Ordered 2022 Lightning - My Experience

[lancersrock]

Been waiting 63 years for self-driving vehicle. I won't pitch a fit over a delay.

Besides, the Powerboost already gets really close to requiring nothing from me except a tiny little nudge to stop that "hands on the wheel" nanny. I don't use it all that much because it's a little creepy. Lol

Wont the blue cruise still require the same thing? i havent looked into it much yet as i will longer be looking spending enough to get it lol. Wife got a new car and it came in $12k higher than i wanted so sacrifices have to be made.

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[greenne]

Wont the blue cruise still require the same thing? i havent looked into it much yet as i will longer be looking spending enough to get it lol. Wife got a new car and it came in $12k higher than i wanted so sacrifices have to be made.

Blue cruise is completely hands free on limited mapped sections of divided highway. Theoretically as long as you don't need to change lanes no driver intervention is required....you could go indefinitely. (The system monitors eyes to make sure you're looking at the road)

If the system detects you not looking(or loses sight of the road lines) it reverts back to the adaptive cruise where you have to nudge the steering wheel every so often..to trick it into thinking your hands are "on the wheel".

Alex on Autos gave a very good review/demonstration

 

[fitek]

I think I recall a Ford person saying they would add lane changes later via OTA in the Sandy Munroe video on Blue Cruise.

 

[Snakebitten]

Although this addresses the Bronco, rather than the Lightning, it is very fresh information and reveals in many ways what Ford will be confronting, and how they will handle the "build" order of the truck.

Pretty enlightening for those that think the reservation timestamp is the biggest determining factor.

 

[Sdctcher]

Although this addresses the Bronco, rather than the Lightning, it is very fresh information and reveals in many ways what Ford will be confronting, and how they will handle the "build" order of the truck.

Pretty enlightening for those that think the reservation timestamp is the biggest determining factor.

If I understand him he is saying (as to the Lightning) small dealers have small allotments but if you have an early timestamp you will be at the head of the line for that allotment.

Also, if Ford can get the build components for the trim you want it is best to order few options. The Platinum only has 2 options (as far as we know not counting colors) so it might be built quicker.

Also, build online (when configurer opens), send to dealer, then go sign.

Hey, thanks for uploading this.

 

[Snakebitten]

My main take from the video is that a pretty well known dealership was sharing some facts about a vehicle built by Ford, that was introduced with a "reservation system", and is still being built and delivered based on the reservation system.

Sounds familiar.

So I listened to the video and imagined what aspects did he address that COULD apply to the Lightning customer just as much as the Bronco customer.

The biggest point he made to my ears is that if reservation #11,432's build configuration included a component that the "build-computer" knew was going to delay it, then reservation #13,586 might get forwarded to the assembly line ahead of the lower reservation#.

Simply put, the reservation timestamp is only PART of the equation relating to the next truck that gets the green light for assembly.

Yes there were other aspects that the video discusses, but that one really rang loud because it shows how complicated the assembly line availability is in the real world.

If you ever special ordered an F150 HDPP truck, you already experienced how Ford doesn't build your truck until the next "slot" they have open for the assembly line to accommodate the HDPP component differences. And they will even cancel that time slot if the HDPP queue doesn't have enough trucks in it to make the effort worth it to them.

The Lightning will have its own dedicated facilities, and admittedly less choices, thus perhaps less of these kinds of hurdles? I'm only guessing. The Bronco is more traditional in respect to a bigger selection of build options.

 

[Brian Head Yankee]

Agree, but isn't that the most obvious point? I mean, is Ford going to shut down the line for a week because your truck is missing a part on the line? These utubers are amongst the dumbest among us.

Also, The dealers are like check out lines - who doesn't move to the shortest check out line?

 

[Pedaldude]

I’m looking to maximize the value received on what I spend…I have other places to spend money, including my family, home, and travel.

If you paid cash, there's really no financial value in getting the Lightning. Even if you saved money on fuel and were able to sell it for more than you paid after a year, it would probably never match the opportunity cost. Though if you had an excellent finance deal with zero percent down and zero percent financing. It's likely that Lightning could be very lucrative and if demand remains high after a year, you could very easily profit from the experience if you weren't hit by a punishing ADM.

Also, cars are terrible investments and are really only liabilities, spending extra money to move to a walkable neighborhood, which generally outperform less walkable neighborhoods in property value; over time is the wisest choice for many reasons.

https://www.walkscore.com/cities-and-neighborhoods/

Otherwise, a used Toyota Camry fits the bill perfectly to maximize one's dollar while on four wheels!

Unfortunately, 7 trucks in 22 years isn’t very reassuring for reliability, even at (2) at a time. You sound like Ford’s dream customer; someone who will spend more than they should on a truck to the benefit of their stockholders.

His experience, while anecdotal, echoes that of fleet customers who choose their trucks based purely on utility and value. It turns out that modern trucks are so reliable and well built that whether you choose Ford, GM, Dodge or Toyota for your fleet, maintain them well and sell them while they are still worth money, the main difference in cost per mile is your upfront cost. So generally, large operators main choice is which truck is the cheapest.

Also, The dealers are like check out lines - who doesn't move to the shortest check out line?

Generally, you can see which check out line is the shortest, the dealer allocation system is rather byzantine and deliberately opaque to the public.

Agree, but isn't that the most obvious point? I mean, is Ford going to shut down the line for a week because your truck is missing a part on the line? These utubers are amongst the dumbest among us.

Ford has been in complete chaos over supply issues with the Bronco, they have shut down their assembly lines on numerous occasions and a few different reasons, some being well publicized.

The YouTube channel above is a very valuable one for both consumers and other dealers alike, Town and Country Ford would do very well with or without a YouTube channel and the host of the channel is definitely a Ford enthusiast, the information shared in the video is 100% valid and without any silly bullshit conspiracy theories or speculation that other channels seem to mostly consist of. It only applies to the Bronco but when Lightning information is available, my guess is that their channel will have similar applicable information that will be valuable for those wishing to get their Lightning before others. Though it's probably only going to be known after the lines have been running and as built information is known.

 

[Snakebitten]

You gotta quit making so much sense or all the fun and speculation will cease. ?

Someone else started this thread and a no-nonsense dealership does a good job of basically answering everything that CAN be answered.

There's dealerships out there that will play straight with you.

https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/thr...things-you-should-be-asking-your-dealer.6631/

 

[astricklin]

Ford will also be paying a dividend for the 4th quarter to shareholders. Yippee!!,

Sweet I'll get about a dollar

 

[Sdctcher]

"2022 Ford Lightning Invoice Pricing Is Totally Weird"

https://www.carsdirect.com/deals-articles/2022-ford-lightning-invoice-pricing-is-totally-weird

According to Cars Direct dealers will be able to make up to 10% of MSRP from Ford for the new 2022 F-150 Lightning under a new pricing scheme (Blended Invoice Structure).

• 1% of MSRP paid to dealers as a delivery allowance for every delivery
• 1% of MSRP for adhering to advertising rules like not listing Lightnings under MSRP
• 1.5% of MSRP as "floorplan assistance" (i.e. financing dealer inventory)
• 0.5% of MSRP for "Tier 2 Pass-Through" for certain marketing costs
• 0.5% of MSRP for "Tier 3 Co-Op," which refers to subsidized advertising
• 0.9% of MSRP for "FCP," which rewards sales achievement targets
• 3.1% of MSRP for compliance with Ford's EV certification requirements
• 1.5% of MSRP for an unspecified "Customer Onboarding Payment"

Then, add in any money a dealer might add as a mark up to profit.

 

[Sdctcher]

Question:

How would a Lightning with 22-inch or 20-inch Wheels limit Off-Highway Use?

I am not talking about "Off-Road" but more to the issues of Muddy, Dusty, or Wet and Snowy Conditions in Rural Areas.

Also, All-Season vs All-Terrain Tires given current possible options.

 

[Brian Head Yankee]

Impossible to give an answer. Slope, ruts (ground clearance), and whether the snow is fresh powder or hard ice underneath are all huge factors. You should head over to the Bronco forum for many hints on tires, tire pressures, and ground clearance.

 

[fitek]

If you paid cash, there's really no financial value in getting the Lightning. Even if you saved money on fuel and were able to sell it for more than you paid after a year, it would probably never match the opportunity cost. Though if you had an excellent finance deal with zero percent down and zero percent financing. It's likely that Lightning could be very lucrative and if demand remains high after a year, you could very easily profit from the experience if you weren't hit by a punishing ADM.

Also, cars are terrible investments and are really only liabilities, spending extra money to move to a walkable neighborhood, which generally outperform less walkable neighborhoods in property value; over time is the wisest choice for many reasons.

https://www.walkscore.com/cities-and-neighborhoods/

The Lightning will likely replace 2-3 cars in our "fleet". I already sold my hatchback for good $s. No longer need separate vehicles for economical driving and hauling stuff.

Additionally... If you've had close calls with wild fires in the last few years and you're staring at your trip meter telling you you're getting 13mpg, knowing that's not helping the situation any... there seems to be some hard to calculate future financial incentive to getting into a vehicle that's more efficient (though consider whether your annual mileage jusitifes the higher upfront impact of an EV). At the very least the feeling of doing your share. Few things quite so sphincter loosening as seeing a wall of flames coming down the hill towards you. I hesitate to think how expensive rebuilding would be. Road trip the western USA and it's hard to drive an hour without seeing something recently burned up. I look forward to feeling less guilty about travel in the F150, even if it means stopping more often.

Otherwise, new cars kinda stink $ wise, except used cars are so expensive now it can be a toss up whether it's worth the hassle of dealing with Craigslisters.

Ten years ago I used to have 3 well used cars just for myself because it was pretty typical I might get into one, put the key in, and it wouldn't start. That seems to have mostly stopped being a problem sometime in the 2000s. I remember having a '88 Taurus catch fire with just 70k on the odometer during a test drive (er, unfortunately, *I* was the one selling the POS). Now they all seem relatively well built.

 

[Sdctcher]

Just got a telephone call from my dealer asking me to come in at 2:00 pm today and order my 2022 Ford F150 Lightning Lariat +. He says I am #1.

More to follow.

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