Long Term Update: 50,000 miles in the 2025 F-150

Long Term 2025 F-150 Update: 50,000 miles

It Just Works

Ford’s flagship half-ton pickup has been the best-selling truck in America since the 70’s, and it’s no surprise that continues to be the case.

Over the past year I’ve been fortunate enough to have been given an F-150 to daily drive and commute for work. In a little over 12 months, I racked up 50,000 miles in America’s best-selling pickup. 60,000 as of this publication.

Sure, many of these were highway miles as I darted back and forth across the southeast. But this truck was also my family’s do-it-all daily. This truck has seen everything from vet visits and airport pickups to The Dragon’s Tail itself in Appalachia.

The F-150 has been nothing short of an excellent companion since last March, and I felt compelled to share the experience I’ve had over these 50,000 miles. Especially considering my trepidation going into the venture.

So, here’s my honest, 1-year-ish, fifty-thousand-mile review of a pickup as American as apple pie.

Disclaimer

In the spirit of honesty, I have a confession. The rumors are true; I’m a Dodge fan.

I know this might be heartbreaking to some readers, but I have to get it off my chest. It just wouldn’t be right to publish this review without telling all the facts.

I grew up on the bench seat of not one but two 2^nd generation Ram 1500 pickups. That’s right, my father and Grandfather (Grandpa Barrs) both drove V8 Magnum powered Rams. And boy, they were proud of it.

To make matters even more complicated, Grandpa Barrs was the biggest Bill Elliott fan on planet earth. We’re talking about the kind of NASCAR fan who would paint a fat #9 on the side of his Ram-red golf cart. And yes, I do still have the cardboard cutout to prove it.

With that in mind, I hope you’ll forgive me when I say that my first “big-boy” purchase after graduating college was a 2014 Ram 1500 Big Horn. Yes, there was a light bar that could take an X-ray of oncoming traffic. Yes, there were all-terrain tires and a lift. But before you ask, no I didn’t opt for giant tow-mirrors; breaking with tradition.

Why am I telling you all of this? The point is I’m not a Ford truck fan at heart. There’s no bias here. Seriously, this is the first real time I’ve spent driving one. And half of my friends have had cam-phasor issues with their 3.5-liter F-150s.

Hear me clearly when I tell you, I wasn’t excited about picking up this company truck. Left to my own devices, I would’ve taken a stipend and kept rolling around in my decade old Dodge. So just remember, there’s no one more shocked by what you’re about to read than the person writing it.

Stats:

Trim: Crew Cab STX

Engine: 2.7-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost

Drivetrain: 10-speed auto / 2wd

Power / Torque: 325hp / 375 lb-ft

Fuel Economy: 20mpg city / 26 mpg highway

Payload / Towing Capacity: 2,250 lbs / 8,500 lbs

Highway Driving / Long Distance Commuter

Let’s address the elephant in the room: I’ve spent a lot of time in this truck over the last year. The lion’s share of those 50,000 miles was spent traveling for work through Florida, Georgia, Alabama and the Carolinas.

That means lots of highway driving, and lots of on-ramps. In a full-size truck like an F-150, you need plenty of power or else you’re at the mercy of traffic that’s already up to speed. That could be more than just a minor annoyance when you end up behind slow traffic, it could also be a safety issue when it comes to merging with 80,000-pound tractor trailers.

For those of you who don’t believe a V-6 engine can be enough grunt for a truck this big, think again. Unlike the all-aluminum 3.5L, the 2.7L EcoBoost design was inspired by Ford’s legendary 6.7L Power Stroke Diesel and in my experience, it lives up to the legacy.

The 2.7’s block is built from the same Compact Graphite Iron (CGI) material as the diesel, which means it has the same high stiffness, and resistance to warps & cracks. Meanwhile, two small turbochargers are mounted directly to the cylinder heads. Their positioning and quick spooling design reduce turbo-lag and allow the 2.7 to deliver power quickly and efficiently.

The result of all that engineering is a truck that reaches 60 miles per hour in about 5 ½ seconds. Needless to say, I haven’t had a problem with merging over the last year.

 Cloth seats with manual controls adorn the interior of this lower middle trim level, but the bolster is perfect (for a truck) and lumbar support is available if needed. Meanwhile a long wheel-base and well dampened suspension have helped to make the long drives comfortable, even trips up to 9 hours straight.

Which I can do only thanks to the largest fuel tank available to this truck, bringing over 700 miles of range. The big tank coupled with solid fuel economy for a full-size pickup have helped me chew up the miles with almost half the fuel stops I would’ve had to make in my old Ram.

Though I haven’t had to pull any trailers and test the limits of the truck’s towing capacity, I’ve hauled plenty of parts and tools in the short bed with no issue. Built in tie down hooks and storage boxes to either side of the tailgate make it a breeze to strap down any load.

Back inside the full-size cabin there’s ample head and leg room for four 6-foot adults to ride comfortably, five if they get friendly in the back. Overall, the interior is quiet and well built, showing no signs of wear to the plastics or tears in the fabric (despite my dog Beau’s best efforts).

The large center console has space for dozens of tools, notebooks, and other job-related gear. I do wish they’d sprung for the fold out laptop table though… maybe next time.

8.5/10

You can’t ask for much more in this category from a work truck. I’d wish for Lexus to put their seats into something that competes, but then again, I’d probably fall asleep on my way to Birmingham if they did.

Infotainment

The 12-inch Sync-4 infotainment system is now standard on all F-150 trim levels, and I honestly haven’t got a single complaint. Of all the touchscreens I’ve tested in modern cars, this system is truly the best since the advent of Apple CarPlay.

 The system lets you store at least half a dozen phones and wirelessly connects to the most recently used device almost instantly. While the onboard system is well laid out and functionally sound, the CarPlay experience provided by Ford’s latest system is unparalleled.

The giant screen was disorienting at first, but blends into the dash nicely overall. A far cry from some other manufacturers who’ve basically told the public “Here we tacked on an iPad to the top of the dash,” the screen felt normal after just a few weeks. Hell, I’d hate to live without it in my daily ever again… if I’m being honest.

The base sound system is more than adequate for anyone who’s old enough to know that hearing loss is a real thing, and pairs well with the integrated karaoke machine. Seriously, Ford added this function about 6 months after I got the truck, and I spent about an hour embarrassing myself in the driveway with my Fiancé.

God, I hope the Ford engineers weren’t listening. But if they were, they’d know for sure that the Sync-4 is an undeniable success. The thing almost never glitches, cycles between source devices easily, and provides a gorgeous display for everything from navigation to album cover art.  

10/10

There’s nothing better on the market. It just works, end of story.

Reliability

This is going to be an embarrassingly short section, but I felt required to include a note on reliability.

Mechanically this truck has been perfect all year (knock on wood). I haven’t experienced a single reliability problem, inside or out. It starts, it drives, it doesn’t throw any codes, it just runs. And that’s all you can ask for.

10/10

Do it All Daily

We all have errands to run. Groceries to pick up. Junk to haul to the dump. Kids and animals to ferry across town for an ice cream or pup-cup.

Our primary vehicle defines how we spend each of these average yet beautiful little moments in life, every single day. Lately I’ve had the pleasure of spending those moments in an F-150.

Though it’s a full-size pickup, parking hasn’t been nearly the challenge you may think. Sporting a square body with obvious borders, park-assist sensors and a stellar backup camera, I’ve been able to slide into tight grocery store lots and impossible downtown parallel spots with remarkable ease.

One thing that's not a tight spot is the truck's bed. Even in the smallest size available has been spacious enough for both work and personal projects.

Living in Florida, I’ve come to appreciate the manual climate control buttons which adorn the F-150’s center console. They make it simple and intuitive to adjust while driving. On/Off buttons for head, legs, and windshield vents. One single temperature control knob. One single fan control knob. Genius.

This is nothing like Volkswagen’s haptic disaster of a system. Or BMW and Ram’s approach which gives you some manual buttons but then sends you on the sweatiest scavenger hunt of your life as you scramble to find the second half of the A/C controls hidden somewhere in the screen.

Finally, a manufacturer who doesn’t overcomplicate essential controls that you touch every time you get in the car. Thank you, Ford!

The massive interior features a flat floorboard in the rear and folding bench seat. This makes big grocery runs easy and packing for road trips a breeze. That same cavernous back seat, coupled with an abnormally smooth ride for a pickup, has made the truck our friends’ vehicle of choice when carpooling.

But the #1 fan of the F-150’s backseat has got to be our dog, Beau. Of all the vehicles he gets to ride in (my Fiancé’s Camry, my GR86, the old Ram) the F-150 is by far his favorite.

Petition to make Beau the official gold seal of approval for dog friendly vehicles?

There’s ample room for his antics as he bounces back and forth between the back windows to sniff every thing we pass. His dog bed fits nicely while still leaving room for luggage on longer journeys, and the smooth ride calms his nerves better than any other vehicle. Which means a lot to anyone who’s ever owned a German Shorthaired Pointer…

Overall, Beau is in love with the truck. Given the option between a ride or a walk, he’d choose the ride every time. Seriously, the dog demands that I chauffeur him to the coffee shop almost daily. And if you see his face hanging out the window as we leave the neighborhood, you’ll know he’s in it for the ride just as much as the pup-cup.

9.5/10

Truthfully, I couldn’t imagine a better daily commuter for my life right now. This truck does everything I need it to and performs well at each task it’s given. To someone looking for a daily driver with comfort and capability, I can’t recommend it enough.

Having the F-150 as a daily allows you to be a lot less practical when choosing a fun car.

Final Word

I never expected to be given a brand-new vehicle to use as my daily, and no one expected me to enjoy driving a Ford truck. But sometimes life surprises us.

Today I’m thankful for all the surprises I’ve experienced over the last year, including my exceptional time driving the 2025 F-150. The opportunity to do a review in this style without the backing of a major automotive media company or testing organization is so unique, and I’m forever grateful.