Bought a 2009 XL which was delivered in mid March of this year. Now that I've had it six months, I'm happy to report that it has not been to the dealer for anything. I've had no issues with the truck whatsoever. The truck has 6300 miles on it so far.

Am quite happy with the fuel economy. The truck gets a solid 17 mpg's around town, and just over 22 mpg's on the expressway. (It's a XL regular cab with 2WD, 4.6 liter 3V, and a 3.55:1 traction lock rear axle.)

Despite the fact that it's just an XL, it may very well be the quietest vehicle I've ever owned. I took the truck from the Detroit metro area to Quebec City and back in the spring. Even on that fairly long trip the cab was quite comfortable. All in all, for having spent just over $20,000 for a brand new American built vehicle I feel it's a great deal. I would do it again.

Rob

 

[quote=RobLenski;7928944]Bought a 2009 XL which was delivered in mid March of this year. Now that I've had it six months, I'm happy to report that it has not been to the dealer for anything. I've had no issues with the truck whatsoever. The truck has 6300 miles on it so far.

Am quite happy with the fuel economy. The truck gets a solid 17 mpg's around town, and just over 22 mpg's on the expressway. (It's a XL regular cab with 2WD, 4.6 liter 3V, and a 3.55:1 traction lock rear axle.)

Despite the fact that it's just an XL, it may very well be the quietest vehicle I've ever owned. I took the truck from the Detroit metro area to Quebec City and back in the spring. Even on that fairly long trip the cab was quite comfortable. All in all, for having spent just over $20,000 for a brand new American built vehicle I feel it's a great deal. I would do it again.



Very good report sir! Not a damned thing wrong with an XL truck. I would be willing to lay down cold hard cash that the XL trucks will ultimately be far less problematic than their fancier siblings.

The car builders make us think that we have to have a truck with all the bells and whistles and then suddenly we see one on the road and think "it sure is pretty". Pretty does not = reliability.

Sir, enjoy your XL truck because I think they are gorgeous and very well built and I believe that they are the best deal for the money.

Tim

 

Glad to hear you're doing well. Like Tim, I have a fondness for lower trim level trucks so long as they have the basic comfort stuff like A/C, and I do like power locks and cruise control for trips.

My '78 Ford "Ranger" F100 had rubber mats on the floor (and A/C) and I ordered it new that way on purpose. Doesn't make sense to me to outfit a pickup like a Lincoln on the inside, especially if you're gonna use it and get it dirty.

Your gas mileage sounds great as well.

George

 

Thanks guys! Right! When I say "just an XL" I don't mean to minimize the truck in any way. No reason why I couldn't have bought one of the top drawer Platinum units, just didn't see the need.

The XL I have today would have been a dream truck twenty or thirty years ago. Tilt wheel, cruise, A/C, CD player. Can't see taking a $50,000 truck back into the woods. If I get some scratches in my $20,000 truck it's not that big of a deal. Since I plan on keeping it for ~ 15 years like I did my Cougar, resale is not really an issue, so I got exactly what I wanted.

Rob

 

I'm with you Rob.
I have all I need in my XL. Installed power windows and door locks, steps, bed cover, LineX, undercoated.
Pueblo Gold, chrome bumpers, cruise, nice radio, trailer tow pkg, rubber floor mats, bench seat, 4.6 w 3.55 & 4 spd (I think) Trans shifts 5 times ???
Thinking about shackles to lower the rear. I might try to "trick out" the wheels with some black and body color paint.
From the flat lands of Ohio.

Bill

 

pictures?

You can't come on here being all happy with your truck and good things to say in plenty without strutting your stuff
I can still remember my first Ford. 1989 F-150 Custom. No options. 300 cube I-6, AM radio, no A/C and stick shift. awesome truck. drove that truck up/down Texas backroads for years putting through it's paces.

Upgraded it to a 1998 F-150 XL when my dad and I kind killed the 1989 by overwork with construction demands, and our 1984 F-150 Custom blew a head gasket.


Then I got my first XLT. a 1993 Bronco with 250,000 miles. Haven't looked back since. The amenities are just too nice...even though they do have a nasty habit of breaking at odd times.


Coming from trucks from 20 yrs ago to today, you cannot even classify a XL of today as anything similar. These new trucks are super nice. I'm jealous of all of you from the XL to the Platinum. I want one so badly. hoping a Raptor is in the plans in a couple years

 

Does the XL have the vinyl floor? I wish my truck had the vinyl floor in it. Its to darn hard to keep the carpet clean in a truck.

I guess I could buy the weathertech floor mats but it just seems like so much money for some floor mats.

 

The XL does have vinyl flooring. It has the criss-cross pattern on it, maybe it called "boilerplate" pattern.
I just lay an old carpet sample down and throw it away when dirty, then get another. The sloppy winters we have around here don't do carpet any good.

Ohi-ah Bill

 

Bill,

That gold is a cool color. Didn't look all that great in the brochure, but it looks nice in person.

The only quibbles I have with mine are that I get some wheel hop over our crappy roads when the truck isn't loaded, and I wish the direct entry on the radio/CD player worked a little faster. However, if that's all I have to complain about 6 months out of the gate, Ford is doing something right!

 

Tylus,

Here's hoping your plans come true. I posted some pics when my truck was a few weeks old. Looks exactly the same today:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...y-2009-xl.html

Rob

 

sorry I missed that thread. I actually like the way the 09 XL look vice the 04-08 XL front end.

 

That mileage quote is pretty amazing. I'm very happy for you. Having driven (and driven in) a 2009 XL that a friend of mine owns, I am very impressed by the updates on this M.Y. truck. Considering the extra mass that this beast contains as compared to earlier years, these mileage #s are really good. Plus that XL rides and drives better than my 2002 XLT Lariat.

That being said, enjoy your truck. I'm sure that you will get many years of good service out of it. I do like my 2002, but after hearing these mileage #s, that 16 mpg that I get doesn't sound so good anymore.

That mileage of yours sounds almost as good as old the RWD cougars.

 

Good to read all is well with your '09.

 

I am glad to hear this! My dad is about to purchase a 2010 F150 Super Crew Long Box. It will have the 5.4 and be an XLT, but after buying our jeep that will not stop with the warning lights (started at 2500 miles, now has 45K) I am glad that these fords are built right. I am actually pretty excited, considering it can almost tow just as much as my Powerjoke, it will just be a little slower...

Congrads on your truck.

 

oldstylefseries,

Thanks! One of my friends at work liked it so much that he asked for a copy of my window sticker so that he could order one just like it. I provided the sticker under the agreement that he wouldn't order it the same color. Imagine my surprise a few weeks later when my truck appeared to have moved from where I parked it coming back from lunch. (The only give away was that mine had a matching cap installed, but since I had only gotten that a few days prior, I was still used to seeing mine without a cap.) After a second or so it dawned on me what had transpired.

True about the mileage. I happen to own one of those Cougars and the Cougar got about 1 mpg better around town and about the same as the '09 F series on the expressway. How do they do it? Don't know, but the engine cal for the F series seems to be pretty decent. Rather than yank all the spark out and add extra fuel to make up for it, seems they kept the spark cal just about at the borderline/mst/mbt point. Of course, variable cam timing is probably a big boost as well. One of my friends bought a F series diesel a few years back partly in a gambit to grasp some fuel economy. I'm getting about the same mileage on the highway as him with a much cheaper powerplant. Obviously he can tow more, but he hasn't towed anything besides a pop up camper.

Enjoy your Lariat, they are nice trucks.

Rob