Ford's "build and price" website, is it real?
 

I am looking to replace my 2005 (lemon) in the next year or so and thought I would go through the online process of building my ideal vehicle to see approx. what the MSRP would be.

Some things completely perplex me.

For instance

Standard cab: XL (2wd)
4.6 3v engine $5265 option
5.4 engine $4010 option

Standard cab: XLT (2wd)
4.6 3v engine $4790 option
5.4 engine $4505 option

Supercab: XL (2wd)
4.6 3v engine $4040 option
5.4 engine $4010 option

Supercab: XLT (2wd)
4.6 2v engine NOT OFFERED ????
4.6 3v engine Standard (3.73 rear end not avalable for this engine?)
5.4 engine $795 option

Supercrew: XL (2wd)
4.6 3v engine $3960 option
5.4 engine NOT AVAILABLE

Supecrew: XLT (2wd)
4.6 2v engine NOT OFFERED ????
4.6 3v engine standard
5.4 engine $795
3.73 limited slip not available?

I drove myself nuts trying to figure this out. There seems to be no rhyme or reason why certain engines are not available based on TRIM level. I could understand wheelbase differences or cab differences to not make certain drivetrain packages available, but this is rediculous.

Case in point, I was trying to price an XLT Supercab with 6.5 bed, 4.6 2v engine and a 3.73 limited slip and apparently cant. But they make it in XL trim... So there is no technical reason they cant.

Also what is with the 5.4 engine being a cheaper option than the 4.6 3v engine? Is this just a website bug or is this how Ford custom build vehicles are now? I used to always order vehicles from the factory but had not the last 2 trucks I have bought (2005 and 2001) so it may have changed, but it used to be that you could pretty much do anything you wanted a-la carte.

The build price is a little confusing at times. Try again because your numbers seem a little off.

For example, you have:
Standard cab: XL (2wd)
4.6 3v engine $5265 option
5.4 engine $4010 option

I have: $5265. and $6110.

The 4.6L 2V is the lowest level engine with a 4 speed so it makes more sense to use it for the lower trim level and not the XLT which is 2 levels above the XL and more of a mid range model.

So basically you can't get the 3.73 LSD with the 4.6 3V, you're stuck with the 3.55 LSD. And you can't get the 4.6L 2V with the supercab.

You can get an XLT supercab with 6.5' bed, 4.6 3V engine, and 3.55 LSD.

I agree with you that it's lame you can't get your desired configuration in an XLT, only an XL.

I don't see the 5.4L being cheaper than the 4.6 3V. It shows it as a $795 upgrade for me with the above configuration.

Actually, I have a 2010 XLT Supercab with 6.5' bed AND the 4.6L 3V with the 6-speed and 3.73 LSD.

It is a sweet combo but it is odd that it is only available with 4WD. It was VERY hard to find but I lucked out by finding one locally with all the other options I wanted and almost none of the options I didn't. Of course it took over a year as I was originally looking at '09's.

The option combos do not make any sense to me either except to the degree that I understand Ford is trying to simplify the production lines to a certain degree. But some of the combinations are completely backwards. For example, IMO the 4.6L 3V with 6-speed is the optimum off-road engine considering that it is over 100 lbs. less weight up front and has considerably more range in the back-country due to it's more efficient idle and is more efficient all around but particularly when just tooling along slowly as one is apt to do when in the back-country or especially in 4-low. But sometimes selecting 4WD requires the 5.4L engine and the Raptor is not even available with the 4.6L 3V which would be a sweet combo for a truck designed to go fast over rough terrain.

But my question to the original poster, why are you set on the 5.4L engine if you can get the configuration you want with the 4.6L 3V and 6-speed tranny?

I gotta say thats pretty sweet though. I wish I could get a truck to my exact specifications because basically all I want is a basic truck with a few extras ya know?

You'll have to add a fuel expense, mine was about 90, and the advertisement fee, which I think was about 400

That's it. Manufacturing complexity costs a lot of extra money. Compare "building" any Honda vs. the F-150.

The 2V 4.6L/4-spd combo sucks. It is cheaper, but I see no reason to get it. The 3V 4.6L/6-spd is significantly quicker and gets better fuel economy.

As to why the various prices and disparities comes from the forcing you to "upgrade" to larger cab or 4wd, or some other package

The 5.4L has historically been less than $600 extra over the 4.6L, all else equal, and in 2009/10 this is over the 3V 4.6L.

My point was, over the 4.6 2v engine in some configurations, the 5.4 was only a few hundred dollars MORE than the 4.6 3v, so why WOULD I get the 4.6 3v, it cant be that much of a better engine over the 2v engine. I am also not completely sold on the 6 speed auto. Nothing pisses me off more than a tranny that hunts for a gear, and the 6 speed just sounds like it will do that, especially in hilly terrain (I travel alot even though I live in FLA). The 4.6 3v seems to price itself out of the conversation for me.

I can understand that for some parts, but for something like a differential, they are all just built, and they take one off the rack and put it off the truck. How hard it is to say, put C on this truck instead of A. You can have A, B, D, E, and F, but not C. WTF?

It is, at least the combo of it with the 6-spd vs. 2V 4-spd As I already said, the 4.6L 3V with 6-spd auto combo has more power and better gearing than the 2V. This means better acceleration with better fuel economy. EPA says 4.6L 6-spd gets 2mpg better highway, same city mileage as the 4-spd 2V combo.

I'm curious if either A) you've driven any 2009+ F-150 with the 6-spd or B) you've read about such complaints on here. Your concerns should quickly be verified or relieved with one test drive. I suspect that you will find no issue with transmission hunting. Besides, smaller gear ratio spacing means the annoyance if there is hunting is lowered due to the engine speed not changing as much between gear shifts.

That is not how vehicles are manufactured in 2010. Everything is assembled just in time. It does not have 4x the differentials (one of each gear ratio) as trucks it builds. Each vehicle before it starts final assembly has a configuration and list of parts. The decision to build whatever combo of parts is based heavily on marketing. Ford won't put the 4.6L 2V 4-spd combo in a 6400 pounds Platinum Supercrew because of the performance it would get. Also, there are regulations and government tests that have to be done based on some of those changes, so Ford (and ever other OEM) limit that testing, costs again.