I absolutely need a truck for hauling trash, bringing the dogs, hauling wood and plants, etc, but then I absolutely need a backseat for my son who is in a carseat. I couldn't afford a truck with a full backseat, so I bought a 2000 Ford F150 supercab, used, with about 32,000 miles on it. I have had it for a little over a year now and have put the average 12,000 miles on it. I like the ride and I like the truck, but the "3/4 backseat is a complete horror to deal with for someone who needs to put their children in carseats.

First, The Truck Itself
I find the truck to be quite comfortable. My husband doesn't like it on long trips because the bench seat doesn't allow reclining, but as the driver this doesn't bother me. The ride is smooth, the power is decent (only decent because the engine in my truck is a V6 and this is a big truck - (before you buy one find out how much weight tax a 4,000 lb vehicle will cost you in your state)).

I like the large mirrors and the dash layout. The air conditioning and heating are first-rate. I have a stick and it is quite comfortably-placed and smooth. Basically, the F150 drives quite well and is comfortable.

I do sometimes have problems with the seatbelt - it gets tabled or just won't retract, but that is minor. I also have issues with the creaks and groans of the truck. I only hear little creaks now but my husband drove a Ford Explorer for 120,000 miles and it eventually creaked incessantly. Annoying.

Now, the Backseat
If I would have known what we would go through with the backseat I would not have bought this truck, even though I like it in almost every other aspect.

First, we put the rear-facing infant carrier in - this is the one that has a base and the whole carseat can be pulled out of it to carry the baby into the store - It just barely fit, and that was with the front seat pulled forward so far that my knees were about a 1/2 inch from the lower dash (I am 5'7).

When my son outgrew the infant carrier we put him in the next-step carseat, still rear-facing, and my knees were still on top of the dash.

Now, children are not supposed to be turned around front-facing until they are 1 year AND 20 pounds. Joe was 20 pounds at 7 months, but we still had a ways to go before 1 year so we did not turn his carseat around. However, at 9 months we ran into a problem. Because the backseat is not as deep as most, Joe's legs grew long enough that his feet touched the back of the seat - quite dangerous in a rear-end collision, I'm sure.

With a forward-facing carseat, the problem is not as bad - there is more room back there because of the way the carseat sits, so the front seat can be moved back again - but the childs legs are still much closer to the back of the front seat than they would be in a full-size back seat.

So, all in all the truck is a solid, good truck, but get something with a full backseat if young kids are in your future or present.

Amount Paid (US$): 12000
Condition: Used
Model Year: 2000