The truck that built Ford's empire now costs what a luxury sedan did five years ago, and that's the whole story in one sentence. Well-equipped F-150s run $60k, $80k, double the inflation-adjusted price of a decade ago, while dealer markups on desirable trims push buyers toward used lots. The product itself hasn't failed, the 5.0L V8 still runs to 300k miles, the PowerBoost hybrid doubles as a mobile generator, and the aluminum body laughs at rust, but Ford chased luxury margins and left its core buyers behind. If you find a fair deal or buy used, you're getting the most capable half-ton on the market. If you're stretching to afford a new XLT at $55k, ask yourself if a three-year-old Silverado at $38k makes more sense. The F-150 is still the truck to beat; it's just not the truck most people can afford to buy.
You're buying a Cummins diesel wrapped in a truck that can't quite match the engine's legendary toughness. That powertrain, especially the older 5.9 12-valve or the new 2025+ ZF8 setup, will tow anything you hook to it and run past 300k miles without drama. Everything bolted around it tells a different story: ball joints that wear like brake pads, electrical gremlins that show up at 2,500 miles, brake calipers grenading before the first oil change. The 2025+ finally got the transmission right, but quality control is shockingly poor for a $70k truck. If you're towing heavy loads regularly, the Cummins is still the best tool available. If you're daily-driving it empty or expecting fit-and-finish that matches the price tag, prepare for disappointment. Buy it for the engine, budget for everything else breaking.