XLT Owners: Do you regret not buying a Lariat? Poll..
 

I am looking at a 302 XLT for $42,000 or a 501 Lariat for $47,000. I am trying to determine if the cost to upgrade is worth it. I am sure many have been in my shoes before, so vote away!

These are the differences I am aware of:

-Leather
-4A 4x4
-Dual Climate Control
-Keyless Ignition
-Power Folding Mirrors w/ Painted Skull Caps
-Cooled Seats
-Ambient Lighting
-Grill Painted To Match
-Push button tailgate release
-Large Dash Screen
-Soft touch dash
-Better Resale

Not at all, none of those options matter to me....
The only thing i wish mine had was memory function for the seats and mirrors.
I have a 16 XLT Scab 302a 5.0 FX4

If you can afford the Lariat, then go for the lariat. In my opinion those features are worth the extra price. It might be hard to install these features afterwards or even at all.

no regret at all - I don't see how the extra trim features are worth the up price but to each their own. Only thing I would like is the power folding mirrors. Cooled seats, leather, dual climate, 4a.... not my deal

It cannot be both. :icon_rolleyes:

Poorly posed question

Exactly my thoughts. The only thing I want is the memory seats. With all the power adjustments, they are infinitely adjustable and impossible to get back to where you had them. Still fighting to get them back to the sweet spot after a few dealer visits messed them up.

Just yesterday I had my GF move the truck in the driveway and my only instructions were "Don't move the seat!"

Power mirrors would be great too, Found out yesterday with the mirrors folded in, I fit in the garage door by 2" on each side. If I plan on continuing to keep in the garage, It will become a pain to get out every day. As of now, it's only in the garage for storms.

Otherwise, I have no needs for any of the lariat stuff.

Make sure that WITH REBATES the difference is only that much. XLTs have far higher rebates than Lariats.

Agreed. And I wish there was an option for: "No, and I wish I had gone a step down for the XL with STX package"

My must-have luxury items:
Remote start
heated seats
backup cam

302A covered those and had great rebates.

I love my XLT it has everything I need and more for a truck. The only things I wish it had were memory seats, power folding mirrors, and push start (I am a fan of push start).

I started out hunting for an XL. By the time I figured out some options I needed I wound up with the Lariat. The truck I bought came with the 502 package and some other options added.
One of the most important features I wanted was the 6.5' bed. Seems most of these trucks were of the Lariat or higher trim levels. Heated leather seats really helped my lower back, even in the summer months of south Texas.
I could afford it, it fits me and makes my life easier, and the wife likes it.
I could go on and on about other little things, but in the end it just fits.
I took my own advice I gave others. Do it right the first time and will keep the vehicle longer, cheaper in the long run. Had our truck going on 2 years and I would but the exact truck again.

I specifically did not want leather because if is not going to wear as good as the cloth will, plus its not as hot in the summer and cold in the winter. I have the large screen too. And the absolute best looking grill is the chrome package XLT.

Nope the XLT has everything I need. The big thing for me was the tailgate step, my knees are so messed up I had a heck of a time getting in and out of the bed, now with that step its pretty easy. The lights suck on the XLT but there are new lights (morimoto xb led headlights) and bulbs (DD SL1) coming out that are better than the stock. The only option I wish I could get was the 4A, but to me not worth the cost difference, especially after the rebates are applied.

Some Lariat level things I added to my XLT after buying it:
-Lighted visors w/HomeLink
-Tailgate dampener
-Tow mirrors w/BLIS (On an XLT you can either get tow mirrors or you can get BLIS, but not both.)

If i could get a lariat in my cab configuration I would of gone that route unfortunately highest trim level you can get on a regular cab is an xlt. That being said the extra price of the lariat is worth it to me especially if your thinking of adding things the lariat has, ask me how i know lol. Exterior led lights like headlights, tail lights etc... is about 3,500 alone if you shop around for good prices so that alone makes it worth it.

I am more than happy with my XLT Sport. To me, the $5000+ increase in price wasn't justified. I didn't want the upgraded B&O stereo as I planned from day one to upgrade it anyway, and I actually prefer the metallic grey XLT Sport grill over the color matched Lariat Sport grill. The one thing I do regret not getting, is the FX4 package (skid plates and rear tailgate step).

I'm one of those weirdos that prefers cloth over leather. It would have been nice to have the larger dash screen and cooled seats but that's not worth the money to me.

You can buy a lot of things with that $5000 that will make you happier than the gizmos you get on a Lariat. The only thing I think would be nice to have out of those features is the dual climate. But it's not worth $5000 when me or the wife can just close the vents on our side for free. I also hate leather, and the dealer said I couldn't get a Lariat with cloth anyways.

For me the difference was near 12k between the 302 xlt I got and the 502 lariat I was looking at.

Wasn't worth it to me. Even after the raptor.

I just wish I had powerfold mirrors

I have a 302a XLT with BLIS, FX4, sport appearance, 20" wheels, navigation, max tow, tailgate step, and pretty much everything you can get in an XLT and I'm perfectly happy. I hate leather interior and hate pano roofs. The only options I wish I had were LED headlights and fogs and 4A. Not worth the price increase though.

I think it's retarded that a truck that stickers at 54k doesn't even have the option to get LED's. I see cars that are half the price with LED's.

I still love my XLT, but the longer I go the more I wish I had some of the extras of the Lariat. I still hate leather though but could have lived with it. Plus I could have more easily got the 2.7l that I wanted in the lariat, but instead got the 3.5l because that's all I could find with the options I wanted. Biggest options I wanted from Lariat and up were the 360 camera and cooled seats and I felt those weren't worth 5k to me at the time I bought mine.

Aside from the Headlights. The XLT has everything I ever wanted in a truck **Blushing face**.

I used to think that I love leather. I got my 302A XLT thinking that I would eventually install katzkins, not anymore. I love the cloth. The 302A XLT has plenty of great features and I try not to make a habit of lighting money on fire so that's what I went with. Depending on the time of year, because of rebates, I think the difference can be a lot more than $5k.

One thing I've noticed over the years of being on forums is that whatever someone currently has is plenty until they get something else (nicer or not), then it is plenty. Yeah, as noted in a number of above replies....plenty "BUT...I'd like this one thing, but I'm OK without it". Look enough and you'll find you can spend more money on an XLT than some Lariats. Are you limiting yourself to one dealership...or even just a couple? If you haven't already, get on the Ford website and search some close by zip codes for what your looking for.

We just wanted a good tow vehicle with a few amenities and the XLT has been flawless. Don't need all the bells and whistles.

You make a good point. Regarding searching different dealerships, I have A plan, so that is a non-issue.

Long story short, if you have no desire, plans, or know how, yes the Lariat may be a better purchase. I believed that my truck would be built by me for what I wanted, not bought and like all other Lariats. To each his own. Other than 4auto, anything is able to be added IF one ever wanted to.

Yeah but remember that ONLY the 502a pkg Lariat has the LED headlights. The 500a and 501a do not. Yes they do have BLIS however and things like memory seat...BUT you can actually order an XLT with BLIS....ask me how I know...Oh thanks for the follow on Instagram! LOVE your truck!

I guess I'm a weirdo too then! :thumbup:

The resale on a Lariat would be higher of course because it's a higher and more expensive trim level to begin with. But the depreciation percentage will favor the XLT because it is the more popular trim, and also because high cost options and trim levels on more loaded vehicles tend to take bigger depreciation hits.

I don't regret my XLT purchase. I originally thought I'd upgrade to an 18 but I'm happy enough with my truck. I don't plan to upgrade until the next redesign. That being said I would have liked the leather, better dash/soft touch and memory seats.

Push start, ambient lighting, dual climate don't matter to me.

Been in my buddies Lariat a bunch of times. I actually like my XLT better.

I love my XLT, it was a huge, luxurious step up from the bare bones Tacoma it replaced, and if I was doing it over again, for the same price, I'd buy it again over a Lariat. That said, there are a couple items I wouldn't mind having: memory seats, keyless ignition, adaptive cruise, and the larger instrument cluster screen ("productivity" screen?), the rest doesn't interest me at all, and I'm a member of Team Cloth Seats, so the leather would actually be a negative.

Love my 302a XLT. $ync3, remote start, backup camera and heated seats were my must haves and the 302a covered that. After my wife drove it I could add memory seats to the list but it's not worth the extra money. My LED headlights arive next Wednesday and a lot cheaper than OEM. H*** I could add the LED headights and fogs, and katskin leather cheaper than what OEM LEDS go for but wife don't like leather.

I tried to talk myself into a Lariat several times but I just couldn’t get past the $6K price tag and ended up with a 302A XLT sport.

Our other vehicle is a loaded MKX and my previous vehicle was a loaded Fusion Titanium. I was concerned about losing Intelligent Access/push button start, auto climate, leather seats and a few other things. But I don’t miss them at all.

Memory seats are a head scratcher - can’t believe they give you power seats with no memory. But I’m the only one driving my truck 95% of the time.

I wanted max rebates, didn't care for leather. The wife didn't want leather either. XLT 302A came equipped with NAV, factory spray-in BL, got free upgrade to 20" PVDs.

It really depends on what's important to you and how much you're willing to spend to get it. I'd certainly like to have smart key push button start and HomeLink, but I couldn't justify the extra cost of the Lariat just to get those. Even having had leather in my last six vehicles (including one Lariat), it's not something I feel any strong desire to have and pay more for, especially since the cloth seats in our 302A XLT Sport are comfy, adjustable and heated. I'm the one who drives the XLT 99.9% of the time, so memory seats are not something for which I'd want to pay extra.

With all of the dealer discounts, package discounts and cash-backs, you should be able to get a 302A XLT for a very attractive price compared to the Lariat. I've aleady put some of the $$ difference into nice add-ons like a BedRug XLT mat and a Lomax cover. I may take a look at upgrading the headlights in the future with something like the Morimoto XBs. Otherwise, I'm just driving and enjoying the XLT. Over time, a decently-optioned XLT has evolved into quite a nice truck.

I hate leather seats!

Almost everything you listed can be added to an XLT. I'm happy with my Lariat because it has added sound proofing and the upgraded cooled / heated leather seats. Heated seats in a lariat circulate the air in the cushion, XLTs just have a heating element and make your back sweat. I wouldn't consider 4A a benefit. I absolutely love 4A, but I assume it will fail a few years quicker and have issues more often than a conventional transfer case. With that said, every time I turn the ignition in an XLT I can't help but think that many XLT owners at some point are going to have their key blade snap off inside the ignition barrel in a year or two. Ford's conventional keys are a flimsy joke.

Shop for the drive-line, chassis length and motor you care about; anything else is optional and subjective to your own needs and opinion. It's easy to add an 8" screen but it's not easy to weld an extra foot of chassis in or change the motor out.

My favorite tech feature by far is Sync connect's cellular remote start. It is optional on XLT and standard on Lariat. I see more value in a 500a and 501a lariat than a 502a. My favorite mechanical feature (sadly) is the tail gate step which is optional in both trims . It's a tough call no one can make for you.

Keep in mind that the moment you go above lariat Canada (and I assume USA too) insurance classifies platinum, king ranch and limited differently and you can expect you annual premium to nearly double, so don't get suckered into a big up-sell into a King Ranch, those aren't worth it. XL, XLT and Lariats land in the same class when you price out insurance where I live... so maybe check that out first in your area and determine what your true costs look like.

It can help you make up your mind real fast if a Lariat is an extra hundred a month in insurance.

My determining factor, the one thing that pulled me toward s the 500a instead of the 302a was the two tone caribou lol, literally the last thing anyone should care about.

Thats what we say now about resale, but in reality nothing could be farther from the truth. If you price out a 10 year old Cadillac Escalade with a 10 year old suburban the price is very similar, you'd be a fool to pay more for the Cadillac.

I completely agree. 10 years from now there will only be two types of 13 Gen F150's. Raptors and non-raptors. A platinum is really just an XL with tech which will quickly become antiquated and some leather. It's like shopping for a motorola razor in 2007 and thinking that the fancy one will be worth more in 2017.

I hate all seats!

Only things i wanted that i couldn't have were 4a and the 360 camera, but going xlt I also go cloth seats and freed up some payload from not having all the extra crap. Im happy with the xlt, still wish i could have got the heavy duty payload package with 302a but that's a rant for another time.

I've had XLTs, Lariats and the last 2 trucks were Platinums. I decided to go back to an XLT (received her last month) this time because I just wasn't getting my money's worth from the higher trims. I created a spreadsheet listing all the options the Lariat had over the XLT. I built both trucks on Ford's website with the same options except the XLT was a 302A package and the Lariat was a 502A package. The price difference I think was around $7k, but you still have to add the difference in rebates so the total savings was right around $10k. I really wanted the Lariat, but was only coming up with maybe $3k I would pay for the Lariat options. I wanted the intelligent access with push button start (I'd give~$500), I wanted the larger interactive display (another $500) and leather (~$2k). I didn't care about some of the other stuff. I just never used it. So I went with the XLT and had Katzkin installed for $1000. I got leather with no perforation holes!!!!, 2 tone leather!!!! and I upgraded the package to full leather on rear seats!!! all for $1k, not the $2k I would have allocated towards the Lariat. So only items I am missing are the intelligent access and larger display, but it's not that big a deal. Really I was probably giving them too much credit at $500 each anyway.

-Leather (wanted and was able to get!!! and I got much much better setup with Katzkins)
-4A 4x4 (I've had 4WD in all my previous trucks and never used it, I'm done with 4WD. If roads are that bad I shouldn't be out. Love the 700 mile range I get now out of a tank of fuel)
-Dual Climate (sounds great and all previous trucks had it, but I still found myself changing the temperature up and down so it really didn't save me very much button pushing)
-Keyless Ignition (I love and want, but am doing fine without. I would pay up to $500 for this option if I could have it installed)
-Power Folding Mirrors w/ Painted Skull Caps (I have standard mirrors and am fine with them not folding, figure the folding motors will wear out and more $$ to spend fixing. I've also lost numerous side mirrors in the past to tree branches falling, trailer next to me turning into my lane, passing car crossing yellow line so I just soon keep them relatively simple and cheap. My last Platinum had everything on it's side mirrors (heat, turn signals, spot lights, dimming, power fold, 360 camera, etc) and was trailer tow mirrors. The guy driving next to me took this mirror out with his trailer. Cost $1000 for a new one. <1 hr install Crazy!!! I have turn signals on my current ones and they're heated so I am more than happy)
-Cooled Seats (I don't want anymore. They never really made a huge difference, more to possibly break in the future and I didn't like the perforation holes!!!)
-Ambient Lighting (Didn't care either way)
-Grill Painted To Match (I am happy with chrome grill and I definitely like the chrome bumper vs the higher trim painted bumper)
-Push button tailgate release (I like and might pay $200 for it)
-Large Dash Screen (I like and might pay $500 for it)
-Soft touch dash (don't care)
-Better Resale (of course a lariat is worth more so it's resale is more, My last one was a Platinum and it's value plummeted when I drove it off the lot, It cost me $75k and traded a year latter for $64k and it had 8000 miles. My current XLT is $34k and if I do something similar it's price drop will be much more reasonable)

Memory seats, massaging seats, painted bumpers, wood trim, BLIS, 20" wheels, trailer assist, Fx4 doesn't excite me at all. Had them and never used them or really noticed them.
I do like auto high beams (I'd pay another $200 for that). 360 camera I like and would pay another $300 for, but we go back to the expensive side mirrors so I'm kind of nuetral on this option. So I might pay $2000 more for a lariat (actual cost ~$10k), but I would also get some stuff I actually do not want on the truck so the XLT worked out great. Sticker was $45k and paid $34k love those XLT rebates. I can't believe I am driving such a cheap truck (relative to the last 3 I've owned) and love it more.https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.f15...f77a84a64c.jpg

I voted Yep, buyer's remorse primarily because my FX4 XLT doesn't have 4A.
Dam F'n Ford should of made the 4A option a lot more clearer between the two trims in the sales booklet.

Otherwise i'm happy with my XLT but still holding out for a V-8 Raptor...which will probably mean i'll never own one.

Here's my take...

-Leather - Can be added through Katzkins for about $1500, you get to select your color and design, and it's better quality than factory.
-4A 4x4 - I live in Texas so not needed.
-Dual Climate Control - I would love this, not gonna lie.
-Keyless Ignition - I'm sure it would be great if I had it, but I've always had a key so no biggie.
-Power Folding Mirrors w/ Painted Skull Caps - I would like to have this, but I just park in the back of the parking lot and don't have a garage, so I don't need it.
-Cooled Seats - I would definitely love this in the Texas summers, but I have covered parking at home and work, so again not really needed for me.
-Ambient Lighting - Meh, I like a darker interior at night.
-Grill Painted To Match - You can get this in an XLT as well.
-Push button tailgate release - I'm fully capable of pulling the handle.
-Large Dash Screen - I have the 8" nav screen since I have a 302A. I also had ClustersByLivinitup on this forum set me up with the 8" instrument cluster like the Lariat's.
-Soft touch dash - Why is this needed? Do you always feel your dash?
-Better Resale - Technically yes, but you pay more up front, so it seems like a wash.

If I'm being honest, I would have bought a Lariat if I had the financial means to. But I made some bad financial decisions with vehicles and had too much negative equity to afford a Lariat, so I "settled" for a 302A XLT. I love my XLT, so no I really don't regret it.

Glad I bought the XLT just for the extra payload......I will be upgrading to a 1 ton, at which time, I want all the bells and whistles, while I hope it's a Ford....if they don't figure out this door latch recall in due time....I will see what Ram and Chevy do for the next gen.

I forgot about payload. My last F150 Platinum was max tow but the payload was 1400 lbs. Another reason to stick with XLT. My current 2.7l has more payload.

I got an XLT, but the things I wished I could've gotten were 4A, memory seats and LED headlights. Reasons I like the XLT, and made me decide against the lariat:
Cloth seats - I'm a small guy, and I slide around in leather seats too much even with the seat belt tight. Also, leather burns my butt in the summer when first getting in, and freezes my butt in the winter.
No duel climate - I like the simplicity of the base heater and A/C system. I still think it could be designed even more intuitively. The wife's Hyndai has all the same functions, yet it's controlled by one easy to use central knob and two extra buttons for recirc and defrost.
Keyed start - first thing I did was ditch the key fob and get a plain XLT key (no buttons) with internal transponder. Less bulk in my pocket and more secure since I never use the fob to lock/unlock or start the truck. No one can pick up the signal with a grabber. I keep the original key fobs in a RFID case in my safe.
Column shift with center console - I like the extra storage space of the center console with the shifter on the column. At the time I couldn't get a lariat with column shift and center console.

Ironically, things I don't like about my XLT that are hard to get rid of:
Rear backup sensors - annoying, but maybe forscan can disable this?
Rear sliding window - breaks up my field of view out the back window, and it's too small to be practical. Never use it.

I like the lariats, but some of the standard options were a no-no for me, and it would've been harder (and maybe more costly) to remove options I didn't want in a lariat than to add options to an XLT that I did want. Adding 4A or memory seats to my XLT will never happen, but someday I plan on LED lights.

To add a few more..

LED headlights - You have to get a 502A Lariat (top of the line) to get these. They are very nice, but my halogens work absolutely fine.
Column shifter - I much prefer the look of a more "traditional" column over console shifter. I use the space in my console, where the shifter would be, to hold my phone and wallet.
Memory seats - I would love this option, but would rarely use it. Nobody drives my truck but me, and it's never at the shop unless it's for warranty work (which I haven't had yet). I do my own maintenance.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.f15...f77a84a64c.jpg[/QUOTE]

LOOKS DAMN NICE...

-Leather Don't want it
-4A 4x4 Don't care
-Dual Climate Control Don't care
-Keyless Ignition VERY convenient feature. I do miss this from my 2016 GTI.
-Power Folding Mirrors w/ Painted Skull Caps Power fold is cool, but I think the black mirrors look better
-Cooled Seats Don't care
-Ambient Lighting Don't care
-Grill Painted To Match Cool, but I think the XLT grille style looks better, so I'm painting mine :)
-Push button tailgate release Cool, but don't really care
-Large Dash Screen Cool, but don't really care
-Soft touch dash Cool, but don't really care
-Better Resale Do they actually retain a higher % of MSRP? (Genuinely curious, never looked into it)

If everything on the Lariat were stand-alone options, the only things I would have paid to get are keyless entry/ignition, auto wipers, and maybe LED headlights if they were reasonably priced.

The 8" gauge cluster screen would make sense to bundle with the nav option, then just make nav standard on Lariat and up.

I too would have preferred a traditional column shifter. I don't really understand the point of having two different styles anyway.

I have a 17 sport package so don't know about how the 18's came.

ONLY Thing I want - is the LED headlamps. And doing the math it would have been cheaper for me to buy a lariat model than it is to add in something near the quality of the OEM setup.

Because it would have fit in with every other car I have I would have liked the following.
Leather seats - not even remotely necessary but everything else i have has leather.
Dual zone climate with auto - slightly bigger deal - again every other car I have has that too.
Sport came with the big sync 3 screen etc - that's what I got it for.
The rest I have no desire for - but again being cheaper on the lights only - I wouldn't have cared. Had I known it would cost so much to do the LED after the fact I would have gotten a lariat.

I just bought a 2018 and like you LED heads are a must. I ran the numbers and based on the price I got my XLT 302a for and then getting a Lariat with the same options as my truck and adding 502A to get the LEDs, I was looking at close to 10k difference in price. (I wanted the SE LEDs which only come with the SE pack which is $2k I believe)

I recently added the OEM LEDs for roughly $2k (2018 heads are alot more expensive than the 2017s). You should be able to add the OEM LEDs to your truck for about nearly half the price.

Yeah
 

The lariat vs my XLT sport sticker to stick was 4k higher. after incentives and my Xplan and the like it was going to be all of 2100. from my reading here adding Factory LED headlights is going to start at just 1400 in parts. since the headlight assemblies themselves are expensive.

Very happy with my 2017 XLT with the exception of one major disappointment (lighting) and a couple minor ones (no low washer fluid warning, vanity mirror lights or Homelink).

Already discussed, but the 'better resale' argument makes zero sense. When you pay less to begin with, it doesn't matter that it sells for less later. I would bet that the XLT has every bit as good resale (percentage of value retained given WHAT YOU PAID) compared to a Lariat. So, the statement of 'better resale' in the first post isn't correct.....it is actually probably worse resale. If anyone buys something for 'better resale' they haven't actually done the math or they don't understand what the term means.

You could have gotten the 8" touch screen in the XLT like i do its just a pkg thats offered.
the LED head lights are one thing I wish was a option thats something I would like to have.

Only reason I wanted a Lariat was for the LED headlights. The package I wanted also included the moon roof. I did not want a leaky, troublesome moon roof in my truck. Found a XLT with the 302A package and couldn't be happier and saved a bunch of $. Bought a Kawasaki Pro FXR with the savings!

In behavioral economics terms this poll is going to be heavily impacted by divestiture aversion also known as the endowment effect.

It has been psychologically proven that by merely owning things, people assign a statistically significantly higher value towards those things, even if there is no cause for attachment. For example, participants in a controlled experiment who were first given a chocolate bar were generally unwilling to trade it for a coffee mug, whereas participants first given a coffee mug were generally unwilling to trade it for the chocolate bar. They had unknowingly assigned the item they were given a higher value, regardless of what the item was.

That said, I think the XLT is a very nice blending of features. Just wish it came with HIDs.

Jesus dude, lol. I'm an educated man but I had to G00gle the **** out of the first sentence. Had to double check I was still on the F-150 tab and not looking at my 401(k) investments, lmao. But yes, totally agree with you.

Personally, I wanted all the "fluff" that my XLT did not have. Did I need it?, of course not, but the King Ranch leather/pano roof/ambient lighting/messaging seats/ L.E.D. lighting/4a & power remote soft drop tailgate, make this truck much more fun to drive & just be in. This is of course, just "my" opinion about this particular truck. You have to make the decisions on what makes you happy & content. Good luck!

PS: I realise that a lot of things can be added with Forscan, but my skill set limit is right around setting the AM/FM radio stations. :)

Just say NO to fake wood paneling!!

No regrets. This is my first truck and I couldn't justify the extra $ (both in sticker in lower discounts) that the Lariat provided. Plus, I love heated, cloth seats.

Going the other way, this is the first Lariat I've owned after several XL T's. I probably won't go back.

My last vehicle was a '15 Explorer XLT which had many of the options found on a F150 Lariat. Having those features such as Dual climate control, BLIS, Leather seats, comfort package, terrain management and other options, I decided I didn't need that kind of thing in a pickup truck. I did like the leather and suede seats in the Explorer though, best leather combo ever put out IMO. It would be nice in my F150 but, the cloth is nice also. The cloth doesn't need the cooled option because it breathes. More appropriate with the leather seats. BLIS? How did I ever live without this? Nanny fodder! The 4a option would have been good but, I have enough experience with normal 4x4 that I won't even miss something like 4a. My Explorer had similar and I like how it operated but I don't ever wish I still had it.

My XLT has everything I need. As it sits, it's got more luxury items than could be found on older XLT's. It has Nav, Sports package (not a chrome guy) 302a package to include things like boxlink remote start, reverse sensing, 110 power outlets, power sliding rear window and led box lighting. I have the 3.5L EB, 10 speed tranny, 3.55 elock, pro trailer backup assist, max tow, integrated trailer brake and 36 gallon gas tank. For me, anything more is fru fru. I also enjoyed upgrading my audio system. Something I would have hesitated on if I had the B&O.

I'm quite satisfied with my choice with no regrets whatsoever. :)

only thing I miss from a lariat is the power folding mirrors and cooled seats. Not enough for the 5-6k extra a lariat was from what I paid for my xlt though.

I traded in a 15 year old truck, so my XLT seems loaded compared to my old truck. I was trying to keep my cost at around 30k and no way to do that with a Lariat. Having low monthly payments have allowed me to buy all the extras I have wanted.
Also, I bought this truck to be a work truck, not a Uber vehicle. It does everything I need. (I did get the tow package.) I would like to have LED headlights but can get by with the halogen. Hopefully they will be standard on all future trucks.

I love mine I can't see why I would pay the extra money for a lariat at this time. The only thing I regret that this truck doesn't have is sync 3 and leather. 2k fixes that and that's far less than the markup for a lariat.

The only things I want on my XLT are better headlights. And I could just do better aftermarkets. I couldn't justify paying almost 10K more just for that. I don't like leather (prefer waterproof seat covers for the dog), and the rest although nice, are a luxury item I didn't need. I prefer 4a for the easiness, but it isn't needed. 4 high works. Cooled seats aren't necessary, I wouldn't feel it over the seat covers. Digital screen, although pretty, isn't a necessary item, and can be added.

and YES to real cheap plastic ones!

Nope. As people have said elsewhere...even at $70K the F-150 is still a $30K truck at heart, so it's kind of silly to pay for stuff you don't really need because it's mostly all gingerbread. The step between the XLT and Lariat is steep. Not so much in MSRP but in what they are selling for on the lots. XLT was the sweet spot for me.

^^ This... Even with everything I have added to my truck (and most of y'all know its a fairly extensive list) I'm just now getting into the Lariat price range. In my opinion, I have a nicer truck now than anything available on the purchasing dealers lot at the time.

Personally what ever you can afford makes you happy and fits your needs works for me. I started out wanting to buy a used truck, Looking around at the prices and mileage used ones were going for I ended up buying new. In my case I wanted an SCAB with 6 1/2 ft bed, engines was not sure. Long short with all the year end rebates and discounts I ended up buying a loaded XLT FX4, tow package, Bliss, Backup assist, 36 gal tank, tailgate step, 302a package, 5.0 and a few more things I can not remember for a killer price, There were no upper trim level trucks with SCAB's everything was SCREW.

Would I like leather seats like my 2 other vehicles and a few of the other Lariat options sure. But do I really need them No. I am happy with my purchase my truck has everything I really need and them some except lights on the visor mirrors!!!!!!!!!!!!! for my wife who gave me her blessing to buy new. Really ford what's up with that!

RCSB owner here.. What is this "lariat" you speak of? ;)

In my case to get the Lariat would have been $6-8k more than my XLT. I have spent $3,500 on "Lariat" upgrades; OEM SE LED headlights, OEM LED tailights, Katzkin leather. When I sell the truck in a couple of years I will get $1,500 or so of that back when I remove and sell the LED headlights and tails. So I am in for $2,000 buying Lariat options. A nice chunk of change savings over buying a Lariat.

After having the truck for a year there is one Lariat feature I find myself wanting and that is the push button start. The main reason isn't for the push button itself, but because the key hole on the F150 is kind of tucked away behind and under the steering wheel so sometimes it requires a little fumbling around to get it in the hole (hehe). The push button/remote access helps resolve this.

Glad I went with the XLT. The only thing I wanted that I didn't get was LED headlights, but I wasn't willing to move up just for that.
I ordered mine with all the options I wanted, except for the LED headlights.

sometimes i wish i had gone lariat, ATC, and on cold mornings like this one (6*F) heated steering wheel.

but 99% of the time i am more than happy with my XLT

Love my XLT. If I could add any items from a Lariat it would be the following:
- Push button start
- 360 deg Camera
- Adaptive cruise
- middle back seat arm rest
-4A setting

Now if they would only sell a Lariat with a cloth interior option. I'm not a big fan of leather as it gets hot in the summer, and cold in the winter here in Iowa.

The 360 & adaptive can be added fairly easily....you can get the seats from a salvage yard.. A couple of guys even have push start functional in there XLTs

No, I have the 40-20-40 seat and dont like the fold down seat\console in the middle and want to remove it and replace it with a better more functional console. Other than that it has just the right amount of features. I am afraid a lot of these extra features will just start to break down after 8 to 10 years of ownership. Only time will tell.

About close to $5K difference in rebates, incentives, & packages between 2018 302a XLT not HDPP vs. 2018 Lariat HDPP, not to mention the +$6K more in MSRP.
Wanted but not needed was the HDPP, Gone for 2019 in any case.