Crazy as it sounds, the best-selling vehicle for nearly all of the past 30 years has been Ford’s F-Series pickup truck. Although that prestigious title technically belongs to Ford’s entire F-Series family (meaning it includes the Super Duty rigs and commercial-use chassis cabs), most of the sales numbers were generated by the F-150. If you wanted to label something as “America’s truck,” this would be it. And for 2009, Ford has revamped the F-150 in an effort to retain that title.

Ford’s magic formula for the F-150 has traditionally consisted of strong towing and hauling capabilities, solid durability and a dizzying variety of body styles, trim levels and options. In recent years, this formula has been expanded to include a smooth, quiet ride and an easy-to-drive demeanor. If you can’t find something you like in an F-150, then maybe you don’t really want a pickup truck. Nonetheless, stiff competition in the large pickup segment has compelled Ford to give the F-150 a thorough freshening this year.

Making changes to a perennial cash cow is not something a company’s going to take lightly. As such, Ford has made careful but key upgrades to the F-150 that address some of its former shortcomings. There’s a six-speed automatic in place of the aged four-speeder, for example, which provides better low-speed acceleration as well as more relaxed and fuel-efficient cruising. Additional changes for the 2009 Ford F-150 include Super Duty-inspired front-end styling and a new high-zoot Platinum trim level. The SuperCrew also gets more “super” via a 6-inch cabin stretch, which provides a flat rear floor and limolike rear passenger room as well as the ability to carry really large objects within the cab.

Other neat and useful features include a capless fuel filler, steps that deploy to ease access to the bed, Ford’s Sync multimedia voice command system (which can also provide weather, gas prices, sports scores and movie times via Sirius Travel Link) and an integrated trailer-brake controller. As before, there are numerous features that optimize hauling and reduce stress, such as a cargo management system and a rearview camera.

Nonetheless, the F-150 still can’t touch a Tundra in a stoplight drag race, even when it’s got the top-shelf 5.4-liter V8. And while towing and hauling capacities are impressive on paper, real-world testing lays bare the F-150’s under-hood deficiencies, as the Ford struggles to keep up with brawnier rivals like the Tundra, the new Hemi-powered Dodge Ram and the Chevrolet Silverado. Still, with its user-friendly features and pleasant driving dynamics, the F-150 remains one of the easiest half-ton pickups to live with on an everyday basis. And with the wide range of available body styles, trim levels and equipment, you’re sure to find one that meets your needs.

With a keen awareness of the growing consumer desire for more fuel-efficient vehicles, for 2009 Chevrolet offers an XFE (Xtra Fuel Economy) model, a two-mode hybrid, and now a six-speed transmission with manual shifting capabilities. The new Hydra-Matic 6L80 is available in Silverados equipped with the 5.3-, 6.0-, and 6.2-liter engines. It was first made available in crew-cab models and later will be offered in regular- and extended-cab models (except with the five-foot-eight-inch short bed) with 5.3- and 6.0-liter V-8s. The new transmission provides a lower rpm at cruising speed, improving fuel economy on the highway.

What better way to find out just how much of a difference the improvements have made than with a road trip? We requested an LT Crew Cab with the Z71 off-road package, 18-inch wheels with Bridgestone Dueler A/Ts, the 5.3-liter, E85-capable V-8 with 315 horsepower and 338 pound-feet of torque and Active Fuel Management, and the aforementioned optional six-speed automatic.

Leaving sunny Los Angeles, we were ready for a nearly 1400-mile journey to Northern California and the Sierra Nevadas and back. Once out of the metropolis, the trip consisted of mostly freeway driving, with some in-city travel, snow driving, and a windy canyon road thrown in for good measure.

The brawny, squared-off sheetmetal and wide stance can be unnerving at first in city traffic, but the Silverado’s excellent sightlines make its size easy to adapt to. Quick, accurate steering inspires confidence, and a smooth ride makes the Silverado a pleasant commuter. The LT came with a nicely appointed interior, albeit not the topline package found in the LTZ. Still, the seats remained comfortable despite the distance, and the XM Satellite Radio and auxiliary input jack kept us entertained for the duration of the trip. The center stack is still a ho-hum slab of gray plastic when the Navigation box hasn’t been checked on the order sheet, but the stereo and small upper glovebox–which requires two hands to open–were the only detractors from the otherwise nicely finished dash.

Because inclement weather was predicted, we unfortunately had to load the luggage in the cab rather than in the bed. However, the 60/40-split rear seat bottoms are easy to raise using one hand, which allowed us to stow the luggage on the cab floor. Folding the larger portion of the seat gave us a week’s worth of gear-stowing for three people behind the driver’s seat and still ample seating for a third passenger in the second row.

On the road, the Silverado was exceptionally pleasant to drive, providing a smooth ride–the suspension ably soaked up bumps and pavement imperfections. The steering was nicely weighted and communicative, and the manual-shift buttons on the column came in handy on long hills or when passing. Climbing up the narrow, windy Feather River Canyon, the Silverado handled nicely, never feeling underpowered or too wide for the road.

When the snow came, the Silverado remained unfazed. The Automatic four-wheel-drive setting handled slippery roads nicely, and putting it in 4-Hi four-wheel drive kept us trouble-free with deeper snow. Not once did the truck feel unsure or disconnected from the road.

Upon our return to Los Angeles, we had traveled 1364 miles (including a marathon 13-hour drive covering most of the length of California), from sea level to nearly 4000 feet and back. Along the way, we spent $148.71 on 79 gallons of regular-grade gas, averaging 21.7 gallons per fill-up at about $40 every 380 or so miles.

In SuperCrew form, the 2009 Ford F-150 can comfortably seat five or six people. Backseat comfort rivals the best in the segment thanks to an abundance of legroom, a flat floor and a seatback angle that’s not too upright as in some rivals. Carrying three passengers in the backseat is still possible if you get a SuperCab, though legroom will be noticeably less generous.

All F-150 versions offer simple controls and materials of pleasing quality. Order the navigation system and you’ll get a large (8-inch) screen. Lower trims have a standard 40/20/40-split bench seat with a column shifter, while the upper trims feature captain’s chairs and a console shifter.

Hauling large items is no problem in SuperCabs and SuperCrews, as the backseat quickly folds up to make way for cargo. The SuperCrew’s flat floor allows for secure transport of pets and big-screen TVs alike.

Driving Impressions

Thanks to its stiff frame and double-wishbone front suspension, the 2009 Ford F-150 delivers impressive ride and handling dynamics for a full-size truck. The powertrain enhancements this year also make the truck feel noticeably livelier, thanks in part to the six-speed automatic’s well-spaced gears and cooperative nature. Yet the F-150 is still down on maximum power — to the tune of 60-80 hp compared to the big V8s in the Ram, Tundra and GM trucks — so if you need or want serious oomph, there are better choices.