I’ve got another truck on deck today! The Ford F-150 Platinum is the vehicle we’re focusing on today and I’m excited at its potential to be an excellent family car. The trucks in my previous car tours have been great, so let’s see what the F-150’s capabilities are.

If you’re new here - welcome! I’m Kelly the Car Mom and as a mom of almost four (if you missed the life update click here), CPST, and a huge car fan, I can’t wait to walk you through all the features of the Ford F150 to help see if it’s right for your family.

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Ford F-150 Platinum Exterior

When it comes to trucks, one of the biggest concerns for families is getting their kids in and out of the second row. A lot of trucks are higher up off the ground than your typical SUV (unless you’re looking into the full-size market).

What’s great about this Ford F-150 Platinum is the running boards to help step up. Depending on the make, model, and trim level, your running boards may be powered, but regardless they make a huge difference in helping get in and out of the car.

Shifting our focus to the truck bed, there are a lot of ways you can use this space to make it more family-friendly. The Ford F-150 Platinum comes with a truck bed cover made of hard top material. This makes it easy to cover your bases when it comes to strollers, sports gear, and anything else that needs to stay clean. As for its comparison to a typical trunk - there is none. A truck bed could fit anything and everything in it without a problem.

Ford F-150 Platinum First Row

I've been driving this truck for a week and have loved the experience in the first row. Being the Platinum Ford F-150, the interior is stunning. They used really nice colors and incorporated all the tech you could need/want.

As for storage in the first row - it rocks. The driver’s seat door panel has excellent cubby space (it won’t fit my Stanley), but I like having the option to fit smaller things in a place that’s easy to reach. As for cupholders, the ones in the center console are MASSIVE. There are also two in the back of the console that can be used for either the driver or passenger.

As for my absolute favorite feature, you can push a button to lower the gear shift and FOLD OUT the center console to make a flat workspace. You could eat a meal, work on the computer, and pretty much do anything in this space. Not even the Ford Expedition has this.

Infotainment System

Let’s talk about the cameras available in the Ford F-150 Platinum. We have the following angles: front camera, surround-view camera, bed camera, backup camera, tow camera, and every other angle you could possibly need.

As for the rest of the infotainment system, it’s fairly standard to what you will see in the range of F-150s. It has all the tech (Apple Carplay, Android Auto, etc…) you need, plus I like to see the AC control buttons pulled out.

Ford F-150 Platinum Second Row

Let's start by breaking down the car seat setup. Trucks are historically great for car seats because their bench seats are so nice and wide. The F-150 has one of the best benches and I love it because all of their four-door trucks are the same size. Something that gets confusing about trucks is not all four-door trucks are created equal. You've got quad cabs and crew cabs. Some fit car seats great, and some don't. As far as the F-150 is concerned, you don’t have to worry about any of this

When looking at the hardware, we’ve got lower anchors on both outboard seats and three tether anchors across the back.

I used the Chicco KeyFit 360 as my first car seat install and since it’s not the most compact car seat, the clearance is not great. It still fit, but with about an inch to spare. That being said, I love car seats with the ability to rotate, especially when you’re putting children in a higher-up car.

The other car seat I installed is the Graco Extend2Fit installed forward-facing for my daughter Hattie. You have all the room in the world with a forward-facing car seat, you could even have someone go and sit in the middle with a lot of room.

As for three across combinations, after installing both of these car seats (that are not a slimmer fit), I’m still able - as a 6 months pregnant passenger - to have room in this middle seat. F-150 benches are incredible, so I’d put my stamp of approval on it being a three across friendly vehicle. That being said, make sure to install your car seats during the test drive to be 100% certain.

My only complaint in not just the F-150, but all trucks, is the lack of ceiling ventilation. I fully believe all cars no matter the size should have this.

Ford F-150 Platinum: Wrap-Up

Overall, I’m really impressed with the Ford F-150 Platinum. The first row has a ton of space (plus that fold-out table) and the second row is incredible for car seat installation. If you could get past the idea of driving a truck as a mom, it’s an excellent family car!

Would you ever drive a truck as your family vehicle? Let me know in the comments! And to keep up with all the latest on the blog, check out my recent car reviews:

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