2013 First Impressions
12-22-2012, 09:22 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
2013 First Impressions
Traded in my 2004 GMC SLE 4X4 Duramax on a 2013 Ford F150 XLT with the Ecoboost on 12/21/2012 and drove it to restaurant for dinner and then home. These are my first impressions of my new Ford F150 XLT regular cab 4X4.
a. Ford is taller, so tall that I can’t reach over the bed rails into the bed of the truck to pick something up. Most of you younger guys would probably disagree, but advantage GMC.
b. Interior cab is very roomy, probably bigger than my GMC. There seems to be more distance between rider and the door. Advantage Ford.
c. The heated mirrors come with a concave bird’s eye smaller mirror directly below the big one. I like that. Advantage Ford
d. The manual side mirrors stick out farther than my power mirrors on my GMC. I worry that I will hit them when entering or exiting the garage. Advantage GMC.
e. Seat is more firm, probably because they are new. It takes more effort to slide them forward and aft, but could be because it’s new. Maybe in time, they will loosen up. Advantage none.
f. The jack is open directly beneath my seat in my XLT, and has a plastic funnel to add fuel to gas tank if you run out of fuel and have to use a jerry can. The funnel is a “special tool” to use in the cap-less fuel filler opening. My GMC had the jack under a hard plastic cover so you didn’t see it. GMC advantage.
g. There appears to be more storage room behind the seats on the Ford. Advantage Ford.
h.My XLT doesn’t have a pocket to put your sunglasses in or a place to clip the garage door opener. Maybe too early to figure this out but my GMC had a pocket directly above the mirror to put you sunglasses in and clip the garage door opener on. So until I figure out where to put them, GMC advantage.
i. The engine in the Ford is the Ecoboost, and my GMC had the Duramax engine, which is much louder. I found that I was speeding going into my neighborhood and will have to learn the sound to speed before I get a ticket. No advantage.
j. Ford tailgate has a lock, my GMC didn’t offer it back in 2004, but do now. Ford was first to do so, advantage Ford.
k. The instrument panel has all the normal gauges plus a transmission gauge, but all seem to be too small to accurately display the real value. I like the bigger gauges where you can see movement of the needle, and know your engine temp is 185° F. Advantage GMC.
l. My Ford XLT regular cab doesn’t have a switch to turn off the passenger side airbag if I am carrying a small child in a car seat. In my GMC, I could use the truck key and turn the passenger side air bag off when carrying precious cargo. I think Ford’s is automatic and based on the weight of the passenger, but what if I have a young toddler who may eat too much but still requires a booster seat? This to me is a safety issue. Maybe I am not understanding the Ford system yet, but right now advantage GMC.
m. Bought the HD tow package and HD payload package, and the built in trailer brake controller and anti-sway system are very nice, even though I have yet to use them. I had to add an aftermarket controller to my GMC, and believe Ford was the first to offer it as an option. Advantage Ford.
n. Ford has vanity mirrors on both sun visors. My GMC only had it on the driver’s side. Advantage Ford.
o. My XLT came with carpets and carpeted floor mats. I also bought the optional rubber floor mats to use over the carpet. My GMC only had carpet with rubber mats to protect the carpet. I will put the carpet floor mats into the basement and only use them when trading in my Ford. Advantage Ford.
p. MYKEY is overwhelming, and it will take some time to learn all the functions there. My GMC had basic information in the DIC, including an hour meter to keep track of the hours on the vehicle for those who do maintenance based on hours. I can’t find hours yet on the Ford. Maybe it’s there, maybe not. Too early to tell.
q. The Ford turn signal lever is push and release and not what I was used to having. My GMC has the traditional push up for right/down for left and they snap back when the turn is completed. My salesman forgot to mention this and I kept trying to get them to stay. I guess I will get used to it. Once I understood the system, they worked ok. I had the same issue with the high beam. I will get used to it. No advantage.
I am not asking for trouble here, I am only giving you my first impressions of my truck with 26 miles on it. You may disagree, I don't care, but if I don't understand something, I would be interested in clarification. Thanks
b. Interior cab is very roomy, probably bigger than my GMC. There seems to be more distance between rider and the door. Advantage Ford.
c. The heated mirrors come with a concave bird’s eye smaller mirror directly below the big one. I like that. Advantage Ford
d. The manual side mirrors stick out farther than my power mirrors on my GMC. I worry that I will hit them when entering or exiting the garage. Advantage GMC.
e. Seat is more firm, probably because they are new. It takes more effort to slide them forward and aft, but could be because it’s new. Maybe in time, they will loosen up. Advantage none.
f. The jack is open directly beneath my seat in my XLT, and has a plastic funnel to add fuel to gas tank if you run out of fuel and have to use a jerry can. The funnel is a “special tool” to use in the cap-less fuel filler opening. My GMC had the jack under a hard plastic cover so you didn’t see it. GMC advantage.
g. There appears to be more storage room behind the seats on the Ford. Advantage Ford.
h.My XLT doesn’t have a pocket to put your sunglasses in or a place to clip the garage door opener. Maybe too early to figure this out but my GMC had a pocket directly above the mirror to put you sunglasses in and clip the garage door opener on. So until I figure out where to put them, GMC advantage.
i. The engine in the Ford is the Ecoboost, and my GMC had the Duramax engine, which is much louder. I found that I was speeding going into my neighborhood and will have to learn the sound to speed before I get a ticket. No advantage.
j. Ford tailgate has a lock, my GMC didn’t offer it back in 2004, but do now. Ford was first to do so, advantage Ford.
k. The instrument panel has all the normal gauges plus a transmission gauge, but all seem to be too small to accurately display the real value. I like the bigger gauges where you can see movement of the needle, and know your engine temp is 185° F. Advantage GMC.
l. My Ford XLT regular cab doesn’t have a switch to turn off the passenger side airbag if I am carrying a small child in a car seat. In my GMC, I could use the truck key and turn the passenger side air bag off when carrying precious cargo. I think Ford’s is automatic and based on the weight of the passenger, but what if I have a young toddler who may eat too much but still requires a booster seat? This to me is a safety issue. Maybe I am not understanding the Ford system yet, but right now advantage GMC.
m. Bought the HD tow package and HD payload package, and the built in trailer brake controller and anti-sway system are very nice, even though I have yet to use them. I had to add an aftermarket controller to my GMC, and believe Ford was the first to offer it as an option. Advantage Ford.
n. Ford has vanity mirrors on both sun visors. My GMC only had it on the driver’s side. Advantage Ford.
o. My XLT came with carpets and carpeted floor mats. I also bought the optional rubber floor mats to use over the carpet. My GMC only had carpet with rubber mats to protect the carpet. I will put the carpet floor mats into the basement and only use them when trading in my Ford. Advantage Ford.
p. MYKEY is overwhelming, and it will take some time to learn all the functions there. My GMC had basic information in the DIC, including an hour meter to keep track of the hours on the vehicle for those who do maintenance based on hours. I can’t find hours yet on the Ford. Maybe it’s there, maybe not. Too early to tell.
q. The Ford turn signal lever is push and release and not what I was used to having. My GMC has the traditional push up for right/down for left and they snap back when the turn is completed. My salesman forgot to mention this and I kept trying to get them to stay. I guess I will get used to it. Once I understood the system, they worked ok. I had the same issue with the high beam. I will get used to it. No advantage.
Last edited by GM Guy; 12-22-2012 at 01:54 PM. Reason: Gas fill is on left side, ctr console raises w/o latch
The following 3 users liked this post by GM Guy:
12-22-2012, 10:04 AM
#2
Traded in my 2004 GMC SLE 4X4 Duramax on a 2013 Ford F150 XLT with the Ecoboost on 12/21/2012 and drove it to restaurant for dinner and then home. These are my first impressions of my new Ford F150 XLT regular cab 4X4.
a. Ford is taller, so tall that I can’t reach over the bed rails into the bed of the truck to pick something up. Most of you younger guys would probably disagree, but advantage GMC.
b. Interior cab is very roomy, probably bigger than my GMC. There seems to be more distance between rider and the door. Advantage Ford.
c. The heated mirrors come with a concave bird’s eye smaller mirror directly below the big one. I like that. Advantage Ford
d. The manual side mirrors stick out farther than my power mirrors on my GMC. I worry that I will hit them when entering or exiting the garage. Advantage GMC.
e. Seat is more firm, probably because they are new. It takes more effort to slide them forward and aft, but could be because it’s new. Maybe in time, they will loosen up. Advantage none.
f. The jack is open directly beneath my seat in my XLT, and has a plastic funnel to add fuel to gas tank if you run out of fuel and have to use a jerry can. The funnel is a “special tool” to use in the cap-less fuel filler opening. My GMC had the jack under a hard plastic cover so you didn’t see it. GMC advantage.
g. There appears to be more storage room behind the seats on the Ford. Advantage Ford.
h. The gas filler is on the right side, so you need to get out and walk around the truck to fill it. My GMC was on the driver’s side, so in the bitter cold, you could jump back into the truck and wait for it to fill. Advantage GMC.
i. My XLT doesn’t have a pocket to put your sunglasses in or a place to clip the garage door opener. Maybe too early to figure this out but my GMC had a pocket directly above the mirror to put you sunglasses in and clip the garage door opener on. So until I figure out where to put them, GMC advantage.
j. The engine in the Ford is the Ecoboost, and my GMC had the Duramax engine, which is much louder. I found that I was speeding going into my neighborhood and will have to learn the sound to speed before I get a ticket. No advantage.
k. Ford tailgate has a lock, my GMC didn’t offer it back in 2004, but do now. Ford was first to do so, advantage Ford.
l. The instrument panel has all the normal gauges plus a transmission gauge, but all seem to be too small to accurately display the real value. I like the bigger gauges where you can see movement of the needle, and know your engine temp is 185° F. Advantage GMC.
m. I have the 40/20/40 bench seat with a center console. The release to raise the center console is on the passenger side, so I have to reach over and find the lever, and lift. My GMC did not have a release. All you did was raise it. Advantage GMC.
n. My Ford XLT regular cab doesn’t have a switch to turn off the passenger side airbag if I am carrying a small child in a car seat. In my GMC, I could use the truck key and turn the passenger side air bag off when carrying precious cargo. I think Ford’s is automatic and based on the weight of the passenger, but what if I have a young toddler who may eat too much but still requires a booster seat? This to me is a safety issue. Maybe I am not understanding the Ford system yet, but right now advantage GMC.
o. Bought the HD tow package and HD payload package, and the built in trailer brake controller and anti-sway system are very nice, even though I have yet to use them. I had to add an aftermarket controller to my GMC, and believe Ford was the first to offer it as an option. Advantage Ford.
p. Ford has vanity mirrors on both sun visors. My GMC only had it on the driver’s side. Advantage Ford.
q. My XLT came with carpets and carpeted floor mats. I also bought the optional rubber floor mats to use over the carpet. My GMC only had carpet with rubber mats to protect the carpet. I will put the carpet floor mats into the basement and only use them when trading in my Ford. Advantage Ford.
r. MYKEY is overwhelming, and it will take some time to learn all the functions there. My GMC had basic information in the DIC, including an hour meter to keep track of the hours on the vehicle for those who do maintenance based on hours. I can’t find hours yet on the Ford. Maybe it’s there, maybe not. Too early to tell.
s. The Ford turn signal lever is push and release and not what I was used to having. My GMC has the traditional push up for right/down for left and they snap back when the turn is completed. My salesman forgot to mention this and I kept trying to get them to stay. I guess I will get used to it. Once I understood the system, they worked ok. I had the same issue with the high beam. I will get used to it. No advantage.
I am not asking for trouble here, I am only giving you my first impressions of my truck with 26 miles on it. You may disagree, I don't care, but if I don't understand something, I would be interested in clarification. Thanks
a. Ford is taller, so tall that I can’t reach over the bed rails into the bed of the truck to pick something up. Most of you younger guys would probably disagree, but advantage GMC.
b. Interior cab is very roomy, probably bigger than my GMC. There seems to be more distance between rider and the door. Advantage Ford.
c. The heated mirrors come with a concave bird’s eye smaller mirror directly below the big one. I like that. Advantage Ford
d. The manual side mirrors stick out farther than my power mirrors on my GMC. I worry that I will hit them when entering or exiting the garage. Advantage GMC.
e. Seat is more firm, probably because they are new. It takes more effort to slide them forward and aft, but could be because it’s new. Maybe in time, they will loosen up. Advantage none.
f. The jack is open directly beneath my seat in my XLT, and has a plastic funnel to add fuel to gas tank if you run out of fuel and have to use a jerry can. The funnel is a “special tool” to use in the cap-less fuel filler opening. My GMC had the jack under a hard plastic cover so you didn’t see it. GMC advantage.
g. There appears to be more storage room behind the seats on the Ford. Advantage Ford.
h. The gas filler is on the right side, so you need to get out and walk around the truck to fill it. My GMC was on the driver’s side, so in the bitter cold, you could jump back into the truck and wait for it to fill. Advantage GMC.
i. My XLT doesn’t have a pocket to put your sunglasses in or a place to clip the garage door opener. Maybe too early to figure this out but my GMC had a pocket directly above the mirror to put you sunglasses in and clip the garage door opener on. So until I figure out where to put them, GMC advantage.
j. The engine in the Ford is the Ecoboost, and my GMC had the Duramax engine, which is much louder. I found that I was speeding going into my neighborhood and will have to learn the sound to speed before I get a ticket. No advantage.
k. Ford tailgate has a lock, my GMC didn’t offer it back in 2004, but do now. Ford was first to do so, advantage Ford.
l. The instrument panel has all the normal gauges plus a transmission gauge, but all seem to be too small to accurately display the real value. I like the bigger gauges where you can see movement of the needle, and know your engine temp is 185° F. Advantage GMC.
m. I have the 40/20/40 bench seat with a center console. The release to raise the center console is on the passenger side, so I have to reach over and find the lever, and lift. My GMC did not have a release. All you did was raise it. Advantage GMC.
n. My Ford XLT regular cab doesn’t have a switch to turn off the passenger side airbag if I am carrying a small child in a car seat. In my GMC, I could use the truck key and turn the passenger side air bag off when carrying precious cargo. I think Ford’s is automatic and based on the weight of the passenger, but what if I have a young toddler who may eat too much but still requires a booster seat? This to me is a safety issue. Maybe I am not understanding the Ford system yet, but right now advantage GMC.
o. Bought the HD tow package and HD payload package, and the built in trailer brake controller and anti-sway system are very nice, even though I have yet to use them. I had to add an aftermarket controller to my GMC, and believe Ford was the first to offer it as an option. Advantage Ford.
p. Ford has vanity mirrors on both sun visors. My GMC only had it on the driver’s side. Advantage Ford.
q. My XLT came with carpets and carpeted floor mats. I also bought the optional rubber floor mats to use over the carpet. My GMC only had carpet with rubber mats to protect the carpet. I will put the carpet floor mats into the basement and only use them when trading in my Ford. Advantage Ford.
r. MYKEY is overwhelming, and it will take some time to learn all the functions there. My GMC had basic information in the DIC, including an hour meter to keep track of the hours on the vehicle for those who do maintenance based on hours. I can’t find hours yet on the Ford. Maybe it’s there, maybe not. Too early to tell.
s. The Ford turn signal lever is push and release and not what I was used to having. My GMC has the traditional push up for right/down for left and they snap back when the turn is completed. My salesman forgot to mention this and I kept trying to get them to stay. I guess I will get used to it. Once I understood the system, they worked ok. I had the same issue with the high beam. I will get used to it. No advantage.
I am not asking for trouble here, I am only giving you my first impressions of my truck with 26 miles on it. You may disagree, I don't care, but if I don't understand something, I would be interested in clarification. Thanks
12-22-2012, 10:17 AM
#3
Senior Member
i was gonna say the same thing about the filler tube. the only fords i know of where it on the passenger side is some of there cars. otherwise all there trucks since they started building them on on the driver side.
12-22-2012, 10:45 AM
#5
Member
GM Guy,
Nice write up. My previous truck was a 2004 XLT regular cab long box with a 3.73 rear and a 5.4 liter. I wanted HID headlights which were not available in a regular cab configuration, so I ended up ordering a 2013 Lariat extended cab with a 3.73 rear and a 5 liter. After I placed the order for my truck, I took a test drive in a 2012 XLT extended cab with a 3.55 rear and a 5 liter. I could not help feeling that the interior of the 2012 XLT is inferior (a bit more flimsy and less polished) to the 2004 XLT interior. I suspect that the redesigned interior of the 2013 XLT might be better.
Regarding your points:
a. I think that you will eventually get used to the higher bed sides. They bothered me a bit on my 2004 at first, but now the high bed sides just seem normal for a truck.
c. The heated side mirrors are surprisingly effective for clearing away ice and dew from the windows. The blindspot mirror addition is very nice.
e. I thought that the seat in the XLT that I took for a test drive was also quite firm, as was the seat in my 2004 XLT. I could only stand about 3 hours of continuous sitting in my 2004, while my Lariat’s seats seem to be very similar to those in my Mustang, which were comfortable enough for 10 to 12 hours of sitting for 3 to 7 days.
g. My 2004 XLT had small rear doors that provided easy access behind the seat – that made it easy to hide things behind the seat in the large storage area. I think that I would miss not having those doors in the newer version of a regular cab.
h. What? They moved the gas tank filler to the passenger side? It was on the driver’s side on my 2004 regular cab, as it is on my 2013 (and as is on my 1994 regular cab and my 1979 regular cab). That is a silly change for Ford.
i. My 2004 had a small flip-down overhead compartment that was perfect for storing a small garage door opener remote. You might check to see if your truck as that overhead compartment.
k. My 2004 also had a tailgate lock – must be that was a feature on the truck for a while.
m. With a little practice, you should be able to hit the release for the seatback in a single motion while swinging it up – unless Ford changed that latch.
n. You might check again for the switch to turn off the air bag – my 2004 XLT had that option. The air bag will automatically turn off based on the passenger’s weight, but there should also be a switch to turn it off.
s. The changes to the “idiot” stick seemed silly to me at first. Ford also changed the behavior of the high beam activation. After 1,500 miles, I think that I am used to the turn signal behavior – half of a press turns them on for 3 flashes for lane changes. The high beam activation still needs a bit of practice – flashing someone heading in the opposite direction with their high beams on sometimes results in the high beams remaining on depending on how hard the “idiot” stick is pulled (high beams in an HID equipped truck are very bright).
I would be interested in hearing your updated thoughts after 1,000 or 1,500 miles in the truck.
Nice write up. My previous truck was a 2004 XLT regular cab long box with a 3.73 rear and a 5.4 liter. I wanted HID headlights which were not available in a regular cab configuration, so I ended up ordering a 2013 Lariat extended cab with a 3.73 rear and a 5 liter. After I placed the order for my truck, I took a test drive in a 2012 XLT extended cab with a 3.55 rear and a 5 liter. I could not help feeling that the interior of the 2012 XLT is inferior (a bit more flimsy and less polished) to the 2004 XLT interior. I suspect that the redesigned interior of the 2013 XLT might be better.
Regarding your points:
a. I think that you will eventually get used to the higher bed sides. They bothered me a bit on my 2004 at first, but now the high bed sides just seem normal for a truck.
c. The heated side mirrors are surprisingly effective for clearing away ice and dew from the windows. The blindspot mirror addition is very nice.
e. I thought that the seat in the XLT that I took for a test drive was also quite firm, as was the seat in my 2004 XLT. I could only stand about 3 hours of continuous sitting in my 2004, while my Lariat’s seats seem to be very similar to those in my Mustang, which were comfortable enough for 10 to 12 hours of sitting for 3 to 7 days.
g. My 2004 XLT had small rear doors that provided easy access behind the seat – that made it easy to hide things behind the seat in the large storage area. I think that I would miss not having those doors in the newer version of a regular cab.
h. What? They moved the gas tank filler to the passenger side? It was on the driver’s side on my 2004 regular cab, as it is on my 2013 (and as is on my 1994 regular cab and my 1979 regular cab). That is a silly change for Ford.
i. My 2004 had a small flip-down overhead compartment that was perfect for storing a small garage door opener remote. You might check to see if your truck as that overhead compartment.
k. My 2004 also had a tailgate lock – must be that was a feature on the truck for a while.
m. With a little practice, you should be able to hit the release for the seatback in a single motion while swinging it up – unless Ford changed that latch.
n. You might check again for the switch to turn off the air bag – my 2004 XLT had that option. The air bag will automatically turn off based on the passenger’s weight, but there should also be a switch to turn it off.
s. The changes to the “idiot” stick seemed silly to me at first. Ford also changed the behavior of the high beam activation. After 1,500 miles, I think that I am used to the turn signal behavior – half of a press turns them on for 3 flashes for lane changes. The high beam activation still needs a bit of practice – flashing someone heading in the opposite direction with their high beams on sometimes results in the high beams remaining on depending on how hard the “idiot” stick is pulled (high beams in an HID equipped truck are very bright).
I would be interested in hearing your updated thoughts after 1,000 or 1,500 miles in the truck.
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12-22-2012, 12:05 PM
#9
The turn signals were the hardest thing for me to get used to. They still occasionally annoy me but I think making them electronic vice mechanical will either make them last MUCH longer and possibly reduce the risk of fire in the steering column by reducing the number of mechanical switches.
My gas door is on the driver's side too... 2012 STX with the 36 gallon tank.
My gas door is on the driver's side too... 2012 STX with the 36 gallon tank.
12-22-2012, 01:02 PM
#10
Beer Gut Extraordinaire
Yeah.
There HAS NEVER been a gas filler cap on the passenger's side of an 09+ F-150. Don't know where you got that one from..WTF.
The seat does not require the lever to be pushed to raise the middle seat. That is only for bringing it down..another WTF.
There HAS NEVER been a gas filler cap on the passenger's side of an 09+ F-150. Don't know where you got that one from..WTF.
The seat does not require the lever to be pushed to raise the middle seat. That is only for bringing it down..another WTF.
