New to this forum, been hanging around and posting on the FTE forum for a while. I do like this one for the F150....nothing wrong at all with FTE, some good people/posts over there, just seems to be a little more activity here. I was originally going down the line of purchasing an '11 SD with the 6.7. I'm coming from an Excursion with a 6.0 PSD. The 6.7 is overkill for anything that I need, but the thought of having all of that power was appealing :-)

Bottom line, I'm now heavily leaning towards the F150 with either the EB or 6.2. I'm trying to keep up with threads on both forums around gas mileage, general performance, etc. I do plan on lifting the truck and running 35s....I believe a few others here are waiting to see an EB with that set up. I also occasionally tow a boat during the Summer, nothing too heavy, maybe 6500 - 7000lbs "wet" with gear, people, fuel, etc. Towing with a lifted truck is also a factor with my decision. My gut says both engines will do just fine.

One of my current frustrations is around Ford's current option strategy. I think the FX4 hits the sweet spot, but I don't think you can get the SCREW w/ 6.5ft bed with the 6.2. You can in the Platinum, and you can do EB in either. Those are the two models I'm looking at, although I don't see the value in the additional $5K for the Platinum even though I like the few extra features (cooled seats and ambient lighting namely). Don't get me going on all of the other quirks about certain features/configs not being available on certain models.

This brings me to the post topic....'12 model year. In another thread, I read where some info is starting to "leak" on the '12 Raptors, which I'm not interested in. Any news on the last date to order an '11, or when the '12 order bank opens up? The order bank is supposed to open up for the SDs in late May. I'm hoping some of the option/configuration/packages change for the F150's in '12, everything else about them seems great. I'm growing anxious to make a purchase, but am not liking some of the current config choices. Also still waiting to see some good comparative data on the EB vs 6.2....MPGs in comparable situations namely.

 

You are a bit misinformed. You can only get the 6.2 in the Lariat, Lariat Limited, Harley Davidson, Platinum, and raptor with the 5.5ft bed. You cannot get it in an FX4 in any config. And I wouldnt bank on that changing much for 2012, especially the 6.2 as an option in the FX4. If they dropped the 6.2 in the FX4 it would encroach too much on Raptor sales for Ford I think.

 

2012 order bank? There are still many people waiting on trucks they ordered in 2010. I think the 2012 bank will be quite some time yet.

 

2012....what??? they just released the 11 f150's in like October/November....you have a long wait until you can buy a 2012...

 

shouldnt really have that long of a wait. 2011 release was really abnormally late. are they pushing back release of every year now or gonna get back to normal?

 

??
Normal is September or October ordering isn't it?

 

Yes - and the '11 F150 wasn't available then. They either change the 'normal' release date or there's a short model year in the mix somewhere.

 

I honestly think you should go with a raptor. It has everything you need and want and is perfectly capable of towing that. Plis, it comes out of the factory with 35's. And its purely BADASS. How many people can go unhook their boat trailer and jump the boat ramp and call it, "giving the truck a little workout"??????

 

I appreciate all of the replies. I was indeed mis-informed about the FX4, so that's out if the 6.2 ends up being the engine of choice. I'll have to go out and play around with the config tool a bit.

RE: info on the '12s, that's why I asked the question. I figured most new Ford models are generally available in the September (or within a month or two plus/minus) time frame, which usually means the order bank opens up several months ahead of time. I was coming at this from the perspective of the SD '12 order bank opening in late May, with production picking up in July after the factory shut down. I know the '11 SDs have been out longer than the 150s, just wan't sure if this year was an anomoly with the 150s with a late introduction where Ford would get back on track with a typical September-ish release schedule.

I'm generally very pleased with the '11s overall, just not crazy about how all of the options/configs work and was hoping for some changes there in '12. If there are no major changes for '12, I'll find an '11 that fits the bill.

FYI, I did hear from my dealer that the Expedition has a confirmed re-design for '12, and since the Expo & 150 have shared similar design traits in the past, wasn't sure if we could expect the changes to come out in both lines together.

 

Rumor is that the 6cyl. is gonna have a 36 gallon tank in '12.

 

The expedition and f150 share platforms and parts, but have not released simultaneously in a while. The expy was redesigned in 2003 with the 150 following in 2004, and again in 2007 the expy was redone with the 150 following in 2009. So, I would bank on at least a year or two before a new f150 follows the expy. Plus, I think that I read somewhere that ford was working their updates on 3 year cycles(i.e. new model, 3 years later update, 3 years after that complete redo). Given that 2011 would be the update year, that means 2013 is the year you will see the total redo. However, I will say that last part is based completely off of what I can remember reading, so take it for what it is worth. Either way, common sense dictates that Ford just dropped 4 new engines(and the associated development costs) into the f150, so it will be a couple of years at least before we see anything significant. I also believe I read that the ram and gm twins were getting a redo in 2013, so you could probably safely bet that Ford will have something in 2013 to stay competitive. My perspective on it, anyway.

 

I have an order form on my desk for an '11 Platinum, SCREW, 6.5 ft bed, EB engine, 3.73 rear. I specifically asked about the fuel tank size, and he indicated that the order book showed a 36 gallon tank for this config. Not sure if your reference was for both 6 cyls, or just the 3.7, but I now need to go back and double check this for fact. I did read somewhere that the 36 gal was an option, and when I asked to make sure the vehicle had 36, he told me it was standard with this particular config. I know most sales reps are hit and miss.....this isn't the guy that pokes around the lot like a vulture, he's the internet guy and has been the most patient and pleasurable sales rep I've ever dealt with...very knowledgeable and up front about Ford products. Not saying he can't be wrong, but I'm pretty sure the 36 is available with the 3.5 EB, at least in certain configs.

 

I am also waiting for what model year 2012 will hold. Hopefully 2011 will be a shortened model year, or at least not take as long as 2011. I would imagine that 2012 will be back on track and not take as long because the 2011 delay was due to EcoBoost engineering issues. I can't imagine there are any large changes coming down the pipe for 2012? Hopefully just better color choices, new woodgrain, and more configuration availability. For example, 6.5' bed with the 6.2. We shall see. I can't wait!

 

Jackfrost, I'm with you! Everything you want to see is what I want to see :-) Let's hope for a shortened MY and some info on the changes coming out soon.

 

Sorry I'm so late, but the 2012 FX4 I just bought has cooled seats.