Faults:

The Ford SYNC system is poorly designed, overstated, and troublesome in my opinion. Does not like to read iPods/MP3 players/phones without freezing up several times...

I frequently had to reload and reset settings in the radio menu, just to get music players and Bluetooth to work right, even if they are already hooked up.

Ford should have done more testing and research and development before mainstreaming SYNC. Just about every time I visit my dealer, there is a customer with a SYNC vehicle having problems. To me it is not that big of a deal, but for the past several years Ford has been acting like this system is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Four years should should be plenty of time to iron out these problems...

The tiny backup camera in the rear view mirror is hard to see, especially in bright sunlight.

The radio itself is gimmicky and over-complex for what it does. I don't have the NAV system with the big screen, just the middle of the road system with the smaller screen and angled buttons. Too many buttons that don't do much of anything.

Other than gripes with SYNC, I have no other problems in the past 9000+ miles. For the first time in years, I think Ford has finally built a winner!

General Comments:

I will say not only is this the most quiet pickup I've ever driven, it is one of the quietest vehicles that I've ever driven... period. Quiet and smooth. Pickups have come such a long way in recent years, it is hard to even remember you are driving one. Even high winds don't upset the ride and handling that bad.

The FX4 is essentially a sport or mild off-road version of the XLT, so from my understanding the ride is a little firmer. Only the really rough roads seem to upset it a little bit, and you do get a little bit of rear end hop if you take a bumpy corner too fast. Throw about 800 pounds of cement in the back, and it rides just like a Lexus or stretch limo. For those of you who may have forgotten, pickups are designed to haul things and pull trailers. :-)

My truck is an FX4 4-door with the FX Plus package. Black cloth seats with center console. The seats are very comfy, and supportive. Very, very roomy and plenty of room for 5 adults. I have never been a big fan of leather. I think the package included running boards, power rear sliding window, backup sensors and camera if I remember right. The only other option I have is remote start.

Power is pretty impressive from the 5.0 liter V8; it is a huge improvement over the old 4.6 and 5.4 Triton boat anchor motors. I have standard 3.55 axle gears, which make for excellent fuel economy on the highway. I do mostly traveling and highway driving with the truck, and haven't reset the fuel economy meter since I bought the truck. It has shown a consistent 19.1 MPG since the middle of summer. The actual mileage is slightly off from the computer, maybe an average of 0.2 to 0.5 MPG lower than actual. I have seen up to 22 MPG actual on long highway trips, but under most conditions 18-19 highway and 14 city is the norm. Heck, I was happy with my old GMC getting 16 MPG once in a while.

If you plan on hauling heavy things or pulling trailers on a regular basis, I recommend getting a lower rear axle ratio (larger number). To be honest I thought 3.55 would be extremely fast, but at 70 MPH the engine is barely turning 1800 RPM. Those who understand truck specs will know what I mean.

I fueled up with E85 for a few weeks, to be honest it seemed like the engine had way more power, but fuel economy went into the toilet, 14-15 MPG highway on a good day. Not very cost effective for the price difference, and E85 is harder on fuel systems.

So outside of Ford's SYNC system, I must say I am very impressed with this truck.

Faults:

Too small of an engine for a big truck (V6).

Gas mileage is the same as the V8 in real world conditions.

Very poor traction, even with the traction control option.

General Comments:

Unfortunately, I was assigned this thing as my patrol unit out here in the desert environment. 12 hour shifts. A/C blows ice cold. Quick acceleration on flat pavement surface in city environments only when there is the driver and the luggage or gear is kept under 300 pounds.

Do yourself a favor and buy the V8 version. Do not get the 3.5 V6 EcoBoost. It is horrible. Sucks gas like the V8, but horrible performance once you go up a incline, severe heat, or sand. The V6 is way under powered for a 5,000 pound vehicle.

The twin superchargers that give the "boost" suck in so much sand and dust. With the superchargers, there is about a 1 second delay when you punch it, but like I said, on flat land with no cargo, 0-60 mph is pretty quick.

It gets stuck in the sand all the time due to the lack of power, and there are no tow hooks. You must crawl 2 feet underneath to find a bare area on the frame to chain up to. Ground clearance is low. I had to use other Ford Diesel 4x4s to go out and winch this thing out of the sand many times.

I wish my agency would have stuck with the regular Ford F150 Crewcab V8s and 4x4s. This little V6 experiment cost them $38,000. What a waste. Not for work or heavy duty environments. It would make a good city parts runner truck though.

Faults:

No problems so far.

General Comments:

I traded my 2010 Sonata for this truck, and I couldn't be happier. The cab is extremely quiet and the quality of materials is top notch. Granted, the truck is new, I am going with first impressions.

The computer states that I am getting around 20 MPG on the highway, which I feel is respectable for a four-wheel drive Supercab. The ride is as good as any car I've driven, and is extremely comfortable. I believe I will have many miles of happy motoring with this truck.