I am debating on buying a 2004 or 2005 F150 Screw lariat. Do you think it is better to take the good discounts now and get a 2004, or wait for a 2005. As far as I know, the only change to the 2005 is the darker tan leather seats. And I would be buying the tan leather seats, whether 2004 or 2005. Let me know what you all think. Thank you in advance for your comments.

 

I had the same problem about a month ago when I bought mine. I thought about waiting but the discounts and rebates were just to worth it to wait IMO. There is no right or wrong answer to your question. I didn't think there was enough of a difference between the 04 and 05's to not take the discounts buying a truck at the end of the year gives you. Anyway good luck with your decision and enjoy your new truck when you get it.

 

The fact that there were 8-10K in Discounts and Rebates available to me vs. what changes there are between the years made it a no brainer for me. 2004 in my driveway.

 

I say the 2004 also. Unless you had planned on getting a King Ranch then there really aren't enough changes to the 05 to wait for. Get the rebates while you can. Otherwise wait for next Sept/Oct and get rebates on the 05.

 

I agree, unless you are wanting a King Ranch, there really isn't that much difference in the 04 and the 05 Screw Lariat. The discounts/rebates help push me to an 04 Screw Lariat in August. It is a great truck, either way you go.

 

Don't forget, if you go with the 04 as soon as you drive it off the lot it is a year old. But with the rebates it is sure tempting. I bought mine last October when they were hot and hard to get and a rebate wasn't even a thought yet. But damn I love this truck.

 

Doesn't really matter, an '05 is a used truck as soon as you drive it off the lot. Give me the '04 with discounts please. For basically the same truck with no mileage and a full warranty with both? Easy decision.

 

I would go with the 04 if you can find one with the right color options mix (better hurry up the selection is getting pretty thin). Technically you'll get more for the 05 (over the 04) when you sell or trade it in but your paying the difference up front with the 05. I'm currently trying to find an 04 that meets my specks but my dealer is coming up empty and I refuse to compromise. Looks like I'll be going for the 05 by default.

 

I had the same decision when I bought my 94 Ranger. I went with the previous year, and really saved a bundle. I traded when it was 10 yrs old and had 115,000 miles, so resale value wasn't even an issue. I never regretted it.

When I bought my F-150, there was no way I was going to buy a 03, but that was because the 04 was an entirely new truck. If you can find an 04 that you like, you might save a lot, and the 05 won't be noticeably different. Don't worry about resale, because you'll keep that truck a long time.

 

The dealer found the truck that I want. MSRP is 41,710. X-Plan price is 36,694, and the dealer said he would give another 5000 off on top of x-plan. Sounds like I will be purchasing this truck. Thanks for the help.

 

So I take it that it is an '04? Also this might be a dumb question but what is an X-Plan?

 

X-Plan is the discount pricing Ford offers to Ford suppliers. Ask your HR folks (if you have em) if you qualify. I work for a Fortune 20 corp, but had to ask anyway. Happily, it was a "yes." X-Plan seems to be around 1.5% behind "invoice." The buyer also gets the rebates, waived doc fees, and a few other little gimmies. Not a bad deal. Just did an XPlan on my 04 FX4 SCAB. Sticker was $36,400, about 28K out the door.