Kyle from Out of Spec Drives The Lightning

[MXA121]

Really think the Lightning is an ugly truck. I actually think the standard F-150 is one of the better looking trucks but the Lightning loses me with the awful faux grill thing and the aero wheels. The grill looks truly awful in closeup looks from the video when Kyle was walking around.

Very pleased with how Rivian handled the front end compared to what Ford did.

AGREE 1000%
I thought the Lightning front end looked cool until I saw it on video. That translucent white light bar is hideous and cheap looking, not to mention the grill. And people complain about the Rivian front end...

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[zipzag]

............
I thought the Lightning front end looked cool until I saw it on video. That translucent white light bar is hideous and cheap looking, not to mention the grill. And people complain about the Rivian front end...

Lightning is huge, made of aluminum, and has a highly durable interior even at a low trim level. It needs to start at $40K. Light bar design person had a $3.00 budget.

At least Ford has moved past the chrome everywhere era, and their infotainment is no longer a joke.

 

[MountainBikeDude]

Just stating my opinion short and sweet, for what I need in a truck, for $80k I'd take a Lightening over an R1T right now if they're side-by-side and I got my pick there on the spot.

Glad I'm a July-Sept delivery window for Rivian as I'm getting to see these other EV's. Sure wish RAM was further along than what they are as that's what I have today and had before my current 1500 and I LOVE the RAM boxes on the side, use the heck out them. Two things right out of the gate, the overhead shade that can be closed and the truck is a full-size, not something like a Honda Ridgeline size.

The likelihood of me having a Rivian in my garage is steadily falling.

Honestly, and as Kyle pointed out, Ford built a truck that sits comfortably next to other F-150's and is an easy transition for their demographic, which is what propagates broad EV adoption.

I personally have never owned a ford, but the lightning intrigues me in that its more truck than lifestyle vehicle. I can get the bed camper, I can haul construction materials from my reno without feeling too precious about how I load it.

All that said, still firmly in the Rivian camp because its vehicle fits 95% of what I want/need it for. If I could make an Xterra work for 12 years, I'm sure the Rivian will do just fine

 

[zefram47]

The XLT with the large battery pack and towing package is closer to $60K and the Lariat is $80K and no tax credit.

People need to stop spreading this misinformation. Unless congress changes it at some point, the current EV tax credit does not have any limit on MSRP or income. The only restriction is that once a manufacturer sells 200k EV/PHEVs the amount of the credit starts to decrease and eventually sunsets all together. Ford will obviously hit that far sooner than Rivian, but for now, the credit applies to all Lightnings.

That said, according to this tracker, Ford has less than 40k EV/PHEV sales to go before it starts to phase out, which they'll hit soon.

https://evadoption.com/ev-sales/federal-ev-tax-credit-phase-out-tracker-by-automaker/

 

[sevengroove]

Kyle actually talks slow enough that you can watch it at double speed and cuts it in half.

1.5x all the way for me. If I ever run into @OutofSpecKyle someday I'll probably go "why are you talking so slowly?" . All jokes aside, love your content and appreciate you being active on these forums! Keep it coming.

 

[r1t_kev]

Kyle surprised me in this review. The R1 is better both off road and when driving hard on road compared to the Lightning. The tradeoff is size. For some people and certain times of life size is the ultimate luxury. Perhaps Kyle feels the need for a large size vehicle with his dog children.

I've had an F250 and I'm a Ford fan. I absolutely do not want that size vehicle but I do want the R1's highly adjustable suspension.

Kyle makes a lot of videos. Perhaps he needs to review his R1T video and remember that he didn't drive the Lightning like he drove the R1T.

I was left with the impression that Ford pretty much nailed it and the Lightning is an excellent EV truck for someone that just wants a truck. There's no arguing the Lightning has more utility and the R1T more performance. They strike me as both being fantastic options, depending on your preference.

 

[R1T7777]

If I built a spectrum from work truck to adventure vehicle with the middle being daily driving / grocery getter, I'd put forth that the Rivian is a better vehicle across about 2/3rds of that spectrum if you didn't take price into consideration.

If you did then I'd say the F150 is probably better across 65% of that spectrum at $50k.

I'd agree. My use case just aligns more with that 35% that the Rivian nails. For $50k you're looking at a full sized truck with a 230 mile range and more limi off road ability. I'm looking for a road trip, adventure off roader. Rivian is damn near perfect for me, other than not having Android Automotive like Polestar does.

 

[FrankieJ]

People need to stop spreading this misinformation. Unless congress changes it at some point, the current EV tax credit does not have any limit on MSRP or income. The only restriction is that once a manufacturer sells 200k EV/PHEVs the amount of the credit starts to decrease and eventually sunsets all together. Ford will obviously hit that far sooner than Rivian, but for now, the credit applies to all Lightnings.

That said, according to this tracker, Ford has less than 40k EV/PHEV sales to go before it starts to phase out, which they'll hit soon.

https://evadoption.com/ev-sales/federal-ev-tax-credit-phase-out-tracker-by-automaker/

My bad. I actually looked up the details of the Federal Tax credit after I commented. I obviously got that wrong and should have done some research first.

 

[Scoiatael]

I am one of those who cross shopped the R1T and the Mach e. Never considered the F150 because it is simply too big. Literally won’t fit in my garage, not even close to fitting. I can’t be the only one with that problem?

If F150 didn't fit in my garage, I wouldn't have even considered it. A lot of people still park their vehicles in their driveway though, so don't think its an issue for too many people.

 

[Jumacao]

AGREE 1000%
I thought the Lightning front end looked cool until I saw it on video. That translucent white light bar is hideous and cheap looking, not to mention the grill. And people complain about the Rivian front end...

I'd like to see someone color match (either photoshop or in real life) the Lightning's front "grille" to the body color. I suspect that it'll look a lot better that way.

 

[Max]

I dislike the exterior of Pro a bit less and like the smaller landscape display more. I just don’t get all EVs commitment to crossbar. Not a big fan of the one on Rivian either.

 

[kurtlikevonnegut]

I think that the second video from Kyle where he's driving the base model Lightning is a little disingenous honestly. He keeps saying "go and buy one of these" as if you can just walk into your Ford dealership and get one today. It doesn't reflect the reality of the situation that:

• Ford has maxed out reservations until 2024 at least on all F-150 Lightnings, so if you don't already have a reservation in you're waiting minimum 18 months
• Ford is prioritizing the high trim level trucks (which makes sense since the base is obviously a loss leader that they probably lose money on) so who knows when you could actually get a base model with the small battery fulfilled IF you already have an order in
• If you don't have a preorder in already and do want to "go out and get one" it likely means you'll be paying a huge premium to do so, meaning the apparent value is going to be diminished or non-existent.

I think it's great that the base model is such a great vehicle, but the idea that you could actually buy one after watching the video without having already placed an order is a bit silly if we're honest.

 

[moosehead]

I think that the second video from Kyle where he's driving the base model Lightning is a little disingenous honestly. He keeps saying "go and buy one of these" as if you can just walk into your Ford dealership and get one today.….

I think it's great that the base model is such a great vehicle, but the idea that you could actually buy one after watching the video…

That’s a bit unfair, no?

By the time the OOS video ends, Ford could make a couple hundred thousand more Lightnings.

I kid, I kid.

 

[TXR1S]

I think that the second video from Kyle where he's driving the base model Lightning is a little disingenous honestly. He keeps saying "go and buy one of these" as if you can just walk into your Ford dealership and get one today. It doesn't reflect the reality of the situation that:

• Ford has maxed out reservations until 2024 at least on all F-150 Lightnings, so if you don't already have a reservation in you're waiting minimum 18 months
• Ford is prioritizing the high trim level trucks (which makes sense since the base is obviously a loss leader that they probably lose money on) so who knows when you could actually get a base model with the small battery fulfilled IF you already have an order in
• If you don't have a preorder in already and do want to "go out and get one" it likely means you'll be paying a huge premium to do so, meaning the apparent value is going to be diminished or non-existent.

I think it's great that the base model is such a great vehicle, but the idea that you could actually buy one after watching the video without having already placed an order is a bit silly if we're honest.

Totally agree. All of these journalists are completely falling for Ford’s “40k EV truck!” fraud and even repeating it!

 

[Paradigm_Shift]

my deposit is for an R1S. we need a vehicle that can carry four adults and our two large dog crates inside. Through work I have access to a Ford F-250,F350, and an F550. The F series is a great line of trucks but they are utility vehicles unless optioned way up to Platinum prestige Lariat or whatever dumb name they use. A base lightning,as others have stated, is not in the same class as a Rivian. Even when well optioned it will have parts that look and feel cheap on a $30k vehicle never mind a $70k vehicle. we used to refer to the less expensive dealer optioned cars as “strippers”. this referred to them being stripped of all the nice options and details (the opposite of the other type of “stripper“ I guess….. ) Personally the interior design and fit/finish is important to me- that’s where my family and I spend our time interacting with the vehicle. I want and will pay for it to be as nice as possible. I saw my first Rivian up close this weekend and it looks and feels amazing. I have not seen the Lighting but I am pretty confident it looks and feels cheap by comparison. for me the most attractive thing about the Lightning is the 9KW poster output ( it can power my remote off grid cabin) and the potential for lockers and Apple CarPlay

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