Wanting to factory order an F350 Lariat SRW and trying to decide whether it's worth the wait for the new things that Ford is bringing with the 2020 models. I'm liking the idea of the higher horsepower and torque. Ideas and thoughts?

 

My thoughts are I would avoid the new 10 speed until drivers report no issues with it.

 

Diesel or Gas? I have an '18 Lariat CCSB SRW with the 6.7 PSD. Towing within the limits I've never felt like I needed more power.

Do you want known or unknown? Based on how good the '17-'19s are I would say get a '19 if you need a new truck now, otherwise give Ford a year to work the bugs out with the updated PSD, new 10 spd, and new 7.3 if you go with gas.

 

 

My plan was to go with the 6.7 PSD CCSB SRW

 

 

I plan on getting a 5th wheel not too long after I get the truck

 

 

I went with a '19 because I needed a truck now, and I got a better deal by searching around and buying a truck off a dealer lot. I was ready to order a '19, but saved about $3500 buying a truck that was in stock.

 

 

Auto stop/start? That would be a deal breaker for me until FORScan has a way to permanently disable. I ain't pushing the dash button every time I get in the truck. I hate that feature in a vehicle.

 

No I think he meant auto stop built into the Adaptive Cruise

 

 

I needed a truck now for the summer (towing an RV), so the conversation is a bit academic for me. 2020s can't be ordered for a while ... so, you're not getting a 2020 until late summer, early fall.

I have heard that Ford might play with the restrictions on the diesel's power. That is, from a stop, if you punch the gas, a 2019 isn't putting 935 ft-lbs of torque to the wheels. It restricts the power. In 2020, I don't know if the actual ratings are changing, but the way the power is distributed might be changing.

For gas, obviously, there is the new 7.3 ... though I still don't know if any ratings have been released.

Either way, you might have a peppier engine in the 2020.

Cosmetics and features. So, the grille and some other subtle features of the exterior have changed. You can find lots of pics, so I won't discuss further. I would expect a few interior items to change and be improved. Some of the adaptive cruise/collision algorithms are being refined. There will probably be some improvements to the electronic interfaces/radio. I think probably pretty minor things.

Transmission. This, for me, is the big one. 2019 is the 6R140 in the diesel and 350, 6R100 in the 250 6.2. I haven't paid that close attention to the 6R100, so I'll leave that alone. But, the 6R140 is one of the all-time greats for a HD transmission. It's every bit as good or better than the vaunted Allison 1000. Having a bullet-proof transmission is just vital. And, 2019 has probably the best transmission lineup Ford has ever rolled out.

2020 brings the 10R140 (I think that's the designation) 10-speed transmission. It's very possible that Ford tested the crap out of this thing, took all of the F150 10-speed lessons, and will roll out a nearly flawless new HD transmission platform. If so, kudos to Ford. However, going from 6 to 10 speeds is a radical change. When Ford made that switch to the F150 platform a few years back, it wasn't a great first year. It took a while for Ford to work out the idiosyncrasies of that new, complex 10-speed transmission. I expect the same will be true of the 10R140.

If not right out of the gate, it will eventually be a good transmission. I wouldn't be willing to sign up and place an August order for one. At worst, I'd want a mid-to-late year build. At best, I'd want to wait until at least 2021.

Getting a 2019 now means that:

1. You only get partial year of life -- after only a few months, 2020s roll out, and your 4-month old truck is actually a year old (by model year).
2. You don't get the new styling, if you like it.
3. You don't get any of the natural improvements that are made to any vehicle with the next year's iteration.
4. You don't get the improvement, if any, to the power management of the crazy-powerful diesel.
5. You don't get the option of the new 7.3 gasser, if you're into big gasoline engines.
6. You don't get the new 10-speed transmission.

Conversely, getting a 2020 means that:

1. You have to wait a solid 4-6 months to get a truck. If you need a truck today, too bad, you're waiting a while.
2. You don't get the better styling of the 2017-19 Super Duty and, instead, will have to look at those ridiculous headlights/grille and the 1-1.5" lower overall stance. (I'm trying to illustrate that the styling is super subjective, not that these are universal truths)
3. You don't have to sort through the stupid changes Ford makes to the already-adequate systems.
4. Same as 3. It's a 450 hp, 935 ft-lb diesel. It's powerful enough. I don't need any "improvements" to get more power out of it at the risk of just screwing it up.
5. You would have to bite at the first year of the brand new 7.3 engine and when was the last time a radically new engine didn't have growing pains?
6. You would have to bite at the first year of the brand new, complex 10-speed transmission and when was the last time a radically new transmission didn't have growing pains?

If (1) isn't a consideration, then I think it's a tougher choice. To me, it all boils down to your position on the 10-speed transmission. If you trust that Ford will have nailed this on the first attempt, then go for the 2020. If you think that these things take a model year (or more) to sort out, then get a 2019.

Good luck.

 

10 speed is rock solid and has been testing since 2016. I'd go 2020 then get the last year of the 2nd gen 6.7