jsf150

Hi Everyone, I've lurked for quite a while but this is my first post as it was quite an eventful day. Sorry its so long...

First off, I'm not your typical truck guy. I've never owned a truck before, I've always been into sports cars and my wife has always had an SUV for family duty or home center trips. Up to this point, I've always had friends and family in the used car business so borrowing a truck was always easy. I would borrow a random truck once a month for moving large items or hauling mulch, etc. However, the economy has forced all my truck connections into other work so I'm left begging friends which sucks.

I'm also getting old and am growing tired of climbing in and out of a small cars. I currently own a BMW 335i which is a great car, but there is not a lot of room for anything. I've got 4 kids so I cant take them all anywhere unless I take my wife's minivan. Sometimes this becomes a logistical nightmare.

Additionally, we've had a number of weather related situations in the past few years which have left me stranded in freezing cold conditions with no real way to move myself or my family if the need was to arise. One thing about me, I HATE being unprepared.

All of this has me looking into purchasing my first truck. I have a number of requirements;

MUST be able to seat 2 adults and 4 kids legally
MUST be able to move occupants safely through most any weather condition (snow, ice, rain, etc)
MUST be able to haul loads of mulch, transport mower from house to shop, trees & shrubs from nursery, random furniture to a fro, and multiple odd shaped items my wife acquires. I also what a boat (18-21ft) at some point so I would like to be able to tow this as well.

Initially I started to look for a nice used truck as a backup to my BMW, but the prices of used trucks are outrageous in my area. I see no point in spending 20+K for a 3+ year old truck that I dont really know the history of when I can spend a little more and get a new one. Also, while the BMW is fun, it is less than reliable and I'm not sure I can afford to own it out of warranty. As I'm not made of money, I decided to replace my BMW with a truck so it now must also be comfortable enough to be used as a daily, be reliable, and get as good gas mileage as possible. I'm not into a lot of bells and whistles so I just want a nicely appointed standard truck. I dont need leather, Nav, DVD, etc. My wife's van has all that stuff and its nice for long trips. I just don't need it so I see no need to pay for it.

As we've owned a number of Toyota products and each were flawless, the Tundra came to mind first. Also, the F-150 was on my list as I live in Ford country and unless you live under a rock, its pretty common knowledge they build a good truck. I hate the way the Chevy looks, not to mention GM is not my favorite company for obvious reasons. The Dodge is on the list, but I really don't like the interior and doubt I'll even go to the trouble to test drive one. It just doesn't excite me in the slightest.

I purchased my wife a 2011 Toyota Sienna a few months back (best mini-van ever made) and a few days ago it notified us it was time for an initial oil change. I also received notification of a recall that needed to be done. Thinking ahead, I schedule the service for today and arranged to have a 2011 Tundra Crewmax SR5 5.7 4x4 available as a loner. The dealer is really easy to deal with and had no trouble with me taking it and actually really encouraged me to do so as they were quite confident that the Tundra was the superior product.

Going into this deal I had some thoughts concerning the Tundra. From my research its only available with a 4.10 rear end and no real LSD. They have an electronic version that the dealer assured me was as good as I would ever need. Not sure why I would ever need a 4.10 especially since I am concerned with gas mileage. Also, this triple tech frame (boxed in front, reinforced in the middle, open in the back) seems like marketing trying to hide a flawed design. The dealer assured me this was a better way to build a truck and said most semi trucks have "C" channel frames. I assumed the truck would be reliable as the day is long and have excellent fit and finish. True to the dealers word, they had it waiting for me when I showed up. Initial impressions were fit and finish are excellent. Overall I was not thrilled with the looks, a little two rounded for my taste. In order to reach the steering wheel and petals comfortably I had to pull the seat up to a point where getting in or out of the truck was a hassle and will result in a prematurely worn side or bottom bolster (I'm 5'11, 170). I turned the ignition and the 5.7 makes wonderful noise. Pulling out on the highway, plenty of power and somewhat comfortable although the seat seems overly big, like being a kid sitting in dads chair. Clearly enough room for my family. Getting on the interstate there is a lot of bouncing around after hitting expansion joints and pot holes. Is this my head playing games with me or is this frame not up to task? I get home and check the average MPG (reset before I left the dealer) and its 13.4. I'm disappointed. My oldest son (6) loves it, and mom thinks it looks good and likes the interior. I crawl around in it and look for things to like. It does have a lot of storage. Still, I feel disappointed.

Lightbulb....call Ford dealer and see if they have an Ecoboost yet (They were supposed to call me when they got one it but I haven't heard from them). Good news!! Black loaded XLT supercrew 4x4 Ecoboost on the lot!! They tell me to come get it and just bring it back whenever. I drop everything and run to the Ford dealer.

I have done a ton of research on the ecoboost F150 and had some thoughts before getting my hands on it. I was expecting a lot of power and good MPG. I was expecting the fit and finish to be blah and the reliability to be OK, but not Toyota good. I was expecting the dealer experience to be poor. I showed up at my local dealer and they had it pulled up and ready. I exchanged hellos with the salesman and told him I had a new Tundra at my house and I was going to compare the two. He smiled wide and told me to have fun.

Approaching the truck, it clearly looks the part. The black on chrome looks great and the truck looks proportional and ready for just about anything. The integrated key is nice and easy to use with big buttons (functional even with winter gloves on). I opened the back for my 6yo to jump in and noticed the flat floor and the way the seat bottoms fold up creating a TON of space if needed. My son says he loves it (he loves anything truck related so I ignore his comment). I get in and am really surprised to find the fit and finish are excellent. Not quite as good as the Tundra, but certainly in the same league. I started the truck and was really impressed with the new info screen. Odd to have this kind of graphics in a truck screen, but really cool. The sound was really quite, much like cranking my BMW (also a twin turbo 6). I put it in drive and immediately notice the torque. There is a lot of usable power here. Pulling out of the dealer I notice how comfortable the seats are. Driving down the highway its clear this truck is bolted together properly. The F150 brushes off expansion joints and pot holes with no drama and no lasting vibrations or jiggling. Is this the boxed frame allowing the suspension to do its job properly? The interior is really quiet. Church mouse quiet which for me is a huge plus. The truck had 400ish miles on it so I didnt want to be too rough on it but I got in a few good runs. Its clear to me this truck is a beast. It effortlessly passes traffic and gives you great confidence when pulling out in traffic. My butt dyno says its almost as quick as my BMW. When I pull into my driveway, the average MPG is 17.2....awesome considering my spirited drive.

I get home and my wife says it looks OK, she's not really thrilled with the grey interior (honestly its a little dark for my taste as well) but approves of the size and such. I spend time crawling over the truck. Not a lot of storage space compared, but lots of really thoughtful touches. Fuse box right up front under the hood to make swapping a fuse super easy. The new info screen is quite intuitive and really informative. I really like it. All the switches and buttons feel really good and like they will hold up really well. Cloth material is of good quality and seem like they would hold up to my families abuse quite well. 4WD engages simply and smoothly just as the Tundra.

My wife needs to run to the grocery for a few items, I ask her to drive the Ford and let me know what she thinks as I think she prefers the Tundra. I show her how to move the petals in and out to suit her and tell her to be careful and walk inside without another word. She comes back in 20 mins shocked at how quite the truck was. She loved the power, the adjustable seats, just about everything. I ask her if she wants to try the Toyota; she's not interested.

I spend a lot more time going over each from A to Z with. After all is said and done one thing is clear. The Ford is easily twice the truck and the same price. The Toyota had a few nicer materials, but it was more uncomfortable, had less power, made too much noise for no reason, flapped around the interstate like a fish on a boat deck, and was way worse on fuel. It did have nice storage though...

jsf150

I took the Ford back first as logistically it made sense. The dealer smiled when he saw me and asked how it was, he already knew. I was really suprised at how easy they were to deal with, no pressure, no hassle. Almost more like neighbors than what I had envisioned the Ford sales force to be. I told the dealer I wanted a truck just like this one only swap the e-locker for a LSD as I think its more suited to me than the e-locker. They did try to tell me they were the same thing, but I honestly think he didnt know better. He also tried to tell me that it was safe to engage 4WD on dry pavement and make turns. I tried to politely correct him but he kept pressing it, even said he would be happy to show me. I took him up on it and long story short he caused a little wear and tear on the front end of that poor ecoboost and hurt his ego at the same time :-(. Overall, I liked these guys and will do business with them.

I took the Toyota back and the salesman asked me what I thought. I told him I had be comparing back to back with the F150 and thought the Ford was a superior product. He honestly looked shocked but was not ugly about it. I gave my honest opinion without beating up the Tundra too bad and he listened. He asked me to consider the resale but from my research, I think they are about the same and told him so. He thanked me for giving them a shot and for the feedback and asked me to please consider them in the future. Very professional.

So, I need more F150 in my life and will be ordering one shortly as there are no other ecoboosts to be had in a 500 mile radius (or so I was told).

Now a few questions;
Since the winter is over and I don't have to do anything right this second, is there any logic in waiting to order until gas prices are up which would hopefully crank up the rebates? Maybe wait until October?

What is the difference between X-Plan and A-Plan? I've researched this and it seems that the A-plan is better but not all friends and family are applicable. I have a few friends that say they can get me an A-plan pin. Would this be on the up and up as I'm not related to them? I dont want to cheat anyone or get anyone in trouble.

Sorry for the long post and thanks to all for contributing to such a great site.

NorCal-09

Excellent and intelligent thread/post!!

I am sure, based on your articulated needs, that the F-150 Screw, will work perfectly for you.

While I cannot speak to any of those special Ford plans; I will say that if you are not in a real hurry and do not have the 'fever' too bad, it is ok to wait.

And yes, the EB has only been out a couple of months in the truck, and even in my area in Northern Ca, my large dealer only has one truck with the EB in stock. There appears to have been some parts and or other supply issues which has slowed down the flow somewhat, but I am sure that will smooth out soon.

If you are even thinking about waiting to October, it is true that there will be discounts and rebates for the '11s, as they prepare for the new '12 models to arrive. Then it will be the choice of less money for a new '11 or getting a newer '12, with less incentives, but maybe some new [enhancements] which are not available now on the '11 EB.

I am sure you will make the right choices, and you will get a lot of diverse opinions here in that regard.

Bottom line, I am sure you will be as happy with your truck as I am with mine.

GatorMedic

I think you get the "longest first post" award by a large margin lol. Sounds like the F150 will be a good fit for you. Personally I'd recommend you test drive a Ram also though. Sounds like you're pretty sold on the F150, but if you're making such a large purchase, I think it's a good idea to get all your bases covered. The Rams are very good trucks. I know from experience since I drove my step-dads '02 Ram for about a year while in high school and I've also driven his '10 Ram. I personally think the middle seat on front row bench seats in the Ram is way better than in the F150. I obviously think the F150 was the better choice for me which is why I bought it. And I'm in no way discouraging you from an F150. Just think it's smart to look at all possible options before investing such a large sum over something you have to use every day so there's no doubt whatsoever

Lord-of-Ford

Well the Tundra is a fine truck and Toyota's reliability is always a plus. But both are over exaggerated since I have friends that have just as many issues with their Tundras as any other truck. Most trucks these days are fairly solid since it is a competitive segment and it boils down to power and personal tastes.

I live in Cali and most foreign car buyers go with foreign cars since most of them are biased that way and most of middle America goes domestic. Ford has been high on reliability charts for awhile now and those that do not know are always surprised to hear that.

Latest gen F150 to me has best driving feel, looks (int & ext), and comfort of all trucks. So JSF should not be disappointed and hopefully you will have a good experience.

Gilley

Great post, I just traded in my 2010 Crewmax Limited Tundra 4x4, every option on it except the rear entertainment stuff and the Ford dealer gave me 35k, and that's even what the Toyota dealer would give me... sticker on it was 48k so lost 13k or so in 11 months. I loved everything about the truck except the 5'5'' bed and hated their traction control system... I'm from Fargo ND, so we get our winters here plus ice and thing was always engaging the traction control in 4x4 and couldn't drive around in 2wd at all. Got stuck in a snowbank that I shouldn't have because the TC kicked in and just took all my power away. I picked up the EB last Tuesday right before we had a blizzard on Wednesday, and this truck is amazing. I've been driving around in 2wd mostly the whole time where I woulda needed 4wd in my tundra plus being mad that the traction control would be constantly used. From the little i've gotten on my Ford, I think the Tundra had more get up and go but the Ford is a lot more snappy/smooth. I hadn't drove the Tundra in a month because the tabs went up at end of February and didn't see the point in buying them for 3 weeks. My other car is a 2003 Mitsubishi Evo 8 (575 whp) so that could be why the Ford doesn't feel "fast" to me but has plenty of get up and go and am more than impressed. I needed the 6'5'' bed that came in my Ford but if I knew what i know now from both I would pick the Ford hands down. My wife liked the Tundra's looks better but think she is slowly starting to like the F150.

agdaniels

Welcome to the site, you wont be disappointed with a new F150, I've put mine through its fair share of abuse and its still goin strong.

Check out the truth about trucks, it shows a good comparison of the new trucks in real world tests.

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/26/v...ll-size-picku/

ilmo

jsf150, you may have already seen the comparisons, but here it is in case you have not you seen this:

eye.surgeon

I also have driven a lot of BMWs and currently have an M3 as well as a Range Rover supercharged. I've never bought a Ford before and wasn't expecting it to be competitive with the toyota. Needless to say I've had my F-150 Lariat for 5 months now and haven't had a single issue. Now the poor M3 gets driven only when I am by myself.

FiveOhFuzzF150

That was way too long to read for me... Sorry iPhone