The F-150′s single most popular engine is the dual-overhead cam 5.0-liter V-8 that’s shared with the Ford Mustang GT. In the pickup it rates 360 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque. This engine is available in all iterations of the F-150 except the specialty models and is standard in Lariat and King Ranch versions. It’s rated to tow 9,800 pounds, more than sufficient to pull all but the largest boats and trailers.

Ford admits to initial doubts that hard-core pickup drivers would accept a six-cylinder engine to do a V-8′s job. But the EcoBoost V-6 has been well received by F-150 buyers, accounting for some 45 percent of total sales. Also used in the Ford Taurus SHO performance sedan and available in other Ford and Lincoln models, this 3.5-liter engine uses advances such as direct fuel injection and two turbochargers. In F-150 form, it’s rated at 365 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. It’s optional in all versions of the F-150 save regular-cab short-beds and the Raptor and Harley-Davidson models. Owing to the engine’s relatively light weight and high output, Ford claims a class-leading 11,300-pound towing ceiling for specific F-150s equipped with the EcoBoost V-6 and the trailer package.

To match that towing capacity in other F-150s you’d need to get one with the truck’s largest-displacement engine, a 6.2-liter V-8 rated at 411 horsepower and 434 pound-feet of torque. This V-8 is standard on the Harley-Davidson and Raptor models and otherwise available only on SuperCrew F-150s. It also requires heavy-duty or trailer packages to attain the 11,300-pound towing maximum.

The 2012 F-150′s sole transmission is a six-speed automatic.

Like all full-size pickups, the F-150 is based on a rear-wheel-drive configuration with 4wd available on all models and standard on the Raptor. The basic 4wd setup is a so-called part-time system designed to be disengaged on dry pavement to prevent drivetrain wear. For model-year 2012, 4wd F-150 Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum models gain a full-time system with a “4×4 auto” setting that allows 4wd to remain engaged on all surfaces. This is an advance already available on the F-150′s Ram and General Motors rivals and, among other benefits, can help quell tire slip and fishtailing on pavement when the cargo bed is empty or lightly loaded.

Among other upgrades for model-year 2012, F-150s gain Hill-Start Assist to prevent rolling back on steep upgrades. Traction is improved with introduction of an electronic locking rear axle to replace most of the limited-slip rear axles on both 2wd and 4wd F-150s equipped with the EcoBoost V-6 or the 5.0-liter V-8.

The 2012 Raptor gets its own traction upgrade courtesy of a newly standard Torsen locking front differential for superior grip in low-speed off-road conditions. Finally, all 4wd F-150s gain a “neutral tow” capability that allows the truck to be flat-towed behind another vehicle without risk of drivetrain damage.

Like such pickups as the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Ram 1500, the F-150 belongs to the “half-ton” pickup category, named loosely for the trucks’ general payload capacity (the F-250 and Ram 2500, for example, are three-quarter-ton trucks). Payload denotes the maximum weight a truck is designed to carry. Maximum payloads for 2012 F-150 models are 1,810 pounds for regular-cab short-beds and 2,090 pounds for regular-cab long-beds. SuperCab payloads are 2,080 pounds for short-beds and 1,990 for long-beds. SuperCrew maximums are 1,930 pounds for short-beds, 2,000 pounds for long-bed. Heavy-duty packages available on long-bed versions increase payloads to 3,060 pounds for regular-cabs, 2,670 for SuperCabs, and 2,590 for SuperCrews.

Features: The 2012 Ford-F150 continues to offer a long list of luxury-car-like amenities and can still get the job done via a number of clever work-related features.

Among model-year 2012 additions, the optional luxury packages available on the Raptor and FX-trim F-150s now include front seats that are cooled as well as heated. And 2012 Raptors are available with a class-exclusive off-road front-camera system. Active under 15 mph, it uses a front-bumper-mounted video camera that displays on the dashboard navigation screen a view of off-road obstacles not otherwise visible to the driver.

Ford’s GPS navigation system is optional on FX editions of the 2012 F-150 and is standard on Lariat, King Ranch, Platinum, Harley-Davidson, and Raptor models. It includes voice activation, an 8-inch dashboard touchscreen, and the subscription-based Sirius Travel Link system, which provides current weather and traffic information, sports scores, movie listings and even local gasoline prices.

Continuing on the infotainment front, the 2012 Ford F-150 again offers Ford’s Sync multimedia control system developed with Microsoft. It includes Bluetooth hands-free mobile-phone and music connectivity and a USB iPod interface. It enables voice control of audio and navigation functions. A 700-watt 5.1-channel Sony surround-sound audio system is another example of available entertainment features.

Of note to those with young drivers in the family, the F-150 employs Ford’s MyKey system that can limit top speed to 80 mph and audio volume to 44 percent of maximum; it can also encourage seatbelt usage by disabling the audio system until they’re buckled.

For those who consider F-150s a tool of their trade, there’s a front center console large enough to hold two laptop computers, with ridges molded into the edges of the bin to accommodate file folders. Ford’s Work Solutions department again offers an optional dashboard-mounted computer that can connect to the Internet (with a wireless data subscription charge) and connect to wireless printers and other peripherals. The automaker’s Tool Link feature helps keep track of tools and other portable equipment via small stick-on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags. The idea is to prevent these items from being left back at the shop or forgotten on the job site.

The 2012 F-150 is available with a cage-type bed extender that folds neatly away when not in use. Ford doesn’t match the side-wall cargo storage of the Ram RamBox, but the F-150 does offer a Midbox enclosed storage system that provides protective, lockable storage for tools and other accoutrements without sacrificing cargo-bed length. And optional side mounted plastic tool bins can hold up to 60 pounds and can double as rolling beverage coolers. Metal steps that slide from beneath the rear or sides of the cargo bed for easier access also are among the 2012 F-150′s continuing options.

The 2012 F-150 remains a leader in towing stability with sway control that automatically modulates engine power and selectively applies the brakes if a trailer starts to become wayward. A factory-integrated trailer-brake controller also is available. So is a rearview camera designed to make parking easier and safer and situated to give the driver a view of a trailer hitch. All F-150 models include seat-mounted front-side airbags as well as curtain airbags that help protect outboard occupants’ heads in side-impact collisions.

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Unique in this class is Fiesta’s optional automatic transmission. It’s Ford’s PowerShift six-speed sequential-shift automatic, which is essentially an automated manual transmission that eliminates a clutch pedal in favor of dual internal clutches. This type of design is popular among sporty cars because it can deliver quick, manual-like shifts with a more aggressive feel than a typical automatic. As a bonus a Fiesta equipped with PowerShift gets slightly better fuel economy than one with the manual gearbox.

Unfortunately, in day-to-day operation, the PowerShift transmission detracts from the Fiesta driving experience, especially in low-speed city travel, where it seems to be constantly searching for the right gear. And unlike most other cars with similar automatic-manual transmissions, the Fiesta PowerShift does not include a manual-shift mode.

In addition, buyers of the 2012 Fiesta SE sedan and hatchback equipped with PowerShift can choose a Super Fuel Economy (SFE) package that includes specific wheels, spoilers, and air deflectors to help attain maximum mileage.

The 2012 Ford Fiesta delivers reasonably sporty handling with good steering response, though this small, light car’s ride can get rough over pavement irregularities. A sophisticated electric power steering system helps contribute to both fuel economy and handling sharpness. Ford and other automakers are embracing this type of system because it puts less drag on the engine than a conventional belt-driven hydraulic power steering system. Ford goes a step further by programming the system to help Fiesta remain stable, regardless of road crown or crosswind conditions. It even detects and compensates for minor vibrations from tire balance irregularity.

While the 2012 Ford Fiesta is equipped with a front-disc/rear-drum brake setup instead of a superior four-wheel-disc configuration, it does include a standard antilock function to improve control in emergency stops. As per federal regulation for 2012, an antiskid stability-control system is standard across the line. Ford calls its systems AdvanceTrak. It helps keep the car on course if the driver takes a curve too quickly or engages in an emergency-handling maneuver. Most 2012 Fiesta models ride on 15-inch wheels and tires, with the SEL sedan and SES hatchback featuring 16-inch rims and rubber.

Features: The 2012 Ford Fiesta offers an impressive array of features, including some not usually found on subcompact cars. For starters, seven airbags, including one at knee height on the driver’s side are standard. Available amenities, depending on the model, include automatic climate control, keyless entry/pushbutton-start, a keyfob remote starter, heated front seats, power moonroof, leather upholstery, and color-selectable ambient “mood lighting.” Assorted exterior graphic “tattoo” packages are also available with which buyers can dress up their rides.

The 2012 Ford Fiesta SE, SEL, and SES versions can be fitted with Ford’s Sync multimedia system. This option provides voice-command control of assorted systems or manual operation via dashboard controls or steering wheel-mounted switches. It includes a USB interface for connecting and controlling iPods and a Bluetooth adapter for hands-free calling and streaming music from a mobile phone.

A proper GPS navigation system is not offered on the 2012 Ford Fiesta. But the Sync option can display turn-by-turn navigation directions for selected routes on the car’s dashboard-mounted LED screen, as well as current traffic and weather information and news headlines; a three-year service subscription for these functions is included.

All 2012 Ford Fiesta models come with air conditioning, a tilt/telescoping steering wheel, height adjustable driver’s seat, power locks and mirrors, a 60/40 split-folding rear seat, an AM/FM radio with an auxiliary jack, and Ford’s capless EasyFuel system that allows owners to fill the gas tank without having to worry whether they replaced the gas cap before driving off.

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While the EcoBoost is available in all three 2012 Ford Explorer models the standard engine in all three remains a 3.5-liter V-6. With this engine, Explorer can tow trailers weighing up to 5,000 pounds versus a maximum of 2,000 pounds with the four-cylinder. A six-speed automatic is the 2012 Explorer’s only transmission. In XLT and Limited models, this transmission comes with a manual gear-select mode via a shifter-mounted toggle switch.

It’s unusual for an automaker to position a smaller, less-powerful engine as the “premium” alternative to a vehicle’s standard engine. For example, one of Explorer’s chief rivals is the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Its standard engine is a 3.6-liter V-6 with some 290 horsepower, 260 pound-feet of torque, and a 5,000-pound tow rating. Grand Cherokee’s premium powerplant is a 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 with some 360 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque. Previous-generation Explorers, in fact, followed this blueprint, with a V-8 as the step-up choice to a V-6; the EcoBoost is the first four-cylinder engine ever offered in the Explorer, a nameplate that ignited the midsize-SUV boom in 1991.

Also distinguishing today’s Explorer from every previous-generation model is its front-wheel-drive instead of rear-wheel-drive configuration and its reliance for added traction on all-wheel drive (AWD) instead of truck-type rear-wheel drive.

Absent a traditional four-wheel-drive system with low-range gearing, the 2012 Ford Explorer isn’t intended as a hard-core off-road SUV. But V-6 AWD versions are more capable off-pavement than the typical crossover because they come equipped with Ford’s sophisticated Terrain Management system.

Developed while Ford owned the British brand, Land Rover (and used in current Land Rover SUVs), Terrain Management automatically coordinates powertrain, suspension, and braking-system performance to maximize traction. A dial on the center console enables a driver to tailor the system’s performance for four diverse traction situations: normal pavement, snow, sand, and mud/ruts. It also includes hill descent control that automatically shifts the transmission into a lower gear and engages the brakes when the Explorer is negotiating a steep downgrade.

Stability control is required by federal regulation on every 2012 vehicle and on the Ford Explorer it takes the form of Ford’s AdvanceTrac electronic stability control system. It includes Roll Stability Control to help prevent rollovers in sudden handling maneuvers, as well as Ford’s Curve Control technology that automatically cuts engine torque and applies four-wheel braking if the driver is taking a turn too quickly. Ford says this system can slow the vehicle by as much as 10 mph in about a second and can help maintain control when taking highway on- or off-ramps at excessive speeds. Four-wheel-disc antilock brakes help ensure secure stopping abilities.

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