Car Tech Blog - 2021 Ford F150 Lariat 4x4 Super Crew
Today was another awesome day reviewing the newly redesigned 2021 Ford F150 Lariat! Talk about car tech, this thing was loaded, so much so that if I were to purchase one I think I’d go for the Lariat instead of spending more for the Platinum or Limited.
To see our in-depth video of the Drivers Information Screen and the Infotainment System click HERE.
Driver’s Information System
The screen itself is fully digital and is 12.3” in size. The graphics are extremely crisp and show up in all types of lighting conditions, which is always a concern of mine when screens are digital. Although that seems like a no-brainer, I’ve seen screens, especially on older (2018-2019) models where the digital screen brightness lacks enough luminance for bright sunlight driving and leaves you wanting more. The top 4 engine gauges are a nice homage to Fords tradition in F150’s but because they are digital, the two middle gauges are configurable and can swap places, so depending on what kind of driving your doing, you can select from 4 different choices including one that eliminates the gauge all together.
I liked the “MyView” portion of the digital screen where you can customize up to 7 different things to show up. The great thing about this is that most of us want to see a certain amount of information and in this area we can customize that to our liking and then whole driving can see all seven with a simple down arrow click.
I guess in a way what I’m getting at here is safety. The more one is distracted from the road while driving, the more likely it is for an accident to occur. Being able to set up these screens in advance, but then be able to quickly access all that info with just a simple down click of the arrow is safer, in my opinion. Most, new vehicles are now coming out with some variety of this feature.
I loved the simple but informational off-road page, and I really liked the steering angle that shows at the top of the gauge. Another thing I really liked on this screen is that when it shows, the whole screen shrinks back just a bit and the off-road gauge is given much more space for viewing which makes it easier to see at just a quick glance.
Having driven hundreds of different vehicles, I can honestly say that that Driver’s Information System is very intuitive, and that is partly because Ford has used what I call common-sense controls on the steering wheel. Just by looking at the buttons you get a sense of how to manipulate the screen, and things just work like you expect them to.
Infotainment System
Wow! This had the brand new sync 4 in it, and oh my, the response time compared to the sync 3 system is amazing, it is much, much faster. Not only that but with Sync 4 you are continuously connected to the cloud and so the system can store information in advance of your need for it. For example, we’ve all encountered areas where the vehicles navigation system (or your phones navigation app) signal drops, and all of sudden, the navigation is not working. Not in this system. Because it can gather info prior and store it or hold it in a buffer zone, your navigation should not drop out, even if you go through a mile long tunnel. That is great addition to the Sync system. For those of you concerned about companies selling your information, Ford has stated that it will not sell your information to anyone, which is a comfort.
Wireless Apple Car Play and wireless Android Auto are now standard, yes standard on all Sync 4 systems. I for one am very glad to see this change. I never quite got the point of wireless charging (although nice) when you have to plug in your phone with a cable to use Apple Car Play or Android Auto.
One of the advantages that a system like the Sync 4 has over other systems is that you can update not only your Sync system, but Ford says any electrical system on the vehicle! Now thats making good use of the cloud in my opinion. For example, when you order a new F150, you can opt for an option thats not even available yet, the “Self Driving” or auto pilot that the F150 can have. Even though it’s not yet available, but will be in a couple of months, if you order the system ( I believe its around $700) when it becomes available, you’ll be able to download it into your vehicle sitting at home or at the worksite (or the dealer will download it for you if you want). If you stop and think about all of the electrical systems on your vehicle, and know that they can be updated from anywhere, thats a pretty incredible thing, and honestly its the only system I’ve seen so far that takes updating to this level!
Speaking of self driving features, the one thing I am very happy to see Ford doing is that it is making sure that drivers using this feature are still paying attention to the road, cause if you aren’t, it will warn you and turn off. On models equipped with this feature (this one did not have the feature) there is a camera in the front lower corner of the drivers A Pillar that monitors your eyes and body and keeps tabs on wether or not your eyes are on the road (a little creepy I know, but as a fellow driver, If someone is using this type of auto pilot, I want them awake and alert and focused so they can take over if needed). Gives me peace of mind! Ford has only recommended this for divided highway driving, where your basically all going the same direction with few on/off ramps and a big divider between you and the on coming traffic.
Having the split screen is a nice feature. It’s easy to use, and easy to switch between 5 different pages. Ford even makes it easy for you to know which of those 5 pages can be swapped into the big screen portion by providing a little arrow on the left side. If there is now row there, it cannot be swapped.
No Home Button anymore. Trust me you don’t need it, nor will you miss it, if you buy this truck. Ford has everything laid out so well that you never have a need for it.
In addition to the great response time and wireless Apple Car Play and Android Auto etc… I really like the customizable “Fav” button in the middle of the buttons at the bottom of the screen. You can set this button to be any of over 8 different things that you can access with just one click of the button, very nice feature. Also I really liked the “Features” button at the far right at the bottom. Pushing this button brought up 6 things: Driver Assistance (all your safety systems), Pro Power Onboard (your electrical systems in the bed), Zone lighting, Towing, a Digital Owners Manual, and Power Flow. I liked it that instead of being buried somewhere else, under some other title, Ford created this button to give the driver easy instant access to several key components.
One thing I have to mention is the sheer size of the screen. Technically its a 12” screen, but seeing it in person, I thought it was bigger than that (it isn’t). The screen is huge, and really just right for a vehicle this size. Easily viewable from the drivers seat, no eye straining needed!
This F150 also had the Pro Trailer backup system on it, which basically in addition to a whole slew of trailering features gives you the ability to steer your vehicle using the small rotary knob just the the left of the infotainment screen. When engaged, turning that dial turns your steering wheel. I have never used this system before and would really love to try it given the opportunity, but they say it is easier for folks who have difficulty backing up the traditional way. My fear is that because I do back up frequently, sometimes with boat and trailer hooked on, I would steer everything wrong and hit something. Ford says that if you just move the dial in the direction you want the backend of the trailer to go, it will go in that direction (instead of as with normal backing up, where you steer in the opposite direction of where you want the trailer to go).
Other Tech
The Massaging seats were an added luxury. They worked extremely well, and you could control all the functions right from the left side of the seat. They felt great!
I also liked the 3 person memory settings for the drivers side. Two person is sort of the default standard, but I really like that they added one more person to that list. I have this on my 2014 Lincoln MKS, and I love it because there are three of us that drive it and one of us is a bit shorter than the others (my oldest. Daughter).
The 360° camera system is phenomenal and coupled with the Active Park Assist which controls the steering, acceleration, braking and shifting when parallel or perpendicular parking, makes this one of the easiest pickup trucks tp park.
Overall, I absolutely loved the truck and thought that the fit and finish was on par with that of a luxury car. Top that with a very smooth and noise dampened ride, this is truly a very positive step forward for the Ford F150!
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