2006 Ford E-150 XLT

Americans love their trucks, and for good reason: They're rugged, versatile, spacious, and—dare we say—rather stylish. But here's a shocker for you: The 2006 Ford E-Series Wagon offers more space, more seating options, more versatility and more space-per-dollar than any other vehicle in Ford's impressive model range. If you've never considered one, you might think about it, because the E-Series is officially the most popular full-size Wagon in America. Here are the other reasons why.

Massive Room
If you favor practicality over absolute style, the E-150 XLT Wagon can do nearly the workload of a big pickup and exceed what SUVs can do. For starters, the E-150 can hold eight passengers, soundly beating the five- or six-passenger capacity of the largest pickups. (If you really want to go large, check out the 12- to 15-passenger E-350 Super Duty Extended Length Wagon.) So you've got that going for you—the ability to take most of the hockey team, and their Zamboni, to Cincinnati*.


Also, Wagons are big and tall enough to haul an incredible amount of cargo. The E-150 can carry 236.5 cubic feet with the second- and third-row seats out and, as a bonus, its cargo length is a whopping 120.5 inches—nearly the size of a small fishing skiff. But best of all, the E-150 can haul your cargo under lock and key and out of the elements.


With the E-150 XLT, Ford's original Wagon concept of 1961 has been refined to perfection. To hold all that cargo and all those passengers, it glides on a roomy 138-inch wheelbase and measures a kingly 212.0 inches-17.7 feet-overall length. The E-150 is tall at 81.2 inches, but that's what gives it the interior space of a convention center, and the height also affords a commanding view of the world around you. With such a long wheelbase, the ride is surprisingly supple and, while the E-150 won't win any slalom competitions, the steering offers fine road feel. Too, it features big four-wheel-disc brakes and an anti-lock braking system for fade-resistant braking and enhanced control in slippery conditions. AdvanceTrac® with Roll Stability Control, standard on the E-350 Super Duty Extended Length Wagon, helps improve vehicle stability by detecting potential rollover-type situations and then reduces engine output or applies individual brakes to help the driver regain control.

Workhorse Powertrain
The E-150 comes standard with a modern overhead-cam 4.6-liter V-8 that packs 225 horsepower and 286 lb.-ft. of torque, which is perfectly adequate to motivate the 5,186-pound vehicle. But for frequent hauling, towing (the E-150 can pull up to 6,500 pounds when properly equipped) or high-altitude work, the optional 5.4-liter Triton V-8 is recommended. For a modest price premium, it kicks out 255 horsepower (up 13 percent) and 350 lb.-ft. of torque (up 22 percent), letting you keep pace with brisk traffic, even when the Wagon is loaded or pulling a trailer. For a vehicle of its size and capability, the E-150 gets pretty decent fuel mileage. The 4.6-liter base V-8 is rated EPA estimates at 19 mph on the highway and, with its 37-gallon fuel capacity, can conquer multiple states between refills.