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Getting cold feet about buying a 2021 PowerBoost

islandboy47

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I've been waiting to upgrade my vehicle for a couple of years now, and just so happens that this year I got a new job that pays almost $20k more and I sold a house I owned in another state because prices were so high, so I have more money than last year and thought "now is the time to get a new truck!". I did all the research and realized that right now buying any vehicle is harder/more expensive than usual, but especially things like late model trucks, ugh. So that led me to think maybe buying a new vehicle for the first time ever wouldn't be a bad idea due to the market, and I discovered the fresh 2021 F-150 model and specifically the amazing PowerBoost. At first I thought I was crazy to want to spend $50k minimum for a truck, but then I test drove one, a Lariat (it's all the dealership had) and I LOVED it! So I started building mine online and realized that I don't want a $50k truck...I really want a $70k truck! After all I want to keep this thing for like 5 - 10 years, why not get something I'm excited about? That amount of money is absolutely insane to me, but I ran the numbers and surprisingly I can afford it, honestly fairly easily. So after keeping an eye on the market and looking into ordering one I found out that ordering a truck would take months, which isn't ideal for me because I have a list of projects I need to get done by the end of the year that could really benefit from having a truck on hand. So I looked into existing inventory and after searching and searching, calling dealerships and daily checking ford.com I finally found one with all the options I want (PB, FX4, Lariat, Tow Package, Blue Cruise Prep, 360 camera etc.) and I called and put a refundable deposit down on the truck and it had an ETA of about 3 weeks. Great, now I have time to think about it and decide if it's truly what I want to do...

Well it's been 3 weeks now and the truck has finally arrived! Oh joy! I'm scheduled to go pick up tomorrow, a 3 hour drive away from home. HOWEVER - now that things are about to get real, I am FREAKING OUT. Am I making a huge mistake? A $70k truck is going to depreciate so fast, and what if I lose this new job I have in a year? Do I really need a truck that nice? (obviously not, I want it!). Will the excitement I had while test driving it go completely away and I won't care about having a nice truck in a month or so, but still be stuck with $900 payments? (I can pay for it in cash, but will be financing if I go through with it because it's so cheap to do that right now). I do need a truck at this point, I do a lot of home improvement and a lot of outdoor adventuring and I've been itching to get one again for years, but am I making a mistake by being convinced by all the shiny options of modern vehicles? Should I have some patience and wait for the 2022 models, or will they just be the same but more expensive? What about Toyota - aren't they refreshing their pickups in 2022? I would really love an electric vehicle as well...should I wait for one of those?! Oh man, I don't know what to do any more and I'm over analyzing everything. I guess I'm just here hoping someone on here can relate and tell me their story - do you regret spending so much? Do you still love the PB months after owning it? HELP!
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Lippy

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Look, it's a great truck. I love mine. But only you can determine if you are comfortable spending the money. IMO you are better off with a more modest or older truck if the money spent on the PowerBoost would cause stress in your life.
 

jeffcrum

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Get it. You'll love it. The drive home will calm you.

It'll be like driving around in heaven, but, in a Freaking Badass Bundle of ICE and EV Joy!

I can hear it calling you ... islandboy ... islandboy ... islandboy.
 

Bbass5

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Man, I get your concern. I just ordered my first truck and I really had to think about what I wanted vs what I needed. I spent probably a week on the design and build website going through each selection and asking myself these questions:
  • How often would I really use this feature?
  • Is the payoff worth it (PB vs EB)?
  • Would this feature be something that would totally change the way I enjoy the truck?
I'll give you some examples of my case. PB vs EB. I REALLY love the idea of hybrid technology. Getting better gas mileage on a truck?! Who doesn't love that! Well, when I looked at the numbers (20 mpg total vs 24 mpg total) and the amount of miles I put on my vehicle (~10-12k per year), it would take anywhere from 4-8 years to pay off the additional cost of the PB over the EB. That of course depends on how I drive, total mileage, gas prices, etc.. All in all, it wasn't worth it to me for the extra one-time cost.

Another example is the moon roof. I have one in my car now. I like it and I use it from time to time. But it wasn't worth the extra $1,500 (or whatever it is) to have because I don't value that as much as other things. Given the pressure differential over a vehicle, I'm more than happy to have a rear sliding window because I can create better airflow through my truck better than a moon roof. That's really how I use a moon roof anyway. The extra sunlight in the summer sucks where I live.

An example that passed: 4x4. Do I really need it with where and how I drive? No. But the resale values on 4x4s are typically better. Plus, I'm mostly using mine as a family hauler, and the few times it snows where I am, I feel like the cost is worth added traction of 4A for winter driving for me and my family. That may be silly but I'd rather be in the position to have and not need (when it comes to safety) than not have and need it.

And an example of a must-have for me: Automatic Cruise Control. I have it on my car and it's a game-changer for long drives! I'm set that all my vehicles going forward will have it. It's safer, saves you from stressing out too much, and I don't feel as exhausted when I finally get to my destination.

To @Lippy's point above, only you can decide what's right for you. Maybe you need to save 10k to save up for something and pick a truck with fewer options? Maybe this is exactly the truck you need for your lifestyle?

Bottom line - If you need a truck, get a truck. If you're worried about cost, take some time to really think about what you need vs want. And if this is the first new vehicle that you've ever had, and you feel you can be financially responsible and it's a reward for you, then go for it!
 

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wayfarer556

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I love my truck and plan on owning it for at least 5 years. If you're worried about payments, I'd recommend putting more money down until those monthly payments are at an acceptable level to you.

Regarding depreciation, take comfort in the fact that the supply chain issues are not going to be back to "normal" until 2023. Your truck should hold its value much more than normal until then.

Get the extended warranty. And inspect the truck thoroughly, especially the undercarriage.
 

AutonomousHybridF150

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Don’t freak out. When you are using blue cruise (assuming you see the blue cruise or Active 2.0 prep) you are going to quickly realize that feature alone is worth 15k-20k, and it’s the only truck with hands free that also gets 24/24 MPG with 430HP/575TQ on the road today, and you’ll quickly realize your worries away.

You got the truck that I wanted, I wanted the less flashy Lariat High with all the same options for $250 less, but there were no Lariat High with 7.2 and blue cruise prep in the reasonable area, so I got what was available.

As soon as the lane centering activated for the first time, I quickly realized the value of the truck and it’s features.

Go get the truck, and if you don’t like it, I’m sure someone on this forum would be glad to work out a deal. Lol. Trucks are in short supply, and if they follow your thread, the would be more willing to buy it from you.

I put the value price of 20,000 on blue cruise. Meaning, if there were an aftermarket kit that I could purchase to add this to any vehicle, I would pay $20,000 for it in a heartbeat.

So, if you think of it in terms of a vehicle that might be able to autonomously drive many many roads hands free, that feature alone starts to have its own value that can’t really diminish soon or the same way as other vehicles. That’s just my thoughts on it.

I don’t think you will regret your purchase, ever.
 

Ajzride

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You will love a new F150, and the $s are not as bad as it seems, they hold resale value well in a Fx4. I’m 5,000 miles into my power boost and have to say the fuel mileage and power from the EV is a very minor upgrade over my 3.5EB, and would not be worth the extra cost to me. However the 7.2kW pro-power is worth the extra cost to me. I can now take my welder and plasma cutter with me to friends houses to help with projects and not worry about finding a 220v outlet.
 

AutonomousHybridF150

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If you have a truck and you’re used to getting 13 miles per gallon average, 21-24 miles per gallon average is an actual savings. I’m already at 26k miles, and the gas savings alone has helped offset the note some, so you have to factor that in if you drive a lot.

Furthermore, blue cruise will indeed help me be more productive at my job where more work done = more money, so the truck was purchased for the blue cruise and the 7.2kw generator, and the Hybrid MPG was the icing on the cake.

I think the 4x4 can tow over 12,000 lbs, so if your payload on the yellow sticker isn’t an issue with what you tow, then I would say jump in ASAP, because you will love it.
 

dhrandy

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I'm in the same boat, except I jumped up to Lariat from an XLT. I know I don't want to make payments on anything higher. The way I had the XLT speced out it made more since to just get the Lariat. I went through the build tool a thousand times and picked over every little detail. I haven't hardly seen a Lariat on a dealer lot for under $60,000. The one I built was just under $54,000. It's the most I've spent on any vehicle and the used market is just crazy.
 

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Rod507

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Have you thought about just going down a trim level and getting you to a more comfortable price point? I was in a similar situation and I listed out all the must have things I wanted in the truck and the price point I wanted to be at. So I settled for a 7.2kw XLT PB with max tow package, moonroof , 360 cameras, rain sensing whispers, pedal adjusters, B&O sound … took advantage of the $6k off XLT(back in April) traded my ZR2 and out the door drive out was $37k with $3k down payment.

honestly unless you work out of the truck everyday,buying a truck is never an investment and will depreciate… so it’s a sole want, specially talking $70k.

also, realistically not sure we would want to keep the PB 10 years, will all the technology and the warranty for the hybrid battery being up after 8 years lol

my $0.02, good luck!
 
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wayfarer556

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I should add a few more comments:

Powerboost is so worth it. I'll never go back to pure ICE. It's the future of trucks, and the side benefits of hybridization are items I enjoy every day and miss it when I drive other vehicles.

-Stop/Go traffic benefits greatly (Ice cold AC, saving gas instead of burning it over hot asphalt, quiet cabin)
-Hybrid Idle is fantastic for mobile office applications, which I've used multiple times. Hybrid Idle + hotspot + workspace = being able to work in Texas heat for hours if needed without burning a ton of gas or inhaling nauseus fumes. I've even napped in the truck with it on, no harm done.
-The electric torque's power is noticeable and awesome.
-Generator has many uses...I've used it twice to power a campsite tailgate party (streamed UFC fights on a big TV + speakers)

I am interested in seeing what Toyota comes out with on the 2022 Tundra, but they have been very tight lipped about information. I can't help but wonder if Ford has been so forward thinking with their Powerboost on the productivity department, that Toyota has choses to not reveal much about their platform. For example...will it have a competitor to Pro Power? Ford is obviously very proud of that feature (as they should be), and announced it a year before the truck came out. The 2021 Tundra's are being tooled down and the 2022's are about to be under production for the end of this year, and we hardly even know what it looks like.

My only main concern is Ford dealerships. This is first gen tech, many of us have had issues (including myself). And yet, we still love these trucks. I feel that says a lot. The main problem are not the issues, it's Ford dealers being shit. Vet your dealer very, very carefully. And get an extended warranty.
 

AutonomousHybridF150

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But his truck is ready for pick up. It’s not like it’s lost in chip purgatory, so it’s not as easy as, going down a trim level.

Plus, he literally has the cheapest Blue Cruise available truck on the road. I would trade my platinum for his lariat any day. (Well, if properly equipped Lariat High)

OP should post the vin so we can see what options are on it. Someone here wants a truck like the one he ordered.
 
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islandboy47

islandboy47

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This community is amazing and I'm so glad I joined! Thanks for the responses so far. Based on the request here is the VIN for the one I have a deposit on 1FTFW1ED4MFB85246.
 
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islandboy47

islandboy47

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I'm in the same boat, except I jumped up to Lariat from an XLT. I know I don't want to make payments on anything higher. The way I had the XLT speced out it made more since to just get the Lariat. I went through the build tool a thousand times and picked over every little detail. I haven't hardly seen a Lariat on a dealer lot for under $60,000. The one I built was just under $54,000. It's the most I've spent on any vehicle and the used market is just crazy.
I was originally pretty set on an XLT, but after seeing the instrument cluster in the Lariat, and the nice leather, heated steering wheel among other things...I just felt like I if I'm going to spend a bunch of money on a truck I don't want to be thinking "man I should have just spent a little more to get the things I really want". But that's just me, I like shiny things and cool tech.
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