2023 Ford F-150 Sadly Marks the End of the Sub-$30K Pickup
After receiving multiple price increases, the 2023 Ford F-150 truly marks the end of an era.
It wasn’t that terribly long ago when we could waltz on down to our local Ford dealership and buy a new F-150 for less than $20k – and we aren’t just talking about a base model XL trimmed pickup, either. As everyone is painfully aware, those days are long gone, and now, we celebrate the fact that the compact Ford Maverick can, er, could be purchased for just under $20k. But like everything else in life, the price of the Maverick is on the rise, and so is the F-150. In fact, the launch of the 2023 Ford F-150 marks the end of the sub-$30k version of that particular model, which is a big deal.
For 2022, the F-150 was one of just two full-size pickups with an MSRP of less than $30k, as its starting price came in at $29,990, minus destination and delivery fees. However, later in the model year, Ford raised its F-150 prices (along with many other models), and that meant the base XL, regular cab, two-wheel-drive pickup jumped to $31,520. However, with inflation continuing to rise, so have truck prices, and that means the 2023 Ford F-150 now costs at least $33,695.
That’s a pretty significant jump of $3,705, or a little over 12 percent more than what the 2022 F-150 cost when it launched. However, it is worth noting that the 2023 Ford F-150 XL does come with some pretty nice features these days, ones that were once reserved for only higher trim levels. Those include things like an 8-inch touchscreen, Dynamic Hitch Assist, Ford Co-Pilot360, and selectable drive modes, to name just a few. Otherwise, it’s a pretty basic vehicle, with a cloth interior, plain wheels, and the base 3.3-liter V6. The good news is, adding a few options and making a modern day F-150 SVT Lightning clone doesn’t cost a whole lot more.
Sadly, the days of the sub-$30k F-150 appear to be over, but the Ram Classic – which is actually the old version of that pickup – has also seen its price rise to over $30k, so it isn’t alone in that regard. It’s a bit cheaper than the F-150 at $30,235, but then again, we’re talking about an old vehicle with old tech being marketed as a new one. The cheapest Silverado – the 1500 WT – costs quite a bit more at $35,600, too. Thus, even though it is more expensive now than ever, the F-150 remains arguably the best value, regardless.
Photos: Ford
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