I have ordered my F-150 Lariat Flareside and was wondering what some owners thought of the factory tonneau cover. I'm gonna need a cover and was struggling over waiting and paying the $700 for the fiberglass lid or saving some bucks and adding the factory soft cover. I'm stretching my budget to the breaking point already :-)

 

I have to have a cover back there. I'm always carrying something and the cover will protect it from rain. Plus I can stop at other places and no one can swipe whatever I have back there. So any top is better than none. Personally, I would rather have the hard tonneou cover than the soft roll up one. I also never take it off the truck. You will need to decide what you will be hauling and if you need that cover to come off. Once you have decided, save up your money and buy it from an independent top dealer. This way it's paid for outright and wont hurt your budget.

------------------
97F150 XLT SC 4x4 Flairside 4.6 V8 5sp Dk Toreador Red, 3.55LS
ARE tonneau cover, p255/70rx16 tires (came w/235), Superchip
Pioneer CD w/4 Polk Speakers & Clarion APA5240amp, skid plates
bed liner, side window deflectors, reese hitch, K&N air filter
40s-2chamber Flowmaster, Bosch +4 spark plugs, rustproofing
Better Built Stainless nerf bars

 

I have the factory soft tonneau cover and for my use it's the best. It's easy to remove when I have to carry any high or bulky loads. It also looks good and keeps the box clean and dry when I'm not hauling anything. Not only that, it is covered by the factory warranty too. This is not the denigrate the hard covers though. I can see why people use them and like them.