Initial Quality – The 2009 Ford F-150 is a redesigned model and had not yet been included in the J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study (IQS) when this review was originally published.

Performance and Design – The 2009 Ford F-150 is a redesigned model and had not yet been included in the J.D. Power and Associates Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout Study (APEAL) when this review was originally published.

Vehicle Dependability – The Ford F-150 was redesigned for 2009, and is too new to have been included in the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Vehicle Dependability Study, which measures dependability of 2006 model-year vehicles. However, based on the performance of previous Ford F-150 pickups during the past five years in both our Initial Quality and Vehicle Dependability studies, the Predicted Reliability Power Circle Rating for the 2009 Ford F-150 is 3.5 out of 5.

Fuel Economy – The 2009 Ford F-150 is available with a choice between two 4.6-liter V-8s and a 5.4-liter V-8, the latter designed to operate on E85. When using gasoline and according to the EPA, fuel economy estimates for the F-150 range from a low of 14 mpg city for the majority of F-150 models to a high of 21 mpg for the F-150 SFE model. Our review vehicle, an F-150 4WD Crew Cab with the 5.4-liter V-8 engine and an automatic transmission, is rated to achieve 14 mpg in the city and 18 mpg on the highway, according to Ford. We averaged 12.8 mpg during our test driving. Combined with our Super Crew 4WD’s standard 36-gallon fuel tank, this actual fuel economy figure results in an approximate 460-mile range between fill-ups of regular unleaded.

Safety – According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the 2009 Ford F-150 gets 5-star ratings for occupant protection in both frontal impacts and side impacts (side-impact data for rear occupants does not apply to regular cab models). The F-150 also receives a 4-star rollover rating from the NHTSA with 2WD and a 3-star rollover rating with 4WD.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety calls the Ford F-150 a “Top Safety Pick” because it has standard stability control and receives a “Good” rating in the offset frontal impact crash test, a “Good” rating in the side impact crash test, and a “Good” rating for rear impact protection.

Environment – The 2009 Ford F-150 is available with a choice between two 4.6-liter V-8s and a 5.4-liter V-8, the latter designed to operate on E85. When using gasoline and according to the EPA, the F-150 consumes a minimum of 20.1 barrels of petroleum annually with the 4.6-liter V-8 in the SFE model and a maximum of 22.8 barrels of petroleum annually with the 5.4-liter V-8 and 4WD. The resulting carbon footprint ratings range from 10.8 tons of air pollution per year to 12.2 tons of air pollution per year. National and regional air pollution scores for the 2009 F-150 were not available when this review was originally published.