What do you need to know about Ford’s best-selling pickup truck before buying one? That’s what we’re going to find out in this post.
The F150 is one of the top vehicles that Ford manufactures. The F150 gives you a lot of configurations and options to go with, depending on your budget and what you are looking for. And of course, you’ve got a lot of trim levels to choose from.
The two most popular trim levels on the market are XLT and Lariat. In today’s post, we’re going to do a side-by-side comparison between the XLT vs Lariat.
Main Differences Between XLT Vs Lariat
Here is a quick roundup of the main differences between these two models:
- The Lariat has a power tailgate, a tailgate step, and a handle, whereas the XLT comes with a normal tailgate.
- The standard engine for the XLT trim is the 3.3L v6, whereas the standard engine for the Lariat is the 2.7L EcoBoost v6.
- The XLT model features a 4-inch digital productivity screen, whereas the Lariat comes with a 12-inch digital productivity screen.
- The XLT is available with 17-inch wheels, whereas the Lariat is available with 18-inch wheels.
- The XLT model is fitted with 40/20/40 cloth front seats, whereas the Lariat is equipped with 40/20/40 leather-trimmed front seats.
- The XLT has optional heated front seats, whereas the Lariat has optional heated rear seats.
- The Lariat has the electronic shift on the fly with neutral towing capacity for 4WD, whereas the XLT doesn’t.
- The XLT is available with only intersection assist, whereas the Lariat is available with intersection assist as well as BlueCruise.
- The Lariat has a keyless entry keypad on the driver’s side and SOS post-crash alert system, whereas the XLT doesn’t.
- The XLT model has single-zone climate control, whereas the Lariat has dual-zone climate control.
- The Lariat has LED mirror-mounted spotlights and LED box lighting, whereas the XLT doesn’t.
What Is the XLT Trim?
Under the hood of the XLT trim, we have a 3.3L Ti-VCT V6 engine that goes through a 10-speed select-shift automatic transmission.
This heavy-duty engine has a compression ratio of 12:1, bore and stroke of 3.56-inch and 3.41-inch respectively, and a displacement of 204 cubic inches. The engine generates 290 horsepower at 6500 RPM and 265 pounds-force of torque at 4000 RPM.
The XLT comes with a front active air dam, which does a great job of redirecting airflow under the truck to improve aerodynamics. It’s a unique system that helps minimize drag to boost fuel efficiency.
You’ve got halogen fog lamps, halogen headlamps, halogen taillamps, and daytime running lamps. The door, tailgate, handles, skull caps, and side mirrors are black.
On the inside, we have 40/20/40 front split-bench seats, 60/40 flip-up rear split-bench seats as well as four-way manual driver seat and passenger seat adjustments. The seats are made of cloth. Optional seats for the XLT include front bucket seats with a center console, front heated seats, and front 8-way power driver seats among others.
The XLT features blind spot information system (BLIS) with cross-traffic alert for added insurance on the road. You don’t have to worry about a vehicle in your blind spot because BLIS will alert you. Telescoping trailer tow mirrors, on the other hand, give a better view of what you are towing. This is a very resourceful feature during wide turns and lane changes.
Other safety features that come with this trim include a tire pressure monitoring system, safety belts, airbags, advanced trac with roll stability control, safety canopy side curtains, and curve control. Optional safety features for this trim include a keyless entry keypad and remote start system.
The XLT has hill start assist technology that will keep the truck from rolling back when you stop it on a hill. You also don’t have to worry about rolling back when you start the truck from a stopped position on a hill.
What Is the Lariat Trim?
The Ford 150 Lariat is one of the most iconic trucks in the U.S. This popular masterpiece is a great upgrade from the XLT trim.
This trim has a non-limited slip rear axle along with coil-over shocks, double-wishbone front suspension with gas-pressurized shock absorbers, and two-stage variable-rate leaf spring rear suspension with staggered outboard mounted shock absorbers. You’ve also got four-wheel vented disc brakes with EBD and ABS.
One of the most incredible features of the Lariat that any pick-up truck enthusiast would appreciate is the power tailgate. Once the tailgate is open, you just have to press a button to eject a step and then pull a little handle to help you get up on top. What makes this power tailgate special is the fact that it closes automatically when you press the button. You’ve also got a retracting step board.
At the front, you have LED headlights and LED daytime running lamps. The daytime running lamps form a unique c-shape, which is pretty cool and one of the things that distinguish the Lariat from the lower trims. It also comes with LED fog lamps as well as LED cornering lamps.
It has a massive 12-inch digital productivity screen on the inside that keeps you informed while driving with useful information. All the available dynamic drive modes are displayed on the 12-inch screen, such as deep snow/sand, trail, slippery, tow/haul, sport, eco, normal, and so on. In addition, you’ve got an enhanced voice recognition system that allows you to effortlessly integrate with your smartphone.
Most people used to complain about how massive the engine of the F150 was. It would be impractical to own it because it was a gasoline guzzler. But the new Lariat comes with more fuel-friendly engine options.
Your Lariat might come with a 2.7L or 5.0L v8. But you’ve got other options, including the 3.3L v6 base, 2.7L EcoBoost, 3.5L EcoBoost, 5.0L v8, and a 3.5L PowerBoost full hybrid v6.
Feature Comparison
These are the main differences between XLT vs Lariat:
Power Tailgate
One of the most notable differences between these two models is the power tailgate. The Lariat comes equipped with a power tailgate that opens and closes automatically. When the tailgate is open, you can also pull out the step and handle for easy climbing onto the truck.
Standard Engine
The XLT comes standard with the 3.3L v6 engine. This engine delivers 290 hp and 265 pound-foot. The 3.3L v6 engine has a maximum payload of 1985 pounds and a maximum towing capability of 8200 pounds. The city mpg for this engine is 20 and the highway mpg is 24.
The Lariat, on the other hand, comes standard with the 2.7L v6 engine, which generates 325 hp and 400 pound-foot of torque. The 2.7L v6 has a maximum towing capability of 10100 pounds and a maximum payload of 2480 pounds. The higher mpg is greater at 26.
Wheels & Tires
The XLT comes standard with 17-inch wheels, 245/70 R17 all-season tires for the 2WD, and 265/70 R17 all-terrain tires for the 4WD. The Lariat is available from the manufacturer with 18-inch aluminum wheels equipped with magnetic painted pockets. The Lariat comes standard with 265/60 R18 all-season tires for 2WD and 275/65 R18 all-season or all-terrain tires for 4WD.
Digital Productivity Screen Size
Another big difference between these XLT and the Lariat is the size of the digital productivity screen. The XLT trim has a 4-inch productivity screen, which has a few features. The fuel economy is displayed at the top of the 4-inch screen as well as the coolant and oil pressure. The lane-keeping system is displayed at the bottom. The miles the truck has covered will be displayed at the bottom of the screen.
The Lariat trim comes with a massive 12-inch digital productivity screen. When you start the truck, the screen will turn on. Three-quarters of the screen will display audio features, while the remaining part of the screen can switch between different things like navigation. With the audio screen, you can switch between your sources (SiriusXM and Bluetooth) very easily.
Climate Control
The XLT trim has single-zone climate control. So, whatever setting you make, such as the fan temperature, is going to be the same on the left as well as the right. The Lariat standard, on the other hand, comes with dual climate control.
Also, check out the differences between GMC SLE vs SLT.
Lariat Vs XLT – Verdict
From the outside, these two models look almost identical, with a few differences on the front and rear. But the three main differences that can help you to easily distinguish the Lariat from the XLT are a power tailgate, a 12-inch digital productivity screen, and 18-inch wheels. Ther XLT is more of a basic trim with standard features and fewer optional accessories. The Lariat is the first luxury trim that gives you the taste of what the high-end trims can offer.
