if i go newer i won't be getting the six and when my grandpas legs fall off i get my moms 94 with the 300 and a five speed. i'm just debating on going newer from my 92 with the 5.0 and 5 speed. i want something different but that truck won't let me down and i don't wanna get screwed by selling it.

 

I don't like any of the newer trucks. The 97-03 trucks are too rounded inside and out. The only one I think looks halfway decent is the 2nd gen Lightning. As for the 04 up, I hate the SD doors too. I also don't like the notorious blind spot on the doors from 04 up. Sometime fairly recenlty they finally fixed that problem, it looks like.

To sum it up I really dislike almost all the new cars from the last 10 years, with the bloated lard *** look. There are a few exceptions, but not many. I also don't like the fact that all the parts for them seem to cost twice as much. They don't get any better fuel mileage either. I don't see the point to buying a newer one. In my opinion its a waste of money.

 

I don't know about not getting better fuel economy... My '07 SCrew 5.4 4x4 6.5' (3.73) gets an average of about 19 MPG per tank, over 20 on longer trips at less than 65 MPH (not too often) and got a very impressive 16 MPG towing our 4500lb. travel trailer through Yellowstone (six times over the Continental Divide). My '89 F-150 4x4 regular cab long bed with a 300-6 and 4 speed manual (no power goodies or A/C) got about 17 unloaded. And the '89 weighed what, less than 5k? The '07 weighs right around 6k. Double the HP, 100 ft/lbs. more torque, room for 5, 9100 lb. tow rating. I'd say they have improved by just about any objective measure. Not knocking the older trucks (absolutely love our '94 EB Bronco), but the improvements in function are substantial.

 

What are you getting bumper to bumper traffic? or you mosty on the hwy?

thats good your getting good mileage, not to many of my friends i know get that good mileage, i have a friend that has a 2000 4.2 Xcab 4x2 and he gets 12 in the city, another has a 2007 4.6 4x2 x cab and on the hwy he gets 14. i pulled 15.7 in the city last week, 96 302 auto 4x2 !

 

I don't even like the trucks that are newer than the 03's. The slab sided design lacks any imagination and look boring. The interiors are too car like and once inside you can't tell what Ford model you are actually in.
The only exception is I do like the 1st gen Super Duty trucks.

 

the more i look at the first gen super dutys the more i like em. i've got my eye out for one with 5.4 and 5 speed. i guess whatever i decide i don't have to do it now.

 

I agree with Kaputsa. The first round of the Super Duty trucks look good. I also don't like how you cant tell what trim level your in from the inside like you can on ours.

My truck averages around 15-16 city highway mix. It can get 17 or 18 on the highway on trips. Even if the newer trucks gets a couple mpg better, I don't think its worth it. Most people I know with newer trucks average 13-16 city highway mix. They should be able to make the new trucks get 25 mpg by now. It woudn't hurt if they went on a diet either.

 

ya i almost whooped a 6.4 psd the other day. he barely had me and he only gained it when my tires spun. a truck that much newer with a twin turbo diesel shoulda made my head spin... like my cousins 7.3 does.

 

Even the 87-96s are sometimes too complicated.........The ONLY time I was ever stranded, miles from a paved road was by a newer truck (03 Dodge)......It had a "brain hemorrhage"
I do not feel too comfortable with my getting back to civilization being dependent on a strand of wire smaller than a human hair, connected to a chip.
Somebody give me a Duraspark box.

87-96 hands down over 97-03.........04 to present SEEMS like a nice rig.

 

97 to 03 you get CUP HOLDERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

87-96 you get some nice bolt holders that's are supposed to be cup holders lol

 

Welcome to the forum. Next time don't bring up and obsolete 4 year old dead thread

 

i didnt know there was a time limit... i actually found it to be interesting reading. would rather have read more from full-time mechanics though, rather than guys who knew a guy who got a million miles from his 5.4 , or opinions on the shape of the fenders.

 

I didn't know there was a time limit either

 

Yeah BRAD, you're not the boss of FTE


FWIW pure function, 87-96 vs. 97-03 in F150 only, in stock form, I think the 97-03 is a far superior truck. Just too bad they are so ugly, but on the other hand, back to function, they are more aerodynamic.