Ford F-150 Lightning, a Real Owner's Impression. Review 2022 XLT 312A

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Ask Joe - Joe Crescenzi - @AskJoe - AskJoe (.TV)

Жыл бұрын

Here's my review of the new Ford F-150 Lightning XLT, with the 312A Upgraded trim package. I'm not a professional automotive reviewer and the truck wasn't loaned to me for this review. I'm an actual customer who waited over a year to finally take delivery so this is from a real owner's perspective.
I don't normally review cars, or other vehicles, but I do plan on posting some more videos about the Lightning as well as my previous EV (a Ford Mustang Mach-E), as well as my eBikes.
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Пікірлер: 66

@theblunden2 Жыл бұрын

I'm a fellow Lighting Forum member. I've researched and watched so many reviews this was my favorite. Very thorough walk-around of the XLT. I ordered my MY23 XLT on 9/7 in Avalanche Grey. I can't wait to get scheduled and go through the whole process. Thanks for the video!

@AskJoe Жыл бұрын

Wow, thanks! Somehow the media seems to overlook the XLT, which is strange because its always been the mainstream trim level and the one I could relate to most. To me, it's the Goldilocks of the F-150 line... just right.

@roryblake7311 Жыл бұрын

I did the same…

@AskJoe Жыл бұрын

@@roryblake7311 Normally, the XLT is the most popular model, but Ford strategically tweaked the pricing to move customers towards the Lariat. As an insurance policy, they also limited the number of XLT and Pro models. I feel lucky to have an XLT with the 312A.

@Tofiyatours 11 ай бұрын

Hi Joe, have you installed aftermarket trailer brakes controller?

@mentallychallnged Жыл бұрын

always exciting to see an upload from joe, hope youre doing well

@AskJoe Жыл бұрын

Thanks! I'm a bit backlogged on posting new videos for my channels, but I'm hoping to get back into a rhythm again.

@DarioCruz92 Жыл бұрын

I have to totally agree with you on the knobs & buttons being better than one huge touchscreen. Hopefully, this dashboard trend goes away in the future, even if it saves the manufacturer money. Also, there is almost no maintenance cost (oil change, tune-up, etc.) for EVs. And if you're buying a used EV, you don't have to worry if the engine or tranny are shot, or if the starter or alternator needs to be replaced soon. Great review. Thanks for sharing.

@AskJoe Жыл бұрын

As a rule of thumb, fewer parts means lower costs, so the fact that the buttons and knobs are CHEAPER is a complete marketing thing. It clearly costs more to give XLT and PRO buyers buttons and knobs than it does for the Lariat and Platinum versions to have just a slightly larger screen, but the look of a big screen just "looks" premium. I'm a software developer, so I understand their thought process... you cut costs by eliminating buttons and knobs, then just tweak the software. Right now, that software is not as easy as the buttons, so until they improve it. you're stuck with it. Tesla's committed to having virtually zero buttons and one screen in the center... which is really odd because you have nothing where the speedometer normally is. Even vent position on a Tesla is software controlled. That sucks.

@DarioCruz92 Жыл бұрын

@@AskJoe Sorry, I worded my post incorrectly. I meant it saves manufacturers money to not include or limit the number of buttons/knobs.

@AskJoe Жыл бұрын

@@DarioCruz92 I think the trend will continue towards fewer buttons, and that's a shame because most touchscreen methods are clumsy and distracting. Meanwhile I'm on my second EV (first was a Mach-E) and I will NEVER buy a gas car again. There are so many reasons, with reliability at the top of that list. I'll be doing a second video with thoughts from my full year without gas, and my 1000 mile Lightning observations. TLDR; EVs are the future... for a thousand reasons.

@DarioCruz92 Жыл бұрын

@@AskJoe Yup, I'm on my second EV also and will never buy a gasoline car again either. I'll buy a black & white TV before I buy an ICE car again (haha).

@Allan_A Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the review Joe, very informative!

@danowens8162 Жыл бұрын

I am a very satisfied Lightning owner. I too have the XLT in blue. I love everything about this truck except for the long distant travel. When we go on a trip I always have "Charging Anxiety". At this point in time charging stations are not as readily available as I would like for them to be. Also I have had issues with charging stations being down. When traveling distances you have to plan your charging stops very carefully. It only becomes a problem when you have a route planned and you can't get the charger to operate when you get there. I had this happen on a recent trip and extended my trip to the next available charger. Not all chargers are equal. There are some that are excellent then others that have seemed to be unreliable every time I try to charge at them. I had to travel the extra distance and a reduced speed, probably about 15-20% slower than what I had been traveling. I made it without any further issues. But you also have to factor in 40-45 minutes to get charged back to 90% which is the limit. I did not go for the extended range battery. I did not think the additional $10,000 was worth it. In town is awesome. Like you I charge up at night and I'm good to go in the morning. Of course cold weather charging= less total charge in the morning but that has never been an issue. We travel frequently to our lake house about 170 miles from our home. We always stop about half way and top off the battery. We usually grab a sandwich or go to a nearby restaurant within walking distance . By then the battery has charged sufficiently to get us the rest of the way to our destination. I enjoyed the video much more than the guys that are testing professionals!

@AskJoe Жыл бұрын

Thankfully the number of DC fast chargers keeps growing. The simplest path to mass adoption and eliminating that anxiety is for states to simply mandate that fast chargers are located in all highway rest areas. It's much easier to install a charging station that it is to build a gas pump. In fact, I see no reason why states shouldn't mandate ALL gas stations install at least one 240 volt charger... It took under an hour to install my 240 Volt ChargePoint Flex at my home with a total cost of about $800. I see no reason why gas stations don't make that small investment of time and money even without a mandate. If they want to remain in business they need to change their image as a gas station to an energy provider. BP and Shell are already taking steps to do this, and even create an entire range of services for customers to rest, eat and relax while they charge.

@pstoneking3418 Жыл бұрын

@@AskJoe That's why so many charging stations are at Wal-Marts. They figure you'll come inside and buy.

@AskJoe Жыл бұрын

@@pstoneking3418 The tide is rapidly turning for BEVs. With every new charging station, the fear of "running out of power" gets smaller and smaller. I've never even come close to running out of power with one day's driving.

@honesty_-no9he Жыл бұрын

Give it another year to 18 months and the amount of fast-chargers will be way more.

@Mck499 Жыл бұрын

Dude I would love one of these. I honestly want the same setup just in red instead of blue

@pstoneking3418 Жыл бұрын

Zone lightning can also be controlled remotely using the FordPass App. Precondition the cab by starting the lightning from the FordPass App. Lock/Unlocked doors from FordPass App. You can track your lightnings location with the FordPass App. So many other features of FordPass.

@AskJoe Жыл бұрын

I love the FordPass App... especially since it also works with the Apple Watch, so I've controlled the Zone Lighting quite a few times with the App... love that option when I'm working around the driveway. I also LOVE using it to monitor my charging status.

@tscoff 7 ай бұрын

I am picking up my XLT Lightning this week and you picked the XLT for two of the reasons I’m picking it. Cloth seats are much better in Florida’s heat than leather seats are and I want physical controls that I can adjust while I’m driving without taking my eyes off of the road.

@AskJoe 7 ай бұрын

The XLT has such a great combination of options and I DEFINITELY LOVE the real buttons and the cloth seats. To me, the XLT has always been the mainstream trim for an F-150, so I'm glad they're increasing production of XLT trims this year.

@MiazdaDude 11 ай бұрын

I'm torn between the a used Lariat or a new XLT. The 12 inch screen is what is leaning me towards the XLT. In addition to it being less complicated the air vents in the Lariat are way too small. With it being hot as it is, I want as much air as I can get.

@AskJoe 11 ай бұрын

My last ride was a Mustang Mach-E with the 15" screen, and I was never a fan of the big screen as opposed to buttons and knobs. As a software developer, I know they can constantly update the software to make it better, but for me, there's nothing like the simplicity of the buttons and knobs. The XLT has always been the mainstream trim level, but they intentionally focused on the high end trims for the first year, so my XLT was a rare commodity. They skewed the pricing to make the Lariat only about $4500 more than my XLT with 312A package, so most people went with the Lariat. According to Ford, they're finally boosting production of XLTs and Pros so there should be more of them, and at lower prices.

@pstoneking3418 Жыл бұрын

I don't mind the larger snyc 4a screen. I don't mess with the climate that much but very easy to change the temperature.

@AskJoe Жыл бұрын

I had the larger screen on my Mach-E... It's definitely a great option, especially since they can eventually do software updates that improve the interface. They've made quite a few changes since the early Mach-E version, and I hope they keep improving it. One thing they should do is have certain options always visible so you don't need to drill down menus, like the cameras, or create shortcut buttons for common settings.

@tomcez Жыл бұрын

Bugs me, that when I ordered February 3rd, I thought the sliding rear window, ventilated driver's seat, driver's seat memory, and the rear light bar came with the XLT 312A for that extra $9500. The information at that time on the build and price page showed memory for the base XLT 8 way seat, and the photos there showed the sliding rear window with a XLT display so I went for it. My exterior selections shows the unique rear signature lighting which I thought means the light bar. I hoped that the ventilated seat was included by moving up to the 10 way front seats. Ford never provided or corrected that information until much later. Good to see that your suburban driving gives good range numbers. I am hoping to add a camper shell (topper) so I can sleep diagonally inside the bed, but hate to lose the truck bed camera. Maybe there is a shell that allows that view, so like you say, if carrying lumber with the tailgate down one could still see what is happening back there, but I am not hopeful for that. Maybe a periscope device could be attached to the bed camera to bring it down! Thanks for review, I am hoping that my 10/10 build will arrive by early December and dealer will not dick around with adders (my online order sheet is showing MSRP and GM at the time said they would sell at that, but nothing given with signatures, just the order confirmation page). Keep up the good work.

@AskJoe Жыл бұрын

I had the same trouble when I ordered mine. I contacted Ford multiple times about the incorrect information on the website at the time I placed my order. First via the chat on the website, then on the phone, and finally when I was invited to the factory on launch day in April. I took screenshots of the rear window that was in every photo, including the interior and 360 views. I even showed them my order page when I was there in person in April and it still said the power tailgate with "Signature Lighting" on the order details. Each time, they just said it was a website mistake, but they definitely didn't correct the photos for a while... and they never fixed the order details page that still said "Signature Lighting" all the way until delivery. My dealer tacked on about $600 or so in fake markups (Window Etching and "Maintenance"... no idea what that is). They also messed with the financing. They refused to let me use the the pre-approved 5.9% Ford Financing... even though it''s from Ford. If I did the web checkout, it would've gone through Ford. Then they said my bank's rate was nearly 10%, so they financed using a bank I never heard of (that they must get a kickback from) at 7.99%. I took the deal just because I didn't want them to have an excuse to pull it and sell it as inventory. I checked with my bank, they actually offered about 5%, and the dealer never called them. So, I'm having my bank re-finance it. Lesson learned... get your finance in advance and you get more control of the deal.

@tomcez Жыл бұрын

Dealer did honor MSRP, rec'd 11-10-22, only a tiny ding above passenger door handle that got fixed.

@AskJoe Жыл бұрын

@@tomcez It's great to finally take delivery after all that waiting, especially when we keep wondering whether the dealer will throw a monkey wrench into the deal.

@AUav8r05 Жыл бұрын

Great video! I also ordered my XLT SR in avalanche 9/7. First day reservation holder. I currently drive a 22 lariat Powerboost hybrid that I ordered early this year when it looked like I wouldn’t get to order a Lightning. I’ll have a decision to make. My around town case use heavily leans towards owning a Lightning. The Powerboost has been very good so far though. Torn about going down a trim.

@AskJoe Жыл бұрын

The PowerBoost Hybrid is the Goldilocks of F-150s right now. It's SUPER powerful, great on gas, and you get a lot of the same features as the Lightning, and as I mentioned, I love the 12" screen vs the 15 in the upgraded Lightnings and Mach-E. I drove a Mach-e for a year while I waited for the Lightning, and it convinced me I'd rather have the buttons. My previous trucks were XLTs with lots of upgrades. My last XLT had stuff are now only part of Lariat and Platinum like the sunroof and the sliding rear window, but I can say one thing about the XLT vs Lariat, the things that matter to me most are identical. In fact, the overall ride and power on all 4 models are identical. The "trim" is literally just that, mainly trim. I like cloth seats, and I like physical buttons, but I wanted power / heated seats and the heated steering wheel, so that's the trim that gives me those options. In my opinion, heated seats and steering wheel should be standard because cabin heat uses a LOT of power, so my Mach-E used to warn me to use heated seats and steering wheel as the primary source of heat when the power was low. From what I know, those can be run off the 12 volt power with very little impact on range. So that means Pro users lack that choice. So, if they're low on range, their only choice is to lose the range.

@ScottSullivanTV Жыл бұрын

I want a Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum, but I know that dream is impossible to achieve in my career.

@AskJoe Жыл бұрын

Frankly, I never could understand what makes the F-150 Platinum so expensive. When I had a gas powered F-150, I thought perhaps it wasn't just the fancy interior, but that had a more powerful engine or better off-road suspension or something that made it more capable than my XLTs. But when it comes to the Lightning, the $40,000 Pro version is simply an amazing truck. The Platinum costs more than two and a half times that and it's still hard for me to understand where the other $60,000+ in upgrades are.

@abacusexpress Жыл бұрын

Two things I like to see the lightening have the little rear window and front seat bench option , I do use gas f150 front bench when needed

@AskJoe Жыл бұрын

For some reason they only include the otherwise inexpensive rear windows on the luxury models (Lariat and Platinum). My previous XLT had the rear window and the glass roof and I miss them both.

@ThunderandLightningEvPickup 19 күн бұрын

Just bought the pro for 36K. You just earned a subscriber! Do you have more lightning content? Cheers from upstate NY (Albany Ny)

@shannonwilliams7743 Жыл бұрын

Thank you kind Sir.

@jamesgriffith4605 Жыл бұрын

@Ask Joe: You get the heated steering wheel & heated seats ? I want to get the same modelthe XLT later on down the road,myself,sometime.Have a good one.

@AskJoe Жыл бұрын

Yes... That's one reason I upgraded to the 312A package, but I think heated seats are standard on all XLTs. I never realized how useful a heated steering wheel was until I used it last winter in my Mustang Mach-E.

@MDP673NJ1 2 ай бұрын

I'm undecided between a Lightning Lariat and a Mach e Gt. I commute 30 miles a day and once or twice a month to Atlantic city or cape mayfrom north jersey 126-160miles eash way. Love the space and comfort of the f150 and love the handling of the mach e. I'm a little concerned about range during the jersey winter months in general and some concern for the parking spaces with the Lightning. I currently own a V8 Suv and don't tow. What's your opinion on what I should get?

@AskJoe 2 ай бұрын

I've owned both and one thing I can say is that the range is pretty much the same, so it comes down to whether you really need a pickup, or as you said, whether you have trouble handling something this big. I'm in Staten Island, where there's a nice mix of parking lots vs street side parking like in the other boroughs, so it's not that hard handing a pickup. That said, this is my third pickup and it's SO much easier to park compared to my previous trucks because it has 360˚ cameras, so it's easy to see your way into your spaces. I got my first pickup in 2010, I now I have a hard time thinking about giving it up because although I don't haul large items every day, it gives me freedom to haul things when I need to. I regularly throw a bunch of bikes into the bed and ride places I've always wanted to and I love to simply shop without worrying about whether things will fit in my car.

@Tofiyatours 11 ай бұрын

Hi Joe, have you installed aftermarket trailer brakes controller?

@AskJoe 11 ай бұрын

No. I've never needed a trailer.

@slickwilly4613 Жыл бұрын

Nice video. Question, you mentioned at the beginning that you would explain why you did not go with the extended battery. I watched the whole video and did not hear you give your reason. I do not own a lightning but for me, to justify not paying the huge additional cost for the extended battery would be this; I would normally charge each night at home and on the rare occasion I travel more then the standard range I would hit a EV station. I would rather spend 15 mins charging my car twice on the trip rather than sitting at one station for 30 min. I do not think there is any place in the US where the range between two stations is greater than the standard range. Oh, and the standard battery is much lighter in weight.

@AskJoe Жыл бұрын

You are 100% right. This is my second EV. I had a Mustang Mach-E last year which also had a standard range battery, and in that entire year, I only needed to use a roadside charger twice because I rarely need to drive more than 200 or so miles in one trip. I'm not willing to pay an extra $10,000 to add another 80 or so miles. In both cases, I only needed to stop for about 20 minutes, which was less than the time I needed to use a much needed bathroom and food break.

@andrewpark1769 2 ай бұрын

Cool video

@AskJoe 2 ай бұрын

This is my second EV and I'm never buying another gas vehicle. It's hard to imagine giving up all the benefits.

@justinstewart3248 Жыл бұрын

What a haircut my man

@AskJoe Жыл бұрын

That was a year ago... Still haven't cut it. :)

@IdeaOfTheDayCom Жыл бұрын

It's everything I loved about my 2016 F-150 XLT... But with the bonus of being all electric.😀

@arecibo1974 Жыл бұрын

Can you open the charge port door when your truck is locked? My Pro allows anyone to open it freely when locked. It should never open if is locked to avoid vandalism to your port. Another issue: it will not lock the charging plug, so anyone can just unplug your truck leaving you with no charge at all.

@AskJoe Жыл бұрын

I've only used my outlets in the bed once, and the ports did not turn on until I went inside and turned on Pro Power, so although it's possible vandals can mess around, they shouldn't be able to draw power unless you specifically turned on the power. In my case, I always have a cover on my bed, so that's a $200 way to get a bit more protection.

@arecibo1974 Жыл бұрын

@@AskJoe I’m sorry , I’m asking about your charging truck port door. If when your truck is locked, can it be opened?

@AskJoe Жыл бұрын

@@arecibo1974 Yes, it's always unlocked, and as far a I know I've never seen an EV that has a locking charging port. I've never heard any stories about people unplugging a charging cable, but I've definitely heard stories of people doing the opposite, re-connecting the charger for EV owners who try to take advantage of premium charging spaces while other people are waiting to use them. That's something that frustrates quite a few people. They park in the space thinking it's a free pass to park in the front of the lot, then don't plug in because they don't want to pay to charge, especially since some companies charge $1 per MINUTE beyond the 1st hour. I've seen videos of people re-plugging people in who do that.

@arecibo1974 Жыл бұрын

@@AskJoe Look at the top of the charging port, there’s an actuator that supposed to come out and lock your charger plug to avoid anyone from removing it while charging. My bmw i3 locks the charger door, and when plug in to charge it locks it in when you lock your car. So no one can unplug it leaving you with no charge or possibly damaging your port connection. There’s videos of people unplugging EVs and dropping the charger plug on the ground just to vandalize.

@AskJoe Жыл бұрын

@@arecibo1974That's new to me. I'm in the NYC area and I've driven an EV for 2 years, and my brother has one of the very 1st Teslas and it does not lock either, and although there may be some people who might unplug it, it's still pretty rare. One thing I can tell you is that any time I unplug my charger or when the charge is interrupted, I get an alert on my Phone and my Apple Watch. If nothing else, you can plug it back in.

@Smashknuckles 5 ай бұрын

Your 2016 ford couldn’t be fixed?!?!?

@AskJoe 5 ай бұрын

I gave up after waiting over 4 months. I blame the dealer, not Ford. In fact, Ford Corporate called me at least once or twice a week to check on the status, and they offered to send an engineer to the dealer to help them diagnose it, but for some reason the dealer refused their help. What really caused me to give up was finding out that they actually had some vehicles in their service area for over 6 months. At that point I felt that even if they "fixed" it, I would worry that they wouldn't put everything back together right. I take safety seriously, so there was no way I would feel comfortable driving it once I got it back.

@earldemaranville690 Жыл бұрын

Ｐｒⓞм𝕠𝕤𝐌 😑

@bennybaubles Жыл бұрын

A “real owners review”by someone that was wined and dined by Ford and therefore doesn’t want to give any negatives in the review.

@AskJoe Жыл бұрын

I placed my reservation for my Lightning the moment they opened the order system. That's about a year before they invited me to tour the factory. I'm definitely not a professional automotive reviewer and as you see, I didn't focus on EV statistics or performance. The best summary of the review is that I've owned 8 Fords. I love F-150s in particular and that the main things I talked about in the video are the things that are in ALL F-150s (size, ergonomics, comfort). I love it because it's a real F-150, that just happens to be electric.