Most products don’t become a better value the less you get. Look at toilette paper; the bigger pack you buy, the cheaper each roll gets. However, this is not the case for the new Ford F-150 Lightning. In fact, the further up the trim levels you get, the worse the value gets. How can that be? What’s the play for getting the best value from the Ford F-150 Lightning.
What is the best trim for the 2022 Ford Lightning?
After attending a Ford Lightning event, a MotorTrend reporter found that the nicer models offered less value. This prompted him to suggest that you should spend as little money as possible on the Ford F-150 Lightning. The base model might actually be a better value. However, the preferred trim by MotorTrend is the second-tier XLT model.
2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Trims:
- Pro: Starting at $39,974
- XLT: Starting at $52,974
- Lariat: Starting at $67,474
- Platinum: Starting at $90,874
After testing all four trims, MotorTrend finally landed on a favorite version of the F-150 Lightning. There is a mighty price chasm between the base model Pro and the Platinum trim, About $50,000 when you really get down to it. However, that doesn’t mean you need to spend all that to get the best value on the Ford F-150 Lightning.
There is only one option that really matters for the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning
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Sure. The higher trims come with more luxurious features, but there is only one feature you actually need; the extended-range battery pack.
The upgraded battery bumps the Lightning’s power from 452 hp to a healthy 580 hp while keeping 775 lb-ft of torque. More importantly, the more powerful battery extends the Ford Lightning’s range from 230 miles to 320 miles. So you get a massive power and range increase. The XLT jumped the Pro for best trim because Ford doesn’t offer the $10,000 option to the Pro yet unless you are a fleet customer.
Now, the super-premium Lariat trim comes with this pricey option as standard. For starters, it costs nearly $30,000 more, and because of its many features and 22-inch wheels, the range is diminished to only 300 miles. This makes the Platinum trim objectively less capable than the cheaper XLT.
Getting the most powerful Ford F-150 isn’t cheap
Although this option will save you money, that isn’t to say that it’s cheap. It is not. MotorTrend explains that the XLT starts at $54,769, plus the $10,000 extended-range battery, plus the required $9,500 XLT 312A option package. Although we are going for a lower trim, this 312A option package comes with plenty of bells and whistles, as well as it should, given the cost. This package includes a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, power-opening, and closing tailgate, running boards, sharp lookin’ 20-inch wheels, keyless entry, a 10-way power driver’s seat, and Ford’s CoPilot360 Assist 2.0 active safety features . This all comes to a total of $74,269.
It’s hard to imagine that this sum could represent the best value on a Ford F-150 Lightning, but the logic checks out. Electric trucks will come to us at a premium price for some time. The market is too hot, and the tech is too new to be cheap.
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