My 2011 F-150 is headed for my own personal record book. It’s got the most miles I’ve put on a single vehicle since the year 2000, it’s the third-longest amount of time I’ve owned a single vehicle, and it continues to hold its place in my driveway. It’s been two years since I purchased it, and it continues to be trouble-free and my go-to for any trip that doesn’t involve a mall parking lot. Continue reading for the nitty-gritties.
Stats:
Time Period: 7/19/2013 – 10/18/2013
Miles Driven: 2,345 / 21,105 (this update / total) (3,105 in last update)
Average MPG: 18.3 mpg (reported by on-board computer)
Avg MPG for Year: 17.3 (reported by on-board computer)
Costs:
Maintenance Costs: $45.75 (Oil Change, Tire Rotation)
Total Cost (non-fuel): $151.50
Services Performed:
- 20,645 – Oil Change, Tire Rotation. Oil used was Motorcraft Synthetic Blend (5W-30), filter was Motorcraft FL-500-S.
Summary:
The F-150 continues to run well and get decent (for a truck) fuel mileage. With a fairly mild late-summer/fall, the MPGs didn’t drop off due to cold mornings or A/C use during the day. Given the mild weather, the truck didn’t get driven as much as in the past, because whenever possible, I was on my motorcycle. I did, however, purchase an aluminum ramp for the truck, which will be used to transport my 26″ Craftsman snow thrower this winter – assuming we get more than the 1.5″ of snow we got last winter here in the DC Metro area.
After having owned the F-150 for two whole years, I have confirmed most of what I noticed in my test drive: the truck is solid, handles well, has plenty of power, is quiet, and comfortable, with plenty of amenities to make any drive a little better. As for negatives, other than a little bit of warranty work, there’s nothing but a few tiny nits to pick. The wheels are a pain to clean with their twin-spoke design, and the turbos could use to lose the last bit of lag. There’s no solution that I know of for the latter, but regarding the former, I’ve found a product to alleviate that problem (check back in the upcoming weeks for plenty of car-care product reviews).
Dated Notes:
- none
General Observations:
- none
by John Suit