I'm new to this forum. Been lurking for a while and finally joined. I will be buying a new 2013 FX4 this weekend. I've been struggling with which features I need vs. want for my job. I'm a Landman working right-of-way projects for oil and natural gas pipelines around the country. I'm currently working a project in Nebraska and Colorado, but I live in Texas and am a deer hunter and own some acreage so I am always using a truck. I'm keeping my current truck which is a 2004 GMC Sierra 2 wheel drive ext. cab with the 6.5' bed and a toolbox.

I'm flying home this Friday and will be going straight to the dealership from the airport. Been driving a bunch of trucks in different trims and models and have settled on the FX4 in Tuxedo Black with the black leather. I really like the FX4 appearance options combined with the Tuxedo Black. Ingot Silver and White look sharp too. I also strongly prefer the 18" cast aluminum wheels instead of the 20" because I am off-road a lot in my line of work.

Since I already own a truck with a 6.5' bed and a toolbox, I really want a 6.5' bed in the FX4, but I have been having trouble finding one. You can get a 6.5 bed in the Lariat, but the Lariats come with those 18" or 20" "Chrome Clad" wheels, which are really just shiny plastic covers glued or taped to a steel wheel. The King Ranch also has 6.5' beds, but I have not been able to find one with the 5.0 motor. I don't want to start a 5.0 vs. Ecoboost war, but I have heard enough negatives about the Ecoboost that I would rather save the $1,000 and put it towards aftermarket mods. Finally, I just really, really like the FX4 look much more than the Lariat, King Ranch, Limited and Platinum.

I think I can live without the 6.5 bed. I will still have my GMC Sierra if I should need a longer bed, and I can always buy a utility trailer if necessary. I actually think the 5.5' bed looks better with the Crew Cab and resale value is better where I live in Texas as that is the most popular bed length.

The FX4 I have settled on has Equipment Group 402A and has all the options except Nav and the moonroof. I don't care about the moonroof, but I'm wondering if I will regret not having the Nav. I use my GPS app in my iPhone, but many times I am in remote areas with no signal. The dealership I am using has a couple of Ingot Silver FX4s with the Navigation, but it also has the moonroof and the 20" wheels.

What would you guys do? Get the Black FX4 with the 18" wheels I like and buy a Garmin or go ahead and get the Silver FX4 to get the Nav and trade out the 20" wheels? I should not have any trouble trading 20" wheels for 18" wheels. BTW, I like the Tuxedo Black a little better, but I can live with the Ingot Silver and FX4 package.

Sorry for the long first post, but I wanted to lay it all out there for you.

 

If you ever haul anything you will regret not having a 6.5 box. That extra foot doesn't sound like much but it's huge! You will have no problems with 20" rims either, they a very capable off road and you can put whatever tread on them you want, 20s are a very popular size. 18s look to small in the wheel wells and offer no advantage. The nav is also nice to have, sticking a Garmin in your Window and pulling it out every night or risking theft is a hassle. I would never buy a 5.5 bed, they are completely worthless for hauling things. Those are my opinions but you know what you need better than I do.

 

If you want a 6.5' bed and can't find it in an FX4, why not order one from the factory? You seem to know what you want but can't find it - so I'd suggest that if you can wait a month or so, then order one to your specs. And I wouldn't say the 5.5' is completely worthless. Many of us haul things just fine with it; it's personal choice.

 

"I really regret getting the factory navigation option"

Said no one ever.


I can see not wanting a moon roof (I personally never liked using them) plus you get an extra glasses holder without the moon roof.

Ad mentioned above the 20's will serve you off road just as well as the 18's and look much better doing it.

The 5.5 vs 6.5 bed is almost like eco vs 5.0 around here. The 5.5 is more popular and easier to maneuver/park. I've hauled stuff that sticks out the back and felt perfectly fine and safe doing that. Plus you have a 6.5 bed truck already.

I vote for tuxedo black 5.5 with nav

 

My only complaint with my '13 FX4, is the 5.5' bed, I came from an 8' box Super Duty. I simply could not find one locally without having to do a factory order so I settled. I love the truck and deal with the small bed. My truck is loaded with everything minus the longer bed and max tow. Do yourself a favor and get every option now.

 

I am looking at about the same truck as you, Nav is a must have for me. Never have had a bed as short as the 5.5 but am thinking that with the tailgate down you can still haul 8' stuff like plywood or dimensional lumber. The black trucks are very cool but I am opting for a white one I think, down to two that are in stock and one has the 20" wheels. Good luck with your decision.

 

VinceM, the deals they are offering on the 2013 FX4s are great. After hearing the feedback from you guys, I think I'm opting for a Silver Ingot/Black leather with the Nav and 20" FX Cast Aluminum wheels. This dealer does not have a black on with that package except with the ecoboost and you loose $500 in rebates for the 5.0 motor and the ecoboost adds $1,095.00. I cant get either the silver or a white one with 5.0, 5.5' bed, Nav, moonroof (don't really care about it), and the 20" wheels for $41,167.

The only thing this truck does not have is the 6.5' bed, but I will be using this truck on the road 95% of the time driving to meet with landowners or driving off-road from site to site. I really just need a crew cab for the extra room and the bed to throw all my travel gear in. My truck is really my mobile office and I need it to be as comfortable and functional as possible. I drive anywhere from 100 to 300 miles any given day and I think this truck will meet my needs and then some. I considered a F-250 SD Crew Cab 4x4 since I drive so much, but the ride is not as nice, although it is very nice for a 3/4 ton and I really don't want to mess with the hassle and expense of maintaining a diesel. IMHO, diesels really are only for people who pull heavy loads all the time. The mileage advantage is completely gone with all the emissions crap and having to carry around a bottle of DEF so your truck won't shut down in the middle of nowhere is not for me.

I will post some pics when I get back to CO. with my new truck next Tuesday. The first thing I'm doing is putting a Ranch Hand Legend Series full brush guard on it. I hit a 200 lb. buck mule deer doing 70 mph with my GMC last week and, although it did a lot of damage, the full brush guard kept my truck from being totaled and possibly losing control and having an accident. It still drives, but it will need a complete front clip, hood, left fender, grille, bumper, lights and brush guard.

Thanks for the input!

 

I guess I missed the paragraph where you were keeping the other truck. Still id get the 6.5 bed cause they look more proportional and you will never want to drive the other truck after you drive the new ford, these are awesome trucks! I actually just traded my 150 for a 350 Platinum diesel and it's even more awesome, there are a few small things about the 150 I miss and the ride is awesome on the road, way smoother than I thought it would be but over washboard gravel roads the back end does hop a little more due to a little stiffer suspension. You don't really need to worry about carrying def unless you are towing on a long trip, the tank holds enough to last between oil changes and they sell it everywhere. You do need the ford funnel though. You wouldn't regret getting one, they are sweet. You can delete all the Def and emissions bs for around 1500 $ I think and gain a couple mpg. I haven't done it yet. I'm getting 17-19 at 68mph flat ground no wind, drove 55 once on flat ground no wind just to see and got 23-24. My average is around 15-16 and I've been hammering on it almost every corner because it's fun to drive. I live in the country so I don't know what city mileage would be. If you at seriously thinking about one I'd go test drive, you will be amazed at the ride I think. Oil Changes cost a little more but I got 4 free coming from my dealer and I haven't double checked what they recommend but my buddy has one and he goes 10k between them.

 

Sounds like a good decision. Congrats, you will enjoy the truck. IMHO, Ingot Silver with the FX black accents make a beauty of a truck.

 

Well I had intended on getting a black or silver or white FX4, but when my wife and I walked into the dealership there was a 4x4 screw in ruby red metallic and we both fell in love immediately. They had an FX4 in that color that had only been on the lot 13 days with the exact package I had decided on which was the 18" wheels, upgraded AT GoodYears, no Nav and moon roof, but all the other bells and whistles. Price after factory rebates, Ford Mo Co rebate and dealership discounts was $40,003. About 10k off MSRP. Not bad. The ruby red paint was a $395 upgrade and the AT tires were $275 extra. I splurged with the savings and bought the Platinum 100k mile warranty.

I love this truck! It is amazing. The Sync Services Turn-by-turn directions work pretty well, so I may hold off on buying an after-market Nav. The blue tooth interface works perfectly with my iPhone, which is important as I make a lot of calls on the road. Stereo rocks! ride and drive is sweet. Leather seats are plush yet provide great support. Interior room is HUGE. My daughters said they feel like they are in another room from us up front. I could go on...

First thing I'm doing is installing a Ranch Hand Full brush guard and then either a leveling kit or spray-in bed liner. After that who knows.

Here are some pics. Thanks for all the input everyone. BTW, the 5.0 sounds good with the factory exhaust. Glad I went with that instead of the ecoboost. Nothing beats the sound of a V8.