Those that wanted a bit of luxury in their pickups back in 1998 couldn't do much better than this.
How Far We've Come
Today, higher trim level pickup trucks are among the most luxurious (and pricey) vehicles on the market. They're loaded with every single option one can dream of, whether that be driver assistance technology, giant infotainment screens, supple leather, and incredible sound systems. But this wasn't always the case, of course, and in 1998, buyers had to "settle" for something like this F-150 Lariat if they wanted a bit of luxury in their pickups.
Great Find
The owner of this rather nice 1998 F-150 Lariat, Kyle, recently showed off his gorgeous pickup for The Fast Lane Truck, and it immediately made us think about the meteoric rise of luxury pickup trucks over the last couple of decades. Kyle purchased this 114k-mile truck for a mere $6,500 last fall, which seems like a true bargain given the immaculate shape it's in today.
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Top Dog
This SuperCab is otherwise just about as good as it got back in 1998, and came equipped with Ford's 5.4-liter Triton V8 that was rated to produce 235 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque. That's obviously nowhere near what we can get from an F-150 these days, no matter which engine we choose, but back then it was the top dog in the F-150 lineup.
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Personal Preference
This generation of F-150 ushered in a new, rounded design and mode modern amenities, but it's still rather simple by today's standards. The biggest difference between a Lariat of this generation and lesser trims is the leather interior. Unfortunately, this era's leather was pretty slippery compared to modern trucks, which makes us prefer the cloth seats, personally.
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Changing Times
Other than the leather, a better stereo, nicer wheels, and some fancier trim and chrome, there wasn't much about the Lariat that differentiated it from the XL or XLT from this era. That cannot be said about today's trucks, where higher trims are loaded with features that aren't available in lower trims, offering compelling reasons to plunk down some extra cash for one.
>>Join the conversation about luxury pickup standards right here in Ford-trucks.com.
Family Tradition
Regardless, like most of us, Kyle fell in love with these trucks because his dad had one when he was growing up. There are things he obviously doesn't like about the truck, but ultimately, he knew that he had to have one, and this Lariat is one heck of a nice find for a 23-year-old on a budget.
>>Join the conversation about luxury pickup standards right here in Ford-trucks.com.
Pay For Progress
Regardless, especially when you factor in this truck's sub-par fuel economy of 12 mpg city and 16 on the highway, it's amazing to see how far we've come over the last couple of decades. Of course, even trucks like this originally sold for less than $30k, so we're most certainly paying for that progress.
>>Join the conversation about luxury pickup standards right here in Ford-trucks.com.
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