Choosing the right spec of a pickup is fraught with danger since it is unlikely any two truck customers have the same needs. Jim might need a base two-wheel-drive regular cab for chores on the farm while Bill could be after a Crew Cab monster to tow the family camper.

Nevertheless, we shall try. Consider the following as a selection of F-150 which is likely to be pressed into runs to the hockey rink and the scattered bit of towing on the weekends, mixed with a decent amount of useful new tech. In other words, the one this author would buy.

The only reason a right-sized SuperCab with a 6.75-ft box is not selected here is thanks to Ford’s steadfast refusal to fit this bodystyle with a quartet of forward-swinging doors, the type found in just about every other extended cab truck on the market today. Blue Oval beancounters have probably done the math and ascertained there isn’t enough of a take rate of SuperCab to warrant the expense of engineering an entirely new cab design and assembly process. And since the usefulness of a 5.5-ft box is questionable at best (try loading a full-sized couch or John Deere lawn tractor aboard one), we’re selecting a long-box SuperCrew XLT.

Ford made great waves when they introduced the 3.5-liter V6 hybrid powertrain. Called the PowerBoost, it’s good for 430 horsepower and 570 lb-ft of torque, numbers which were the domain of diesel engines not that many years ago. Four-wheel drive is a must-have where this writer lives; your needs may vary. At this end of the scale, PowerBoost is a $2,500 option but its cost yo-yos as one moves through the F-150 trim walk. A 3.73-ratio locking rear axle is part and parcel of the 4×4 hybrid, permitting this specific truck to tow 12,400 pounds.

Well, it’ll haul 12.4k if the $1,995 Max Trailer Tow package is selected. Opting for the $900 less expensive Trailer Tow package limits this Ford truck to 11,000 pounds – still no slouch. Your extra scratch picks up slightly beefier tow gubbins but both packages include a trailer brake controller and Pro Trailer Backup Assist. Note that Ford irritatingly makes the elephant ear towing mirrors a stand-alone option. Judge yourself accordingly.

The 7.2kW onboard generator is a no-brainer at just $750, representing one of the best option feature values on any order sheet. A 360-degree camera is a standalone item at $765 and worth every penny. Splashing out $1,995 on the XLT Sport Appearance package satiates this author’s need to rid the truck of most of its chrome trim, substituting it with color-keyed items (Antimatter Blue, in this case) and 18-inch wheels which help keep a lid on replacement costs compared to 20 inchers. Plucking that pack from the menu also bins the old-school bench seat in favor of buckets and a console shifter. And for the sake of convenience and practicality, we’re tossing in a $350 power sliding rear window which is a feature this driver has included on every single pickup truck to bear his name on its ownership papers.

So equipped, this Ford F-150 swells its base price of $49,370 to a shade under sixty grand. And while that is certainly a chunk of change, it’s miles away from the near-six-figure Cowboy Cadillacs that seem to permeate every parking lot from Boston to Boise.

Please note the prices listed here are in Yankee bucks and are currently accurate for base prices exclusive of any fees, taxes, or rebates. Your dealer may (and should) sell for less (obscene market conditions notwithstanding). Keep your foot down, bone up on available rebates, and bargain hard.

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“a shade under sixty grand”

But Teslas are for rich people.

Teslas, pickups and real SUVs. Been that way for awhile now.

The big change is that trucks (and SUVs to a lesser extent) used to be available with some very healthy incentives.

You out-of-touch elites and your disdain for the common working man.

Once they can no longer afford to drive I’ll probably take the F150 out more often. More room for parking and what not with all those $#!+boxes no longer cluttering up the roads!

I currently have a garage for which my Toyota Highlander is literally a foot too long (we have to keep the Bolt in it), so this is strictly an academic exercise. An F-150 as a personal vehicle in the heart of the city is about as useful as a lowered 240SX on a ranch.

But, let’s imagine that I were moving to Wyoming, as my wife sometimes dreams of doing… I’d need a truck.

I have a family, so it’s going to be the crew cab. If I’m in Wyoming there’s not going to be any parking trouble, so I’ll take the 6 1/2′ bed. Spray-in bedliner, please.

I’d love a Lightning but I think it will be a few more years before it will work well in a rural area, so I’ll take a gas version. But the only reasonable powertrain is the hybrid with 4×4 (and standard electronic locker). It’s the best at truck jobs, it allows for onboard power, it gets the best economy, and it allows for idling with the engine off.

I’ll want to tow, but I don’t need to tow 10k lbs., so I’ll forgo the harsher ride of the Max Tow package and take the regular towing package (and the fancy cameras are included in my trim level). I also would keep the regular mirrors instead of the big telescoping ones that make it impossible to park near a wall.

I like the interior luxuries and am fortunate enough to be in a position to afford them, so I’ll take the Platinum trim with 701A and all other interior boxes checked. (There’s little benefit from going even further up the line; mostly the differences are appearance-related, and you can’t get the longer bed.) Add the pano roof as well.

“Add the pano roof as well.”

How do those fare in major crashes?

The major mechanical components that Max Tow adds – extra rear leaf, semi float rear axle, shorter gears, bigger gas tank – are all already included with the hybrid and even if they weren’t the hybrid parts are heavy enough that you’d run out of payload long before maxing out trailer weight. Doubly so at the top of the trim ladder.

I thought it also added stiffer front springs, which would have a major effect on ride.

I’d be inclined to go with a regular cab 8 foot box. I did a “Right Spec” exercise of my own recently. I could get a 4×4 5.3 Chevy with the Z71 package and cloth seats for around $49,000 Canadian. A similarly equipped 5.0 Ford was around $52,000. I was surprised that a Ram with the 3.6 V6 was around $54,000. If I can find a Colorado ZR2 extended cab diesel, they spec for $53 – 54k Canadian. The V6 drops the price by $5k. They come with leather interior and a decent amount of bling.

@Lou–Have you thought about putting a vehicle search out for an extended cab Colorado ZR2 diesel extended cab. It would seem that somewhere in Canada they would have one though it might be a distance to travel to get one. I am not familiar with Canada but you can put a nationwide search in the USA. You might not get the exact color and maybe not the exact options but it would be worth trying.

@Jeff S – I checked again with my son’s dealership chain and I was told that they can’t order any. GM gives them a list of what’s available and “take it or leave it”. It was the sales manager that suggested looking for a regular cab. He then phoned the sales manager at the “big” Chevy dealer in my town. They can get exactly what I want as long as I’m willing to wait 6 months. I’d prefer to deal with my son’s “chain” to support a “dad & son” chain as opposed to a big franchise chain.

A 3.5 Eco would drop the F150’s price and beat the sheet out of the 5,3L. A 2.7L would drop the F150’s price by $3K CDN. and still perform as well as the 5.3L

Regular cab XL 6.5ft box 4×2 Antimatter Blue 5.0L V8 3.31 electric locking axle Power equipment group Class IV hitch Brake controller Spray in bed liner Privacy glass Fog lamps Carpet Satellite radio

Total with destination is $37,400. I’d need to toss on some 18s aftermarket as well.

On a different note, Ford has a new off-road trim package call the “Rattler”. Unveiling tomorrow. It can be had with the plebeian XL trim.

Named “Rattler” to appeal to GM truck buyers.

Kudos to Ford for still offering an extended cab + 8 foot bed in a 1/2 ton truck when everyone else has abandoned the idea. Unfortunate that it tops out at Lariat Mid, but I could probably live with that if I had to.

SCLB Lariat 4×4 Lariat Mid 3.73 electronic locker 5.0 Max trailer tow Spray in bedliner Console replacing front bench (with wireless charger) 360 degree camera

Right at $60K even, depending whether you believe in a $500 incentive on their website or not.

Pano roof – if you’re passengers are over 6′ tall, forget about them sitting in the rear seat of the F-150. Their heads will be in the pano roof.

Regarding the “suicide” doors on the extended cab… I bet market research indicates that the extended portion of the cab is more likely to be used as lockable storage than for hauling passengers. The rear seat of an EC truck is only useful for passengers under the age of 12.

And if you’re using it as cargo space, opening the back doors clamshell style makes stuff more accessible.

As for my “right spec”, make mine a RCSB with the 2.7 turbo, XL trim, in any color but “contractor white”. Add in the 101A windows/locks/cruise package and I’m all set.

The build and price on these makes me cry even knowing it’s Weimar money but my easy answer is the best one I can get with a column shifter in a bright color that isn’t red. That seems to be 302A, 5.0, 3.73s, big gas tank, Atlas Blue, and $55,265.

I suspect that’s about as cheap as these are ever going to be again, even if the rebates come back some day there’s also $3,000 a year of sticker creep to keep pace with.

I’m going to disagree with current pricing realities becoming permanent. True, we may never see $15k off msrp, but I bet we’ll be back to $5k+ discounts when supplies are more freely flowing. The market and bragging rights are too competitive between the “Big 3″….

I’m sure incentives will come back in two or three years, shortages now always mean gluts later, but there are enough supply kinks and non-transitory hyperinflation baked in today that the four door bottom line is never going to drop below 50K again. I don’t think it’ll spend much more time under 60.

The money printers are still running.

For trucks sake, F-150 XL is the right spec. XL, 4WD, antimatter blue, 3.3L engine, tow package, XL high equipment, XL Chrome Pkg. , 400W outlet, for a total of $46,695. Does everything a truck needs to do and then some. For under $50K. As it should be.

Heated seats and steering wheel is not available on that trim. You like that in colder climates.

Crew Cab – Need to haul family & friends every weekend. Tow Package – Why would I buy a FS PU truck if I wasn’t towing. 4WD – My trucks tow in the winter. ECO Boost V6- Better than Fords V8s for towing. Leather Seats – Holds up better than cloth to dirt & kids over the long haul. XLT Trim(Amenities) – My 1st PU was a stripper, never again. The High Country/Denali/Platinum type trims are non-value added/over the top for me so you can keep those.

I like the rear-hinged doors on the SuperCab, makes for a huge opening when the front and rear doors are opened for kids, dogs and luggage. My experience with the RAM extended cab was the rear doors are so narrow it makes getting into the smaller back seat a chore. The Hybrid is sweet but I’d go for the 4wd 2.7L with the Payload package providing the 3.73 Locker and HD rear axle. XLT mid trim with the Sport Appearance option. 53k before any incentives which is insane for a pick-up but welcome to 2022.

A friend of mine has had 3 Ecoboost F150’s and he’s finally done with them. They have all had similar ($$$$, that’s 4 figures almost every time) problems and he’s currently looking for a 5.0 4×4, I don’t know what trim level he needs/wants, but he says if he finds one, he’s going to grab it. He’s incapable of buying anything but Ford, but if I was in the market for a PU, I would probably take a Ram over the Chevy/GMC, just for looks alone. I loved my 2003 Ram 1500.

Matthew, Learned from decades of experience, travelling throughout Ontario, Quebec, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and New York state for hockey. A pick-up truck is about the worst possible vehicle to use for hockey runs. Putting the equipment in the bed of the truck means at best putting on cold equipment. Which is bad enough. Sometimes it is also cold and damp after riding in the bed. Plus modern sticks and skate blades have a tendency to break/snap if they get too cold. Much better to use a van (of any size or even a large SUV). And if the trip is for a tournament a van or SUV allows you to hang the equipment and long underwear on a line between games to ‘dry out’.

Throughout the 1990s and first decade of the 21st century we could estimate the number of Canadians versus Americans at a tournament by the vehicles. Canadians primarily drove minivans while Americans tended to prefer Suburbans and large conversion vans.

I have a 2021. All of the good stuff comes with the Lariat package- leather, good headlights, adaptive cruise control, nice wheels, heated steering wheel, air conditioned seats…

I upgraded to the 3.5, I wonder if the V8 would have been a better option?

Auto manufacturers are excellent at leading you down the primrose path. For just a few dollars more you can get this upgrade… At my price point I could have easily jumped into the King ranch – maybe I should have?

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