Help me justify the purchase!

[H3IMDALL]

The truck is great, but given the timing would wait for Silverado/Ram to ship in quantity. Once those come out the used Lightnings will tank in value and you can pick one up for half price.

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[Yellow Buddy]

Rebates (16,000)
Down Pay (7,500) (prepaying the rebate I will get back at tax time)

It will cost you $23,500 if you don’t buy this truck.

OTD 49,399.88

And only that much if you do. Realistically you’re only spending $25,899.88 ($49,399.88-$23,500) for a brand new truck.

That’s an absurd deal that you really can’t afford to pass up.

#JustificationMath

 

[doolin64]

IMO the RAM is a nicer truck. I like the controls and the ride better even on the basic HEMI model.

If you're getting 45k on trade for the RAM you likely have a much nicer model than the base?

I had a '21 Ram Laramie that I factory ordered. I drove it for 2 years (23k miles) and traded it on a used '21 F150 Lariat Powerboost while waiting/giving up on my Lightning.

Pics added of the lightning in question. Current Powerboost and former RAM.

 

[wighty]

And only that much if you do. Realistically you’re only spending $25,899.88 ($49,399.88-$23,500) for a brand new truck.

No ... You don't subtract the trade in price and call it savings on the new vehicle. It is ~79k - 23.5k = 55.5k. I wish I had that MA rebate, my state is supposed to be really pushing green but they really skimped on the EV credits.

 

[doolin64]

No ... You don't subtract the trade in price and call it savings on the new vehicle. It is ~79k - 23.5k = 55.5k. I wish I had that MA rebate, my state is supposed to be really pushing green but they really skimped on the EV credits.

If you factor the state and federal rebates that's another $15k.

79k - 16k - 7.5k - 15k = 40.5k

 

[wighty]

If you factor the state and federal rebates that's another $15k.

79k - 16k - 7.5k - 15k = 40.5k

Am I missing something? I thought OPs "rebates" were $7500 from his state (MA), $7500 customer cash from Ford, $7500 from federal EV rebate.

Edit: disregard message, I got it.

 

[Fryballin]

What’s the average price of gas in your area you purchase for your power post? I’m not aware if Ford recommends premium fuel for the power boost engines. Also you could anticipate increased fuel costs with the conflict in the Middle East so your fuel costs will likely increase over the next year and also maintenance costs with break replacements can be factored in.

I’ve owned my lariat ER since June 2022, and have 25k miles averaging 2.4 mi/kwh for those miles (reset trip 2 when first taking delivery, and haven’t reset since). Your climate is likely cooler in Mass than mine in KY so your average efficiency, with mild driving habits would likely still be lower than mine but I would expect 2.1/2.2 mi/kwh. Over 14k that would be about 6300 kWh in a year. Not sure your electricity costs there but here in ky at $0.10 per kWh it’s about $650 for 14k miles at 2.2 mi/kWh efficiency. Also I don’t know service interval on power boost but if you do one every 5k miles then that’s about 3 per year and around here you will do well to get a dealer service for $200 per, likely closer to $300 which will be another $600-900 you won’t spend in the lightning each year.

and bottom line (if the financial aspect doesn’t strain your family) is it’s the best truck you have ever drove and it’s just so enjoyable drive.

Also consider that installing solar for your home could save you on your energy bills for the next 30 years, as well as eliminate your fuel costs for driving over that time period if you continue to drive electric! That’s just not something you can do with ICE vehicles.

 

[Piquette]

Funny thing about involving the significant other (SO) in the decision whether to buy a Lightning or not. They are not always consistent about what they like and don’t like, before an after the purchase.

When I re-entered the Lightning market in July after giving up my first day reservation in January (I could go on and on and on about my frustration with Ford over the Lightning introduction) the SO did her best to talk me out of buying one. I think this was mainly based on range anxiety, but I did have a perfectly useable paid for 2018 F-150 XLT, so price played a factor as well. I was able to purchase a dealer’s mannequin equipped the way I wanted with 5k miles after the July price drop for $10k under MSRP of a new one.

3000 miles later she loves the Lightning because of the ride and comfort level. The range anxiety with the ER has completely disappeared. Yesterday we took a leaf peaking trip up into the White Mountains of NH (read up and down mountains) of just over 200 miles and she loved the trip. The Lightning pulls our boat trailer as well and as far as the XLT did. Now I never hear anything but praise from the SO about what a great truck it is.

YRMV

 

[wighty]

reset trip 2 when first taking delivery, and haven’t reset since

Do you know if that is still accurate? Mine rolled over/reset and I'm at 13k miles... my day 1 trip meter is showing like 3k miles driven.

 

[Fryballin]

Do you know if that is still accurate? Mine rolled over/reset and I'm at 13k miles... my day 1 trip meter is showing like 3k miles driven.

the tracking of efficiency is still accurate, the hours and mileage for the trip 2 have limited digits to less than 10,000 on the miles so that portion and the hour tracking just roll back over to 0 and start counting again but the efficiency I don’t believe resets.

 

[83girl]

My husband saw this 7.5 k usd credit by ford this week, and promptly located a dealer 30 Miles from our house, and went and bought the truck this weekend. It was 76 K for a Lariat SR, and with the ford credit, the fed tax credit, and the mass tax credit, it ended up being a 53.5k USD truck. Unbelievable good value. Yes, the interest rates are abysmal right now (he got 7.9% with a credit score of 825), but he will just pay it off next spring. No big deal. I would say go for it. You can shop around other dealers to find a better color. The dealers with 20 minutes of our house (3 of them) had none on the lot, but the dealer 45 minutes away in Winchester had 5 to choose from. One was even a 2022 with an additional 9K off, but it was not a color he liked. Good luck with your decision! Oh, and get a solar roof. We never have paid to charge my MachE in two years. Maintenance has been a grand total of 40 dollars for that car in the last two years.

 

[TaxmanHog]

My husband saw this 7.5 k usd credit by ford this week, and promptly located a dealer 30 Miles from our house, and went and bought the truck this weekend. It was 76 K for a Lariat SR, and with the ford credit, the fed tax credit, and the mass tax credit, it ended up being a 53.5k USD truck. Unbelievable good value. Yes, the interest rates are abysmal right now (he got 7.9% with a credit score of 825), but he will just pay it off next spring. No big deal. I would say go for it. You can shop around other dealers to find a better color. The dealers with 20 minutes of our house (3 of them) had none on the lot, but the dealer 45 minutes away in Winchester had 5 to choose from. One was even a 2022 with an additional 9K off, but it was not a color he liked. Good luck with your decision! Oh, and get a solar roof. We never have paid to charge my MachE in two years. Maintenance has been a grand total of 40 dollars for that car in the last two years.

Congrat's, please let us know if you have any issues getting the Mass-More-EV TRUCK credit, in the past SR trucks would not qualify, but they enhanced the rules so that class 2A trucks should qualify.

 

[csukoh78]

I've had everything. Audi BMW Chevy Ford Subaru Infiniti Toyota/Lexus.
This Ford Lightning is the best vehicle I've ever owned bar none.
Ridiculously powerful, fast, full sized all wheel drive truck that's quiet on the interstate, efficient, comfortable, and hauls cargo like a beast. It doesn't stink and doesn't destroy the planet. I spend 16% per mile as my ICE colleagues do.
I have absolutely no regrets and neither will you.

 

[Lytning]

I've had everything. Audi BMW Chevy Ford Subaru Infiniti Toyota/Lexus.
This Ford Lightning is the best vehicle I've ever owned bar none.
Ridiculously powerful, fast, full sized all wheel drive truck that's quiet on the interstate, efficient, comfortable, and hauls cargo like a beast. It doesn't stink and doesn't destroy the planet. I spend 16% per mile as my ICE colleagues do.
I have absolutely no regrets and neither will you.

Here is different experience and resulting opinion ... (the 2 Lexus RX's I have owned have been, by far, the most reliable vehicles I have owned) ...

Reliability issues can surely have a significant financial impact when comparing the cost of ownership for vehicles. Bottom line is that my 2022 Lightning Platinum BEV is the least reliable vehicle I have ever owned as measured by days unavailable for me to drive.

I REALLY like my 2022 Lightning ... when I have it to drive. It has been at the dealership service department for 63 days so far this year. That would be a greater disaster if I depended on it for work or did not have alternate transportation. One should realize and accept the fact that you are a Beta tester, and sometimes an Alpha tester, for this technology. It is early in the development cycle for BEV's, especially at Ford. I personally believe that hybrids are the current sweet spot for efficiency with reliability. My previous ICE 2000 SVT Lightning was at least 50X more reliable than my 2022 Lightning. The SVT guzzled high cost premium fuel at 11 MPG, but it was available to drive for all but about 15 days over 17 years of daily driving.

 

[csukoh78]

Here is different experience and resulting opinion ... (the 2 Lexus RX's I have owned have been, by far, the most reliable vehicles I have owned) ...

Reliability issues can surely have a significant financial impact when comparing the cost of ownership for vehicles. Bottom line is that my 2022 Lightning Platinum BEV is the least reliable vehicle I have ever owned as measured by days unavailable for me to drive.

I REALLY like my 2022 Lightning ... when I have it to drive. It has been at the dealership service department for 63 days so far this year. That would be a greater disaster if I depended on it for work or did not have alternate transportation. One should realize and accept the fact that you are a Beta tester, and sometimes an Alpha tester, for this technology. It is early in the development cycle for BEV's, especially at Ford. I personally believe that hybrids are the current sweet spot for efficiency with reliability. My previous ICE 2000 SVT Lightning was at least 50X more reliable than my 2022 Lightning. The SVT guzzled high cost premium fuel at 11 MPG, but it was available to drive for all but about 15 days over 17 years of daily driving.

That's sad and honestly sounds like a shitty dealer issue to me. Perhaps you should pursue lemon law relief?

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