Video: 2024 Ford-F150 Review: Better Than The Ram 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500?

We spent a week evaluating the F-150 in a number of driving tests against the GMC Sierra and Ram 1500 to answer, what's the best full-size pickup truck? The F-150 offers buyers significant advantages in utility from the embed Pro Power onboard generator system to genuinely useful towing tech, but it fell short of the GMC and Ram in many other areas. So let's take a look at what we like and what we don't like about the 2024 Ford F-150 coming out of our three truck comparison. The F-150 was last redesigned for the 2021 model year, and for 2024, the truck received a mid-cycle update with freshened exterior styling and new features and technology, including a head up display and Pro Trailer Hitch Assist. Our platinum trim test truck had both of these features and more, including the 7.2 kilowatt version of Ford's Pro Power onboard generator that comes with the power boost hybrid powertrain. Our platinum trim level tested at a very high $87,000, which was actually almost identical to the GMC and about $3,000 less than the Ram in this test. Here's what we liked about the F-150. First off fuel economy. The F-150's observed fuel economy of 23.3 miles per gallon was the highest of the three trucks on our fuel economy route, and that's roughly equivalent to its 23 miles per gallon combined EPA rating. However, that is not as much of a grand slam as you'd think because the GMC and Ram actually weren't too far behind. And while towing, the trucks were even closer in fuel economy. So the hybrid just didn't have as much of an advantage while towing. Now what was no comparison was visibility where the F-150 was far out ahead of the others. It's absolutely best of the bunch thanks to the F-150's window sill cutouts on the front doors. This enables the Ford to have its mirrors lower, further improving visibility to the front and sides. Now what was also helpful for visibility was the Ford's low hood and upright windshield for just great outward views. Also making you feel comfortable on the inside was just how much cabin storage you had. This was best in class and it was a combination of these large areas like the front storage bin and convenient cubbies in the center console along with great storage under the backseat. We also really liked the retractable gear selector that folded down, and then the top center console folds flat to let it be used as a workspace or temporary lunch spot. But what really sells the F-150 is its towing technology. It's really unrivaled among these trucks. There's not anything that's gimmicky, and we found the features easy to use and very useful, and that includes the almost magical Pro Trailer Hitch Assist that backs the truck up, uses the camera, and backs the truck's hitch up to the trailer almost perfectly, and from there you can just lower the trailer onto the hitch ball and you're good to go. Surprised us by how well it worked. This was something that was noted multiple times during the week as we were connecting and unhooking trailers. And the F-150's trailer backup system is also fantastic and works really well versus others in this test that had the feature, but just didn't work nearly as seamlessly as the Fords. They're doubling down on how easy it is to do work with the F-150 is the Pro Power onboard generator system. Now if you need electrical power for work or your hobbies, this is just a no-brainer, the F-150 is your truck. The 7.2 kilowatts of power is enough juice for an RV trailer camper, or electrical devices like an air compressor, power tools, or even a welder. All right, so the F-150 placed third in this test. So let's talk about what we didn't like. And for how well the F-150 does work, it was a bit curious that it just wasn't that comfortable to be in day after day. It's less livable if you need to spend a lot of time behind the wheel. One of our editors called the seats atrociously uncomfortable, and it really did score the lowest among all the trucks for seating comfort. Specifically, there's this lump around your shoulder blades that just can't be removed by any of the seat adjustments. And the front and rear seats were universally disliked by all of our judges. For this kind of money, remember, $87,000, the interior is just unacceptable for its quality and luxuriousness, which is severely lacking. This is supposed to be the top trim level of the F-150, but everything in it looks, feels, and sounds cheap. It's like they slapped a little bit of leather upholstery on the basic XLT and called it good. But the F-150 trailed the others in this test by a lot. You really didn't feel like you were in a premium vehicle versus the Ram 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500. Where this lacking luxuriousness carried over was to the ride quality. So not only was it not that great to be in, it also didn't ride very nicely either. It was by far the most jittery ride over rough roads, and it felt the most uncontrollable while empty. It feels like the backend skips around a lot, and we noticed a lot of these characteristics also carried over to while we were towing. There were a lot of forward aft motions that made highway driving towing a tense affair. The F-150 scored equally low in the handling category too, which not as important in a truck, but the overall composure while towing just wasn't there compared to the Ram and GMC. So you might think that the F-150's hybrid powertrain would give it an advantage in quietness over the other trucks, but it rated the lowest in this category. The engine itself is a little rough around the edges as far as noise, vibration, and harshness, and then you have just more wind and road noise than the Ram or the GMC. And the hybrid powertrain also didn't do the F-150 any favors when it came to braking. Braking feel was scored the lowest of the trucks regardless of whether there was a trailer attached to it or not. The brakes feel comparatively mushy, which is just another consequence of the hybrid powertrain and energy recuperation that happens during braking. It especially affected our confidence while towing. Where we landed on the F-150 was if you need to put your truck to work on a daily basis, and your work includes frequently connecting a trailer, the F-150's towing technology and onboard generator make it an appealing choice. But for those who aren't using the F-150 for the daily grind, there are better options out there that aren't as much of a grind to drive. That includes second place GMC Sierra 1500 and first place Ram 1500. To see the full comparison results as well as our expert review on the 2024 F-150, head on over to cars.com/news.