I'm going to buy a new F-150 very soon. I'll be getting an extended cab 4x4 XLT. I will probably never have it truly "off-road" so I don't need the skid plates, but I like the looks of the 17" wheels better. Will this make the truck ride rougher on the highway? A local dealer has two F-150's on sale for the same price that are identical EXCEPT one has the 5.4L engine with 16" tires and the other has the 4.6L with the off-road package (17" wheels). Which would you prefer? Again, they are the same price and otherwise identical. Thanks.

 

If you do majorly highway drivin, and you are very particular on ride, then deffinantly go with the off-road, larger tires make the truck ride a lot better. The thing is, the 5.4 has more hp than the 4.6. The 4.6 Does get better mpg, but its considerably slower than the 5.4. Ford made some good improvements on the '99s, and added more Hp. I would, go with the 4.6, because I do more highway drivin and i want good gas mileage. The 220 hp, I think, is enough.

Good luck

 

Take the 5.4 with the 16" wheels. The Off Road package is a waste of money. If you like the looks of the 17" wheels get them after you get the truck, but you will notice a big difference in the torque if you go with the bigger tires as in you will lose torque.

 

I would go with the 5.4L, you can allways upgrade wheels later. Gas mileage will be be bad for either engine, so if your going to burn lots of gas, you might as well enjoy it.

 

i have a 99 f-150 xlt extended cab 4x4 sport with the 5.4 and 3.55 gears ,got the dealer to swap the 17"cast alum rims for the 17"offroad rims with the more agressive tread pattern .i feel no noticable loss of torque (whats the difference really 350 ft/lbs vs 354 ft/lbs with the 16" rims).if u get a 4x4 i would recommend the skid plates anyways ,all it takes is one bolt to bounce the wrong way and your out a few grand for a new transfer case .makes the extra $300 worth it.as for gas milage i get 18 mpg highway city mix and i drive pretty fast.the raw power of the 5.4 makes it so u dont have to floor it all the time to get really good accleration.

 

I purchased a 99 f150 with the off-road package and one thing that I noticed is that the truck also came with rear disc brakes. I believe that comes as part of the off road package and that is one of the reasons whythe off road package costs so damn much. There is nothing in writing that states that disc brakes come with it so check out the trucks on your dealer's lot to make sure.

 

I bought my 99 F-150 4X4 with the trailer towing package. It gave me the oil cooler, the transmission cooler, and the heavy duty suspension of the ORP...also I got the trailer hitch and wiring....it is a better deal than the ORP...

 

I had a 97 f150 with a 4.6 and 16" rims, traded it in for a 2000 f150 4x4 with 17" rims and a 5.4. Like the 5.4 much better but not may tire options with the 17" rims I would get a 5.4 and 16".

 

 

The biggest price difference is due to the tires ( about $400 ) and the big wheels. Skidplates are a small expense and Disc brakes are not part of the Off-Road package.

 

i would definately get the 5.4 with the 16" wheels. the wheel size has nothing to do with the overall size of the tire(a 265 75 r16=265 70 r17) and with the 16" wheels you will have more of a selection of tires, especially in the larger sizes of tires(if you want to go a little bigger for a better ride). also you will get a good bit more power with the 5.4, and you can never have enough power. i have the 4.6 and i wish that i got a 5.4, but i wanted a manual and i couldn't find the 5.4 4x4 with a manual. happy shopping!!
-r.r.