Luxury Unleashed: Ford F-150 Limited

Ford has a luxury truck and it is called the F-150 Limited. Combining the term “luxury” with “pickup truck” may seem out of character for this segment and it is. But, we’re seeing manufacturers dress their top-end trucks in the finest materials, resulting in a nuanced breed of pickups that rival select premium sedans.

In particular, this means Ford is covering the widest territory yet with its wildly popular pickup truck. Indeed, prices for the base model begin just below $30,000 and push past $70,000 for a fully-loaded Limited. Certainly, we won’t look at the entire model line here as space does not permit. Instead, we’ll concentrate on the Limited.

2019 Ford F-150 Limited Highlights

What’s so distinctive about the F-150 Limited? Let’s number the ways!

No. 1. One cabin, one bed. Ford offers its F-150 in a variety of cabin sizes, wheelbase lengths, and bed sizes. With the Limited, Ford keeps things simple as you receive a SuperCab model with a 5.5-foot bed resting on a 145-inch wheelbase.

The SuperCab is the largest of three cab choices with excellent room for five. You can’t obtain the available 40/20/40 split-fold front bench seat you’ll find in the base and work trucks. Rather, a cavernous console divides the front bucket seats.

No. 2. A high-out turbocharged V6 engine. You’d expect the Limited to come with a powerful engine and it does. What’s surprising, at least to some, is that this trim now shares the same high-out, twin-turbocharged V6 engine motivating the Raptor. This means you have a whopping 450 horsepower and 510 foot-pounds of torque at your disposal, which is the best performance of any engine in this class. Moreover, a 10-speed automatic transmission shuttles power to the wheels. This combination is good for six tons of pulling power and about one ton of payload.

It isn’t as noisy as the Raptor, which toots and bellows under full throttle. We guess that Ford doesn’t want to turn off luxury buyers who care more about cabin trappings than announcing the truck’s performance chops.

No. 3. Two- or four-wheel drive. Only the Raptor offers standard four-wheel drive. With the Limited you have a choice of rear- or four-wheel drive. However, we recommend the latter, simply because all that power should be managed by four wheels, not two.

Besides, with four-wheel drive, you get a two-speed system with mechanical lock for improved wheel control. We know most people will keep the Limited on hard pavement, but its off-road chops most certainly come in handy. You can wash and wax your ride once your adventure concludes.

No. 4. Luxury from Lincoln. Okay, we’re making this one up, but the F-150 sure looks like Lincoln designers took over, especially when reworking the interior. Certainly, the cabin is very much a Ford design with beautiful and luxurious embellishments. Finely crafted leathers. A soft microsuede headliner. Real wood trim. A leather-wrapped dashboard.

Heated and ventilated front seats are expected at this price point, but Ford goes one step further with massaging. We’d be remiss if we ignored the heated steering wheel and power-controlled steering column.

Yes it all there, a comfortable combination that elevates this truck’s luxury quotient. Just maybe you’ll ditch the Benz for a luxurious F-150 with all that utility waiting.

No. 5. No loss for the back seat. Back seats in almost all vehicles pale in comparison to what the driver and passenger get up front. The Limited, though, makes a compelling reason for people to sit in the back — it defines the word “cavernous” accurately.

Three can sit quite comfortably, but if two are present, space simply becomes ridiculously large. The outboard seats are heated, but they’re not ventilated (did Ford miss an opportunity here?), and massaging isn’t available either. The rear seat is a 60/40 split fold-up design in the SuperCrew and includes a fold-down armrest with two cupholders. You’ll also find under-seat storage, which serves as a handy place to stash the stuff you want hiding out of plain sight.

No. 6. Every driver-assist feature available is included. You may have heard about Ford Co-Pilot 360 Technology, which is a package of advanced driver-assist features found on many of its vehicles. It is standard equipment with the Limited and available with the Lariat, King Ranch, Platinum, and Raptor models. Your cost is $1,195, but other upgrades may be required, depending on the trim.

The Limited features the full bundle, which includes active park assist, a reverse sensing system, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control with full stop and go. Unheard of equipment in most trucks until recently, Ford appears to be setting the bar for all things safety with the F-150. One of the important elements of this system are the four cameras utilized to give you a clear view of your surroundings. It even comes with a lens washer, which is automatically activated whenever the windshield wipers are turned on.

No. 7. Top tech showcased front and center. Beyond the safety tech, the Limited includes lots of useful features. The main draw might be its 10-speaker B&O Sound System, which includes four mid-woofers and a subwoofer. Its the type of system you expect in a Lincoln, but rarely find in a mainstream model.

Also making a statement is the truck’s 8-inch touchscreen display. It features a command center powered by the brand’s SYNC 3 voice-activated technology. You’ll easily integrate your smartphone the moment you start the truck and have at your disposal Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone compatibility. App links, navigation, and a trial Wi-Fi hotspot package are also included. Multiple USB ports and two 110-volt inverters round out the tech features for the Limited.

No. 8. It’s the special touches you notice. Full-size pickup trucks are the bread and butter models from Ford, GM, and Fiat Chrysler. These models make handsome profits and fund many other vehicle lines. Further, they’re available in hundreds of permutations, which can be difficult to track. At least there is a good chance your choice will look unique!

At the Limited level, Ford adds numerous touches small and large to distinguish this trim. These include chrome front tow hooks, LIMITED hood lettering, LED fog lamps and tail lamps, even LED security approach lights in the side mirror. This means the truck illuminates as you approach, which makes for a helpful safety feature. Further, this trim includes dual exhaust with satin-chrome tips, power deployable running boards, a remote tailgate release, a twin-panel moonroof, and illuminated metallic door-sill scuff plates.

There are still a few options to consider, which are accessory items. Notably, you’ll find a tailgate step, box side steps, bed liners, tonneau covers, and a bed divider and extender.

Parting Thoughts

The Ford F-150 Limited is the pickup truck you didn’t know you needed. Or at least expected. It has the performance attributes of the Raptor, the dignity of the Lincoln, and a price point that’s unheard of in the industry. Above all, the Limited takes aim at the buyer who isn’t constrained by cash, enabling Ford to move in where few others compete.

2019 Ford F-150 Limited Specifications

See Also — King of all Trucks: Ford F-150 Raptor

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