My Lariat Supercrew Powerboost w/ 6.5' bed

[col]

I’ve learned so much from this forum over the past few months. It is time for me to contribute and share my experience so far with my 2021 F150 Lariat. I will break this up over a couple posts but I’ll start with the basics on the truck, ordering, an overall summary of things I am enjoying so far. I have driven the truck 2,000 about 90% highway, 10% urban - no towing yet.

My truck:

• 2021 F150 Lariat Supercrew Powerboost with 6.5’ bed
• Carbonized Gray w/ sports package
• FX4 offroad
• Max tow with tow mirrors
• Bed Liner
• Moonroof
• B&O Unleashed
• 20” wheels
• Work surface
• 1300lbs cargo weight
• And happy to report no rust!

Modifications I have had made so far: clear bra applied to the entire front, 20% tint, removed the FX4 stickers, and leveled with 2" Falcon sport tow/haul.

Ordering Process:
I ordered the week of Jan 11. The truck was built week of Feb 22 in Detroit, it shipped to Northern CA around March 2 and arrived in Benicia, CA about two weeks later, sat with the auto transport for two more weeks and I picked it from the dealer the first week of April. So from order to ready for pickup about 10 weeks.


Key likes so far (in no particular order):

• Seats – after a couple 8+ hours days of driving, I never felt tired from sitting in the seats. The seats are some of the most comfortable supportive chairs I have had in a vehicle. And the in-seat ventilation provides just the right levels of ventilation. The ventilation fan is a bit noisy though.
• Ride quality – hard to say how much the Falcon shocks are doing but the overall handling for the truck is great. I love how the truck corners.
• Interior spacing – plenty of space in front and back. I am 6'3" and the spacing in the back seats gives enough to stretch out a bit.
• Sun/Moonroof – I had and still have concerns about the glass breaking in back country and I was on the fence on adding this option. I really like the light, the function and how the air flows when open and there is not noticeable noise through the glass.
• Tow mirrors – They’re big. They look like mickey mouse ears. But I really like the function. There are no blind spots. The electric extension / retraction and folder in functions work smoothly.
• Workspace – wow, I have really used this multiple times. Eating, laptop, paperwork – all at the same time, there is ample surface space. The surface material reflects dirt and grease/oil too easily though. I am concerned about the long-term viability of the shifter, but it more robust than I expected. When folding function operates, it senses when there is a blockage and backs off.
• LED Headlights – Through clear, dark nights on curvy roads there is plenty of beam coverage on the sides and distance ahead. In near whiteout snow conditions, the beams project low enough to not bounce back and blind me.
• Sync 4 – This may be my favorite car info/entertainment control system. I have had Toyota, BMW, GM, Honda, Subaru, etc. and this is heads and shoulders better. It is responsive and intuitive to use. There are definately some usability improvements that are needed such as map orientation.
• Paint quality – At least for the front, the paint was perfect and did not need any correction. No runs, no streaks, not uneven applications that I have found so far.
• Upholstery Finish – it exceeds my expectations but maybe my expections were low. The quality is approaching BMW in my opinion. Stitching is straight and even throughout. Leather is soft but not fragile.
• Acceleration at Speed - passing power and speed is very responsive with no lag and fast acceleration when at speed - got pulled over going 95+. Tracking, handling and stability at higher speeds is smooth; amazed that it is a truck.
• Zone lighting – there are no dark corners or areas around the truck. There seems to be lights upon lights. The zone lighting can bit confusing to turn on/off intended lights.
• Rear seat partitioned storage – it is actually useful and spacious. I have not folded it down yet.
• Camera – great views all the way around. It is really unfortunate that Ford limits the use when in motion especially for those tight parking spaces where you cannot see over the hood.
• B&O "Unleashed" - this is both a strong like and also a bit of a disappointment. The surround sound is great, Sirus compression quality under serves the system greatly, but the total max volume seems to still be on a leash as it is about 25% under powered for my taste. Listening to Sirus ranges from like listening through a Pringles can to having a wall muffle the sound. To get the most of out of the sound quality, I have been streaming from my phone.

I’ll post another time on Powerboost performance, things I would improve and a couple dislikes (e.g., data privacy, lack of cigarette lighter in the front! or maybe I have not found it, nearly impossible to mount a front winch to name a couple).

Overall I am really enjoying the truck and it is exceeding my expectations.

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[ryken]

I see all these mentions about the Unleashed not being loud enough, and they make me feel about 50 years older than I am. If you are actually listening to the Unleashed system at even 75% on a regular basis, then you are for sure doing damage to your hearing. I don't think I've ever gotten it to even 50%, and that is very loud. I suppose if you are just testing it for a couple of minutes, it might not be as loud as other systems, but it still easily exceeds the point where you're damaging your hearing.