If you'll be happier with the V8, get the V8 and don't look back. It's a sweet engine and it sounds great.
Right now I'd say we are spoiled for choice with three amazing options. Is this the golden age of pickup ownership?

 

That's the thing, I'm not sure!

I think I can work a better deal on the V8 in terms for negotiating dealer inventory. The V6 is more limited especially with the 3.55. So the question for me comes down to how much money is the V6 worth over the V8? and I'm finding it is easier to negotiate a deal on a existing vehicle than building one.

so that's the true dilemma.

 

Have you driven both? Last time I was buying a truck, after I had driven both, I knew I was only going to be happy with the EB.

If you are sciency kind of guy, looking at the two torque curves overlaid might do it for you. someone has them and posts them occasionally.

 

I have been driving an ecoboost f150 since 2011. I am currently on my second one, a 2016. This week I had to take a trip to buffalo and my buddy runs the rental car place in the airport. He saw I had a car reserved and told me he had an f150 available. SO I sad sure ill take it. It was a crewcab with the V8. After driving it for a few day I have to say I'm sure glad I have the ecoboost. It was a good engine but nothing like the ecoboost. I found myself really mashing the gas trying to get that feeling I get from all the torque in my truck. It does sound good but I really like the whistle of my turbos spooling up.

Mark

 

I only have expirience with the 3.5 ecoboost and a 3:55 rear end in a 2015 screw but man the torque this thing produces is unreal it makes great torque at all rpm ranges I can pull any hill around western pa at highway speeds and only down shift once if at all to keep my speed. The ecoboosts are very impressive engines i think it would have no trouble turning larger tires on a lifted truck go try one you wont be disappointed.

 

Thanks, everyone. I just put a deposit down on this truck:

My requirements were pretty specific. Blue Jeans Metallic, black interior, 3.55 axle ration (although I might have waivered on this), 36 gallon fuel tank, 701A tech package, Fx4, moonroof. I'd take the V8 or V6 and any other options were completely optional.

So what I got was a V-8 with the 3.55. I got it for invoice - 50% holdback and that is because it is coming from another dealer (maybe I'd got more off if I ordered one?). Funny thing is that the dealer where the truck is presently wouldn't part with it for less than $2K more than what I'm paying.

It is a V-8 with 3.55 gear ratio. I got it for invoice - 50% holdback - $500 first responder rebate. I estimate that I got about $6,937 off MSRP and about $2K below invoice. That is below the invoice price that I was given by other dealers for similar MSRP. (in fact the dealer that has the truck now wouldn't sell it to me for anything less than $2K more than what I'm buying it for).

The ecoboost was going to cost me $1,300 more although I didn't talk to my dealer about building a truck from scratch.

 

Just picked up another demo F-150. Drove over 500 miles today, all highway from Texas to Colorado, almost 17 mpg's.

3.5 EB, level kit, tires are just under 33".

 

That's one nice Platinum you got! Congrat's! Can't wait to see pictures...

 

I have been doing some similar research looking at New lifted trucks. Most of what I have found is dealers are willing to discount the ones already built making it a better buy than building one. Basically with the lift packages already done you're paying close to MSRP for the truck after the rebates etc offset the left package price. If you were to trade it let's say a year from now book value will give you nothing for the mods, therefore you would take a huge hit.

I'm now looking for a low mileage used one. The new prebuilt trucks will take a huge hit in depreciation the first year of ownership. I have found a 14 model year XLT for $33,500 with 30K miles on the clock. New this truck retailed for $58K with the lift package. It was probably purchased for around $48K new. Dealer I'm working with just put new tires, brakes, rotors on it.

Going to look at it today.

 

I've found that trucks that have a lift kit get a further depreciation at trade time than stock trucks. The dealer generally will depreciate the cost of the kit from the trade value. If the truck cant be returned to stock, many new car dealers will wholesale, at least in my area.

 

We have used truck dealers that only sell lifted trucks around here.......and believe me they ain't cheaper because have lifts and tires/wheels already on em......actually the opposite.

 

They're buying a lot of them from dealer trades. Some they get lifted on their own. You're right, they ain't cheap. Many times, they cost as much as a new one. Those dealers usually will do financing that the new car dealers won't though.

Lifts and tires aren't as expensive or as complicated as the dealers make them out to be. I've seen many trucks around here marked up $12k for a basic 6" kit, cookie cutter XD wheels (almost always Rock Stars) and 35" tires. Add another 1000 for fender flares and a bull bar, crazy. But people get excited when they see one and want it. A buyer could easily get the work done for less that half that. But then you can't roll it into the payment.

 

I didn't mean to necessarily say they are ridiculously overpriced, more so to say they are not cheaper or harder to sell because they are lifted.If I was shopping for an already lifted truck with fairly new tires and wheels on it I'd put that added value at $5K and then figure the trucks actual value with that to get to a buying price.

 

I did extensive research and negotiating. I can't speak for dealers in your area, but in Houston and Dallas, nobody was willing to negotiate anymore on a lifted truck than any other truck. In fact, in many ways less since most of trucks were that way to bring in customers.

The dealers would state clearly what the price was on the lift and where the lift was done (In Houston, Texas autotrim). You could have any truck done up like one of the trucks on the display as well. The lift prices ranged from $7K to more than $8K for what was a 6" Rancho brand lift, Nitto 35" tires, and 20" Moto/Fuel/other brand type wheel, and painted fender flares. I, was, on occasion, able to find a dealer who would add additional items in for the cost of $8K.

However, going to the exact same place as the dealers (who outsource the lifts) I was able to get a lot more for less than 8K. I was able to get a better brand lift, Toyo AT2 tires, 20" hostile gauntlet edge wheels, Fender flares, bed liner, window tint, and a bakflip G2 bed cover. In the end, I decided to give my business to a local business so the work will take a bit longer. But I prefer to support locally owned and operated businesses.

Could I have theoretically negotiated a better price on the lift? Maybe. But dealers didn't seem as open to it. After market shops were much more willing to negotiate and throw in free labor for smaller stuff (like swapping out the fog light bulbs).

 

In my area, the trucks were almost universally $8K more with the lift. And there were only a handful on the lots. There was no way I could have matched what I would have paid to buy the truck then lift it, especially since I knew exactly where they had the lift performed.