Jump to content

Motor Trend 2023 Truck of the Year


Recommended Posts

  • 2 weeks later...

The awards keep coming for F-150 Lightning! Edmunds rated it "Best of the Best" in its 2023 Top Rated vehicle awards. Edmunds Top Rated Best of the Best 2023 | Edmunds

 

The Ford F-150 Lightning is beautifully judged. Futuristic without being wacky, it embraces the advantages of electric technology to create a better truck for truck buyers. This isn't a lifestyle toy; it's a working tool in the best tradition of the F-150. The heart of America is in robust health.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

In the context of what Motor Trend said about F-150 Lightning being "just the type of pickup we need to make the coming electric revolution work for most everyone", Ford did a survey which found that F-150 Lightning owners use their vehicles for certain "trucky" things more than ICE F-150 owners. Ford Survey: Lightning Owners Haul, Truck More Than Regular F-150 Buyers (motortrend.com)

 

It's no secret that pickups have become lifestyle vehicles. What was originally sold as a tool for work has quickly found itself as a top choice for soccer practice drop-offs and daily commuting. The current generation of trucks are luxurious, have room for the whole family, can run errands on weekends, and are powerful enough to tow a house… should the need arise. But just how often does the average owner use their humongous truck's bed to haul, well, anything? Finding the answer was the aim of a survey of new Ford F-150 and F-150 Lightning owners by Ford with the findings provided to The Detroit Free Press.

 

Based on the survey data, along with follow-up interviews, it was determined that current F-150 Lightning owners use their truck's bed more frequently than traditional internal-combustion pickup owners. The survey showed that 74-percent of Lightning owners claim to use their trucks once a month for home projects such as hauling lumber, gardening supplies, appliances, and more. This is compared to 51 percent of traditional pickup owners. The survey continues and points out that 27-percent of Lightning buyers use their trucks for this task more than once a month, compared to just 14 percent of standard F-150 buyers. Finally, 48-percent of Lightning owners claim to use the truck for monthly camping excursions, as compared to 40-percent of F-150 owners.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, rperez817 said:

In the context of what Motor Trend said about F-150 Lightning being "just the type of pickup we need to make the coming electric revolution work for most everyone", Ford did a survey which found that F-150 Lightning owners use their vehicles for certain "trucky" things more than ICE F-150 owners. Ford Survey: Lightning Owners Haul, Truck More Than Regular F-150 Buyers (motortrend.com)

 

 

 

 

This is a BS survey and as for any survey, you can get the results you desire, by tailoring the questions.

 

First, the sample size is insignificant, as the combined ICE & BEV participants were only 3,500. They also didn't specify what percentage of those were BEV, nor did they provide a margin of error. Rather than asking about all truck related use, they only asked who uses the truck bed, which eliminates the F-150 Lightning's achilles heel of towing acceptable distances. They also didn't specify work use, which is again a large percentage of F-150 users. Even picking up lumber, etc isn't a true truck task, as before purchasing my first F-350, I survived well with an Escort/Focus hatchback and Aerostar.

 

If the BEV owners using it for camping had a trailer, they clearly didn't travel any great distance and if camping without a trailer any Escape/Explorer/Edge can be used, so again not a truck specific task.

 

I do concur with the statement where it describes the average F-150 Lightning owners as technophiles who enjoy playing with their latest toys.

 

Once they have a few hundred thousand on the roads and they complete a thorough survey, showing a margin of error, if it then shows they are being used increasingly for genuine truck stuff, including towing normal distances, I will start to believe it. Until then, they are little more than a large city runaround, so I'll stick to my ICE truck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Rangers09 said:

 

This is a BS survey and as for any survey, you can get the results you desire, by tailoring the questions.

 

First, the sample size is insignificant, as the combined ICE & BEV participants were only 3,500. They also didn't specify what percentage of those were BEV, nor did they provide a margin of error. Rather than asking about all truck related use, they only asked who uses the truck bed, which eliminates the F-150 Lightning's achilles heel of towing acceptable distances. They also didn't specify work use, which is again a large percentage of F-150 users. Even picking up lumber, etc isn't a true truck task, as before purchasing my first F-350, I survived well with an Escort/Focus hatchback and Aerostar.

 

If the BEV owners using it for camping had a trailer, they clearly didn't travel any great distance and if camping without a trailer any Escape/Explorer/Edge can be used, so again not a truck specific task.

 

I do concur with the statement where it describes the average F-150 Lightning owners as technophiles who enjoy playing with their latest toys.

 

Once they have a few hundred thousand on the roads and they complete a thorough survey, showing a margin of error, if it then shows they are being used increasingly for genuine truck stuff, including towing normal distances, I will start to believe it. Until then, they are little more than a large city runaround, so I'll stick to my ICE truck.


The question was specifically about hauling not towing and it’s a perfectly valid comparison in that context.  After all I can tow with a SUV too but I can’t put a refrigerator in the back.  Sample size is small but remember a lot of Lightning buyers are first time truck owners so maybe they’re doing all those things they couldn’t before.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Rangers09 said:

.....If the BEV owners using it for camping had a trailer, they clearly didn't travel any great distance and if camping without a trailer any Escape/Explorer/Edge can be used, so again not a truck specific task.

 

I do concur with the statement where it describes the average F-150 Lightning owners as technophiles who enjoy playing with their latest toys.

 

Once they have a few hundred thousand on the roads and they complete a thorough survey, showing a margin of error, if it then shows they are being used increasingly for genuine truck stuff, including towing normal distances, I will start to believe it. Until then, they are little more than a large city runaround, so I'll stick to my ICE truck.

 

This just popped up a few days back.  A Ford survey comparing how F-150 Lightning owners use their trucks compared to an ICE F-150 owners.  The results surprised me.

 

https://insideevs.com/news/656075/ford-lightning-buyers-use-truck-bed-way-more-than-ice-f150-owners/

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, mackinaw said:

 

This just popped up a few days back.  A Ford survey comparing how F-150 Lightning owners use their trucks compared to an ICE F-150 owners.  The results surprised me.

 

https://insideevs.com/news/656075/ford-lightning-buyers-use-truck-bed-way-more-than-ice-f150-owners/

 

Thanks mackinaw, that's the same survey as mentioned in the Motor Trend article. Considering that F-150 Lightning is not only an excellent BEV, but also a better truck than any current ICE powered LD full size pickup, the results from that survey are actually not surprising.

 

Motor Trend put it this way.

Ford's advancement in EV design was to not push the exterior radically forward, thereby giving customers a palatable alternative to every other EV truck on the market. It's the first and (for now) only electric truck for "truck people." 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, akirby said:


The question was specifically about hauling not towing and it’s a perfectly valid comparison in that context.  After all I can tow with a SUV too but I can’t put a refrigerator in the back.  Sample size is small but remember a lot of Lightning buyers are first time truck owners so maybe they’re doing all those things they couldn’t before.  

 

I'll suggest tailoring the question to only hauling things in the truck bed was to ensure they got the desired result from the survey. With the small sample size and the restricted question asked, it really is a worthless survey.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, Rangers09 said:

First, the sample size is insignificant

 

1 hour ago, Rangers09 said:

With the small sample size

 

19 hours ago, akirby said:

Sample size is small

 

n = 3,500 is more than sufficient sample size (assuming confidence level of 95% and margin of error of 5% as is typical in market research) for a valid and reliable survey of the type Ford conducted with new F-150 Lightning and F-150 regular buyers.

Edited by rperez817
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Expect buyer’s age probably makes biggest difference.  Younger people in general likely have greater formal education/degrees, do more camping, cycling, house projects, etc.  It’s not surprising younger buyers with higher income are more likely to buy Lighting versus ICE F-150.  That’s not to say there are not many young and educated ICE F-150 buyers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Rangers09 said:

 

I'll suggest tailoring the question to only hauling things in the truck bed was to ensure they got the desired result from the survey. With the small sample size and the restricted question asked, it really is a worthless survey.


And I’ll suggest that almost everyone who owns a pickup hauls something in the bed at some point while a good portion of them never tow anything.

 

And I don’t understand why you care one way or another how Lightning owners use their trucks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, akirby said:


And I’ll suggest that almost everyone who owns a pickup hauls something in the bed at some point while a good portion of them never tow anything.

 

And I don’t understand why you care one way or another how Lightning owners use their trucks.

I owned a Ranger for 13 years and never towed a trailer.  I used the bed on a regular basis.  Since I don’t currently have a truck, I borrow one from my brother when I need one.  Never towed with one of his trucks either.  I just put stuff in the bed. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, akirby said:


And I’ll suggest that almost everyone who owns a pickup hauls something in the bed at some point while a good portion of them never tow anything.

 

And I don’t understand why you care one way or another how Lightning owners use their trucks.


I probably have a trailer hooked to my superduty 95% of the time and there's always something in the bed, but it is my work truck. My other trucks might get my ATV in the bed or haul some parts or pick something up for the house occasionally, but 95% of the time they are just being used to move me around.

But, like you said, who cares what someone else does with their vehicle.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 hours ago, CurtisH said:

I owned a Ranger for 13 years and never towed a trailer.  I used the bed on a regular basis.  Since I don’t currently have a truck, I borrow one from my brother when I need one.  Never towed with one of his trucks either.  I just put stuff in the bed. 


I had a 4-cylinder Ranger for long time and towed a few times, mainly long distances to move kids to college..  It handled 5X8 U-Haul with no problem, though loaded trailer weight was over recommended towing capacity.  I also towed a larger trailer which was not a good idea because of gearing.  I usually hauled things in the 6-foot bed with lockable cap, most often bicycles.

 

One of the features I liked most was that my Ranger was flat towable.  Sometimes I wish I had it back just for that reason.

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/11/2023 at 9:29 AM, akirby said:


And I’ll suggest that almost everyone who owns a pickup hauls something in the bed at some point while a good portion of them never tow anything.

 

And I don’t understand why you care one way or another how Lightning owners use their trucks.

 

I couldn't care less how they use their trucks, my issue is with incomplete surveys that don't compare apples to apples. I'll suggest the telling factor is how many existing F-150 owners, or downsizing Super Duty owners are moving to the Lightning - very few, as the article noted most are new truck purchasers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 hours ago, Captainp4 said:


I probably have a trailer hooked to my superduty 95% of the time and there's always something in the bed, but it is my work truck. My other trucks might get my ATV in the bed or haul some parts or pick something up for the house occasionally, but 95% of the time they are just being used to move me around.

But, like you said, who cares what someone else does with their vehicle.  


Also - there’s a big difference in a super duty vs F150.  The main reason to upgrade to a super duty is to get maximum towing and/or payload so obviously the avg super duty owner tows far more than the average f150 owner.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/11/2023 at 12:29 PM, akirby said:

And I don’t understand why you care one way or another how Lightning owners use their trucks.

 

On 3/12/2023 at 9:51 AM, Captainp4 said:

But, like you said, who cares what someone else does with their vehicle.  

 

It doesn't matter what members of this site think about how F-150 Lightning owners use their trucks, but it is nice to see real world data that aligns with Ford's efforts to make F-150 Lightning the best, most capable F-150 ever.

Edited by rperez817
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...