The Ford F-150 was the best-selling vehicle in America for most of the last two decades.  Today, the big truck is worth so little to Ford that the company has delayed a new, improved model in an effort to save money.

Edmunds Inside Line reports, "Ford Motor said Friday it will delay by two months the introduction of the redesigned 2009 Ford F-150, because an industry-wide fall-off in demand for full-size pickups means dealers likely will take longer to sell down inventories of the current 2008 model."

Dealers already struggling to sell 2008 F-150s at deeply discounted prices don't want 2009 F-150s competing with the older trucks on their lots.

Instead, the company has focused its efforts on bringing out smaller, more fuel-efficient models.  "Ford…confirmed plans to replace the current Focus compact in North America with a new European-designed model in late 2010." 

The Focus, after all, competes with the new best-selling car in America: the compact Honda Civic.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, "A typical Ford F-150… averages about 15 miles per gallon, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. A Honda Civic averages 29 mpg. Based on driving 15,000 miles a year and paying $4.08 a gallon, the government says, the pickup truck owner will spend nearly $4,100 a year on gas, the Civic driver just over $2,100."

Motor Trend comments that Ford's decision to delay the new truck "is a huge announcement. …  In any semi-normal year, Ford would have tried to move up introduction of a new truck. Even when consumers switch from trucks to cars, a new model as important as the F-150 would otherwise guarantee a bump in sales."  This year, however, "Suburban cowboys have evacuated themselves from the fancy pickup market, and the core buyers -- construction workers and the like -- have little work, and no reason to trade in their old trucks."

PickupTrucks.com says that, when the 2009 F-150 does reach consumers, it may not resemble the truck we've been expecting.  "Ford has...noticed significant changes in the mix of F-Series (F-150 to F-450) cab models and engines as personal use buyers leave the segment."  In response, the automaker plans to build far fewer crew cab models than originally planned, and a planned big-block V8 "Boss" engine may not be available at all.

If you are in the market for a truck, low prices make this an excellent time to shop.  Research the best full-size pickups with U.S. News' car rankings and reviews.

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