Quote:
Originally Posted by Icelander
So, for a personal vehicle that can handle any conditions, the Ford F-150 is a fine choice?
Would it make a difference if you wanted to be able to fit four people in it?
I know modern Ford F-150s can have decent space in the back, but what about the 80s models? Do the F-250s have more passenger space or is the same?
|
Yes, a fine choice. And the best-selling vehicle in America.
Cabs on the F-150 and F-250 were identical. To seat 4, you'd need the SuperCab version of either, and the extra two people would be quite squashed. There were bench seat and jump seat options depending upon which dimension you wanted to squish. The bench seat had tight legroom, and was uncomfortable for anybody over the age of 10. The jump seats faced the middle of the truck and were uncomfortable for anybody even slightly overweight or broad of shoulder. This also extended the length of the whole vehicle causing a minor compromise in the off-road capability, but not a major problem.
For 4 comfortable seats, you had a few options, none of them pick-up trucks. Jeeps (CJ-5 through CJ-8) were very easy to customize, with nice seats being easily available. Access to them required a little bit of contortion, but nothing beyond what the average person could handle. Once seated, anybody under 6' tall was fine, but taller folk would hit the ceiling. The Toyota Land Cruiser was similar, but a little harder to customize. The Chevy Blazer (early SUV) would seat 4 quite comfortably, but they were all 2-door requiring a little bit of squeezing to access the seats. This was less of a problem than with the Jeep or Land Cruiser, but still annoying. The Blazer didn't have much in the way of luxury options, and didn't have much of an aftermarket upgrade community. The engine upgrade in 1988 was substantial, and made the vehicle much more capable all around. The AMC Eagle was the only actually off-road capable 4-door vehicle I know of at the time. With some factory options, it was quite luxurious.