The F-150 Lariat arrived for my weeklong test drive on the very day it was announced that new vehicles will have to achieve 35.5 MPG (on average) by 2016 - as well as have their "emissions" (which now includes carbon dioxide, an inert gas never before considered an "emission" because it plays no role whatever in causing air pollution or smog) cut by 30 percent.

Say goodbye to vehicles the F-150 Lariat. They are on notice, officially. Within a few years, they will become as unusual a sight on American roads as a '75 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham d'Elegance - an earlier victim of government fuel economy mandates and a Depression-like economy.

WHAT IT IS

The Ford F-truck is a full-size pick-up and America's (for the moment) best-selling new vehicle. It comes in more than two dozen forms, in an almost unbelievable array of possible cab/bed/body configurations - ranging from your basic two-door, regular cab work truck to loaded urban cowboy models like the SuperCrew Lariat I drove around.

Prices start at $21,365 and run to $44,355.

WHAT'S NEW

Ford has added F250/F350 Super Duty styling cues to all F-150 trucks and introduced a more powerful version of the standard 4.6 liter V-8 engine as a step-up option to address previous complaints about the F-truck's so-so acceleration. SuperCrew models are longer and have even roomier interiors than before.

WHAT'S GOOD

Ubeatable towing capability; standard V-8; new six-speed automatic (except with the base 4.6 V-8). One of the nicest big truck interiors going. As easy to drive as your aunt's Camry.

WHAT'S NOT SO GOOD

All big trucks are Doomed. Unless Ford (and everyone else who makes them) figures out a way to get a 5,000 lb. V-8 truck to deliver 30-plus MPGs, it's Game Over. Owning this vehicle six or so years from now will be like owning a '75 Fleetwood was circa 1981. Not as easy to park as your aunt's Camry.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

The standard engine is a 4.6 liter, 248 hp V-8. It is paired with a four-speed automatic. Though on the weak side - for a V-8 - it is bigger, stronger (and more importantly torquier) than the V-6s that come standard in competitors like the Dodge Ram 1500 and Chevy Silverado 1500.

The step-up option is a higher-performance of the 4.6 V-8 (with better-flowing, three-valve heads) rated at 292 hp. This engine is teamed up with a new six-speed automatic that enhances both actual performance and the feel of performance, via tighter gear spacing.

Fuel economy is boosted, too. The 292 hp version of the 4.6 V-8 is rated at the same 14 city/19 highway as the 292 hp version, despite being more than 50 hp stronger.

Top of the line in an F-150 is a 5.4 liter V-8, which produces 320 hp and 390 lbs.-ft. of torque. This engine is also teamed with a six-speed automatic. Fuel efficiency with this engine is only slightly lower than that of the two 4.6 liter V-8s, about 14 city and 15 highway depending on whether it's a 2WD or 4WD, extended bed, etc.

Maximum towing capacity is 11,300 lbs. and you can put up to 3,030 lbs. of whatever in the bed. Both ratings are best in class.

Ford offers an integrated trailer brake controller (and trailer sway control system) with the '09 F-truck, too.

Reportedly, diesel engines (and a high-mileage "Eco-boost" gas V-8) are on deck for 2010. They might keep the truck going for awhile.... .

RIDE & HANDLING/DRIVING IMPRESSIONS

History will note that just before the ax fell, pick-ups had reached near-perfection in every respect except pleasing DC bureaucrats. The F-150 is as civilized to drive as any luxury car, yet offers He Man capability for those who need a vehicle that works as well as it looks.

Save the Planet types - who are usually also city types - moan about the impact of big trucks on the environment and about how they use too much gas. Well, in years past, trucks were so rude and uncomfortable that many people had to have two vehicles instead of just one - the truck for hauling stuff; a car for hauling people. Combined, what do you suppose their "footprint" was vs. one modern truck with the latest anti-pollution equipment and actually not half-bad mileage, given what it can do?

The other thing that some don't get is that some folks actually do need a truck. A front-drive unibody car with a trailer hitch on the back just doesn't cut it if you live in the country (millions do) or are a contractor/small business owner (millions are) or have to deal with severe roads/weather. Anyhow.

Ford's V-8s are all overhead cam (vs. pushrod) designs and of generally smaller displacement than the V-8s in GM and Dodge's 1500-series trucks - as well as the V-8s in full-size pick-ups from Toyota and Nissan, too.

The weaker lower-end performance of these smallish OHC V-8s compared with the larger displacement, pushrod V-8s of the competition was the F-truck's major weak point.

The new, 292-hp version of the 4.6 liter V-8 helps erase that problem - while there's no denying the superiority of the F-150's standard V-8 when compared with, for instance, the pitiful 3.7 liter, 210 hp V-6 that comes standard in the Ram 1500 - a truck that costs almost exactly as much as the base F-150 ($21,550 for the Dodge vs. $21,365 for the Ford).

The Ram's optional 4.7 liter (310 hp) and 5.7 liter V-8s do outpower the Ford's step-up V-8s, but the big Ram is a real disappointment if you need to pull something heavy. Even with the mighty 5.7 liter Hemi, the Ram's max tow rating is only 9,100 pounds - more than two thousand lbs. less than the F-truck can handle.

The Chevy Silverado 1500 also still comes standard with a gimpy little V-6 as its standard engine - and it's even weaker than the Ram's, with just 195 hp available. The Chevy's step-up 4.8 liter V-8 musters 295 hp and from there you can go to a 315 hp 5.3 liter V-8, or a 6.0 V-8 with 367 hp and, at the very top, a 6.2 V-8 with 403 hp - making the Chevy the most powerful 1500 truck. However, the Chevy still can't touch the Ford's tow rating, even with the guns of the 403 hp V-8. Its max capacity is 10,700 lbs. - close, but no cigar.

Given the competition's stronger engines, the F-truck must have the stronger frame/chassis - and that's a good thing to have in a half-ton truck, if you plan to use the thing for real work.

Driving the F-truck is an easy and pleasant experience, despite its best-in-class pulling ability. Like an ocean liner, once it's free of the clutter of port, it glides along luxuriantly, eating up the miles (and tackling the corners) with a grace that belies its massive size.

That massive size is, indeed, the only detraction. The outside world has downscaled (and will downscale even more as the new regime of 35.5 MPG forces into retirement new cars larger than a current Camry). Maneuvering a full-size truck into a parking spot - or out of one - can be a challenge.

Other drivers may not be amused by your backing up and pulling forward as you try to inch the behemoth into place. Let them eat cake.

STYLING & UTILITY

American-brand trucks dominate the market in part because of tradition (Japanese full-size trucks like the Nissan Titan and Toyota Tundra are relative newcomers without an established following) and also because American brand trucks come in far more cab/bed and bodystyle configurations - literally a truck for almost any need or want.

The F-150, for example, is available in seven trim levels (work truck XL, step-up XLT, sporty STX, off-road FX4, Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum), three cab styles (regular, extended cab and crew) with four available box styles, running from 5.5 feet to full-length 8-feet.

There are 35 possible configurations.

All '09 F-trucks get the hunky styling cues of the Super Duty 2500/3500 - including the more rugged-looking front end with three-bar grille, raised hood line and the SD's trademark "arched" door sills and high-walled bed. It's macho - but not WWF macho like the Toyota Tundra.

But it's the F-truck's interior that shines brightest. The basic layout is sensible and attractive and easy to use - and can be equipped with some pretty incredible technology, including in-dash Internet access and radio frequency tracking for tools and equipment.

Just about any luxury or convenience item you might want is available, too - from a rear seat DVD entertainment system to heated and cooled seats to a multimedia system with voice command (Sync) Western saddle leather upholstery (King Ranch) and 20-inch chrome wheels with Satin Gloss Lacrosse Ash wood trim accents (Platinum).

The main cluster houses gauges for oil pressure, coolant temperature, fuel - and (very useful) transmission temperature. The trailer brake control is to the right of the steering wheel. There's a USB port under the available Sony surround sound stereo for your iPod - and if you get GPS, the display feature's a bird's-eye view of the terrain, updated as you go. It's much more intuitive than the flat map-style, which is more typical. With bird's eye, you can "look down the road" and see your turn-off, as well as potential things you might want to turn off for, such as gas stations or restaurants. The system can even tell you what the speed limit is on the road you're on.

Even the base "work truck" is equipped with air conditioning and 17-inch rims - plus the 4.6 V-8 and an automatic transmission.

SuperCrew models, meanwhile, offer limo-like room for backseat occupants thanks to a six-inch stretch - as well as the ability to securely (out of the weather and as well as inside a lockable interior) carry large, valuable stuff that you wouldn't want to leave in the bed.. The back seats fold up to make way for even more stuff - 57.6 cubic feet. Thanks to an almost completely flat floor, the distance from there to the roof is 47.9 inches - enough to swallow a big flat screen TV.

The only downside is you can't get the eight foot bed with the SuperCrew cab. (Same deal with other 1500 trucks.)

It's probably a good thing, as the result would too long for use on anything but the most rural (and straight!) Texas backcountry roads.

A final nice touch is the capless fuel filler. You literally gas n' go. When you're done fueling up, the system shuts itself automatically. Easy peasy - and keeps vapor emissions down, too.

QUALITY & SAFETY

The F-truck is the gold standard among 1500-series trucks. While pretty much every current-year large truck is a good truck - and some have a few areas where they are arguably superior (for instance, the Hemi Ram and the V-8 Tundra and Chevy 1500 accelerate like muscle cars, even if they can't tow all that much) Ford has consistently done the best job all-around. There is a reason for the F-truck's enduring popularity as well as its impressive resale values - which ought to remain strong for years, since the government has signed the death warrant for future trucks of this kind.

Size does matter when it comes to safety, too. An F-150 is one of the most injury-proofed places on four wheels to be - even if it didn't come standard with side-impact and curtain air bags, ABS and electronic stability control. Ramming speed!

THE BOTTOM LINE

This may be the last of the line - so if you have ever thought about getting a full-size truck, your window's still open. But not for long.

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www.ericpetersautos.com or EPeters952@aol.com for comments.