2024 F-150 PowerBoost Review: Hunting For Big Game

We spent the arduous 12-hour drive into Ontario’s vast wilderness in a fully loaded F-150 XLT SuperCrew 3.5L V6 PowerBoost Hybrid. But Ford's F-150 can be dressed in almost any way you want. Trim levels include XL, STX, XLT, Tremor, Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum, along with the standalone Raptor and Lightning subvarients.

The fun doesn’t stop there though, you get your choice of three different cabs; Regular, Super Cab, or SuperCrew. Three different bed sizes; 5.5’ 6.5’ or 8’. Five powertrains; 2.7L EcoBoost, 5.0L V8, 3.5L EcoBoost, 3.5L PowerBoost Hybrid, and, the fully electric powertrain available in the Lighting.

Not to mention the numerous equipment groups, axle ratios, appearance packages, and a plethora of exterior and interior accessories. Now, obviously, not all of these are options on every trim, but there are certainly way more things to choose from than any other truck manufacturer and it’s one of the main reasons the F-150 is the best-selling truck of all time because you really can get whatever you want.

What's New For 2024:

The exterior received subtle styling tweaks, including a revised grille, updated headlights, and new wheel options. Ford also added the Pro Access Tailgate, which includes a side-swing door for easier access to the truck bed

Inside, the cabin benefits from improved tech across the lineup. A 12-inch digital instrument cluster and 12-inch central touchscreen are now standard on all trims, enhancing the user experience with Ford’s SYNC 4 system. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto remain included. BlueCruise, Ford's hands-free driving system, sees improvements with new camera and radar systems to improve adaptive cruise control and lane-centering accuracy.

Powertrain wise, Ford expanded its hybrid lineup with the PowerBoost hybrid V6 now offered at the same price as the 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine on certain trims.

Exterior Style:

We usually roll into camp first thing in the morning—after driving through the night—giving us plenty of time to set up camp. We’re all excited to be there but we’re exhausted, and the work is just starting.

Once the tent is up, the wood is chopped, and water barrels are full I can finally take the truck out to stretch its legs, without a 5000lb trailer on the back.

The refreshed front fascia is a huge improvement. The new sleek-looking black grille and the new headlight design, with the slim turn signal that splits the high and low beams, make it look a lot more aggressive and modern. T

There’s even a tiny F-150 logo embedded in the taillight which is a cool touch. The Rapid Red paint is nice and has a quality finish, but it wouldn’t be my first choice if I was picking one from the dealer. The rear end is slightly updated and looks better as well.

Unfortunately, the Pro Access Tailgate is only available on the Tremor trim or higher—it would’ve been super handy for us with our big enclosed trailer preventing the date from dropping all the way down. The spray-in bed liner is nice and grippy, but not so much you can’t slide stuff around when packing.

Powertrain and Fuel Economy:

Every year we say, we’re going to bring less stuff, but we never do. We used to bring enough fuel to cause a global warming event because of our favorite motto “It’s better to be looking at it than for it!”

This year we finally managed to figure out an appropriate amount of fuel—but, what we saved in weight from bringing less fuel, we added back with more gear like a new kitchen tent, a new wood stove for the kitchen tent, an outdoor shower, and more.

All said and done we usually tow about 5000 lbs in the trailer, with another 1000 lbs of payload in the bed. Now, this should be no problem with the V6 Hybrid's max tow rating of 11,200 lbs, but man, I wouldn’t want to come anywhere close to that, for a few reasons.

Typically a hybrid powertrain should equal good fuel economy, but when it comes to trucks, it’s not that easy. Most hybrid trucks are “performance hybrids”, and the F-150 is no different. The V6 Hybrid 4x4 SuperCrew’s EPA rating is 10.8L/100km combined, while the V8 and 3.5L EcoBoost V6 in the same trim are rated for 12.4L/100km combined.

Anyone who tows regularly knows as soon as you hook the trailer to the truck those EPA numbers go right out the window. We rolled into camp at 26L/100km, but the worst we saw was 41L/100km on the way home.

Handling and Drivability:

If towing is your game, go with the V8. Equipped with the same 3.73 axle it can tow 1,700 lbs more for a total of 12,900 lbs—and it won't suffer the same fuel economy penalty when working hard. It's a finely balanced equation between marginal gains unloaded and huge losses when working.

Also keep in mind, that a half-ton truck does not handle well with that much weight. Even with our measly 5000 lb trailer on the back, you really notice the trailer sway. Now, the engine seemed to tow it just fine, and you barely noticed the weight when accelerating, but as soon as you get up to highway speeds especially when it’s windy out, the trailer starts to move around significantly.

It can get a bit scary if you're not using the standard Trailer Sway Control, or your truck doesn't have the optional Trailer Brake Controller.

Interior Style and Quality:

We had the 303A black package, with the heated leather seats, which is the highest package you can get in the XLT, but for some reason you still don’t get ventilated seats, which is disappointing, considering this truck costs a few bucks shy of $90,000.

Outside of that though, you have everything you want, and I wouldn’t say it’s the most beautiful interior out there, but it’s very nice.

The seats are comfortable and fully adjustable, 10 different ways for the driver and 8 for the passenger, both with power lumbar support. The leather-wrapped steering wheel fits nicely in your hands but again at almost $90k it should be heated. It does have power-adjustable foot pedals for the shorties though. The 303A package also comes with the mobile office package which gives you the shifter that folds away with the press of a button, the fold flat center console that you can use as a mini table, and the partitioned, lockable rear storage feature under the rear seats.

Speaking of those rear seats, I was actually shocked to see it not only had a flat floor but all of the same under-seat storage that you get in the non-hybrid models. Unlike the Tundra, which has neither, due to the batteries and electric motor. I’m not sure how they do it, but it is incredible that you don’t lose any space with the hybrid system in the F-150. On top of that, you get a sliding rear window, the rear seats are comfortable and there’s plenty of legroom, but we all wished they reclined a bit for those midnight naps, like in some other models. They’re also not heated. I’m starting to sound like a broken record but, again—ninety-thousand-dollars!

The one thing I don’t like is that the drive mode/locking rear-diff button is in an ignorant spot and we were constantly hitting our knees on it, changing the settings. Luckily it won’t lock the diff at high speeds or there would’ve been some serious damage. It did happen at low speeds once though, without realizing it, and while making a sharp turn at a gas station, we thought something was broken.

Tech and Safety:

This is another area where the 2024 Ford F-150 really shines. You have the beautiful 12” touch screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, that’s actually standard on all trims, which controls the amazing 8-speaker Bang & Olufsen sounds system, a wireless charging pad, a 20amp plug in the front and back, a plethora of USB-C ports in the front and back, a high quality, fully digital dash which has really cool gfx, especially when you change the drive modes, a 360° camera with numerous different views that makes it really easy to park, as well as the BLIS with trailer coverage that automatically shows your blindspot when you put your signal on, while towing a trailer.

Speaking of that 360° camera you also get a free, 90-day trial of Ford BlueCruise which gives you hands-free driving. Now, I have yet to see any truck allow this type of lane-centering assist system to work properly, while towing a trailer, but to top it off the F-150 doesn’t even tell you It’s not active.

I really don’t understand why it won’t work, because all the truck needs to see is the lanes in front and beside the vehicle, which aren’t impeded by the trailer. It’s incredibly annoying that it doesn’t work with a trailer, especially on a 12- hour drive through the night, and on top of that, the lane keep assist that it does offer, just bounces you back and forth and makes it uncomfortable and dangerous. However, when I finally took the trailer off, I had a chance to test it out, and it’s one of the best systems out there.

The coolest tech feature it offers though, is the Pro Power Onboard system. We had the upgraded 7.2kw system ($1000 option) which has one 30amp plug and two 20amp plugs in the bed. This can power your miter saw, table saw, and even a big welding machine. We only used it to power our instant pot, which was unnecessary, but still cool. The best part about this system, on the hybrid, is that it will run on just battery power until it drains and then automatically starts and stops the engine to charge the batteries back up. It’s like a super-efficient generator and can even back feed into your house when the powers out.

Value Dollars and Sense:

Our XLT trim truck, as tested, came in at $89,965 CAD with delivery which included the hybrid powertrain and 303A black package, but the base price for the XLT is $53,640 CAD.

In the US, the as-tested price is $72,450 USD with delivery, which is a fairly significant difference. But, on the opposite end of the spectrum, the base price for the XLT is $47,830 USD, which, with the exchange rate, is an astonishing amount higher than the Canadian starting price. So, when comparing the US to Canada, it’s definitely more economical, in the US, to get the higher spec’d vehicle.

Final Thoughts:

So, just like our moose hunt, the F-150 Hybrid V6 isn’t perfect, but if that doesn’t work for you, you can change it. That’s the beauty of Ford. They let you decide what perfection is. The hybrid is great for some stuff, like more horsepower and Torque, and it’s the only way to get the 7.2kw plug in the bed, but on the other side, that’s a very niche thing, and unless you’re building a cabin in the woods with your buddies, most job sites will either have all the power you need or require more than the truck can handle, not to mention the V8 tows more and it’s $1900 cheaper.

Although, like I mentioned before, those excessive tow ratings, just like with every other brand, are somewhat misleading and completely unnecessary in a half-ton truck. If it were me, I’d go with the Tremor 3.5L V6 EcoBoost with the 401A package, save a ton of money and be just as happy. But you might want that better pro-power on-board system and heated leather seats.

The choice is yours and the folks at Ford make sure you can “spice up your life” any way you choose.

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