Haven't posted in years, some of you may remember me!

I used to have a '98 Blazer that I owned for 7-8 years and loved to death (literally killed it).



I have since been driving a boring '07 Accord for the last 3-4 years which has served me well. I've put about 70k miles on it and like a typical Honda, there have been no issues and it just continues to run flawlessly. Couldn't ask for anything more.



However, about a year ago I moved from Ft Worth, TX to Chicago, IL for a new job and along with that, I've been itching for an excuse to buy a new vehicle.

The last few months of researching and test driving countless vehicles had me narrowed down to a few options,

1. Toyota TRD Pro 4Runner
2. Ford F150 Raptor (yes I seriously considered this)
3. Kia Stinger GT (yes LOL)
4. Acura TLX A-Spec
5. Chevy Colorado ZR2

I really, really wanted the Raptor, but I have a pretty decent commute to work, and the 15mpg would have been killer. I also don't have any nearby deserts to race in, so the Raptor would rarely get to flex it's muscle. Plus dealers are still charging $10k over sticker in a LOT of places, so it would have been an $80k vehicle. I also only have a 1-car garage, and the Raptor would be a tight squeeze.

I ultimately went with a 2018 F150 w/ 3.5L Ecoboost V6. This is a Lariat 502A model with tech package, sport package, FX4 offroad package and many other options. Essentially an F150 Platinum, but without the chrome! Has all the bells and whistles you could ask for, heated/cooled seats, heated steering wheel, 360° overhead cam, lane-keep assist, Apple CarPlay, LED lighting, WiFi hotspot, twin panel moon roof, power folding mirrors and running boards, power opening tailgate, 36gal fuel tank, and best of all... 470 lbft of torque!!!

I wanted the factory spray-in bedliner, and I kind of wanted adaptive cruise control but this truck was already difficult enough to find. Pretty rare configuration as it is and neither the dealer or I could find one with everything. Factory orders are always possible, but the delivery estimates start at 10 weeks and can potentially be much longer. Finally decided against the adaptive cruise, and I can get a Line-X spray in bed liner that's probably better than the Ford one to begin with. Also having the dealer install a 2.5" leveling kit later next week.

With all that said, enjoy!

 

Although you'd went to the dark side... the new F150's are certainly gorgeous. Fine looking truck sir! I use to drive a 2010 XLT that I bought brand new and loved it, it never gave me any issues at all. Only got rid of it because of moving and job changes and couldn't comfortably afford the payments any more... Now I find it hard to believe that I could deal with a truck payment right now, I love have 2 paid for vehicles lol.

Enjoy it!

 

Nice ride you got yourself.

Are they properly treated against rust on the underbody? (wax)

Just that you are now in snow/salt country.

 

That is a seriously good looking truck!

 

Just recently had the first snowfall of the season and I was less than thrilled with the factory Hankook's. Finally pulled the trigger on the BFG KO2s I've been wanting. Paired them with a nice set of Ford Performance black wheels. I popped out the standard blue Ford center caps and have a set of Raptor center caps on order. Jumped up to LT285/65/20 (roughly 35") from the factory size P275/55/20 while I was it. I've only driven a few miles since installing them but the ride seems better with the taller sidewall.

Going this weekend to get the computer re-calibrated to account for the larger diameter. I'll take some better pics once I've got the wheels degreased and cleaned up.

 

Shouldve stuck with the honda.... more reliable...

 

Can’t argue with that. Still own the Honda

 

Beautiful truck!! I'm in the same dilemma, had the blazer and still miss it every day but traded it for the jetta that I'm coming up on two years of driving and I still love it but I want a raptor in the worst way. Like you I will probably end up going the f150 route because of adulting and being reasonable. I love the white you have and that's what I'll likely go with as well unless I get a raptor then I'm going with the desert tan with ZERO graphics!

 

Haha I know the feeling well, I looked at Raptors so much. If I could have found a base model for sticker price I probably would have gone that route, but dealers only get a certain number of Raptor allocations, so they configure them all to the max level because they have no problem selling them. This truck I got is equipped as nicely as a top of the line Raptor or KingRanch/Platinum and has a similar sticker price, but the Raptors get marked up, where everything else gets marked down. I also get Ford X-plan pricing through my employer, and was told that Ford Performance vehicles are not eligible for that pricing.

If you do get an F150, and are in a position to pick which engine, I can't recommend the 3.5 enough. The dealer I bought this from let me drive three trucks on my own for several hours at a time. All 4x4 crew cab, one with 2.7 eco, one with 3.5 eco and one with 5.0 V8. All were excellent in their own way, and after driving each it almost made the decision harder. Ultimately chose the 3.5 since I know several people with this engine and all have been happy. I actually do get the EPA rated MPG, averaging around 18-19 mixed driving. If I really baby it I can get quite a bit higher. Here's a pic of the best mixed driving MPG I ever got, this is across two weeks of driving to work and back (60mi per day, about half highway, half city).



Line-X Platinum



Raptor center caps (and new lug nuts/wheel locks) installed



Better side view in the daylight