2025 Ford F-150 Lariat SWB Review

Australia’s dual-cab ute obsession hit fever pitch just before the end of the last decade when the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger became the country’s top two best selling vehicles. Ever since, those two utes have been battling it out for the crown, constantly swapping places at the top of the sales chart.

Those tired of the ‘HiLux or Ranger’ debate started searching for something else and many found answers in yet another ute. But this one isn’t just another HiLux or Ranger alternative. It’s much more than that, literally. Welcome to the new segment of large American pickup trucks, or ‘Yank Tanks’ as they are now most commonly called.

Yes, the ute has just grown even bigger. And big is precisely the appeal with these things. The image of cruising in what is arguably the largest passenger car ever to grace Australian roads seems to have resonated pretty well with affluent Aussie ute buyers. The Yank Tanks are growing in popularity Down Under.

Currently the segment players consist of the Ram Truck, Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra and Jeep Gladiator. We got behind the wheel of what’s probably the least brash of the lot, the F-150. It’s available in four distinctive flavours with the one on test being the F-150 Lariat Standard Wheelbase.

Ford F-150 Price (excluding on-road costs):

• Ford F-150 XLT Standard Wheelbase: $106,950
• Ford F-150 XLT Long Wheelbase: $107,950
• Ford F-150 Lariat Standard Wheelbase: $139,950
• Ford F-150 Lariat Long Wheelbase: $140,945

At $140k a pop, the top-spec F-150 Lariat is no doubt a luxury purchase. There’re two reasons for it. The first is that it’s a beast of a truck, with probably enough sheet metal to build two Mazda 3s. The second reason is that it arrives in Australia as a left-hand drive vehicle which is then converted to right-hand drive through a 22-hour process using around 500 new or modified components.

That’s the price to pay for driving something that makes the HiLux and Ranger look domestic. But for that you do get a lot of car with a flawless LHD to RHD conversion. It’s a menacing thing on the road, with massive road presence. The blue oval badge on the front is gigantic. Of course, it looks unapologetically American. It doesn’t do with just bits of chrome but a big slab of it on the grille, bumpers and side mirrors. There’s more of those shiny finishes on those 20-inch wheels, too.

The sheer size of the F-150 is actually more evident on the inside. You do literally climb to get in given the height of the thing, but don’t worry there’s a side step to keep things easy. Once inside the expansive dashboard is like nothing we have seen in a ute. It’s so wide that the centre console is about the size of a small bar fridge. The 12-inch infotainment touchscreen housed within it isn’t small by any standards but it looks that way because everything else is so big.

Despite the real estate available, Ford hasn’t jam-packed the centre console with too many controls. Just two rows of buttons and knobs offer straight forward operation of the climate control and media functions. Close to the edge a cluster of four-wheel drive settings is within easy reach of the driver, while on the far side a host of USB ports and a 12V outlet can be found.

From the driver’s seat the cockpit feels quite SUV-like. The chunky steering wheel suits a car like the F-150. The spokes are big but the rim itself feels just right and falls nicely to hand. Behind the wheel is a 12-inch fully digital instrument cluster. It’s big which allows driving information to be displayed with utmost clarity. It’s also somewhat customisable through the steering wheel buttons.

Regarding storage spaces, where do we start. There’s plenty around the cabin, including thick door pockets (dual per door), massive cup holders, centre console pockets, dual glove boxes, rear under-seat storage and our favourite – the mammoth storage under the front centre armrest. It’s not just the capacity that we like, but also how the gear lever can be collapsed at the press of a button and the armrest flipped open to turn the entire centre stack into a table. You can have your dinner on there while watching the sunset or work on a laptop while enjoying the scenery outside. Brilliant. The only complaint is that the centre compartment is not a cool box, which is a reasonable expectation at this price point.

When it comes to cabin space, it’s a whole new level again. It feels like a people mover inside, except that it has only two rows of seats not three. So wide is the rear bench that three adults can easily get comfortable back there without having to rub shoulders. There’s heaps of legroom to really kick back and relax. The rear passenger floor is also completely flat which adds to the freedom of movement.

Further back the cargo tray is massive as well, and this is just the SWB version, imagine the LWB one. The tailgate is powered – it should as it’s big and weighs quite a bit – so opening it is as easy as pressing a button. But what impresses most is the step that folds out from the opened tailgate which makes climbing up and down the tray a breeze.

The tub has inner tie-down points to help secure your load, a 12-volt socket, tray lighting and even a built-in ruler in the tailgate. There’s really no excuse not to get work done in this thing.

Ford F-150 Lariat Standard Equipment:

• 12-inch touchscreen infotainment running Ford Sync 4 system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto
• Satelite Navigation
• FM/ DAB+ digital radio/ Bluetooth /USB
• 12-inch digital instrument cluster
• Wireless phone charger
• 18-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system
• Front row seat heating and cooling
• Back row seat heating for outboard seats
• Panoramic sunroof with motorised sunshade

The F-150 is powered by a twin-turbo 3.5-litre petrol V6 engine that develops 298kW of power at 6000rpm and 678Nm of torque at 3100rpm. It’s matched with a 10-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive. For such a beast of a ute, it’s surprising how civilised the V6 is. It’s quiet, refined and silky smooth in all proceedings. It’s a workhorse, too, put your foot down and off it pulls right up to the 6000rpm limiter with a relatively linear power delivery and sharp response for a forced-fed engine.

For those hoping for some V8 theatrics, there’s none here as Ford Australia has no plans to bring in the V8-powered F-150 that is available in North America. At least not yet. V8 fans will have to look over to the RAM Truck or Chevrolet Silverado.

For now the F-150 drives like a well mannered cruiser that eat up the miles in supreme plush and comfort. With 2.5-tonne of metal rolling on big wheels, road imperfections are smoothed out as if they did not exist and pot holes become just dimples. It’s the same story on gravel tracks, with the big American seemingly unruffled.

Given the size of the thing, it isn’t too shabby around the bends either. Of course the heft is a constant companion but it’s remarkably SUV-like with good body control and excellent grip. The steering is light enough to not feel like you’re wrestling with a big bus, yet adequately weighted with decent feedback. The brakes are strong and the pedal is nice and progressive.

Perhaps the biggest nightmare is parking the thing. In most cases, the width isn’t so much of an issue but the length is. At shopping centre car parks, it will just stick out a bit. In small city street parking, good luck. This isn’t the type of ute that you can just drive up and park anywhere. If you must go to somewhere tight, a bit of planning is required.

The 4×4 system features the usual selectable rear-wheel drive, four-wheel drive and low range modes plus a lockable rear differential. Terrain selection is also available and includes slippery, snow, sand and mud. In addition, there’s a tow (trailer) mode. Speaking of which, it has a 4.5-tonne towing capacity so that will come in handy for those who need to haul a tractor.

As expected the F-150 is a heavy drinker. It’s rated 16.8L/100km in the city and 10.0L/100km on the highway for a combined average fuel efficiency of 12.5L/100km. In the real world with mix driving, it’ll hover around 14.0L/100km. However, with a 136L fuel tank it can go the distance despite the thirst.

Ford F-150 Lariat Safety Features:

• 6 airbags
• Autonomous Emergency Braking
• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Blind Spot Monitoring and Alert
• Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
• Lane-Keep Assist
• Road Sign Recognition
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Surround-view monitor
• Trailer Sway Control

Verdict

2025 Ford F-150 pricing and specification