Hey Guys!I am looking to pick up a new (to me) F150. We recently sold our TT and will be looking to purchase another but need the horse before the cart. The first one is a 2005 S-Crew FX4, 3v 5.4, 3.55 rear end. Very Nice Truck, Not a scratch or ding on it with only 45K miles. This is at a dealer and prior to me picking it up they have agreed to change out the spark plugs and will also be giving, through Ford, a 3 year 36K mile power train warranty. The Second is a 2010 F150, XTR, 5.4 w/ 3.55 rear end, S-Crew, with 75K miles, Super clean with a few more bells and whistles than the 05, This is from a private party.Both are one owner super clean trucks. The 2010 is about $3500 more than the 2005.Is the extra 5 years worth the $3500 and 30K miles - and the warranty? Never owning a Ford is there a huge difference between these model years?Thanks!

Check door jamb for carrying capacity, it can vary quite a bit by year and how equipped the truck is, and could make a big difference in what you can tow.

I would always go with newer if I could afford it.That being said, you may want to consider stepping up to a larger truck. In my research and experience RVing for the past 40 years, most RVers end up with 3 to 4 RVs. They start out small (pop up) get larger (23ft TT) and larger (30ft TT or MH) and then end up with what really works for them (35 to 45ft 5th wheel or MH).In addition, I wouldn't buy the horse before I bought the cart...what if you buy too small of a horse for the cart you really want to buy.Get the TT first or at least decide on what you are going to buy so you can get a truck that will handle it safely.

If you are going with a recent model go for 2011+. Much more efficient engines. Otherwise the 2005 is a better financial choice with less depreciation to worry about. Then in a few years maybe trade for one of the newer engines and save on gas.

2010 for the 6-spd trans without question. You'll be payload limited either way with respect to RVing, but it will perform significantly better with the 6-spd. Oh, and the crew cab rear seat space is also significantly larger for 2009+

APT wrote:2010 for the 6-spd trans without question. You'll be payload limited either way with respect to RVing, but it will perform significantly better with the 6-spd. Oh, and the crew cab rear seat space is also significantly larger for 2009+This only for model year 2011; possibly bought in 2010. The new transmission came with the new engines lineup.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ford_transmissions

F150 Question - Deciding Between Two | Good Sam Community

21 Replies

tcomet
Explorer
Jun 28, 2014
Well......I ended up going in a different direction. I found a very nice 2011 Nissan Titan with the "Big Tow" option. I wasn't really thinking of one initially. I know like most models they have had some issues and the sales numbers are a bit low but I've always liked the looks of them and they seem to be capable if kept within their limits.
Price was great and miles were very low. Excited about the new rig. Thank you for all of your input.
PDX_Zs
Explorer
Jun 19, 2014
Got the same version of that ''05 truck in our Expy.

Motor and trans will last seemingly forever. Very robust. I wouldn't want to tow much more than our 4,200 pounds (dry) unit with it. Interior is...... dated :-)

Can't speak to the newer ones, but seems like lots of folks here have experience.
Fastfwd75
Explorer
Jun 18, 2014
Tystevens wrote:
Funny, and good advice! I didn't even know I wanted an F150 until I drove an Ecoboost during an afternoon where I had a little time to kill ...

Exactly. I went for a test drive just to see. The F150 is not only more fuel efficient and obviously bigger/stronger than my Acura MDX was. It's more luxurious and comfortable over potholes!

Ended up getting the F250 for a 5th wheel. Then life happened and got a small TT that could easily be pulled by an F150.
Tystevens
Explorer
Jun 18, 2014
Funny, and good advice! I didn't even know I wanted an F150 until I drove an Ecoboost during an afternoon where I had a little time to kill ...
Grit_dog
Navigator III
Jun 18, 2014
6 speed is nice. Engine, about the same. Don't think they upped the power on the 5.4s. My 05 and 08 and 10 felt about the same hp.
You are in MI. Unless the 05 was packed away for the winter, it's 5 yrs closer to rusting out.
That would be the ddciding factor for me if I was in the rust belt.
Oh and don't drive an 11 with the 5.0 or EB or you will be spending more $$!
The 5.0 is hands down more powerful than the 5.4. It's not even close.
Fordlover
Explorer
Jun 18, 2014
Also, since spark plugs were mentioned, it's worth adding that the 2010 is immune to the sticking spark plug problem of the 05-very early 08 models.

6 speed is far superior to the 4 speed.
patperry2766
Explorer II
Jun 18, 2014
tcomet wrote:
Thanks for the feedback so far. A few more points. Wtth a busy family we will only be camping about 4 times per year traveling at the most 150miles one way. The reason I am looking half ton is that this vehicle is going to be my daily driver (15 Mile commute) and I am weighing the 95% I am going to use it more than the 5%. This forum is generally unbiased and full of truck guys and that is why I came here. At the moment the 05 is a little more appealing because of the warranty and price as I will be taking out a loan on approx half the cost of either vehicle. It's nice to have a warranty if you are paying on something (my opinion)....

Don't let the warranty play that much of a role in your decision. Since it's a power train warranty, those only cover the internally lubricated parts (crankshaft, camshaft, etc) and is very limited in scope. It WILL NOT cover the things that are attached to the motor such as the A/C, alternator, etc.

You can get a decent warranty that will cover more components, just be diligent and check customer reviews. Normally I go with a Ford warranty, but my last Ford truck was bought used at a Toyota dealership. It is a CNA insurance policy, so hopefully I wont have any problems if I ever have to use it
Ron3rd
Explorer III
Jun 17, 2014
tcomet wrote:
Thanks for the feedback so far. A few more points. Wtth a busy family we will only be camping about 4 times per year traveling at the most 150miles one way. The reason I am looking half ton is that this vehicle is going to be my daily driver (15 Mile commute) and I am weighing the 95% I am going to use it more than the 5%. This forum is generally unbiased and full of truck guys and that is why I came here. At the moment the 05 is a little more appealing because of the warranty and price as I will be taking out a loan on approx half the cost of either vehicle. It's nice to have a warranty if you are paying on something (my opinion)...

The TT we are looking at is a Pilgrim Cirrus 28' quad bunk. Hitch weight of approx 540lbs and a dry weight of 5200 - I would add about 1600lbs to that total ready to camp....

I like the look of the 2010 a litte more and understand the 6 speed. Even having 30K more miles...if it's really that much better I will consider taking a harder look.....I just seem to be leaning more towards the 05 right now.

Another thing to consider is the 2010 is the new generation F150 with a lot of improvements, not just the 6 speed trans. Either one will pull your trailer.
Tystevens
Explorer
Jun 17, 2014
6 spd transmission is a huge improvement. Although if there isn't a way to limit the top 2 gears, that is probably less useful for towing.

But regardless, comparing our '05 Suburban to our '10, with the only differences being a little bump in horsepower and the 6 spd transmission mated to the same motor, the '10 has superior performance in just about every way. Up to 3 mpg better on the freeway (about the same mpg around town, though), lower 1st gear, better towing performance, and has about the right gear for any situation. The 6 spd is a much bigger improvement than I was expecting it to be.
APT
Explorer
Jun 17, 2014
15 mile each way commute? That's 30 miles per day 5 days a week 52 weeks a year and 7800 commuting miles per year.

14mpg vs. 16mpg of a 2007.5 GM 6.0L vs. 5.4L will cost less than $25/mo extra in fuel with far better towing performance.