The glory days of ‘a truck in every driveway’ are now over but that doesn’t mean that they haveceased being needed and popular. The F150 is still the most popular Ford vehicle and pickups stillhave an important place in the automotive landscape.

Not long ago, people bought them because ‘everybody had one’. Now a day, that’s not a goodenough reason and the trend has swung mostly to smaller more fuel efficient vehicles that moreclosely match people’s real needs. Notwithstanding, for certain tasks, nothing can match a pickupand the F150 aims to be the truck of choice.

For 2009, the new SuperCrew version of the F150, already a large vehicle, has been extended 6inches. The B pillar is now moved rearward, giving better visibility to front seat passengers. Therear seat area has also benefited from the stretch and the floor is nearly pool-table flat. Withthe rear seats pushed up out of the way, this rear cargo area is huge.

Speaking of interiors, the new Platinum Edition is slotted above the King Ranch. The interior istrimmed tastefully and ruggedly. The 2nd generation of Sync is available plus a new 700 watt Sonyaudio system. This elegant, leather trimmed interior comes with a nice faux woodgrain trim, a floorshifter, a large screen navigation system, a rear seat DVD entertainment pod and a sunroof.

The stout frame of the F-150 has been strengthened and the ride has been smoothed even more. Thevery popular rear step gate that was introduced on Ford’s Super Duty pickups last year is now onthe F-150 this time. As pickups have gotten bigger, it has become more difficult to climb into thebed. The step gate has a step that comes out of the tailgate, as does a rigid grab handle. Now,climbing into the bed of this large truck is very easy for virtually anyone.

Additionally, Ford has introduced a retractable side step feature. Currently, bed rail heightsare so high that only a basketball player could stand on the ground, reach over the side and touchthe bottom of the box. The step is positioned under the bed just behind the cab. By pressing on therelease with your foot, a step pops out allowing almost anyone to climb up and easily reach insidethe bed.

The new F150 is civilized and rugged at the same time. Power has been improved and fuel economyincreased. Even among some very tough competition, the new F150 was awarded the Pickup Truck ofTexas by the Texas Auto Writers Association recently.

As large and capable as the former F150 was, the new one is even better.