To fully appreciate all the interior features of the F-Series SuperCab you'll have to make a trip to your Ford dealer, but we'll give you the high points. With the 40/60 split-bench front seat, driver and passenger have individually reclining backrests. What can serve as the center backrest is also a folding armrest; when folded forward, it provides a large cupholder and capacious bin. Inside this storage bin are places for coins, cassette tapes and so forth, and a divider which, when removed, allows space for an 8 1/2 x 11-inch tablet. You could store notebooks, calculators, small tissue boxes, even a cordless drill. Our test truck had captain's chairs, which are more stylish, but the split bench front seat is definitely more versatile and offers six-passenger seating.
The driver is faced with clearly legible instrumentation, and important controls are close and easy to operate. There are a pair of cupholders in the instrument panel, and a goodly number of the expected storage compartments and map pockets here and there.
The view outward is superb, as the F-Series styling includes a low beltline and big windows all around. Even fairly short drivers should have decent forward visibility. The only vision-related gripe we had was a vertically narrow inside rear-view mirror, which cut down on the view to the rear.
All SuperCabs include a third door on the passenger's side for entry to the back seat. This door is operable once the passenger's door is open, and can be opened from inside or out. Two adults should be reasonably comfortable on longer trips in the back seat. With the rear seat folded forward there's a flat, sturdy steel surface, great for carrying toolboxes or large amounts of luggage.
People familiar with trucks, particularly those familiar with Ford trucks, will find the driving experience in the new F-Series greatly enhanced. Whether traveling straight ahead or negotiating twists and turns, the F-Series offers good steering feel. A high degree of directional stability adds to safety and comfort because it keeps the vehicle headed down its intended path.
Ride, too, is remarkably good. One big problem with pickup trucks has always been how poorly they tend to ride when empty; this can become really annoying on long trips down concrete interstates where trucks can bounce ceaselessly. We drove our F-Series pickup over bouncy concrete highways for several hours and the ride was car-like and comfortable, mile after highway mile.
The smooth, quiet overhead-cam engine adds to the driving pleasure. There's no truck-like roar or rumble, no feeling that it starts thrashing at higher speeds. Whether driving around the city or taking an extended highway cruise, the 5.4-liter Triton engine is the most velvety full-size pickup truck engine we've encountered. The smaller, 4.6-liter version is equally smooth, but it's less powerful, and we highly recommend the stronger 5.4-liter V8. It's $665 more, but we think it's money well spent and, besides, you'll probably get most, if not all, of it back at trade-in time.