2004 Ford F-150 Triton V-8 Engine & Chassis Review

The new F-150 represents a monster step forward in pickup-truck design, styling, and production. Ford's obvious significance in the marketplace cannot be overstated or ignored. Either because of or in spite of this, Ford comes out swinging with not just one perfected pickup, but an entire line of trucks 46 deep. Looking at an aggressive price range from just over $21,000 to a top-of-the-line $41,000, buyers can choose how much truck they need or want. Some entire car companies don't even offer this kind of range, much less within one truck line.

As if this weren't enough, Ford also has raised the standard of what's expected from a full-size pickup. The 2004 F-150 raises the bar ever higher in the categories of ride quality, steering response and isolation, noise attenuation, engine refinement, towing and payload capability, interior flexibility and execution, and predicted serviceability and durability. Ford didn't just update America's favorite truck--it reinvented the pickup as we know it. For all these reasons, we recognize the Ford F-150 as the single most important truck this year and proudly name it the 2004 Motor Trend Truck of the Year.

This engine cutaway (above left) shows Ford's new 5.4-liter Triton V-8 with its variable cam timing, three-valve-per-cylinder design, and larger exhaust manifolds. A closer inspection will reveal longer piston skirts and charge motion control valves at the end of each looping, near-vertical intake runner.

The F-150's beefy new chassis features (above right) hydroformed front frame rails, fully boxed side rails, and "through-rail" crossmembers. Compared to its predecessor, it's nine times stiffer torsionally and resists bending 50 percent better.