Our car was in for service and they said it would take a few hours... so, we grabbed a new 5.0 Lariat that had all the options and took it to lunch (4x4, super crew). I have been wanting a new F150 since these engines are now out and I had to give the 5.0 a try to see if that would be ok... I really wanted the 6.2L engine. Here are my thoughts:
Pros:
1.) It looks nice from the outside.
2.) The exhaust sounded nice... for once. Ford has done terrible with exhaust for the past 6-7 yrs.
3.) The 5.0 is MUCH, MUCH, MUCH, MUCH, MUCH, MUCH, MUCH, MUCH better than the crappy old 5.4 3V engine. This engine actually felt just as nice as the older 5.4 2V engines. The 5.0 is a homerun.

Cons:
1.) Price
2.) Cheap chrome exhaust tip. Why can Dodge and GM do this SO MUCH nicer?
3.) The interior is quite cheap looking. Steering wheel had very rough texture and very plastic looking/feeling. It seemed like a toy.
4.) Inner door panels were cheap plastic and very rough. Looked and felt pretty bad.
5.) The blond wood accents were awful. These destroy the interior regardless of interior color combo.
6.) Ergonomics were not that great. The controls are too far away from the driver. The steering wheel is too far away. The pedals are too close.
7.) The high-end Sony sound system was awful. Half volume had distortion in the speakers. The high-end sound system in my 2005 King Ranch was much better.
8.) Sunroof was very clunky.

Overall... This test drive made me reconsider my purchase. I do not think that I will be buying any time soon. I just could not get over the cheapness of the interior of the truck. That was the single most disappointing part of my test drive. You can tell that Ford cheaped out on the materials and interior choices. This was not worth the pricing for sure. Maybe I will buy a used on in a few years... not a new one now though.

 

Most 5.0L owners would be adding an aftermarket exhaust anyways

 

agreed

 

fify.

 

If you think the interior is cheap... Don't go look at a Tundra...

 

You really think the interior was cheap? I though that it was miles ahead of my 05 which was miles ahead of my 03. The armrests on the Platinum I drove were covered in a leather or similar material not the plastic they have always been. The switches all have a much more solid feel to them. I can't think of a single think on my 05 that is better than the 11s I have driven.

Also, the pedals are adjustable and the steering wheel is telescoping. this could have been the problem with the ergos when you were driving.

I have to agree with the blond wood. I normally like blonds in my truck but not this time.

 

What color wood is in the black interiors?

 

did it actually sound like exhaust note in the cab, or engine noise? And yes there is a difference.

 

A bit of both, it doesn't have the whine that the 5.4 does when you wind it up more like a fierce humming sound. There is a more pronounced exhaust note on the 2011s than any other Ford truck I have been in.

 

I drove a 2011 Lariat 4x4 and did not think that it was that bad. I think the blond wood would grow on you. The only other option for me would be the King Ranch but they do not have a color I like.

Kevin

 

I must agree about the steering wheel--it just felt cheap on the Lariat I tested.

Have not listened to the Sony, but the base system was terrible.

All in all, the blond wood didn't bother me much and I really like the info center in the dash. However, the interior does feel very cheap for a truck that was stickered at $45k.

 

Wow..I have a 2011 FX2 fully loaded and I feel like ford did an amazing job with the interior. Doesn't seem or feel cheap to me at all.

 

If you think the 2011 F150 interior has a cheap feel to it, then don't waste your time test driving the other Truck models from Chevy, GMC, Dodge and Toyota. Most people that ride in my 2011 Raptor are amazed at how nice the truck's interior is. The Chevy and Tundra's interior looks like something from the 90s.

 

Toyota is horrible

 

I have owned '97, '98, '02, '04, '06, '09 & now '11 F-150's. This one is the best yet with my '09 & '02 being runners up. I put a bunch of miles on them all too. My steering wheel telescopes & pedals move for a comfortable seating position. I guess I'm just bored with the dark wood grain so the light color looks good to me & a welcome change. I think the interior & the truck overall is way ahead of the competition.