the numbers Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear/4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door pickup Base ������������������������������ $46,350 As Tested ����������������������� $66,345 Powertrain: twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve 3.5-liter V-6, 394 hp, 492 lb-ft; permanent-magnet synchronous AC motor, 44 hp, 221 lb-ft; 1.5-kWh lithium-ion battery; combined system, 430 hp, 570 lb-ft Transmission: 10-speed automatic Dimensions • Wheelbase ............................ 145.4 in • L/W/H .................. 231.7/79.9/77.2 in • Curb Weight ......................... 5794 lb
test RESULTS 60 mph ...................................... 5.4 sec 100 mph ................................... 13.7 sec 1/4-Mile .............. 13.9 sec @ 101 mph Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
MERCE DES PHOTOG RAPH BY MICHAEL SI MARI
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph ... 5.9 sec Top Speed (gov ltd) ........... 107 mph Braking, 70–0 mph ................ 203 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad ....................... 0.72 g EPA Fuel Economy • Comb/City/Hwy .... 24/24/24 mpg
7.2 kilowatts of electricity to outlets in the bed [see “Power Play”]. Hybrid or not, the F-150 is much improved in terms of interior execution and materials, particularly on lower-level trims. Spec the Interior Work Surface and, with the truck in park, you can stow the shift lever flat in the center console, making room for a fold-out worktable that transforms the front row into an effective mobile office. The optional 12.0-inch digital gauge cluster is crisply rendered and easy to navigate. The standard 8.0-inch center touchscreen can be upgraded to a slick 12.0-inch unit. Both run Ford’s Sync 4 infotainment software, which is capable of wireless connectivity and over-the-air updates. The hybrid option can be had on any F-150 crew cab for a somewhat reasonable $2500 to $4495, depending on the trim level. That equates to base prices of $42,840 to $77,845. The gains that the setup provides in regard to fuel economy don’t make this big pickup into a Prius, but they are considerable percentage-wise, and the system works seamlessly and demands very little compromise from F-150 buyers.
2 02 1 M E R C E D E S - B E N Z E 4 5 0 A L L-T E R R A I N ~ BY A N N I E W H I T E
BUTCHER WAGON We still love station wagons even though the buying public has largely abandoned them. Mercedes-Benz persists with its handsome example in the E-class line, but even Benz’s iconic wagon is changing to meet an SUV-crazed market. For 2021, the E450 looks a bit less wagon-y and gains a tough-sounding All-Terrain name in hopes of attracting buyers who might otherwise choose an SUV. But the E450 remains pretty much the car it was last year. Merc gave it a revised front fascia, some matte-black plastic cladding, and a couple of hood bulges. A new turbo 3.0-liter inline-six hides under those bulges. Buttery and rich with power, the engine makes 362 horses and 369 pound-feet of torque, with an electric motor adding up to 21 horsepower at low rpm. This six has the same output as the old V-6, but the the numbers new engine makes the E450 quicker than its Vehicle Type: front-engine, predecessor. A run to 60 falls in 4.4 seconds, all-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, and the All-Terrain hits the quarter-mile in 13.1. 5-door wagon Base ������������������������������� $68,595 The body rides 1.2 inches higher off the As Tested ����������������������� $87,635 ground than before. Should you need more Engine: turbocharged and clearance, the four standard air springs can intercooled DOHC 24-valve inline-6, aluminum block and head, direct lift it an additional 0.8 inch. On broken roads, fuel injection the All-Terrain felt jumpy, and it became unsetDisplacement ..... 183 in3, 3000 cm3 tled on potholed on-ramps. Our test car wore Power .................. 362 hp @ 6100 rpm Torque ............ 369 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm optional 20-inch wheels and summer tires, Transmission: 9-speed automatic which may have contributed to the harshness. Dimensions Inside, things look right. There’s open• Wheelbase ............................. 115.7 in • L/W/H ................. 194.8/73.7/58.9 in pore wood trim and enough ambient lighting • Curb Weight ......................... 4585 lb for a new-age cigar bar, and the heated and ventilated leather seats are comfortable and test RESULTS supportive. The two 12.3-inch screens that 60 mph ...................................... 4.4 sec make up the media and instrument displays 100 mph .................................... 11.5 sec are standard this year and look appropriately 1/4-Mile .............. 13.1 sec @ 106 mph 120 mph ................................... 17.4 sec high tech. We take issue with the overly senResults above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec. sitive touch controls on the steering wheel, Rolling Start, 5–60 mph .... 5.3 sec though. They’re all but impossible to use when Top Speed (gov ltd) ........... 128 mph Braking, 70–0 mph .................. 167 ft the All-Terrain is in motion. Braking, 100–0 mph ............... 339 ft There wasn’t much wrong with the old Roadholding, E-class wagon. Seeing its elegant lines blunted 300-ft Skidpad ....................... 0.89 g C/D Fuel Economy by plastic cladding and hood bulges upsets us. • Observed ............................. 20 mpg But if the costume tricks crossover shoppers EPA Fuel Economy into buying wagons, we’re all for it. • Comb/City/Hwy .... 24/22/28 mpg
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