So you were shopping for a gently-used pickup truck and saw a 2021 F-150 PowerBoost hybrid for sale. Is a used hybrid truck a great investment or a foolish buy? We dug through original MotorBiscuit reviews and long-term testing to get to the bottom of this question and discovered that a used PowerBoost might be a fantastic deal.

Was the 2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost a good investment?

Many owners of the first hybrid F-150 loved their truck’s torque and onboard electricity. But few who bought a brand-new PowerBoost have claimed they’re seeing their investment in a hybrid powertrain pay off in fuel savings. But a used PowerBoost might be a different story.

The experts at TFL Truck did a yearlong review of the 2021 F-150 PowerBoost. They found that in stop-and-go driving, the truck could near its claimed 26 mpg. But because the PowerBoost option added $4,995 to the base price, TFL didn’t recommend opting for it as a cost-saving measure. If you commute on the highway, you’ll never see that money back. If you commute in stop-and-go traffic, you might just break even.

If you can find a used 2021 Ford PowerBoost F-150 for a similar price to a regular EcoBoost truck, you might consider investing in it. If you do a lot of city driving, you could stand to save some money at the pump.

Is the 2021 Ford PowerBoost a good truck?

In our original MotorBiscuit review of the 2021 Ford F-150 PowerBoost we said we loved the “Stout towing power, upgraded interior materials, enhanced tech, and standard onboard generator.” The truck has a 47 horsepower electric motor sandwiched between its 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 and 10-speed automatic transmission. The result is 430 horsepower and an impressive 570 lb-ft of torque. When you dig into the accelerator pedal, the F-150 PowerBoost leaps into action.

But in regular driving, the truck is tuned conservatively. Honestly, we found this affected our enjoyment while driving it. The battery pack also makes it considerably heavier than a regular F-150. The F-150 PowerBoost isn’t for everyone, so definitely insist on a test drive before you buy.

If you need a truck with a ton of onboard power, know that the F-150 PowerBoost’s optional 7.2 kW of onboard power leads the segment. It is plenty to run power tools and is more than you can draw from most new electric trucks. But not every F-150 PowerBoost was configured with maximum onboard power, so double-check.

Are hybrid pickup trucks reliable?

Ford has yet to issue any PowerBoost-specific recalls for its 2021 F-150. In fact, a hybrid pickup truck’s drivetrain can reduce wear and tear on the traditional engine and brakes.

Hybrid pickup trucks have a surprisingly long history. But they haven’t been popular enough for us to have any real reliability data. But hybrid cars are another story. And they are proving more reliable than traditional cars.

That’s right: hybrid cars are more reliable than regular cars. How can this be? A hybrid vehicle’s electric motor/generator assists with both braking and acceleration. This reduces the wear on the hydraulic brakes and the internal combustion engine. Less maintenance on the brakes and engine means improved reliability and lower running costs.

Read more about why the hybrid F-150 is a smart buy, or see one owner’s review of how their 2021 F-150 PowerBoost is holding up after 18 months of ownership and 36,000 miles: