Hello,

I am a new member to this site and I need help. I want to buy a 2015+ Ford F150 4WD Crew Cab short bed, preferably a Lariat. I have somewhat of a limited budget, and looking at the market right now, the only trucks I can find in my price range have over 120,000 miles on them. I know the market is on fire at the moment because of chips and the ongoing crisis and everything, so prices will obviously be up. A couple questions,

How reliable is the 5.0 V8? Ive heard mixed results but the main question I have is, is it reliable enough that I can daily drive a F150 with over 100,000 miles and not have to worry about it breaking down?

What trims have blind spot? I live near a big city and I commute daily. can an XLT get blind spot (I know lariat and up have blind spot)?

What is an F150 like to drive? Ive never owned a pickup truck and I hear they are quite big and heavy to drive. Are there any specific features I should look out for?

Thank you for reading and helping.

 

My Platinum has blind spot. I don’t know what trim level it starts at.

My F150 drive like a dream. Nice smooth ride, comfy seats. Interior is huge.

My last truck was an 07 Chevy 2500Hd Duramax, so this F150 is a light weight. The shorter wheelbase makes it easier to park and manuver.

As far as features, I would suggest the 36 gallon tank, remote start, push button start, power deploy running boards and navigation.

Good luck.

 

very much appreciated. thank you so much. Your platinum looks gorgeous!

 

Find a truck you think you like:
Schedule time with a mechanic to perform a prepurchase inspection to help you decide if "it is reliable".

You can't ask the internet people if a used truck with 100,000 miles is reliable as we will all assume either 1) it was meticulously maintained by the previous user or 2) it was never maintained and the seller has traded it because it's making a loud knocking sound due to the oil never being changed.

If a truck was maintained, yes a motor with over 100,000 miles is reliable. There are additional things that should be considered though.

I can't tell you what an F150 is like to drive. I've had now my 4th truck since the early 90's, well 5th if I could the Ranger to start things off.

You need to find ANY truck and test drive it for yourself to see if you can see yourself in a tank. It won't be the same as your Civic experience.

With the budget consideration, you may need to drop down to an XLT and lower miles or higher quality maintained vehicle.

It is difficult to talk about "my first truck" and in the same breath say there is budget but wanting a Lariat.

Do you just want a truck or do you need a truck, or for that matter do you even need to replace what you are driving.
Purchasing a Lariat on a budget with low miles in the model year you are looking at screams 'need', more than want.

 

Thank you for the advice, it is extremely helpful. I do need to test drive a truck first, and the reason I ask about reliability is ive heard mixed items about the 5.0. but your right, it totally depends on pervious owners. - I originally wanted a lariat as I will spend a lot of time in the truck and the fact it has blind spot standard. im not sure if an XLT has blind spot but I am probably wrong. (if the XLT does I do like the XLT) my uncle is going to employ me help build beach houses and my sedan does not rlly fit the spesifications of hauling.

 

There will always be mixed results about any motor from any manufacturer.
You are correct, there is a period of time when the V8 had issues but I don't honestly remember if any of them were "stay away" models.
There will be better answers than mine soon but in general, none of the years included a "buy this motor and expect it to fail" motor.

There has been an ongoing problem with the V8 regarding oil consumption, you can find a lot of info about that.

The blind spot monitoring is a nice convenience to help us stay lazy but in no way is mandatory. Again, I've been in a pickup for many years and I know how to adjust and read my mirrors. The flashy light shouldn't be a 'must have' list item (in my opinion).
The Lariat is probably a more comfortable highway vehicle with the extra creature comforts. This is the nicest vehicle I've ever owned, with that said though, I haven't had a 'not nice' vehicle since I was a teen.
I drive alone, some of the features I have are useless to me like passenger 10-way seat and dual climate control.

The only thing I can say about a Lariat as a building contractor truck is there are a lot of nice things to take extra care with.
Don't forget to remove the tape measure from your belt or risk tearing the leather. Is it okay to get in the truck after a hot filthy sweaty day, staining up the leather or marring up the leather steering wheel.
You'll need to cover up all the pretty stuff to keep it protected, as you would with most -but why cover up all the nice interior. I mountain bike and I do my best not to get my sweaty self all over the truck on the drive home. That's a couple days a week at most, not daily. I change my clothing and I sit on a towel to keep my sweaty/muddy/dusty legs off the seat. I keep a rag/towel available to keep my sweaty arm off the center console. I don't rest my arm on the window ledge. My hands sometimes are filthy an I have to grip the steering wheel. Yep, it is a lot of work just to drive home but the flip side is continually cleaning it to keep the "lariat" interior looking nice for when I'm not dirty and gross.

People say "it's a truck and meant to be dirty and scratched". My view is "it's my only vehicle" and I should treat it the same as if it were a brand new Cadillac. I wouldn't purposefully beat up a sedan, why is it that I would beat up a pickup truck.

The eco boost trucks actually make more power than the V8 does, if power is a concern of yours for towing anything. Being on a beach though I assume you don't have mountains to travel through from Job A to Job B.

Good luck with your hunt! They are out there but the used lots are quite expensive. I've seen people buying lesser equipped, a year older than mine for equal to or more than I paid 2.5 years ago so expect to pay the premium, unfortunately.
Get one as new as possible -Keep in mind paying off the truck 5 or 6 years from now gets you to a payoff point of a 11 year old vehicle.

 

Blind spot sensors (BLIS on f150's) only became an option on XLT in 2021. So you're correct in looking at Lariat and up for blind spot sensors.

Any truck without the sensor has bubble/wide angle mirrors either underneath the side view mirror (tow mirrors) or in the upper outside corner. I personally prefer having the bubble mirror, plus these trucks have really good visibility as far as your side blind spots are concerned.

 

There were some 5.0's made in 2018 and some 2019 models that used more oil than the owners liked. It has never caused an issue that I'm aware of, you just may have to add a quart of oil between oil changes. Years prior to 2018 and after 2019 seem to be pretty bulletproof. The 5.0 in my 2014 has been a great engine.

The 3.5 EB is a little better engine if you tow heavy loads. But the 5.0 does fine with typical loads pulled with 1/2 ton trucks assuming it is geared properly. I'd check the axle ratio. They offered 3.15, 3.31, 3.55 and 3.73. If it has 3.55's or 3.73's you'll be fine. The 3.55 and 3.31 are the most commonly seen. The 3.31's wouldn't be ideal if you want to actually tow any weight. I'd pass for sure if it had 3.15's.

 

BLIS on '18 XLTs was an option. I've seen quite a few others on here besides mine.

 

thank you so much this helps immeasurably! I do agree, while BLIS is nice it isnt mandatory and XLTs are still an option for me. Working all summer will definitely have an impact, as you are right, I do not want to get the truck too dirty or broken. This truck will basically be my pride and joy as ill spend immeasurable amounts of time in it. ive already looked at Ram and Chevy but none of those appeal in the way that the F150 does.

one dumb question, ive seen the LED BLIS taillamp for sale, if I purchase those and the mirrors can I install blind spot? or is it not worth all the work?

Im thinking about an ecoboost. I wouldn't be towing too often, but as I will most likely run to Home Depot a lot (and this is in Texas so its a long drive anywhere) having that engine might pay off.

I really do wish I could get an '18 or something, and id even be happy with an '18 XLT over a 15' Lariat, especially with the factors you brought in. ill keep hunting!