So I've been talking about this thing for the last month or so, but my 2011 XLT EB Screw is finally sitting in my driveway. I got a great deal on it by going out of state, but it was two weeks exactly from the day I signed the papers before it arrived, and that was a damn painful wait. Putting the keys in the ignition, and turning it over for the first time... totally worth all the hassle. What can I say, I love trucks.



Being a Screw, it's a bit longer than my '05 Scab, so that took some getting used to, but I'm thankful I went for the backup assist, as I almost creamed a shopping cart last night that the lady parked next to me thoughtfully left behind my truck after she was done with it. I put it in reverse, and immediately the truck started screaming at me. I thought it must be a glitch because I couldn't see anything, so I put it in park and then back to reverse. Same deal. So I get out and look, and sure enough, stupid cart right where I couldn't see it. Had this been my old truck, that would have been one more scratch on my tailgate. +1 for the 2011.

Took it for a spin on the highway last night after work because it was a beautiful day, and I fell in love all over again. There were a lot of looky-loo's on the road because of the nice weather, so I got to stretch her legs a bit in the passing lane, and let me tell ya, this new EB would flat out smoke any stock 5.4L V8. It takes a half a second for the turbos to spool up, but when the power comes, it hits like a hammer, and that truck is goooooooone. For folks that have complained about the gutless sound of the EB's, you seriously need to take a pill. While it might lack some of the rumble of older models, when it gets going, it satisfyingly sounds like my old turbo diesel. This might be a letdown for the rumble junkies out there, but really, who are you trying to impress? If scaring the dogs and pissing off the neighbors is your bag, you'll probably want to spend a couple grand on the exhaust. Otherwise, you're going to love the way this thing sounds when pedal meets firewall.

All said and done, I was averaging 24.2 mpg with the cruise control set at 62, and that's pretty damn impressive. After doing the math and factoring in the passing, I averaged 21.4 for the trip, and that's pretty damn good considering I was joyriding and seeing what this baby could do.

All in all, I couldn't be happier. There are a couple things I dislike, like the lack of an oh sh*t handle on the driver side A pillar, and the basically worthless fold down console in the split bench (what genius redesigned thing thing? If you drink anything other than coffee out of a Starbucks cup or a can of soda, these new cup holders are basically worthless. There are two more full sized cup holders on the floor for folks like me that use a big travel mug, but if you have a stiff back, bending down to put your drink in and out of the holder is going to get old, real quick. Storage is also basically none existent in the new console. Yes, there is a second storage bin under the middle seat, but getting to it requires reaching all the way around the middle seatback, flipping it up, then flipping up the middle seat itself to get at, which is to say, not very practical while driving. This is a stupid design, and I fully expect it to be gone in the 2012 line. On the plus side, I love that the instrument lights are now blue instead of green like on my '05, and the seats are much more comfortable right off the bat. It took about a year to break in the old truck, but these new ones fit like a glove and is much softer without feeling less supportive. I can only guess Ford put some more money into the fabric than the 04-08 line, which is awesome. I'll be happy if water doesn't stain the seats like it did in my last truck. Anyway, those are my initial thoughts that I had to get out. For anyone that's been on the fence about these new EB's, seriously, what are you waiting for? I was skeptical at first too, but just forget the V6 part, and go test drive one.

 

Looks like a promising truck... nice truck

 

Very Nice, love the color.

 

Awesome! The one I'm waiting on looks to be the exact same truck with a 5.0! Blue flame metallic is a beautiful color!

 

Congratulations. Thanks for the write up and enjoy that new ride.

 

I have to respond to your comment about the center console/middle seat. You are correct that it is a joke, but sadly I don't think Ford is going to get rid of this configuration. It has been around since 2004, revamped a tad in 2009, and once more for 2011. It seems Ford still thinks most people will be satisfied with a ridiculously inconvenient storage area like this. You'd think they'd have gotten it right by now, but perhaps not.

My 2010 came with the 40/20/40 seat which was one thing I regretted getting. A few weeks of searching ebay finally netted me a factory center console for $250 (the same one that is optional in XLT trims, not the flow-through unit with the shifter built-in). It might be a while before some consoles show up in the 2011 interior colors, but you might think about going that route if you don't need the extra seating. The console requires very little modifications to fit in place of the center seat section. The extra space is amazing. You can fit a baby or a dog in there, so you aren't even loosing a seat in the truck!

 

JohnnyCashAK good write up. I just put the deposit on my new 2011 F150 KR and now reading your write up its got me even more exciting. Thanks for the post!!

 

You're going to love that KR tteel. The only EB on the lot when I was doing research was a King Ranch, and if I had the money for it, I would have gone that route in a heartbeat. They use a much nicer leather in the 09+ line than the previous version, and it's much softer with a higher quality appearance. Be sure to post photos when you get it.

 

I've already spent a good deal of time in the two threads that talked about doing exactly what you did, and it's something I'm really considering. I'd like to keep that third seat, but I used to keep everything in my old console so I miss the storage, and the goofy cup holder redesign is too stupid for words. Why would they smush the holders to the driver side, just to make room for a cellphone cutout? My various phones fit just fine in the unused cupholder for six years. Times like this, I wish I could talk to the designers one on one, and just ask them what the thinking was behind the change. There is so much about this new truck that I love, but that and the missing driver side A pillar oh sh*t handle are definitely an annoyance.

 

Congrats on the new ride....nice color too!

 

Yeah it is, especially on a sunny day. It's supposed to be nice this weekend so I'm going to wash it and take some more photos. You're going to like that 5.0, especially if you're moving up from the older 5.4. It has a little bit less HP than the EB, but it doesn't have that same half-second hesitation when you floor it as it's not waiting on the turbos to spool up. The only reason I went with the 3.5 is because I tow a horse trailer and a boat in the summer, plus the slightly better mpg was worth the hassle of tracking one down. Anyway, all I can say about blue flame metallic is the pictures don't do it justice. It looks even better in person, and I've gotten more compliments on the color than anything else in the three days I've had it.

Enjoy yours, and be sure to post photos when you get it.

 

i cant wait, was told it will be here next tues......XLT SCrew chrome, tow, and convenience pkg. and after test drivin the 5.0 and EB, the 5.0 was right price and power wise(it would EAT my 2v 5.4 alive, plus i dont really tow anything over 4000lbs) for me, but that EB was damn quick! take care of her! you have a great lookin pickup!

 

Johnny, Congrats!!! Its been about 3 weeks with mine and i absolutly love the truck, This is my first xlt, And i really love the chrome, My last 2 were fx4's with 5.4. And hands down the EB is awesome, Like you I tow a 25' 7000 lb camper, cant wait to hitch it up and see how she does. Enjoy your truck, Love the blue...

 

If these trucks (4x4 EB Screw's) are getting 22+ on the highway my 2010 Scab is gone.... 2012/13 EB SCAB will replace the one I have.... No need for a SCREW.

 

Congrats, do you have any interior pics.