Ford F150 XLT vs Lariat

If you choose to buy an F-150 as your next truck, you will be in good company. Okay – you will have a lot of good company, as this is the most popular vehicle on the road today. You rarely have to drive more than a mile or two down the road before you see an F-150, which should be all the evidence you need that these are great trucks and worthy of your attention.

Like all of the vehicles in the Ford lineup, the F-150 has plenty of different trim packages and options to pick from when making your purchase. Two popular packages available for this truck are the XLT and the Lariat, each with more than enough equipment on board to make most drivers happy. Let’s walk through what these packages feature so you can decide if one of them is right for your upcoming purchase.

A Meaningful Change

Sometimes, when you look at the differences between two trim packages in a given vehicle, the change from one to the next is rather subtle. You might get some upgraded materials inside the cab, a slightly larger display on the dash, and maybe a couple of extra design touches on the outside. It’s not that those things don’t matter, but they aren’t immediately obvious at first glance.

When going from the XLT package to the Lariat package in the Ford F150, however, the difference is pretty significant. That’s because you are looking at a different engine in one as compared to the other. With the XLT, you’ll get a standard V6 that offers 290 horsepower. This is a solid engine and one that offers pretty reasonable gas mileage for a truck, in the range of 25 MPG on the highway.

Perhaps surprisingly, the engine gets smaller when you up to the Lariat level. That’s because the 2.7-liter V6 in this truck features Ford’s EcoBoost technology, which means it has a turbo. Therefore, despite being a smaller engine and getting better gas mileage, it’s a more powerful truck with 325 horsepower. If you are going to be doing any towing with this truck, pay particular attention to the torque ratings for these two packages. With the XLT, the standard engine offers 265 pound-feet of torque, but that goes up to 400 pound-feet when you choose the Lariat.

Exterior Changes are Modest

As mentioned above, some differences between vehicle trim levels are rather subtle or minor, and that’s the case when it comes to the outside of these trucks. There are differences between the two, but they probably won’t drive you to make a decision one way or the other. In fact, some people may like the design choices on the XLT more than the Lariat – there is always room for personal preference in these discussions. When looking for the differences, notice changes to the grill, side mirrors, and potentially the wheels (although upgraded wheels are only optional on the Lariat, rather than standard).

These Are Safe Trucks

Safety is always near the top of the priority list for Ford, and as a result, you get many safety features included as standard no matter which option package you choose. Some of the notable safety gear you’ll have in either truck includes Roll Stability Control and Curve Control, both of which are helpful in a truck that may be working hard for you on a regular basis. Upgrading to the Lariat trim does bring in some additional safety equipment like Adaptive Cruise Control and Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection.

The Big Question

It would be easy enough to fall in love with everything the Lariat model of the F-150 has to offer, but there is always the matter of cost looming over any automotive discussion. How much more would you have to spend to buy a Lariat as opposed to the solid and reliable XLT? The gap between base models in these two popular trucks is around $7,000 to $8,000. That’s a meaningful sum of money, of course, so you will have to weigh the value of what the Lariat brings and compare it to the added cost.

It’s helpful to read about what is included in the XLT and Lariat versions of the F-150, but it’s even better to see them for yourself. Reach out to Five Star Ford – or simply stop by during business hours – and we can help you check out the various truck models you might want to take for a test drive. Thanks for taking the time to visit and we can’t wait to serve you!