Why Is the Ford F-150 So Expensive?
By the CarWhere Research Team · Updated November 14, 2026 · Built from our resale value study, verified buyer deals, used listing prices, reliability and longevity data
Why is the F-150 so expensive?
The F-150 is expensive mostly because of how high its trims climb: CarWhere data shows the 2024 F-150 runs from $36,570 (XL) to $77,980 (Raptor); a 3-year-old (2023) F-150 lists for 60.2% of today's median new price vs 60.8% for full-size pickups.
Updated November 2026 · Sources: Depreciation study · F-150 price & deals · Used prices
Value kept at 3 yrs
60.2%
vs 60.8% for full-size pickups
Paid vs MSRP
93.5%
median of 57 verified deals
Used median
$31,791
101,089 listings
Resale: the F-150 vs other full-size pickups
A 3-year-old (2023) F-150 lists for a median $39,968 at 43,306 miles, 60.2% of the $66,338 median price of a new one today. The average across 4 other full-size pickups is 60.8%, which puts the F-150 4 of 5.
A 5-year-old (2021) F-150 lists for a median $31,977 at 84,472 miles, 48.2% of the $66,338 median price of a new one today. The average across 4 other full-size pickups is 51.1%, which puts the F-150 5 of 5.
High resale cuts both ways: owners lose less when they sell, but used shoppers pay more, which keeps new prices firm. Full year-by-year curve: F-150 depreciation by model year.
| # | Model | 5-year value retained |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota Tundra | 56.5% |
| 2 | Chevrolet Silverado 1500 | 50.1% |
| 3 | GMC Sierra 1500 | 48.9% |
| 4 | Ram 1500 Pickup | 48.7% |
| 5 | Ford F-150 | 48.2% |
Retained = median asking price of a 5-year-old example ÷ median price of the same model new today. CarWhere listings study, October 25, 2026.
What buyers actually pay vs sticker
Across 57 verified new F-150 purchases CarWhere collected from December 2025 to November 2026, the median buyer paid 93.5% of MSRP, or 6.5% ($5,000) off. The middle half of deals landed between 3.5% and 9.4% off. 3.5% of buyers paid more than sticker.
So markups aren't the main story for the F-150 in our data. Most buyers paid below sticker.
| Model year | Deals | Median off MSRP | Median MSRP | Paid over sticker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 40 | 6.7% | $79,200 | 2.5% |
| 2026 | 17 | 4.4% | $73,000 | 5.9% |
Trim-by-trim prices and the full deal breakdown: F-150 price. Browse every verified deal at What People Paid.
How the F-150's price climbed
Trim mix matters as much as the base price: the newest full lineup in our data spans $41,410 from cheapest to priciest trim (+113.2%).
| Model year | Cheapest trim | MSRP | Priciest trim | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | XL | $36,570 | Raptor | $77,980 |
Automaker starting MSRPs by model year as compiled in CarWhere’s trim-level and price datasets. Starting MSRPs as published for each year; years we haven't priced are left out. Destination charges are excluded where the automaker lists them separately.
The used-price floor
As of November 7, 2026, the median used F-150 lists for $31,791 (middle half $20,265–$41,585) across 101,089 dealer listings, at a median 78,626 miles.
The floor is high: the cheapest model year by median price is the 2018 at $22,966 with 110,551 miles.
| Model year | Listings | Median price | Median miles | % of new today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9,274 | $44,456 | 22,584 | 67.6% |
| 2024 | 9,929 | $42,800 | 29,940 | 65.1% |
| 2023 | 16,686 | $39,640 | 43,725 | 60.2% |
| 2022 | 7,729 | $35,374 | 68,633 | 54.0% |
| 2019 | 7,294 | $25,140 | 102,312 | 38.1% |
| 2018 | 8,120 | $22,966 | 110,551 | 35.0% |
Median asking prices of used and certified listings at US dealers, November 7, 2026. % of new today is from the October 25, 2026 depreciation study. Years with fewer than 50 listings are left out.
Used price by trim
| Trim | Listings | Median used price | Newest MSRP we hold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raptor | 5,034 | $62,043 | $77,980 (2024) |
| Platinum | 4,891 | $36,094 | $73,425 (2024) |
| Lariat | 16,905 | $35,323 | $64,995 (2024) |
| XLT | 45,365 | $30,888 | $47,620 (2024) |
| XL | 15,961 | $22,371 | $36,570 (2024) |
Trims with 100+ listings. Used medians mix model years, so compare them to each other more than to the new MSRP.
State-by-state and year-by-year detail: used F-150 prices.
Reliability and how long it lasts
- Of 21,490 listed F-150s from 2016 or earlier, 16.0% had passed 200,000 miles, vs 9.1% across all models in CarWhere's lifespan study. Long-lived cars stay in demand, which props up used prices.
- On federal complaints per 1,000 sold (2015–2022 model years), the F-150 ranks in the 81th percentile of pickup trucks (best).
- Best years in our NHTSA complaint analysis: 2008, 2009, 2010.
- Years to avoid: 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023.
- NHTSA lists 182 recall campaigns across F-150 model years in our recall dataset.
F-150 years to avoid · best F-150 years · how long the F-150 lasts
How to pay less for a F-150
- Aim for about 9.4% off MSRP before rebates. That's the CarWhere Index target from 57 verified deals (December 2025–November 2026), about $7,200 on the average $76,300 sticker in our sample. The median buyer got 6.5% off.
- The deepest median discount in our deals was on 2025 models: 6.7% off across 40 deals. Ask about leftover 2025 inventory.
- Start at the XL ($36,570 for 2024) and add only what you need. The Raptor costs $41,410 more.
- Skip 2018, 2022 and 2023: they're on our years-to-avoid list for the F-150, based on NHTSA complaints.
- The cheapest model year on the used market right now is 2018, at a median $22,966 with 110,551 miles.
See what other buyers paid, deal by deal, at What People Paid, and check F-150 years to avoid and the best F-150 years before you shop used.
How we got these numbers
- Resale. Median asking price of each model year in US dealer listings (licensed vehicle-data providers) divided by the median price of the same model new today; CarWhere depreciation study dated October 25, 2026. Segment averages exclude the F-150 itself and only include models with 50+ listings at that age.
- What buyers paid. Approved, de-duplicated CarWhere verified new-car purchases (leases excluded) with both MSRP and selling price, model year within one year of the purchase date. The target discount is the CarWhere Index: the 75th-percentile discount of the cleaned pool, before rebates.
- Price history. Automaker starting MSRPs by model year as compiled in CarWhere’s trim-level and price datasets.
- Used prices. Active used and certified listings at US dealers, stats only (no listing rows stored), November 7, 2026.
- Reliability. CarWhere's analysis of NHTSA owner complaints and recall campaigns, plus odometer readings from the lifespan study.
- Nothing here is projected or estimated: each figure is a median or count from the data above, dated where it appears.
FAQ
Why is the F-150 so expensive?
The F-150 is expensive mostly because of how high its trims climb: CarWhere data shows the 2024 F-150 runs from $36,570 (XL) to $77,980 (Raptor); a 3-year-old (2023) F-150 lists for 60.2% of today's median new price vs 60.8% for full-size pickups.
Does the F-150 hold its value?
In CarWhere's October 2026 listings study, a 5-year-old (2021) F-150 lists for a median $31,977 at 84,472 miles, 48.2% of the $66,338 median new price today. The average for full-size pickups is 51.1%; the F-150 ranks 5 of 5.
Do dealers mark up the F-150?
In 57 verified F-150 deals CarWhere collected between December 2025 and November 2026, the median buyer paid 6.5% below MSRP ($5,000). 3.5% of buyers paid more than sticker.
What's the cheapest used F-150 I can find?
In CarWhere's November 7, 2026 data, the lowest model-year median is the 2018 F-150 at $22,966 (110,551 miles).
How long does the F-150 last?
Of 21,490 listed F-150s from 2016 or earlier, 16.0% had passed 200,000 miles, vs 9.1% across all models in CarWhere's lifespan study.
Cite or embed this number
“The F-150 is expensive mostly because of how high its trims climb: CarWhere data shows the 2024 F-150 runs from $36,570 (XL) to $77,980 (Raptor); a 3-year-old (2023) F-150 lists for 60.2% of today's median new price vs 60.8% for full-size pickups.”
Source: CarWhere Research, “Why Is the Ford F-150 So Expensive?,” www.carwhere.com/research/why-so-expensive/ford/f-150. Journalists: free to quote with a link. Data downloads, methodology and the media kit are on the CarWhere press page.