Seems like this should only be offered as a single cab short bed. Then it's a sport truck trying to be a sport truck, like the ones offered in the 90s (454SS; Lightning; Chevy Indy Pace Truck with the black, white, & neon paint scheme; Sierra GT).
As the owner of a 15-year-old Toyota Tundra with 150,000 miles who uses it for a lot of towing and hauling, I’m always interested when trucks show up from press fleets. I love my truck, but I also know that eventually it will need to be replaced with something equally or even more capable of helping me do the part of my job that requires me to pull and carry heavy objects. And hopefully that replacement will do it in a way that doesn’t feel like punishment for my many failings.
Then a $60,000 Ford F-150 Lobo shows up and reaffirms my love for the Tundra, and I decide to keep it until it evaporates out from under me.
Okay, maybe I’m being a little harsh on the Ford, but I’m just a bit stumped as to whom and what this truck–as outfitted–is actually for.
The Lobo package starts with the F-150 STX, which gets you a few basic comforts, but not many. You’ll still have to insert a key in the ignition and turn it to start the vehicle, pull a manual lever to adjust the seats, and plug in your phone via a cable to charge it. It’s fairly basic by modern standards, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does seem to lag behind market standards for equipment in the segment.
Our test Lobo came equipped with the 400-horsepower, 5.0-liter Coyote V8 and a 3.73:1 diff, which would seem to make a great combination for towing and hauling, but the lowered rear suspension and lack of a trailer brake controller mean it’s rated for only 8700 pounds.
I did tow a couple cars with it–thankfully on a light aluminum trailer–and that 410 lb.-ft. of torque did a fabulous job at getting things moving and keeping them moving.
The potential is absolutely there, but it’s thwarted by this truck’s seeming desire to be … something else? A sports car? A GT with a huge, open trunk? I don’t know.
The Lobo has made some sacrifices, like the lowered suspension and 22-inch wheels with low-profile rubber seemingly only in the name of style, and it’s really hurt the truckness of this truck.
With a load on the trailer, the Lobo got nearly 15 mpg on the highway and rarely needed to drop a gear to keep up with traffic. But the chassis was decidedly unhappy. The F-150 has the tools, but the Lobo package strips them away in service of style and profile and attempts to make a defensive end into a white-collar desk jockey.
I usually try to do my best to not criticize something for what it’s not and focus on what it is, but Ford seems to have done its best to strip this incredible tool–the modern American half-ton pickup–of its greatest strengths in an attempt to create some sort of unholy amalgamation of genres that maybe shouldn’t exist.
Or maybe some buyers are really into this. Maybe they WANT to drive a truck but absolutely don’t NEED to drive a truck, so they don’t care about it being able to do truck stuff, so Ford gives them a truck but takes all the truckness out of it. Maybe I’m just an old man yelling at clouds here.
But I’m an old man yelling at clouds with a 15-year-old Tundra, which apparently I’m keeping for at least a little while longer, because it’s better at being a truck than this brand-new truck. I’ll keep it–at least until I sample an F-150 with a proper tow package. This Lobo showed me that this platform absolutely has the ability to excel at being a truck while being a civilized companion in an uncivilized world.
Unfortunately, the Lobo package neuters so many of its own strengths in service of style and does itself no favors on any count. Lobos will look great on showroom floors and make nice conversation pieces for dealers. They may even find a few buyers, but those buyers probably won’t be truck people.
Seems like this should only be offered as a single cab short bed. Then it's a sport truck trying to be a sport truck, like the ones offered in the 90s (454SS; Lightning; Chevy Indy Pace Truck with the black, white, & neon paint scheme; Sierra GT).
I didn't love it either. It wasn't bad to drive around, but $60,000 for "not bad" would not be something I could ever justify. It's not as fast as a sporty car, and it didn't tow any better than my 20 year old Nissan Titan that cost 1/20th the price.
Do we feel like the Maverick makes a better Lobo than the F-150?
I only ask because I didn't have the chance to drive either.
In reply to BmoreKeith :
Some sporty, single-cab, short-bed pickups would be pretty rad.
I think you may be yelling at clouds here. Comparing a well-optioned truck with a factory tow package, to a base truck meant for the sport truck crowd, and then mainly only talking about towing/hauling capabilities seems like not a relevant comparison. Request an XLT/Lariat with the tow package if that's what you want to compare. The STX is just an appearance package for the base model XL. The Lobo builds on that, for a particular market. Since you say you are stumped as to the "why" and "who" maybe you should read this from the team that designed it: https://www.fromtheroad.ford.com/us/en/articles/2025/new-f-150-lobo-street-truck
I normally enjoy the reviews by GRM, but sometimes...not. Maybe you should have auto-crossed it, like the Maverick Lobo.
Full disclosure: I daily an F-150 STX, and my kid works for Toyota.
In reply to llysgennad :
I think the main problem is that this crew cab truck with a leveling kit and normal highway tires doesn't seem to do any sport truck things, really.
In reply to llysgennad :
I mean that article from Ford just reads like marketing copy to me.
In reply to bumpsteer:
Does it handle better/look different than a regular F-150? That was the goal, I think.
In reply to 93EXCivic :
Yes? But it talked about the motivation for the Lobo, which is why I linked it.
Whatever, I'm not shopping right now.
Edit: Ford seems to know what they're doing. The F-150 has outsold the Tundra roughly 5:1 for the last 20 years.
it’s rated for only 8700 pounds.
Yeah, this sounds like yelling at clouds here. I've owned a 3/4 ton big block Suburban with a lower towing rating.
llysgennad said:The STX is just an appearance package for the base model XL. The Lobo builds on that, for a particular market.
Full disclosure: I daily an F-150 STX, and my kid works for Toyota.
That used to be the case but it's not anymore. In 2024 Ford split the STX into it's own "model" (to use their terms).
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