F-150 Named One and Only Truck of Texas; New Truck Offers Best Capability, Unsurpassed Fuel Economy

DALLAS - October 20, 2008: The new 2009 F-150 has been recognized as the one and only "Truck of Texas" by the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) - the sixth consecutive year a Ford truck has won top honors.

Ford's lineup of trucks also was named Truck Line of Texas, while the Ford Flex and Expedition King Ranch received top honors as CUV and SUV of Texas, respectively. Sweeping all four vehicle-centered top honors, Ford emerged the clear winner at this year's TAWA Texas Truck Rodeo.

"This is high praise, especially the coveted 'Truck of Texas' top prize," said Mark Fields, Ford's President of the Americas. "Texas Auto Writers are the toughest truck critics because they know firsthand and truly appreciate how core truck customers really use their pickups.

"We're honored that TAWA recognizes that the new F-150 offers consumers class-leading capability, unsurpassed fuel economy and durability that shows how closely we've been listening to our customers for the 31 years Ford trucks have been America's favorite," he added.

According to Harold Gunn, President of TAWA, this year's competition was tighter than ever because all of the manufacturers are delivering outstanding trucks.

"'Truck of Texas' is really the most important award of its type in the industry," said Gunn. "We love trucks down here, and we really use these vehicles everyday. And since we spend so much time in our vehicles, for us it's not just about how the horse feels being towed, but how your butt feels sitting in the truck, too."

On sale now, the new F-150 offers fuel economy that has improved an average of 8 percent across the entire lineup as a result of a wide-range of engineering enhancements. The fuel economy gains reach as high as 12 percent versus the prior model year on F-150 models equipped with the high-volume three-valve, 5.4-liter V-8 engine. At the same time, the new F-150 delivers class-leading towing capability of 11,300 pounds and hauling capacity of 3,030 pounds - a combination no other competitor can match.

"Earning the trust of so many truck customers during the past 31 years has taught us a lot about what they want and value from their F-150," said Matt O'Leary, Ford F-150 chief engineer. "In the past, there was a tradeoff - more fuel economy meant less capability and vice versa. With the new F-150, we didn't accept tradeoffs. We delivered capability and fuel economy, and that's why the F-150 is the definitive full-size pickup on the market."

Other Ford Motor Company vehicles winning top honors in their categories at the TAWA Rodeo include:

-- Best Luxury Pickup: 2009 Ford F-150 King Ranch
-- Best Full-Size CUV: 2009 Ford Flex
-- Best Mid-Size CUV: 2009 Mazda CX9
-- Best Luxury CUV: 2009 Lincoln MKX
-- Best Mid-Size SUV: 2009 Ford Explorer
-- Best Heavy Duty Pickup: 2009 Ford F-350 Super Duty Cabela's Edition