On Thursday (9/25) I took delivery of my new '04 SCrew (Lariat, Med. Wedgewood Blue, AZ Beige trim, 5.4, etc...) and in the four days since, I've put 700 plus miles on it and pushed every damned button I could find. Anyway, since I have an '01 SCrew until someone decides they can't live without it, I thought I would throw out my initial impressions/opinions (mostly good and a little not so good) of the "new" vs. the "old". Probably not breaking any new ground or telling you anything you haven't read before, but just thought I'd give my 2 cents worth. I'll apologize for the length of this thread right off the bat. Sorry/

Exterior: All-in-all it's a darn good looking truck although I'm still "adjusting" to the straight lines of the '04. Standing next to the '01, the top of the bed came up to mid-chest. The '04 comes up to lower neck level (I'm 5'11"). Tailgate is HUGE, but the assist works well it actually feels lighter than the '01. I'm not sure what they were thinking with the BIG blue ovals but it's not quite as bad as I feared. I like the fact that the grill goes up when opening the hood, but it seems a little flimsey........time will tell. I was surprised that the mirrors and door handles on the '04 were black plastic and not color coded like the '01..........maybe in '05? Gas filler door is also plastic. Looks fine, but I wonder if they will fade/age at a different rate and look funny in a few years. Paint quality was/is excellent. Overall exterior grade:B

Interior: You've seen people say it on many other threads. The '04's interior is phenominal !! That being said, the seats in the '04 aren't as cushy as those in my '01 Lariat, but very comfortable nonetheless. The interior fit and finish of the various material (leather, plastic, etc.) is first rate. The flowthrough console in the new ride is also a big advance, especially for the SCrew. Even when driving through the desert at 106F, I had no complaints from those in the back. The dashboard, stereo, climate controls, etc. are all well laid out and easy to read, monitor, adjust and play with. The '04 is also considerably quieter going down the road than the '01. Crusing at 75+mph all you can really hear is the climate control fan. Turn that off and it gets REALLY quiet.....so eerily quiet that I had to crank up the audiophile stereo, which by the way may not be enough for the true audiophiles out there, but will be more than enough for the majority of those that buy it. I did notice when I let the wife drive (it was that or no sex for the indefinite future) and I sat in the back that the bass is a little overwhelming. The front seats are where you want to be for the best sound, but that's OK. One other thing, the carpeted floor mats are pretty lame. I'll likely get some aftermarket replacements shortly. Overall interior grade: A

Engine/Drivetrain/Ride: Once again, I think Ford has definitely made strides here. I have the 5.4 in the '04 vs. the 4.6 in the '01 so I was expecting somewhat of a difference. I was still pleasantly suprised. No, this truck won't snap your head back but the power comes on and keeps on coming and a few seconds later, you're well beyond the speed limit. The x-mission shifting was much smoother than my '01. On the drive from Phoenix to Palm Springs (roughly 310 miles each way), I varied my speed and kept resetting the fuel economy button every 10 to 20 miles to see what type of mileage I was getting. By no means scientific, I got roughly 14.6 at 80 mph, 15.1 mpg at 75mph and 18.4 mpg at 65 mph. I was more than happy with those numbers as compared to that of my '01. Overall for the 700 miles I averaged 15.4 mpg (based on gas useage not the computer). The ride/handling of this new rig are in my eyes, significantly better than my '01 and really inspire confidence, especially at higher speeds. Around town it seems a little more nimble (to the extent possible for a 19 ft. long truck) and definitely has a tighter turning radius than the '01. On the few speed bumps and speed humps that I've been over, I hardly even felt them. The truck just seemed to eat 'em up. Overall engine/drivetrain/ride grade: A-

Overall Impression: It's a keeper!! A significant improvement from my '01. It's funny to hear myself say that, 'cause I really liked the '01...........did I mention that it's for sale.

 

dsfuller,

I purchased the same truck. Could you post some pics PLEASE?

 

I can give you what I've got, but they were actually taken last week before i took delivery. I'll have more and better pics by the end of the week.

 

Thanks, Im looking forward to my Lariat SCrew. I have already ordered Nifty Catchall Carpet Mats (I did not like the stock mats the first time I saw them). Congrats on the new truck, I'm replacing a '96 XLT Reg cab w/5.0L.

 

I would appreciate any pictures that you could post. There are not too many pictures of the wedg. blue.

Thanks

 

https://www.f150online.com/galleries...w.cfm?num=4590

I just took some of the pics I mentioned previously but having never done this before, I'm not sure if just giving you the link is all you need or what. Sorry. If this doesn't work, if somebody could let me know how I can connect you to my albums, I'd greatly appreciate it. Not completely computer literate, but I follow directions well.

 

But you're comparing the 04 5.4L to a 4.6? How's it compare to the *bigger* pre-04 engines?

 

well done young grasshopper.