Motor Trend magazine named Ford's 2012 F-150 its Truck of the Year, edging out the Nissan NV commercial van, the Ram HD Laramie Longhorn and the Toyota Tacoma.
The magazine's editors presented the award Monday to Mark Fields, Ford president of the Americas, at a ceremony at the company's headquarters in Dearborn.
"We are proud to receive this award and even more pleased that our F-150 customers have additional validation of their choice," Fields said in a statement.
With 516,639 trucks sold in the U.S. this year through November, the F-150 is again the nation's best-selling vehicle.
Motor Trend tested versions of the pickup with a 5.0-liter V8 engine, but it was Ford's 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost engine that helped capture the award.
Ford officials now expect 45% of F-150 buyers to select the EcoBoost V6.
Truck owners traditionally have expected their rigs to be outfitted with a V8 engine, but Ford's EcoBoost V6 is changing that perception.
Automakers are pushing for better fuel economy in the pickup segment, where muscle had been measured in displacement until volatile gasoline prices and a shaky economy changed priorities for many consumers.
The EcoBoost-equipped F-150s average 18 m.p.g. in combined city and highway driving, according to federal government ratings, compared to 14-17 m.p.g. for eight-cylinder models.
The turbocharged V6 gives the truck more towing power than the larger 5.0-liter V8.
"It mastered every task we subjected it to, acing our instrumented tests at the proving grounds and swaying opinions during our real-world road evaluations," Motor Trend editor-in-chief Ed Loh said of the F-150 in an announcement.
Each year, the staff of Motor Trend assesses a field of contenders for the Truck of the Year Award.
The weeklong process includes a full complement of performance tests, both with and without payload, on straight-aways and twisty mountain roads, as well as in day-to-day driving.
Trucks are evaluated against six judging criteria, resulting in a final winner.
The F-150 also took top honors from Motor Trend in 2009, 2004 and 1997.
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