Cloth seats & soft-touch interior

[mjbrow]

I've had leather seats for the past 6 years, and wouldn't own them again unless they were cooled (ventilated). What I'm concerned about is that I'd miss out on the soft steering wheel/armrest/dash etc. Does the plastic on the XLT feel and look cheap?

I'd love to hear thoughts from people who have sat in both. If I missed a similar thread, post the link.

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[skibuff]

XLT has an optional leather steering wheel and shifter grip with certain packages and it's standard on the Lariat. the center consul arm rest is padded and comfy. I don't remember the drivers door arm rest so that tells me it must have been reasonably comfy. The plastic inside looked to me like a typical middle of the line vehicle. It wasn't plush but it wasn't a Hyundai. The biggest thing I noticed that I thought looked cheap was the premium cloth seat in the XLT. They were comfortable just didn't look premium to me.

 

[mjbrow]

XLT has an optional leather steering wheel and shifter grip with certain packages and it's standard on the Lariat. the center consul arm rest is padded and comfy. I don't remember the drivers door arm rest so that tells me it must have been reasonably comfy. The plastic inside looked to me like a typical middle of the line vehicle. It wasn't plush but it wasn't a Hyundai. The biggest thing I noticed that I thought looked cheap was the premium cloth seat in the XLT. They were comfortable just didn't look premium to me.

Interesting. I think they look pretty good in photos. I am definitely leaning towards a loaded XLT vs the Lariat.

 

[Denver133]

Interesting. I think they look pretty good in photos. I am definitely leaning towards a loaded XLT vs the Lariat.

I just wish Ford allowed us to option the LED headlights. Coming from a vehicle that has LED headlights to a halogen is going to be a change I am not favoring.

 

[mjbrow]

I just wish Ford allowed us to option the LED headlights. Coming from a vehicle that has LED headlights to a halogen is going to be a change I am not favoring.

I wonder if they are swappable.

 

[skibuff]

Interesting. I think they look pretty good in photos. I am definitely leaning towards a loaded XLT vs the Lariat.

I don't like leather seats and didn't need any of the upgrades from XLT to Lariat. I bought an XLT with almost every option. Honestly I really liked the Ranger it drove exactly how I'd hoped. The only 2 small disappointments when I saw it and drove it were that the seats looked like what I would expect in the XL and the other is that the back seat is a bench and not a 60/40 split. It drove like an SUV or car and not like a stiff work truck, very smooth ride.

 

[Denver133]

I wonder if they are swappable.

Im sure they will be. Depends on what FORD will charge for a pair of headlights.

 

[LARanger]

I just wish Ford allowed us to option the LED headlights. Coming from a vehicle that has LED headlights to a halogen is going to be a change I am not favoring.

In general I find the options being limited by trim to be frustrating. For someone who doesn’t want leather, you’re forced to forgo certain options that I would have gladly paid for like LED headlights, B&O speakers, body color mirror caps, grille with chrome bars. It’s like they assume that if you don’t like leather then you must not like upgrades or options.

 

[StAugKid]

In general I find the options being limited by trim to be frustrating. For someone who doesn’t want leather, you’re forced to forgo certain options that I would have gladly paid for like LED headlights, B&O speakers, body color mirror caps, grille with chrome bars. It’s like they assume that if you don’t like leather then you must not like upgrades or options.

I feel the same way. I don't like leather and I prefer the look of the XLT grill, but I cannot give up passive key, B&O audio and like the LED option. I'd even be fine without LED, but I've had passive key in my cars for the past 9 years and going back to a physical key to me would be like going back to VCR after using bluray for so long.

 

[FordBlueHeart]

I wonder if they are swappable.

Probably not. Most vehicles now have the wiring for the headlamps built directly into the main wiring harness rather than as a separate assembly. So what I typically see is a physical spot for the LED module, but no pigtail for it.
This is the same for vehicles with a front wiring harness. The harness is specific to the VIN.

 

[BuiltRight]

I wonder if they are swappable.

In the F-150s, a lot of guys swap their halogen headlights for LED, but it does require special harnesses and such. It's about a $2k upgrade. Unfortunately, it'll probably take the aftermarket a couple of years to release a truly nice upgrade.

There is a company in St. Louis, Diode Dynamics, that's developed an LED replacement bulb that behaves like a halogen bulb, which maintains the light pattern of the halogen housings but with an LED bulb. I believe they call it the SL1, but I know they've been on backorder for a long time. We'll see, I suppose. That'll be the first route I try to go.

 

[FijiSun]

In general I find the options being limited by trim to be frustrating. For someone who doesn’t want leather, you’re forced to forgo certain options that I would have gladly paid for like LED headlights, B&O speakers, body color mirror caps, grille with chrome bars. It’s like they assume that if you don’t like leather then you must not like upgrades or options.

Yes the bundles are beyond a frustrating mess. Witnessed by how many times I keep going over it jumping from XLT to Lariat. Never getting happy.. Unless I build something that cost 45K. Basically, If you want 4X4 and a nice stereo you right up to the very top. Forty five thousand dollars. I'm about ready to buy a Z71 colorado. I can get the bose, 4X4, full leather for 6K less then this. I don't know if its that much better. I test drove the colorado and its way better then the tacoma. Better transmission. But the Ford's 10/turbo will do better at elevation. Ford is pissing me off.

 

[Stic-o]

What really drives me nuts is I own a '16 Explorer XLT, and it has the 302a package, which is leather, push button start, panoramic sunroof, LED lights, power lift gate and a bunch of other stuff. You would think it's a lariat, if if wasn't for the badging. Yet it was onky $40k. Way more features, and more to the vehicle than what the same money in a Ranger is.

 

[jcardona1]

The bundles and packages and options are doing exactly what they were designed to do; get you to spend more money while reminding you that you need to go bigger and more expensive to get all the bells & whistles (Ranger vs F150).

 

[DHMag]

I wonder if this would be a viable option for those of us wanting xenon/LED headlights...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2Pcs-Headl...418160736?hash=item2ab4930660&redirect=mobile

My only concern would be the beam pattern set for RHD vehicles.

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