2022 Ford F-150 Review | Best seller or just the best?

We wouldn't call last year's F-150 "all-new," but it was definitely massively and impressively improved. That carries over for the 2022 Ford F-150. Ford basically went through its best-seller with a fine-toothed comb, making small but impactful upgrades that together add up to a truck that's hard to beat. And that's totally considering the still-exceptional Ram 1500 and GM's trucks, which get a much-needed makeover for 2022.

The F-150's highlights include the PowerBoost hybrid powertrain that wows by boasting the best power, torque and fuel economy in the F-150's extensive (and excellent) engine menu. It's also shockingly quiet for a truck's powertrain and enhances another novel feature: the Pro Power onboard generator that we named the 2021 Autoblog Technology of the Year. There's also a massive 12-inch touchscreen available on most trims, Max Recline front seats, a fold-flat center console and 11 different grilles on offer. Oh, and this is the first full year for the redone Raptor and new F-150 Tremor. None of this even mentions how smooth, quiet and refined the 2022 F-150 is to drive thanks to last year's updates. It's a true winner and not just in sales.   

Interior & Technology   |   Passenger & Cargo Space   |   Performance & Fuel Economy

What it's like to drive   |   Pricing & Features   |   Crash Ratings & Safety Features

What's new for 2022?

The Power Stroke diesel engine has been discontinued along with the Guard, Kodiak Brown and Lead Foot color options. Atlas Blue debuts along with black trim packages for the XL, XLT and Lariat, as well as a Bed Utility Package optional on most trims. This is also the first full model year for the redesigned Raptor, the new F-150 Tremor and the Blue Cruise handsfree driving system.

What are the F-150 interior and in-car technology like?

Ford performed major surgery on the F-150's dash last year in order to swallow what is essentially a small television in top trim levels. The result is an awfully monolithic center stack that's less visually appealing than what you'd get in the Ram 1500 and radically revised 2022 Chevy Silverado and 2022 GMC Sierra. That's especially true when talking about the upper trim levels, but at least those including the Platinum (pictured top) make up for it with buttery leather, open-pore wood trim and nicely textured metal-look trim. That said, even the lower XLT trim has high-quality materials and the novel inclusion of a trim piece embossed with a map of Detroit (pictured below right)

As for that big 12-inch screen, we can't say it adds much to the Sync 4 interface beyond simply being bigger than the 8-inch standard unit. That's certainly still a benefit (who wants a smaller screen?), but unlike the giant screens found in the Ram 1500, Ford's own Mustang Mach-E or various models with widescreen units, the larger screen doesn't maximize its extra acreage with rearranged or extra-large icons that greatly improve functionality. It's also a further reach than what you'll find in the Ram, regardless of screen size. On the other hand, the available all-digital instrument panel is colorful and crisp, and there's no faulting the ample infotainment feature content.

We extensively reviewed the six-passenger cabin of a 2020 F-250 SuperCrew whose seating is essentially shared with the '22 F-150, including its front middle seat and fold-down console. Five-passenger F-150s, meanwhile, offer a center console with a unique armrest lid that unfolds forward to become a flat surface to place a laptop, paperwork or road-side picnic. To make this origami possible, the shifter uniquely motors forward into a recess, though only when parked (pictured below). We'll be curious to see how much owners utilize and appreciate this functionality. Ford also greatly increased the steering wheel's tilt and telescoping travel, making for an impressively more comfortable and less-truckish driving position.

How big is the F-150?

The various full-size trucks are so big that differences among them are effectively moot. An inch or two here and there won't make a difference outside. As before, you get a choice of regular, SuperCab (extended) and SuperCrew cabs with the latter two offering six-passenger or five-passenger seating arrangements. The SuperCab continues to have clamshell doors rather than the front-hinged ones offered by Ram and GM. Its back seat space continues to be on the cramped side, but that's common for the segment. So too is the vast amount of rear seat space in the SuperCrew.

This is also as good a place as any to mention the F-150's unique bed elements. One is familiar: the tailgate's pop-out assist step that makes repeatedly climbing up and down out of the bed a game-changing quick-and-easy process (pictured above right). The second is new: the ProPower On Board electrical system that allows the F-150 to function as mobile generator and power station. A 2.0-kilowatt system is optional with the 2.7-, 5.0- and 3.5-liter gas engines, while the Power Boost hybrid offers a choice of standard 2.4-kW or optional 7.2-kW outputs. The lower-powered systems have a pair of 120-volt 20-amp outlets (pictured below left), while the 7.2-kW system adds two more 120-volt outlets plus a 240-volt 30-amp outlet (pictured below right).

And should you be plugging in a saw, there's also a ruler built into the tailgate to make measuring twice and cutting once just a bit quicker. 

What are the F-150 fuel economy and performance specs?

Settle in, folks, this is going to take a while. The 2022 F-150 offers six engine options, which is actually down this year since the diesel has been axed.

Every F-150 has a 10-speed automatic and comes standard with rear-wheel drive. The basic four-wheel-drive system has an open diff at the rear, while the upgrade one has an electronic locking rear diff. 

The lineup starts with a 3.3-liter naturally aspirated V6 good for 290 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque. Fuel economy is a combined 21 miles per gallon with 4x2, and 20 mpg combined with 4x4 (all fuel economy figures are for 2021 as 2022 figures were not available at the time of this writing. We do not anticipate significant changes).

Next up is the first of two "EcoBoost" engines, which is just fancy Ford talk for "turbocharged." The 2.7-liter twin-turbo V6 produces 325 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque, while returning 22 mpg combined with 4x2 and 21 mpg with 4x4. Don't be surprised if your real-world fuel economy is much lower than that, however.

There's still a good-old V8 available: Ford's 5.0-liter "Coyote" good for 400 hp and 410 lb-ft, an increase of 5 hp and 10 lb-ft from last year. Despite its output and cylinder count, it still manages 20 mpg with 4x2 and 19 mpg with 4x4. Not bad.

We'd still choose the silky-smooth 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, though, which pumps out 400 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque. Fuel economy is 20 mpg combined regardless of drivetrain, though it returns 18 mpg in the Tremor where it is standard.

The Ford Raptor, meanwhile, has an upgraded version of that 3.5-liter EcoBoost good for 450 hp and 510 lb-ft. Fuel economy stands at 15 or 16 mpg combined depending on equipment. A supercharged Raptor R will eventually be offered, but it wasn't here at the time of this writing.

Finally, there's the sensational, range-topping PowerBoost hybrid powertrain. Its combination of 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 and electric motor integrated into the transmission produces 430 hp and 570 lb-ft. It returns 25 mpg with 4x2 and 24 mpg with 4x4. That difference may not seem great, but when talking trucks, small differences in MPG figures can actually equate into big savings. In general, though, every version of the 2022 F-150 is impressively efficient for a full-size truck.

What's the F-150 like to drive?

There are so many versions of the F-150, especially in regard to engine choice, that how it drives very much depends. All share one common element: they are shockingly smooth, refined and even responsive to drive. A Platinum test truck and its adaptive steering system was almost SUV-like in the way it moved down the road: the steering was quicker and more responsive than before, the ride smoother, and there was the general feeling of the truck being smaller than it was. The refinement drop off to a much cheaper XLT test truck wasn't that big, either. For those who need a pickup that can also accommodate the whole family on a road trip, the F-150 is no longer the compromise it once was. The Ram 1500 pulls off a similar trick, and indeed, the gap between the two trucks has narrowed substantially – and has possibly disappeared.

As for those powertrains, we won't mince words: The F-150 PowerBoost is the most impressive pickup for everyday duty we've tested. Its massive output, refined power delivery and superior fuel economy make it the most appealing powertrain option. It also hides its hybridness well – there's no fussy CVT, awkward brake feel or weird electric noises. It feels totally normal. It also makes the otherwise potent 5.0-liter V8 feel like an old dog, especially in its responsiveness around town. The two EcoBoost turbocharged V6's are better in this regard, and continue to impress with their buttery smooth power delivery. The bigger 3.5-liter's substantial gains for 2021 are also appreciated, especially in light of how relatively fuel efficient it remains.

You can find a complete rundown of what the Raptor is like to drive here, plus our review of the new Tremor here.

What other Ford F-150 reviews can I read?

2021 Ford F-150 First Drive 

We drive as many variations of the new F-150 as we can, but come away most impressed by the PowerBoost hybrid. 

 

2021 Ford F-150 Raptor First Drive Review

We dispatched engineer and off-road expert Dan Edmunds to the California desert to give us the fullest look at the new Raptor you'll be able to find. 

 

2021 Ford F-150 Tremor First Drive Review

Details about the off-road-oriented Tremor. It's more a slow-and-steady rock crawler than the Raptor.

 

2021 Ford F-150 Platinum Driveway Test | Max recline and stay awhile

Join Editor Byron Hurd for a video tour of the F-150's new interior features.

 

2021 Ford F-150 Suspension Deep Dive

Ford didn't draw attention to them, but there are many subtle-but-significant changes.

 

How much is the 2022 F-150 price and what features are available?

Pricing starts at $29,640, NOT including the destination charge that was not available at the time of this writing for 2022 (it's $1,695 for the F-250 Super Duty). Of course, that rock-bottom base price is for a base XL trim level with a regular cab, 6.5-foot bed, rear-wheel drive and the base V6. There are of course innumerable combinations thereafter, including the SuperCab (extended) and SuperCrew cabs, bed length choices, multiple 4x4 systems and all the engine options mentioned above. There are also the trim level choices: XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, Platinum, Limited, Tremor and Raptor.

Rather than listing all the standard and optional equipment, we're going to save some internet ink (and our poor typing fingers), and instead direct you to the far more useful breakdown of features, specs and local pricing for each 2022 F-150 variant here on Autoblog.

What are the F-150 safety ratings and driver assistance features?

The base XL may not come standard with any driver assist systems, but in general, they are more widely available on the F-150 than on GM or Ram's trucks. Starting with the XLT, the F-150 comes standard with forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic warning and rear parking sensors. It's also eligible, depending on package or trim level, for the Co-Pilot360 Assist system that adds adaptive cruise control (ACC) with stop-and-go capability, lane-centering steering assist, evasive steering system and speed-sign recognition. The Blue Cruise advanced handsfree driving system can be added to all but the XL and XLT. The standard rearview camera also includes Dynamic Hitch Assist, which provides a sight line to help you hitch up without a spotter (or punching a hole in the bumper).

In government crash tests, every cab style received a perfect five stars for overall, frontal and side crash protection. They even got four stars for rollover, which is good for a truck. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety named it a Top Safety Pick for its performance in all relative crash tests and for its crash-prevention technologies. Its headlight ratings were rated Poor, Acceptable and Good depending on trim level and equipment.

Related video: