2019 Ford F-150

You can also choose two different box sizes for your specific needs. Short and sweet, the Regular Cab is ideal for an affordable pickup truck for work purposes. It starts from $29,750 and competes against the likes of Nissan Titan, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, and Toyota Tundra.

The Ford F-150 comes in a lot of distinct trims and with numerous body configurations. However, the Regular Cab, only for three people, is offered only in two trims – XL and XLT. Both these trims come with a 6.5’ box and an 8’ box. The drivetrain options are also there with these trims as you can select from the RWD or AWD variants.

The XL is pretty much barebones while the XLT adds a significant bump to the infotainment system with Ford’s revered SYNC 3 system. However, there are tons of packages to equip and upgrade. There is the Equipment Group Package for the XL trim which adds a 4.2” Productivity Screen in Instrument Cluster, AppLink, MyKey, etc. You can also get the Trailer Tow package for obvious reasons. 

The XL Chrome and Sport Appearance packages will add cosmetic upgrades. The XL Power Equipment adds power door locks, power glass side view mirrors, illuminated entry, etc. The XLT’s Equipment Group Package adds a leather-wrapped steering wheel, 8-way power driver’s seat, SiriusXM radio, etc. It also has the Trailer Tow package.

Which trim should you buy?

If you are looking for the Regular Cab, you are pretty limited to options. We suggest you get the XLT trim, as it has a very strong infotainment system as standard. It also adds more upgrades that will make your daily life a lot easier. The Equipment Group package for $2,100 will add more luxury to your vehicle. You can both work and enjoy a nice drive in comfort. Go for the RWD if off-road is not a priority as the AWD can get expensive. Finally, the box size is dependent on your specific needs.

The Regular Cab of F-150 comes with a total of four different engine options. The XL and XLT 6.5’ have three different engine options, while their 8’ counterparts add one extra. The standard base engine is the 3.3L Ti-VCT capable of producing 290 horsepower and 265 lb-ft of torque. For $995 extra, you can pursue the 2.7L EcoBoost twin-turbocharged V6 capable of pumping out 325 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. For $1,995, you can equip the massive 5.0L naturally aspirated V8 spitting out a hefty 395 horses and 400 lb-ft of torque. These three are available on the 6.5’ box. 

Finally, the 8’ box also gives you the option to choose a 3.5L EcoBoost twin-turbocharged V6 churning out an impressive 374 horses and 470 lb-ft of torque. It would cost $2,595 and is arguably the best engine in the entire line-up. All the power plants are mated to a six-speed automatic as standard, but an optional upgrade to a ten-speed automatic is available. Power is routed either to the rear wheels or all the wheels. 

All the trims feature a new axle upgrade and an electronic locking rear differential. The six-speed automatic does a fine job, but the ten-speed automatic can be slow at times to shift those gears. The towing capabilities also vary according to the engines. The 3.3L Ti-VCT can do 8,500 lbs; the 2.7L V6 can do 7,600 lbs; the 3.5L V6 can pull an impressive 10,700 lbs and the 5.0L V8 tows 9,100 lbs. 

The base engine of the F-150 is not weak, as it can pull this heavy truck from standstill to 60 MPH in around 7.3 seconds and reaches the quarter-mile at 13.2 seconds. The Titan offers the most powerful engine in its base configuration, that’s why it costs more. However, that does not do anything to improve its performance as it is on par with the less powerful Americans. But the Titan gets the highest towing capacity.

How well does the 2019 Ford F-150 Regular Cab handle?

The F-150 is a pretty smooth handler. It is not perfect, but when you are behind the wheel, except for a quick and precise steering response. Depending on the engine you spec it up with, handling will differ. But in most cases, the steering remains accurate. Body roll is present but it's not very pronounced. Throw it around corners without much fear and it will be fine. It is also agile with a good throttle response and minimum turbo lag.

The ride quality is not the best, but it still offers a decent and acceptable ride. The suspension can soak up smaller bumps with ease, but larger potholes do filter through the cabin. For off-roading, the AWD does a fantastic job. The towing capacity is also very potent, especially with the Trailer Tow package equipped.

2019 Ford F-150 Regular Cab Braking Performance

The F-150 comes with 4-wheel disc brakes with 4-wheel ABS. The front brake rotors are 13.8 inches, while the rear rotors are 13.7 inches. Both are pretty large ones and they do a pretty decent job of making the truck come to a halt. The pedal is also linear and has a precise length of travel. Also, the new models come with Automatic Emergency Braking as standard for quick braking under emergency situations.

The Titan is the heaviest while the F-150 is the lightest. As a result, the Ford truck comes to a halt the fastest consuming the least distance. The other trucks all consume over 130 ft, which is a rather decent figure. Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra offer nearly identical braking performance as the weight is the same for both trucks.

Since there is a lot of engine and drivetrain options, the gas mileage varies widely. Starting with the base 3.3L Ti-VCT V6, you get 19/25/22 for city/highway/combined for the RWD and the AWD version gets 18/23/20 MPG for the same. Next, the 2.7L EcoBoost V6 gets 20/26/22 MPG for city/highway/combined. The 3.5L EcoBoost turbo V6 will offer 18/25/21 MPG for the same. The 5.0L V8 is less efficient at 17/23/19 MPG. Note that these figures are for the RWD. The AWD will knock a mile or two off per gallon for each.

You will be presented with a 23-gallon fuel tank as standard, but an Extended Range option will allow you to upgrade to a 36-gallon tank. The 36-gallon tank will only be optional in the 8’ box, however. With the 23-gallon tank, the RWD base engine will return 437/575/506 miles, while the AWD will return 414/529/460 miles for city/highway/combined driving. The 36-gallon tank will allow for massive driving ranges.

It’s clear that the F-150’s base engine has no competition when it comes to frugality. It is the most economical and also has the best range, crossing 500-miles. The others are okay-ish, but not quite up to the mark. 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular Cab offers the best range as it equips a massive 28.3 gallons fuel tank.

The interior of the 2019 F-150 is pretty similar in terms of design throughout their range. The primary design is aimed at being rough and tough, with squared and boxy edges. There are a lot of buttons laid out in an ergonomic manner. The dashboard is steep - almost vertical - and offers a storage tray above the infotainment system. Since the Regular Cab is only available as XL and XLT, you won’t be able to get leather or high-quality materials. Cloth upholstery is standard with manual air conditioning.

Regular cab offers total seating of three people, laid out in a 40/20/40 split. The seats are adorned in cloth. The driver’s seat is 4-way adjustable with manual recline and the passenger’s seat is 2-way manually adjustable with an armrest. The XLT trim will also introduce lumbar support. Optionally, the XLT can be equipped with an 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat; and also, an optional leather-wrapped steering wheel. Spacing is not an issue at all, with tons of room.

As for cargo, there are 6.5’ or 8’ boxes available. The total cargo area is 62.3 cubic feet in the 6.5-inch box. The 8’ box increases this length to 96”, offering a total volume of 77.4 cubic feet for storing items. You also get features such as loading ramps and movable tie-downs. Inside the cabin too, storage potential is huge with a large center console storage and under-seat storage.

The interior spacing of all the trucks is impressive, but the Titan suffers from slightly lesser legroom. In cargo capacity, the long box configuration has been used since the GM sisters come with the long box as default, but they still offer way more capacity than the F-150. The Titan sits somewhere between the Ford and the GM trucks. Some of the interior features in the 2019 Ford F-150 Regular Cab are:

• 40/20/40 cloth seats with 4-way driver’s seat w/ lumbar support
• Manual air conditioning
• Urethane gear shifter material
• Armrest w/ storage
• Under-seat storage
• Optional leather-wrapped steering wheel

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The infotainment system in the 2019 Ford F-150 Regular Cab XL is pretty barebones, and it does not run on Ford’s SYNC infotainment system. As an optional extra, you can equip it with SYNC, but the star of the show is the 8” touchscreen on the XLT. It runs on Ford’s famed SYNC 3 infotainment system, which is very quick to respond and also very intuitive to use.

Standard features on the SYNC 3 system include enhanced voice recognition, navigation, AppLink, 911 Assist, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, USB ports, etc. Optionally, you can also equip SiriusXM Radio and a set of 5-speakers. As standard, a system of 4 speakers is offered. You also get FordPass Connect 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot as standard on the XLT. Some of the infotainment features include: 

• 8” SYNC 3 infotainment system
• FordPass Connect 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot
• AppLink
• Apple Carplay and Android Auto
• Optional SiriusXM Radio
• Optional 5-speaker sound system
• In-built navigation

The 2019 Ford F-150 Regular Cab looks pretty bold and ready for business. It is a brawny-looking truck, but Ford has also managed to make it look quite handsome and catchy. The aggression is clear with the front fascia, with the large headlight housings and the grille that intrudes into the headlights. The XL looks pretty bland with only black grilles and black bumpers, but the XLT introduces a chrome grille, which looks significantly better.

From the sides too, the F-150 looks pretty aggressive and the Regular Cab only has two doors, so it’s a lot smaller than its larger cab cousins. There is a cargo lamp along with a high-mounted stop lamp. The rear end does not look any special, with regular tail lights. Both the XL and XLT feature halogen daytime running lights, and the XLT also offers halogen fog lamps. The XL rides on 17” silver wheels and the XLT rides on 17” silver-painted aluminum wheels. As options, cosmetic upgrades can be added to the exterior.

The Titan is the heaviest, by quite a big margin. The length and wheelbases of the three trucks are larger than F-150 because they are long boxes, by default. The F-150’s long box has a length of 227.9” and a wheelbase of 141”, comparable to the others. The 2019 Ford F-150 manages to offer the best ground clearance compared to the other trucks in the comparison. Some of the standout exterior features include:

• 17” silver-painted aluminum wheels
• Halogen Daytime Running Lights
• Cargo Lamp w/ high mount stop light
• Front fog lamps
• Double wishbone front suspension
• Leaf rear suspension w/ leaf springs

The Ford F-150 Regular Cab is no slouch when it comes to safety either. The frame is constructed of high strength and the body and bed are made of aluminum. Despite that, it actually fails to achieve a flawless safety rating, as NHTSA gave it a 4-star. Still, a pretty impressive rating, nonetheless. IIHS also rated it “Good” on all the six Crashworthiness tests, but it gets a “POOR” in the headlights section. As a result, it misses out on the “Top Safety Pick” award. Some of the standout safety features include:

• Roll Stability Control
• Forward Collision Warning
• Automatic Emergency Braking
• Dynamic Hitch Assist backup camera
• Low tire pressure warning
• Automatic high-beam headlights

2019 Ford F-150 Regular Cab vs 2019 Nissan Titan Single Cab

The Nissan Titan produces way more power than the F-150’s base trim, though, with engine options, the F-150 gets closer to that level. Nonetheless, the Titan is still slower than the American truck. It doesn’t look as striking as the F-150. The F-150 offers more customization. It’s also way more fuel-efficient. The F-150 is the clear choice for most people.

2019 Ford F-150 Regular Cab vs 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular Cab

Two handsome American trucks, each with a very good reputation. The Chevrolet Silverado perhaps manages to look more attractive than the F-150 but falls short on fuel efficiency and customizability. The Regular Cab in the Chevy comes only as a long box. Performance-wise, both are pretty neck-and-neck. It’s a tough choice but we know that the F-150 is more popular.

2019 Ford F-150 Regular Cab vs 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 Regular Cab

The GMC Sierra is essentially the same vehicle as to the Silverado with a different exterior and very minor differences otherwise. Once again, the F-150 is more fuel-efficient, but performance-wise, the GMC takes the win. Also, the Sierra looks brawnier and more ‘truck-like and might be more appealing to some people.

Being the best-selling vehicle in the US, it isn’t really a question of whether you should buy it or not, but which trim should you buy. With tons of engine options and customization options available, the Ford F-150 Regular Cab is an excellent truck. It is practical, looks good, efficient, and also handles quite well. But if you want to go the other route, the Sierra and Silverado are two other very popular trucks and a pretty strong rival to the Ford truck.