I agree... I have owned 4 F150's, two Lariats, and XLT, and now I finally got a 12' FX4 and it's by far the best I've owned and to be honest... it looks pretty bad @ss!

 

The 2012 FX4's can have AC seats and btw they are nice! They also do have the sound-deadening materials which makes one hell of a difference.

 

If you are mostly concerned with MPG's, the Lariat can be had with a higher geared rear end while the FX4 has a 3.73 rear end only.

 

Both nice truck's. The FX4 is more sportier looking then the Lariat but the Lariat may ride a little better and have more color combination's.

 

It's basically a comparison of ruggedness vs professionalism.

I went with the FX2 over the Lariat 2WD because I preferred the overall appearance of the FX2. However, the Lariat had chilled seats and was almost reason enough so choose it over the FX model. Now you can get chilled seats on either vehicle though.

 

If you read the manual for the FX4 it tells you to not put it into 4x4 on dry pavement but with the Lariat "auto 4x4" you can put it there without damaging the 4x4 part of the system. In other words, you can have it in 4x4 and it will use it when it needs to, regardless if it is on dry pavement. The FX4 manual cautions you about damage if you run it in 4x4 on dry pavement.

 

^ lol, I've had mine in 4x4 more on pavement for hard boosted launches than dirt so far. zero issues

 

Either will be fine, my choice would be the lariat 4x4 with a 3.55 ls rear end. That's what my truck is(only an xlt, not a lariat), and I seem to use my truck almost exactly the way you do. I just don't like leather. The 3.55 is nice for a daily driver, pulls any boat/trailer I need no problem. And for hunting, I recommend getting some rubber floor mats, they are a life saver. That said, its all really about what you want.

 

FX4 and Lariat are on the same playing field as far as reliability and durability. They're just differently optioned out same truck afterall. So it either comes down to what looks better to you or a couple of their slight differences like the following:

Lariat has an option for several different ratio options (3.31, 3.55, 3.73, etc and LS or E-locker). FX4 you're locked into 3.73 Elocker with no other choices.

FX4 has an option for cloth seats or leather. Lariat automatically comes with leather.

Lariat has an option for bench seats or captain's chairs with flow-thru console. FX4 does not have bench seat option.

Lariat comes with Auto 4x4 in addition to 4 Hi, 4 Lo, and 2 Hi. FX4 does not have this.

Lariat and up trims have more sound deadening in the cab. FX4 does not.

Lariat has an option for two-tone color (in which you get colored bumpers as well). FX4 has an appearance package available with a big stripe down the side of the truck.

Lariat has option of tan or black leather. FX4 has option of black or reddish-black (with appearance package) leather.

Other than these features, it's purely just aesthetic differences.

 

Great Information...

Thank you all.

 

I wasn't sure which one to get either...I went with the Lariat and I love it! The nice thing about the FX4 is that it comes with Rancho shocks and 3.73 gears. I just went with the Lariat because I liked the looks better.

 

I do not know about 2012 but in 2013 a Lariat can come with wheels 7 lugs!
Payload 8200lbs!!! Fx4 not.

I prefer the look of Fx4 but Lariat options ...

 

Thanks for the replies. I am still shopping and my current vehicle has allowed me quite a bit of time to shop.

Joking - I think I scared it by considering new vehicles.

~~
WSHD

 

For 2013 you can also get Slate Grey leather on the lariat. That's what I have and I feel its a great compromise between the black or tan

 

Not sure about the comments regarding the additional sound proofing in the Lariat and up models over the FX4? My 2011 Platinum doesn't sound any more quiet than my 2013 FX4; outside of exhaust and tire noise differences due to my mods, both seem to be about the same to me.

For my 4x4 truck, I was in the mood for something sporty (but didn't want the street-biased Limited or extreme off-road biased Raptor) so the FX4 with the Eco was the ticket for me. I did consider the two-tone Lariats too since they don't have the chrome bumpers, but wasn't liking the wood trim interior as much as the FX4 sporty interior theme. All personal preferences and so you can't go wrong with either model!