What’s your exit plan for the truck?

[user-name-required]

I’m curious what your thoughts are for when you plan to trade or sell the truck?

Drive it till the wheels fall off?

Trade at 100k miles, when the warranty is done?

Trade in at 90k miles?

Just FINALLY got our '24 Flash trim. My plan is drive it until I sell it to my kids in 10-12 years. Ditto with our first EV we bought spring last year. That's how you beat steep first 2-3 year depreciation curves, is to own it so long it doesn't matter.


My wife and I plan to take whatever lowball amount the dealer says they'd give us for the truck in 2034-2036, then have that amount (or around that) be what my son or daughter buys it off me for.

Not giving them a vehicle, as I saw about 99% of my friends growing up that got cars for free from their parents, completely trashed them or wrote them off in DD accidents within 2 years. Then trashed the replacement.

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[Hammick]

You only keep brand new vehicles for 2 years as a general M.O?

To each their own of course, but electric or not, you are taking an absolute beating then on value then as that is the absolute steepest part of the depreciation curve

Didn't use to be that way for the vehicles we drove. My diesel Silverados generally cost me under $300 a month to drive. Buy during truck month for over 12k off MSRP and trade when there are little incentives. The Duramax held its value very well. Couldn't lease an LTZ Duramax for anything under 1k peer month. Those days are over.

Now that we are hooked on EVs we will likely always be leasing.

 

[GDN]

The million dollar question - that honestly only time will tell. The truck does truly drive great and has all the options I really need. Buying in '22 at sticker the truck has lost too much value to really sell before it's quite a few years old. I've let two things get in my head that will always keep me from loving the truck - 1) the battery module issue, I'll never trust it on a long term and 2) the tech. I jumped too early. I love Tesla for their tech and leadership there - from battery management, to infotainment that is far superior in my book.

All that said I could see keeping the truck for years as a second vehicle. It becomes battery capacity for the house (@Zaptor 's idea) and for the occasional use when I need a truck. For daily driving I'd put a Performance 3 beside it in the garage.

Or as battery technology changes to solid state or the next big thing - could trade it for whatever that is, but would likely be 5 to 6 years, about retirement time. Even by then it should only have 80K miles or so.

 

[Scorpio3d]

I have gamified the driving for myself keeping the energy bar in both directions (acceleration and deceleration) bellow 20% for 99% of my drives. Hopefully, it will keep, battery, tires and other components last a little longer while it gives me added range and keep my passengers more comfortable.

I am still working on that 1% short lived moments of insanity.

I am the polar opposite as I am 99% insane! I love the truck and I bought it right. I plan on keeping it for a long time, but you never know what the next generation will be hopefully it will be just as good doing truck stuff and have caught up to Tesla and apparently the Chinese on software. It will be interesting to see what the skunk works team comes up with. That will probably be where I decide whether to keep it longer or get the cool new one.

 

[Scorpio3d]

The million dollar question - that honestly only time will tell. The truck does truly drive great and has all the options I really need. Buying in '22 at sticker the truck has lost too much value to really sell before it's quite a few years old. I've let two things get in my head that will always keep me from loving the truck - 1) the battery module issue, I'll never trust it on a long term and 2) the tech. I jumped too early. I love Tesla for their tech and leadership there - from battery management, to infotainment that is far superior in my book.

All that said I could see keeping the truck for years as a second vehicle. It becomes battery capacity for the house (@Zaptor 's idea) and for the occasional use when I need a truck. For daily driving I'd put a Performance 3 beside it in the garage.

Or as battery technology changes to solid state or the next big thing - could trade it for whatever that is, but would likely be 5 to 6 years, about retirement time. Even by then it should only have 80K miles or so.

Although not ideal or convenient you have roadside assistance, don’t worry be happy.

 

[rikster63]

I got an insane deal in late May on my 2023 XLT SR. Sticker was $62,500, and after all discounts, rebates and tax credit I bought at around $47k.

I had a 2021 Silverado to trade in, and somehow had a ton of equity ($18k) in that one that I rolled in to my Lightning deal. I took advantage of the 0% financing for 60 months, so my payments are under $500 for 60 months.

I don't put many miles on my trucks - maybe 5-7k per year, so in 4.5 years when my truck is paid off I'll only have around 30k miles. I'll reevaluate my needs at that point, but the value and functionality of the truck will likely be as good then as it is today, so I really won't have any compelling reason to trade. I don't take the truck on any long trips, and keep it in the garage until I need a truck for truck things.

It's hard to guess what the resale value of a 5-year old Lighting SR will be, but I won't owe anything so whatever it's worth will be "gravy" to me.

For the record, this truck has been the best truck I've ever owned by a large margin. I recognize this won't be the case for everyone, but for me, I'm lucky it dovetails in so nicely with my use case.

 

[sotek2345]

For me it comes down to what Ford offers in the T3 if and when that ever comes out to see if it is worth a trade. Nothing else on the market that fits my needs/use case interests me at the moment.

 

[jdmackes]

I use the lightning as my work truck for construction so there were a couple reasons. My 2022 was a lariat ER that I loved and I had decided to keep it until 100kmi. Although I had some concerns about a few things that would not be covered under warranty after 3/36. The wear of the leather seats and the moon roof (I never even open the shade.) Neither of these were that concerning really….
Then Ford sent me a private offer of $2500 or $3,500 off a new Lightning. That combined with the Federal rebate, state rebate, cash incentives and low apr, I was able to buy a 2024 Flash with the options I wanted and lower my payment.
I also really wanted the heat pump system lol.
The only thing I miss from the lariat is the auto wipers. First world problems.

You can add the auto wipers for like $40 bucks and 5 minutes of work. I added them on my Pro, super easy to do

 

[Highpi]

Sold my 2022 lariat ER took a beating

Did you get another Lightning or something else?

 

[mq019]

Well, I'll probably keep my truck forever, though I no longer say "till the wheels fall off" since I had a wheel actually fall off of my old Caddy a few years ago (that'll get your attention!). Now I try to drive them until right before the wheel is ready to fall off!

I drive a lot - just hit 12 months of ownership, and at 23,844 miles. At that rate in 10 years it will be approaching 250k miles. Even with normal reduced capacity for the battery, it will be great for local driving, and home backup power.

May get another vehicle, but will probably keep this one - cant think of a reason to get rid of it.

 

[00SVT]

This will become my beater, bad weather vehicle, and work truck. 0% apr makes it worthwhile to hold onto. New vehicle prices are nuts.

 

[Slick68]

I will give up my truck when they pry it from my cold, dead hands…….

 

[sw-lightning23]

I just got rid of mine after 1.5 years. Couldn’t take the issues anymore, especially with other superior vehicles coming on the market. I was able to negotiate a great deal to get out of the Lightning and into the Silverado EV RST. I couldn’t be happier with the switch!

 

[Maximum Effort]

You can add the auto wipers for like $40 bucks and 5 minutes of work. I added them on my Pro, super easy to do

I thought I read (on here somewhere) that the sensor is missing and the blinker lever had to be replaced on the 2024 flash.

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