2001 Ford F150 SVT Lightning review from North America

Nothing major so far. Cigarette lighter burnt out early on, and there've been a couple intermittent squeaks up in the dash. Not unusual for a truck, and the dealer is good about tracking them down and fixing them.

This truck is somewhat of a contradiction, I must admit. It's nowhere near as useful as a "real" truck, and doesn't handle anything like a "real" sports car. But, it's an awful lot of fun, and quite reliable so far.

I should mention that I do not own this truck -- my boyfriend received it for a graduation present, courtesy of his parents and I. It was his dream truck, and he's quite happy with it.

The ride is somewhat stiff, but generally smooth enough for comfort. The interior is typical Ford -- ergonomics and materials are not all they could be, but not terrible, either. I must say that I have never sat in a truck that is so comfortable.

Handling is much better than any truck I've ever driven. It lacks that disconnected, floaty feeling of any large vehicle. It's still a big heavy truck, no doubt about it, but it's a sports car of a truck. As I said, a contradiction!

The engine is something else. Huge power, enormous torque. If you like the sound of a big bellowing V8, you'll love the sound of a Lightning.

We've taken it on a few long road trips. This is just about the perfect vehicle for that, believe it or not. Fast, powerful, comfortable, and nice and high of the ground. I was pleasantly surprised how well it did over long distances.

Around town? Well... If you live in the country, you know about guys and their trucks. Everyone stares, since there don't seem to be many of these around. Must be good for the boyfriend's ego!

Gripes? Nothing you wouldn't expect, I suppose. It sucks down gas like there's no tomorrow, and I have a feeling it'll need new tires (which cost a fortune!) before too long. Massive torque + 25 year old guy = big smoky burnouts, which just kills the tires! Definitely not something I'd buy for it's utility either, if you know what I mean. As you'd expect, it's very twitchy in the rain, and when it snows he'll be commuting in my Subaru, I'm sure.

Overall, my boyfriend really loves it, and I like it enough, too. If you like trucks, but want a sports car, and can't decide -- think about a Lightning. It's quite the fun, somewhat quirky vehicle.