I am not impressed with the new truck especially the doors.

If they don't do something about the doors I will not buy a gen 3 Lightning.

The doors on our trucks are 51 inches long and the new trucks doors are only 43 inches long. When I went to get in the truck I hit my tail bone on the little swing out door.

If they don't get rid of those two little rear doors and make the two main doors at least 6 inches longer, I for one won't be interested in the New Lightning.

I think I might have to sue Ford for a broken tail bone.

 

If it will be like the concept Ford made then it shouldn't have those "little doors". But who knows at this point.

I think the new truck looks ok, but not great. I think the Super Duty look is a bit to much. Of course, the heavier frame is down right overkill. If someone needs to tow that much, then they need to get a SD with a diesel or something.

The only thing Im liking about the new L is the 500hp it is going to get(hopefully).


But, thats just me.

 

There are some other features that look very cheap on the truck in addition to the smaller doors. I looked at an extended cab and the door handles for the extra doors looked flimsy and cheap. I only like the interiors of those with the center console, but the material looks cheap too. I was amazed at how quiet the ride was, but I still love my silver 01L and won't give her up...except for maybe an silver 04L.

 

The only thing that sucks is that some of that 500hp is going to have to be to overcome the added weight. You would think that a current L with 400+ hp now might be able to take one of the new ones. Who knows, guess we'll see.

 

I agree weight is going to be a huge factor with those trucks.

 

Looks like you won't be getting a GEN3 then. Doors are going to stay. It's either live with it or not.

 

Well if the doors are going stay the same way, I guess no Gen 3 Lightning for me.

The Regular Cab Sucks!!!!!!!

Also where I sit there is about a 10 inch wide plastic trim peice where the two doors close together. So if you turn your head to see what coming from the left all you see is plastic not glass.. I am only 5'9" so for those of you 6' or taller you are going to hate it more tham me.

 

I drove the 2004 body style when it came out. I raced down and bought a 2004 Lightning before they stopped making them. I don't give a flip what the new one is like. It's a land yacht and will have problems for years like all new iterations.

 

I am with you Don…

That is the MAIN reason I went out to buy my 03 L. I had intended to wait a few more years but then they came out with those, in my opinion, ugly new square body style. The new F150 04’s have absolutely NO character at all, they are just an everyday ordinary truck like Chevy and GMC. At least the Dodge trucks, current ones have some character to them even if it is below standard…

When I first seen a new F150 04 my first thought was:

”Why didn’t they let the guys in the clay room have more then 15 minutes to mold the exterior of the truck?”

It is as if they gave them 10 minutes and barely had time to touch the clay and some suit said ”That’s it, the new look, square” Much cheaper to make and the cheap interiors are saving Ford a bundle of money. Yet they are charging some BIG money for the new ugly trucks on the lot’s.

Personally I think Ford will be losing some customers until the next generation of F150’s come out. It’s like that same ugly mistake of an F150 they made in the 80’s with the BIG head lights that covered half the front end.

So my opinion for now is the Gen II’s will be the sweetest looking body style. Who knows maybe the Gen IV will look sweet again or maybe Ford will rethink the body style for the Lightning and leave the regular F150 butt ugly…

 

Ditto Don ! The only thing I kinda Like are the heat extractors on fenders. it will be interesting about how quick they are with 355's & steel driv-shaft too!

 

I don't mind the look of the new Body style
I just don't like doors that are 8 inches shorter than our current doors, and with a regular cab do we really need 4 doors?

Get rid of thew two little doors, and if we have to put something behind the seats, just tilt the seat foward like we do now. I would think that 4 doors would be heavier than two normal sized doors.

 

I bet they will change it next year, pending on how sales did. It was like in 97, they thought they would be swift and put exhaust in front of tire. No one liked it and they moved it. Mabee no one will like the reg cabs and they will change it. I sure hope so, the 06L concept looks SWEET, and if they make it in 2 door its deffinatly a purchase, if 4 door, gonna have to wait and see. Oh, I'm 6'4" tall, so gonna have to sit in one for sure.

 

I do not like the new reg cab fords.I doubt they will go through the hassle of making a special cab just for the Lightning though. If they do, can you imagine,Not only will we have a Lightning but we will be the only ones with a real "reg cab" ford.I think it would be cool.It would make the lightning that much more special i think.I wil buy one no matter but i hop they do the right thing.

 

I've driven a reg. cab 04 with the 5.4 and loved it all except the lack of power. I'm 6'2" and had no problems with egress/ingress. If I have my way a 07 or 08 L is in my future, Lord willing.

 

It's always the same thing when a new model comes out. So many people find things wrong with it, yet most of those people own a current model that they are making payments on. I believe it's called envy. Remember I said most not all.

Yet these same people wish pain for the manufacturer so that the manufacturer will change the vehicle for them. I mean come on guys. The f150 is the worlds best selling pickup. Do you really think that Ford will design a important vehicle that provides so much revenue and is so much of an icon that they would screw it up?

In addition comparing the f150 to Dodge's styling is interesting. I agree the Dodge has styling, however it obviously is not everyone's cup of tea.

So to finish my rant, (too much coffee) nobody is making you buy the new one. For myself I will be interested when the new L does come out and yeah I might even get one.