:
F-150 offers a new 6-speed automatic. Not available on Chevy or Dodge.
F-150 payload limit is 1170 lbs. LESS than Dodge 1500 and towing is 2200 lbs. LOWER, due primarily to Dodge choosing the "innovative" coil-spring rear suspension.
What good is an all-new design that is LESS CAPABLE than the competition?
jackson liu 11:11PM (10/20/2008)
what's with the subtitles..???
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pwcopy 11:30AM (10/21/2008)
"F-150 payload limit is 1170 lbs. LESS than Dodge 1500 and towing is 2200 lbs. LOWER, due primarily to Dodge choosing the "innovative" coil-spring rear suspension."
My bad. Meant to say:
F-150 payload limit is 1170 lbs. MORE than Dodge 1500 and towing is 2200 lbs. GREATER, due primarily to Dodge choosing the "innovative" coil-spring rear suspension.
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