Only time will tell how consumers respond to Fordβs bold rollout of its most popular pickup truck with an all-new aluminum alloy body.
But local dealers say the 2015 F-150 has rolled into Tucson to a warm reception, despite some lingering questions over durability and repair costs.
The areaβs biggest dealer, Holmes Tuttle Ford Lincoln, got its first 2015 F-150 about two weeks ago and had customers practically lined up for test drives, general manager Steve Smith said.
βWe got that first one in, and it went on more test drives than Iβve seen even with the new Mustang,β Smith said. βWe parked it right out front, because it just kept going all day long.β
The dealership on Auto Mall Drive has about 15 pending orders for the new F-150, Smith said.
Though some customers typically avoid new models or major model revamps while bugs are worked out, Smith said customers welcome the added fuel economy β despite recently plummeting gas prices β and new technology.
The aluminum-alloy body and the use of more high-strength steel in the frame allowed Ford to cut the truckβs weight by some 700 pounds compared with last yearβs model, giving it greater hauling and towing capacity and better fuel economy. The lighter weight also makes the truck accelerate faster, stop more quickly and handle better, Ford says.
Ford added the option of a 325-horsepower, 2.7-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo engine to its choices of the base 3.5-liter V-6, a 365-horsepower 3.5L twin-turbo V6, and a 385-hp, 5.0L V8.
Ford also added new technologies such as adaptive cruise-control β which automatically slows down when you get close to cars ahead and speeds back up when the way is clear; rear backup cameras; remote start; remote-control tailgate operation; and with EcoBoost models, a front grille with βactive grille shuttersβ that close at higher speeds to improve aerodynamics and fuel efficiency.
Body styling is new, too, with cues from Fordβs Atlas concept truck.
Smith said the adaptive cruise control, rolled out by Ford on its Lincoln luxury cars, is one of the F-150βs biggest selling points.
βTheyβre excited about better fuel economy, more horsepower and the design β theyβre ready for a change. Weβve had the old body style for awhile.β
Patrice Ross, dealer partner in Oracle Ford in Oracle, said that despite the recent slumping gas prices, customers are still concerned about fuel economy.
βPeople have always been interested in the fuel economy in the Ford trucks,β said Ross, partner in the dealership with brother Mark Phelps and father Dick Phelps. She noted that about 60 percent of her F-150 customers have been opting for fuel-efficient EcoBoost engines.
Ford says its 2015 F-150 with the 2.7L EcoBoost engine has the best fuel economy of gas-powered full-size pickups, at an EPA-rated 19 miles per gallon in the city and 26 mpg on the highway.
The new 2.7-liter EcoBoost also has an amazing amount of torque for a relatively small engine, matching or beating the torque of bigger engines by using a turbocharger to ram more air through the system.
βThat truck I think is going to be very very popular for those people who maybe donβt need the maximum tow capacity, but they want good fuel economy and good torque and a truck thatβs fun to drive,β Ross said.
Ford has not released initial sales figures for the 2015 trucks. The 2015 F-150 ranges in price from a starting price of $26,615 for the base XL model to a starting price of $49,460 for the top-end King Ranch version.
Until local dealers get stocked up, F-150 buyers will have to wait for delivery.
Ford Motor Co. spokesman Mike Levine said customers can expect to wait several weeks for delivery of standard trim four-door βsuper cabβ models, and somewhat longer for two-door models. Those trucks are now made only at Fordβs Dearborn, Michigan, plant.
Levine said customers will have to wait two months or more for models with certain equipment, like a special heavy payload package, because that equipment will only be installed at Fordβs Kansas City plant, which is still being retooled to produce the new F-150.
Though the F-150 has won industry awards including North American Truck of the Year at the Detroit Auto Show, and it has been generally lauded by reviewers, some uncertainty remains over its durability and the potential cost of repairs.
The stakes are high for both Ford and its dealers, who have had to shell out tens of thousands of dollars to refit their body shops to repair significant damage to F-150 aluminum body parts, and to train technicians, though smaller dings can be handled with more standard tools.
Body-shop requirements for the aluminum-bodied 2015 F-150 include special welding equipment, tools to install special self-piercing rivets and special hand tools.
In addition, since aluminum particles can react with steel and cause corrosion, aluminum body repair areas must be performed in dedicated rooms or curtained-off areas.
Ross said she expects to spend about $50,000 to refit Oracle Fordβs body shop to perform aluminum body repairs.
Dealers with larger body shops may spend much more β Holmes Tuttle will spend more than $250,000 on upgrades including separate βclean roomβ areas, officials said.
Some aluminum-based luxury cars have been made over the years and others have featured aluminum body parts β F-150s have had aluminum hoods since 1997.
But Fordβs decision to put an aluminum skin on the nationβs top-selling pickup is seen by many as a bold gamble.
Ford earns about $8,000 to $10,000 in gross profit on each F-150 it sells, accounting for about 90 percent of Fordβs global earnings, the investment firm Morgan Stanley has estimated, according to Bloomberg News.
An auto industry analyst said itβs too soon to certify the new F-150 as a consumer success, but it has been well-received despite its game-changing potential.
“You’re really taking a traditional (market) segment — maybe the most traditional segment — and throwing a wrench into it. It’s a big bet by Ford,” said Jeremy Acevedo, an analyst with Edmunds.com. “Right now, we haven’t seen any resistance — the people who are flocking to the showrooms are excited about all the technology.”
It remains to be seen whether the additional equipment will translate into higher repair costs.
Studies by the Highway Loss Data Institute show that costs to repair other aluminum bodied cars, such as some Audis, Jaguars and Mercedes, were 9 to 20 percent higher than steel-bodied cars.
But Ford says the thicker-gauge, military-grade aluminum used in the F-150 is more resistant to minor dents than steel. Ford also has made the new F-150 more modular in design so fewer labor hours are required for major repairs. For example, Fordβs Levine said, replacing a finder apron on the 2014 F-150 requires removal of the truckβs dashboard. The same replacement on the 2015 model doesnβt require dash removal, saving some six hours of labor.
Though made of aluminum alloy, many of the 2015 F-150 key body panels, including its fenders, tailgate and cargo-box sides, are priced the same as the 2014 model, Levine said.
And Ford has helped dealers with their body-shop retooling, with a 20 percent rebate on repair equipment, and a full rebate for the training of one technician for each dealer, Levine said.
Russ Rader, a spokesman for the Highway Loss Data Institute, said that while the repair costs for those niche luxury cars were higher, the sheer volume of F-150 sales may drive down its repair bills.
βThe bottom lime on this is that itβs unclear, we would need to have enough vehicles on the road in order to study the insurance losses for the new F-150,β Rader said.
