FX4 a ripoff!
 

Ok, I know i'm going to get flamed, but this is just my opinion here.

I went and test drove a dark shadow grey FX4 on Friday, and was not impressed. Let me rephrase that...I currently have a 97 F-150 XLT 4X2 Flareside, and I did not feel that it was that great of an improvement. I'll try to break everything down here.

1. Ride- seemed the same as my 97, maybe b/c its a 4x4 and mine currently is a 4x2. On the highway it was smooth, but not as smooth as everyone made me believe it would be.

2. Acceleration- Was OK...as in it seemed a little better than my 4.6 but not very much. The engine accelerated very smoothly.

3. Interior was a definate improvement. It looked really good, and the floor shifter really looked cool. Everything was easy to get to.

4. Styling- It looked good, but I looked at a 2003 and I personally decided the rounded look was just as nice as the big rig styling (again just my opinion!). So its about the same.

5. Overall it felt very very big if that makes any sense. The interior driver's room felt huge. Overall I liked it, but it felt more like an evolution of the current F-150 than a revolutionary new model like the old model. It is better than the competition.......for now. I think it is also a testiment to just how good the old F-150's are. I've had my truck for 6 and a half years and love it.

Ok this is why I think the FX4 is a ripoff. I priced one on FordDirect (if you put in area code 68046 for some reason it will tell you the invoice as well) and a FX4 flareside thats loaded with just about everything except audiophile and the expensive 18 in tires came to $32,903 invoice. Thats alot for a truck. Well I went and priced a Lariet and it came out to almost the same price.

Ok, I sat down and looked at the equipment I would be getting, and the Lariat had alot more for almost the same price. Heated memory seats, automatic climate control, standard leather, etc.....
So this is what I came up with.

I read online that Ford is trying to entice as many people as possible into buying the FX4 and Lariat. I think by doing that they made the XLTs which most people buy very plain looking on purpose. That way you see and XLT which you originally wanted and then see an FX4 with two tone black paint and that grill, and your impressed, and want to by the FX4.

However the FX4 for 32,903 is very expensive, and you wonder where the cost goes since a Lariat is almost the same with so much more standard features. I thnk that Ford is betting the FX4 will sell like crazy even though there is not much more than on an XLT, and thats going to be one of their ways of making alot of cash.

After driving the FX4 I decided that while it was impressive I would pass on it. Maybe its b/c my truck is so good after all these years. Right now I'm probably going to buy a Toyota 4runner sport this Xmas and sell my F-150 private party.
Cheers!

From my research, I believe that Fords invoice prices are about the same, if not a little less, for comparably equipped competitors vehicles. I don't think its any secret that they would rather have you purchase a Lariat over an XLT but I don't see where Ford is asking any more than the market dictates. The difference between the pick ups will come in a few months when we start seeing rebates. Personally, in todays market, I don't think an invoice of $31.9K for my nearly loaded 4x4 SCAB Lariat is out of the ordinary. Yes, I wish I could get it cheaper, and I might depending on rebates, but that is what the manufacturers are able to get.

The FX4 off road package has alway's been a rip off. People alway's think they are buying something that has a different suspension or or heavier duty for off road but there is no difference in the suspension between FX4 or a regular 4x4. The only thing different is the Rancho "BRANDED" shock which are the same shock's as before or the same one that come with the HD towing package and painted white with a red boot. Rancho make's them to Ford spec's and put's their name on it. That's all there is to it. As far as other do dad's like skid plate's,l/s diff.,FX sticker,2 tone, 17" wheel's & 265 tire's ect...

Would I buy one if it was set up & looked like what I really like ...Yes I would , but not because it has anymore off road capabilities than a reg. 4x4.

This is not only a Ford scam all the truck's do it for marketing purposes. It bring's in the people who are looking for that rugged off road capability,but will probably never use it.

This has been on prev. model's I don't know what the 04 FX package includes or has to offer. All I know is that when I looked at a few FX 04's on my dealer lot they had 18" rim's with Conntinential all season tire's on them and were pretty LOW to the ground. (Not much off roading to be done with that package)
I was kind of disappointed with it. Other than that I love the truck and think it will be a great seller.

If you look on forddirect.com, you'll actually notice that the base model invoice and MSRP of the FX4 is actually higher than the base model invoice and MSRP of the Lariat. Both models have many nice standard features, but I think they are geared towards two different types of buyers. The FX4 is geared more towards offroad enthusiasts who may or may not want a little luxury with it, while the Lariat is for someone just looking for a luxury truck to stay on asphalt with an occasional mild offroad trip.

Personally, I would rather have the FX4 even if it was the same price as the Lariat. I prefer the offroad features over the luxury features. To each his own, and I think Ford is trying to cater to each type of buyer as best they can.

If it was the exact same price I would pick FX4 over lariat also. I prefer the look of the FX4 dash.

Also I prefer ANYTHING over wood grain trim. Yuck.

-Scott Fcasni

Fully optioned out, the FX4 costs more than the Lariat. I guess because the lariat has more standard features. I like both trucks and I liked the FX4 more than I thought I would after seeing it in person. I think what it comes down to is appearance. Since both trucks can be options to almost identical features, pick the one with the grill/dash combo that you like best.

I'm still torn between the two. I want the heated seats and auto A/C that comes on the Lariat. But I also want a flareside and shadow gray or silver that is only available on the FX4.

I guess I'll just wait and see. After using the heated seats in my wifes car I'll will most likely have to go Lariat. I can choose a different color if I have to. But loading the bed is so much easier with a flareside.

Arg

OK I just got back from the dealer and yes ! I drove an 04 ext.cab FX4 . Now this one unlike the promo's that they had before sat slightly higher,but still low IMO. It had 18" wheels that looked real nice with BFG Rugged Trail AT's. Nice tire but would like to see All-terrain AT/KO's on them.

All in all I think this truck is very impressive . Very quiet, handle's very well and goes well. My 03 Screw has a 5.4l with 3.73's and the performance on the new one is better but not ground breaking , but every little bit help's. I still think GM's 5.3 will eat it for lunch. The inside is excellent IMO. It had bucket's with counsel and floor shift w/cloth int. Impressive truck IMO !!

I will buy one in 05 after the bug's get worked out & yes probably the FX4 package,mainly because the rim's are really cool .

That's my report
Fall

I am also torn between the fx4 and the lariat. On one hand, the Fx4 (even though it has no more off-road-worthiness than a lariat 4x4) seems to look more sporty, and I like its overall appearance vs. the lariat. I like the dash of the fx4 better, the wood grain in the larait looks unbelievably FAKE. But I really like the auto climate ac...my mothers lexus has it and i love it. heated seats are useless to me(I live in san antonio..i need ac seats...moms lexus has those too...they rock). I will probably end up getting the fx4 supercab. I love the fact you can get a 35.7 gallon fuel tank for a hundred bucks!! I am going to wait around 6-8 months, and then me, a friend and his father are all going to the dealership to get a new 04. We should get a nice deal if we buy three trucks at once:rocker:

-alan

I would pay more money for an FX4 just so I don't get stuck with that wood center console panel. That thing is awful looking. Other then that, having that climate contol is a nice feature, I wish they made that an option in the FX4. Just my opinion.

I am really wanting to buy an 04 Lightning... :thumbsup:

Yea if you buy an FX4 thinking you're getting better shocks then you'll definitely feel ripped. The only difference is that it sits like an inch or two higher than the other models. But, the main purpose of it is to look sporty. ANd, not everyone wants beige leather and cream colored instrument panels. Black walled stitch leather with the black dash definitely appeals to more sporty people.

So, the Lariet and the FX4 are the same model - almost - with just a difference between professionalism (Lariat) and sport (FX4). I wouldn't buy the Lariat for the sheer reason that I dont want a professionalism or casual looking interior. I want something that screams sport inside and out.

It's just a matter of taste.

Also, about the acceleration issue that many people seem to complain about. What you don't realize is that the acceleration is a lot better than past models, but the cabin is so quiet and smooth that it doesn't "feel" like you're accelerating any faster. But trust me, take some number tests on your 0-60 and you'll see the major difference.

With the places I go in a truck (and yes, where I would take a brand new one), whether it's got the FX4 package or not, it's not going to get me there. I can't leave anything stock for more than like a week, but I do think that the FX4 would be a good starting point. In the FX4, we need the option of selectable lockers (front and back), we need solid front axles in the FX4, and we need at least 13 more inches of ground clearance from the factory (the FX4 Highboy!). The FX4 is a better truck to start with when trying to build a serious off-roader, but if you have to change almost everything, then there's no point in paying for the FX4 package if you still have to upgrade, may as well start with what you want to end up with, or as close as you can get it. :rocker:

Maybe, just maybe, an FX4 is head and shoulders above the Lariat. Not wild about the chrome grill and the wood grain interior, nor the leather. If you have an FX4, I bet you have a deer rifle. If you have a Lariat, I bet you have a Jack Russel terrior or a poodle named Jacques! :beers:

One of the themes in this marketing game is "name" and "image." When I was a GM guy ( and may soon return) I scrubed the "Z-71" upgrade compared to just a "4x4" upgrade. There were three differences: Larger tires (the rubber part, not the wheel), skid plates, and shocks. The "Z-71" gets "Bilstien" shocks that are a very pretty blue color. (blue/yellow one year). The larger tires raised the truck up another inch or so. The skid plate was a single thick alluminum plate protecting the engine oil pan, and front half of the transmission. I was soon to learn that the DECAL was the most coveted part of the upgrade. The "Z" upgrade was close to a thousand more than a 4x4 without the tire/shock upgrade. So I bought the GMC 4x4 and added the skid plate ($65).
What amazed me was the rations of riducule I got from fellow workers (most drove Chevys) who could not believed I did not opt for the Z-71. Most of them are deer hunters who need the extra strength to get to deer camp; they said. Turns out, there is a certain "club" or brotherhood of Z-71 guys; and I had not joined. I believe my truck was just as capable of following a dirt road to their deer camp, but they told me I had bought a weak truck. My salesman told me that some guys would buy a 4x4 and come to parts depart to buy the Z decal to put on their truck--"Z-71" is a badge of honor!

I wonder if Ford is hoping that "FX4" will become the same "name" thing, that only the "true truckers" will understand.