ME120

Hi there, I am currently shopping and trying to decide between which f 150 would be the right choice. I currently own a 2015 1794 Toyota Tundra with 41,000 miles and I am very happy with the truck, but I am not happy with toyota being so slow in keeping up with the latest technology and their research and development towards the tundra seems to be on the back burner, almost like they don't really care. I honestly think toyota puts their money into cars and suv's. I wouldn't be surprised if toyota drops the tundra after 2019. They've done nothing since 2007 with the tundra and they have discontinued the tundra TRD pro and they are discontinuing the 4 runner in the states.

Now onto ford. I really like the f 150. I am currently trying to decide between the raptor vs. the platinum vs. xlt lariat. I love the raptor looks, although I live up in the northeast and we have no deserts up here, and our woods and off roading territories really don't favor the raptor, although we do get a lot of snow up here. The other thing I don't like about the raptor is the dealers up here in New England will not budge from $ 5000.00 to $ 10,000.00 over msrp. I have never paid msrp for a truck, let alone over. The thing about the raptor is I feel like I will never use 50 % of what's on the truck, so paying over msrp seems stupid to me.

The platinum I really like. I think for where I live the platinum fits the bill perfectly, although I wish it came with 18 inch tires. This leads into the xlt lariat and why it intrigues me, because you can get the xlt lariat loaded with 18 inch tires, which are much better in the snow.

I was just wondering if anybody could help me with the comparison between the three f 150 models and is the raptor worth $ 5000.00 to $ 10,000.00 over msrp. And what are you giving up and not getting by going with a loaded XLT Lariat vs. a loaded platinum. I was considering the ecoboost for the platinum and the lariat.

Any comments or help would be appreciated.

Thank you.

tareed94

XLT fully loaded with have cloth, and will be missing several of the features of a loaded Lariat such as dual climate, auto climate, BLIS, power fold mirrors, halogen headlights instead of LED, Halogen tails instead of LED, halogen interior lights and 3rd brake light instead of LED, and if you're looking at 4x4 the XLT will not have 4x4 auto.

Lariat fully loaded can/will have everything the Platinum has, minus the aluminum trim pieces inside, and the massage seats

Raptor fully loaded is essentially an offroad ready Platinum.

XLT and Lariat are two different packages. And no, I wouldn't pay more than MSRP but to each their own.

Coercion Shaman

Go to the build site and compare. The Platinum and Lariat are mostly cosmetic differences and what is already included in the vehicle versus adding a package. I looked heavily at both before I bought. The Platinum had the massage seats (wife wanted) and I liked the aluminum interior trim vs. the plastic in the Lariat. I didn't think the seats were as comfortable on the Platinum and hated the tailgate placard that was on it. I also didn't want PVD wheels that are standard on the Platinum.

There are dealers selling the Raptor at sticker. Visit the Raptor forum or go on Autotrader and do a full radius. Just be mindful of dealers selling for under MSRP that are deducting money from the addendum they added. I wanted the look and feel of the Raptor, but didn't want the lower gas mileage that the high output motor gave in addition to the added cost for extended body panels and suspension that I would never use. No one buys a Raptor because they need it. You buy a Raptor because you want it.

Rontbeamer

You actually have four trim levels in your discussion. The XLT, Lariat, Platinum, and Raptor. The Raptor is for the serious off road crowd. If you want to get some off road capability beyond the standard 4x4 get the FX4 package available on all trim levels. It gives you skid plates, different shock tuning, and hill descent control. Forget the Raptor for your use, you'll never use it for what it is designed to do. The XLT, Lariat, and Platinum are all increasing comfort and feature trim levels. Platinum is almost king of the hill and has just about everything you can dream of in a truck. The XLT is nicely equipped but doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the Platinum. The Lariat adds Leather to the XLT and a few other goodies. It sits right between the XLT and Platinum. If you want all the technology goodies you are into a Platinum. You need to decide what features are important to you. Reading your post I think you are looking for either a high-level Lariat (hard to come by, very popular trim level) or a Platinum (easier to get because they are very expensive, 65k sticker).

EDIT: Wheel size, I hear you on that topic. I went with 18s on my 15 XLT, and they were fine, but in 17 I switched back to the 20s. Yes they cost more to replace but it's what is on the higher trim level trucks these days.

J15

The XLT and Lariat are two separate trim levels. XLT trims tend to have the most room for discounts. Lariats have more electronics and creature comforts.

Personally I think the Raptor is a massive waste of money. You can buy a nicely equipped V8 Lariat and supercharge it for less money than a stock raptor. It’ll be more practical, far more powerful, and sound a hell of a lot better than a 6 cylinder “muscle” truck.

I’m not sure why you care about the wheel size. The tire diameter, composition, and tread are what impact your traction. The wheel doesn’t change what touches the ground. Even so, you’re talking about $50,000+ trucks. If you can’t afford to change the wheels and tires, you can’t afford the truck.

2015rubyFX4

XLT or Lariat. You have to be happy

Rontbeamer

20" tires are a lot more money as an ongoing maintenance cost. I hear the OP on that topic loud and clear. I prefer the 18s myself because of this issue. I bought the Platinum because I want a lot of comfort on long road trips. I could do without the additional 400.00 replacing tires when the time comes. I had 20s on my 2007, about 1k to replaces tires. I went with 18s on my 15 XLT. I'm back to 20s on the 17 Platinum. The 18s also ride better because the sidewall height is taller.

lutter5-0

Too bad you can't get a trimmed down Raptor.....

Coercion Shaman

I personally went to a dealer and had him pull two trucks out that I was interested in and park them side by side on the back of the lot (and then leave me). I bounced from truck to truck comparing and then drove them both back to back. It helped to actually see the differences and determine what was, indeed, important to me.

J15

Let’s be honest. We’re talking about a $55,000 truck. The difference in tire cost is $30-$50 per corner. $200. That’s 0.3% of the purchase price and most owners only do that once or twice before trading it in for a new vehicle. If you can’t afford that, you can’t afford the truck. It’s absolutely ridiculous to influence a purchase decision over an easily replaceable component with entirely negligible effect on total cost of ownership.