Regular Car Reviews: 1996 Ford F-150 XL

Typo fixed.
The 9th-gen F-150 was a transition period for Ford and Pickups in general. The Dodge ram showed the world that a pickup can be a toy and the other manufacturers followed frantically. This is still a very 80's stuck. it boasts that it has electronic fuel-injection. OOOOH.

[SpeirsTheAmazingHD]

NOT SUPPOSED TO BE RIDING YOUR 4 WHEELER ON THE ROAD 

[bcat]

call me old school, but this is my favorite looking F150.

[michaelbenoit]

This is the best generation of trucks ford ever made. Those “smoker windows” are really nice if your ac is broken. It cools the cab off pretty fast.

[DSFARGEG]

I miss the utilitarian look quite badly. Modern pickup trucks look like an ugly streetwalker trying to be a geisha and failing.

[joebob]

My pop-pop drove a late 80's F250(?), I never drove it because alas I was never taught stick, but this review brings up a conversation I had with my grandfather about the when I was a small boy.

"Heh, the speedometer only goes to 80' (mph)" I boyishly scoffed.

"It doesn't need to, life's not a race, " He replied.

I miss that man.

[chickenpasta]

Dude that Bojack Horseman outro parody was so great

[Ferrinflame]

A '94 is my daily driver. Regular cab, 4.9L inline 6, 4wd, manual, work truck package, just clocked it to 277k miles last week. Love it for its simplicity and wouldn't trade it for a new "truck."

[LazerLord]

Smoker windows should come back. I drove a friend's bronco and the way they direct air and have low buffeting makes me, in my Honda Fit, want to have my little front triangle windows actually do something.

[justsumguyu]

I remember those when they were new. Back then, you bought a truck because you needed one. They weren't fancy, and that was okay---it wasn't supposed to be. Those F150's were great trucks.

[chrismitchell]

The vent windows blow air directly into your lap while driving, great for mitigating swamp ass during the summer months.

[El_Chompo]

This was the last model year of trucks before they started getting super ugly in my opinion. They keep trying to 1 up each other with looking big and aggressive and bulgy.

[MultiJebusChrist]

I want that exact truck. Everything about it is perfect; that is what I think about when I think "pickup truck" in my head.

[mschnur]

My Favorite Ford pickup body style. Clean, purposeful, everything you need, nothing you don't.

[TwilightTheShooter]

Wow, wish my truck had that much paint

[splewy]

4:50 Oh lawwd, you and trucks. ;)
That's not what locking hubs do. You're confusing them with a locking differential. What locking hubs do is they allow the front wheels to be disconnected from the front drivetrain on a 4WD vehicle.

In unlocked mode, the front hubs are disconnected from the front axle shafts. This improves fuel economy and reduces wear and tear on the 4WD system when used in 2WD mode because it means all that front drivetrain stuff isn't uselessly turning all the time.

Turning them locked mode locks the front hubs to the front axle shafts, which allows power to be transferred to the front wheels once the transfer case has been shifted into 4WD.

Brand new 4WD trucks still have locking/unlocking hubs, but all of them are electronically controlled now and automatically lock when the vehicle is shifted into 4WD.

[iant]

I love love loved my '89 302 Bronco. It was a very classic truck, full frame, no airbags. The dash was so thin, thin doors, and a blue and cream 2 tone, with blue vinyl interior :D

[Zach_A]

Got the front locker info all wrong. All the locking hubs do is lock the wheels to the front axle. It's still an open front differential but your front tires wont get and power if you don't lock the hubs even if you shift the transfer case to 4hi or 4low. 

[Karoth]

That power point wasn't a luxury included on the truck as a response to what Dodge was doing, as my '92 XLT had one which was a couple of years before Dodge aped semi-truck styling. The Ford had such luxurious things as inflatable cushions in the seat backs which acted as lumbar adjustment, and the dome light was flanked by dual eye-catching but hand-searing chrome-trimmed map lights. And it had a big 'ol armrest in the middle that tucked into the seat when you wanted a bench. But Dodge had the bright idea of putting a cubby inside their giant armrest that could fit a laptop. This is something they made a big deal out of in the '94 Ram brochure. I'll agree that was a big deal though because all the other companies started putting laptop cubbies in their trucks after that. Also bigger hood bulges. Everyone has a bulge now. Dodge made it okay to show off your bulge.

[johnmarkvanzee]

My friend had a white one but with no keys . Just a flathead screwdriver to start it up. Loved it.

[crazygtrkid]

So glad you did a review on this generation ford truck. I have a 94 f150 xlt thats been my daily driver for 2 years now, and ive got to say its the best generation of f150s ever built in my opinion. You can rebuild the thing with a socket set and it starts up every morning no questions asked. Rides nice, cheap parts, and looks good. Absolutely love these trucks.