In the process of doing research for buying a new truck I get the impression that some trucks are better values to buy than others. I am not talking about cheapest truck but getting the best value for your money. The amount of money we are spending on these vehicles would have bought houses a few decades ago, we should make some effort to get the most out of our money.

Please share any ordering tips that might help some of us get the best value out of our order. I am sure many things will be subjective because we all want different things in a vehicle, but it may help one of us that is looking to make an order at some point in the future.

I am not talking about the buying process like x-plan, EAA, Mustang club, PCOs etc. I think that gets more coverage. I would like to focus on the physical order options and trim variations.

Some general ideas of what I am talking about (I don’t know if these are correct):

· I have noticed that an optioned out XLT seems to start crossing into Lariat price and an optioned out XL seems to cross into XLT price… getting the higher trim seems like a better value depending on the options you are looking for.

· I have read some statements that dealers can deal more on certain trim levels and are willing to give a bigger discount

· looking at MSRP vs. Invoice prices for different trim levels it seems that the Lariat has a larger discount to the invoice price compared to other trims. (I am assuming that this can vary depending on options and my super quick math… but I have noticed that the Lariat is usually closer to 6% less vs something like a limited or XL that trends closer to 3%-4%)

Thanks in advance for any help and tips

Robert Lee

 

I have not noticed such a difference in invoice pricing based on trim as you have. There is a recent thread that was started by a dealer offering 2% under invoice, he gave 3 examples of pricing, using an XL, Lariat and Limited.They ranged from an MSRP of $48k+ to $90k. All three had an invoice price right around 5.4% under MSRP.

Like you said, value is subjective, and because of that the opinions you get won't apply to every buyer. It really comes down to what options you the buyer wants, must haves, and your budget. Some options require you to take other, maybe unwanted options, and can cost thousands more.

 

All depends on what you want, what you have to have.
I spec'd out an XLT with the minimum I would stand for option-wise, then did the same for a Lariat, and the difference was about $3200 at MSRP.
But, of course, the Lariat has LOTS more amenities, much nicer trim and the new SYNC 4 and HUGE 12" screen.
That, plus the fact that the XLT only comes in ugly interior colors, it was an absolute no-brainer to step up to the Lariat.

 

you are right it seems that the invoice -- msrp difference has more to do with the options 🤷‍♂️ and may not be that big of a difference.

Here is a quick excel table i made with the trucks from that thread and a few i quickly built on the NADA website

 

My order with options was capped because of the super cab restriction. I went with lariat and most of the options that were available but Ford in their stupidity limits the truck to the lariat value package.

 

I second this.

 

When I ordered my 2017 F350 CCLB Lariat 6.2L truck, I built my truck online in just about every configuration. I came to the conclusion that while I could afford whatever I wanted, I chose a Lariat Value as the best value for me. I added some options that add to the ability of the truck (upfitter switches, dual batteries, etc), and then added power running boards (available in Canada with the Value package) as my splurge. I decided the leather heated and cooled seats along with the other things that are included with the Lariat trim was where my sweet spot is. But it is different for each person.

 

As reflected in this post, and if you look at the trims percentages on the order spreadsheet, IMO the Lariat is the way to go for resell, and for what most people see as the ideal balance of cost and features.

 

To me, the best value is in the basic trucks with basic features. Where is the value in appearance packages? Chrome grills? Blackout packages? Or how about the aluminum wheels that experience galvanic corrosion and leak air?

Its what you gotta have, but I don't know how much appearance converts to value.

 

What you describe is the cheapest option. The packages you mention have never previously been talked about in this thread. What I described is the Lariat trim which comes with a long list of standard features. These can include engine block heater, trailer brake controller, 18 inch wheels/tires, the upgraded seats, power mirrors....should I go on? They provide "value" to me in that I do like my truck to have a certain level of ability to do the job well like power mirrors, comfortable seats, trailer brake controller etc.

The appearence packages, chrome, etc, are still options and are not standard and would agree that they do not provide "value" to me.

Of course "value" is subjective and for you it is a base truck with no or minimal options.

 

For, me, value is in comfort, ease of operation and entertainment/communication connections, all due to the amount of time I spend in my truck.
My current truck is 6.5 years old and I've put 608K miles on it, so you can tell by that how much time I spend in my truck.