Ford F-150: Truck Value

As much as we love our trucks, there is bound to come a day when we think about getting rid of them. The reasons are numerous. Maybe you are lusting over the thirteenth generation 2015 F-150, or maybe your current truck has become unreliable. Maybe you bought an XL years ago and that nice raise you got at work has you in a position to buy a King Ranch.

But first, you need to find out what your current truck is worth. There are a lot of resources available thanks to the wonders of the internet, and a lot of factors to take into consideration. The value of an F-150 can cover a broad range depending on the year or model. Some generations are worth less because of recalls or major issues. So where do you start? We begin by breaking down some common questions for you, and then give you a step by step on how to determine the value of your truck.

Which trucks hold their value the best?

Thankfully, we can tell you that the Ford F-150 has one of the best expected retained values in its class, an average of 48.6 percent, courtesy of Edmunds.com. With over 30 variants of the F-150, however, which models tend to hold their value the most? The typical selling price of an F-150 is somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. Desirable features like a SuperCab or SuperCrew, along with the 5.0 V8 or EcoBoost option will make the truck easier to sell and at a higher price.

A 2008 regular cab, short bed, V6 powered F-150 has an average resale value of around $12,000. If your truck is a SuperCrew V8 model, the value shoots all the way up to around $21,000. These options add to the value greatly because they are the most popular and desirable. They also make your truck easier to sell, because you will have more prospective customers. Most people these days want to have at least a SuperCab model and prefer the power of a V8 or EcoBoost V6.

Your truck loses a pretty significant amount of value as the years go by as well. The average used value of a 2013 F-150 is around $29,000, while a previous generation 2008 averages around $18,000. As you can imagine, mileage and condition have a big effect on value as well. For a 2008 model with over 100,000 miles is worth around $5,000. An excellent example with 50,000 miles, however, can bring upwards of $15,000.

3 Steps for Determining the price of your truck

So how, you ask, do I find out exactly what my truck is worth? Just follow the easy steps below, and make sure to do adequate research. You will want to establish not only the value of your truck, but a realistic idea of what it will actually sell for. Be sure and have a bottom line price in mind, as prospective sellers will most definitely try to work you down.

1. Go to Kelly Bluebook (www.kbb.com) or NADA (www.nada.com) to look up the value of your truck based on Year, Make, Trim, etc.
2. To validate the value you find, check forums, classifieds, Craigslist, or Autotrader to see what other sellers are asking for their trucks.
3. Go to CarsDirect or use Motor Trend's pricing info for further research.