Used 2008 Ford F-150 XL 2dr Regular Cab Styleside 6.5 ft. SB (4.2L 6cyl 5M) Consumer Reviews
Used F-150 for sale
1
See Edmunds pricing data
Has Your Car's Value Changed?
Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.
Tough and looks good
MtnRoad, Tempe, AZ, 03/08/2016
updated 03/09/2018
Ford F-150 XL 2dr Regular Cab Styleside 6.5 ft. SB (4.2L 6cyl 5M)
43 of 46 people found this review helpful
I own the 2008 Ford F-150 regular cab 2WD with the 4.2L V6, auto trans w/ OD. It has 80,000 miles as if this review. There are two types of regular cabs. One that has no 3rd and 4th opening doors and one that does. I have the reg cab model that has the little side opening doors. You have to open the main doors and then the sides open up to add tools and stuff to store behind the front bench seat. It is awesome to have this. I only recommend having the little extra room like I have, or the larger capacity with fold down bench or the crew cab. The reason I suggest this is because the little side window that comes on those 3rd and 4th opening doors is crucial to being able to look through before changing lanes. Okay here is my review....this truck is pretty stout, and looks damn good. I also own a 1995 F-150 and the 2008 F150 is much larger, higher, and has a lot of room inside. The area between where you sit and the side of the door is further away than the older models so the engineers obviously had safety in mind when designing this model for side impact. The truck sits much higher than older models and gives you a commanding view of the road. The 4.2L V6 is plenty for what I need and gets really good gas mileage in my opinion. The auto trans w/ OD is nice for towing and also for city driving. I prefer auto trans on trucks because in some cases with manual you have to slide the seat forward too close to the airbag to engage the clutch. I did my research on the 4.2L V6 and it is bullet proof. It has the timing chain too so it should last the life of the truck. I don't want to talk trash about other engines offered during this time period so I will just leave you to do your own research. If you're a lead footed driver that likes to abuse your truck and race all over the place the 4.2L V6 is not going to give you that 0-60mph in 2 sec performance you seek. If you drive moderately and cruise 75-85mph on the freeway the 4.2L will do fine and still has plenty of power left to pass if you need to at those speeds. You'll drive past gas stations if you drive with any respect for your vehicle. I expect to get many miles out of my truck as it has performed great for me and still looks like a new model. Only complaint I have is the bed of the truck sits high and if you like to load and retrieve things from the side then you better be 6ft tall. UPDATE: I sold the truck. Not for any reason other than I still have a 95 F-150 that I am still very much attached. Be advised the 2008 F-150 did not lose value and I was able to get more than I paid very easily. If you maintain your F-150 it will hold its value and possibly even gain in value like mine did (if you buy it used). Cheers!
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
2008 Ford F150 XL 4.2L Auto, 6.5ft bed, 2WD
MtnRoad, Tempe, AZ, 04/13/2017
updated 06/10/2020
Ford F-150 XL 2dr Regular Cab Styleside 6.5 ft. SB (4.2L 6cyl 5M)
22 of 24 people found this review helpful
The 4.2L has a timing chain... this saves you big money! Bottom line up front, the truck is great. I have 81,000 miles and have not had any mechanical problems. My truck has the 4.2L 6cyl engine. It's true what expert reviewers say about it not being a truck you'll burn out in. The 4.2L is for casual normal drivers. It has plenty of power for getting up to speed, and passes other vehicles fine on the highway. I have not towed with it but I have read the 4.2L has plenty of towing capacity. PROS: The 2008 model still looks like a modern new model. Although my truck is only 2WD it sits up real high so visibility is great. The cabin is very roomy. I also have a mid 90's F150 and the driver's door seems much further away and safer in my 2008. The ride is comfortable, and my gas mileage is not too bad. I don't mistreat my truck and it seems to preform well, maybe at least 20mpg. The model I have is just one up from the base cabin. I have the two regular doors and two smaller side doors that can open up if the main doors are open. This extra little door has a small window which is perfect for visibility when changing lanes. What I'm saying is there is no blind spot like the lowest base model with no extra door and small window to see through. If you look left on that model to change lanes you'll be staring at an interior rear cab column which will force you to lean forward to look out and back from the side window. There is no back bench seat on my model, just enough room for tool boxes, golf clubs, etc. It's substantial and not a tiny space behind the front row which I really like, although in hindsight I would prefer to have the larger back seating area with the fold down bench seat. CONS: The truck is awesome, but there are a few issues I need to address. The rake on the truck tilts forward, and rain collects in the bed of the truck. I regularly have to back the truck out of the driveway to lower the tail and let the water drain out. I think in the long run this could become a major problem for rust. I live in Arizona and the truck is rust free, but the winter rain and summer monsoons we get collects in the bed forward towards the cab....that is bad. There is a bed liner, but the factory bed liner has large access holes on the sides near the bottom. rain gets in there and I know the water is sitting. I'm actually afraid to take the bed liner off to see what has resulted. The A/C on my truck blows cold and the fan is great, but every time the A/C kicks on I can hear a slight squeal coming from the engine compartment (same thing happens on my friends truck of the same model and year). So far it has gone on for a couple years now and the A/C still works fine but I expect this will be a problem in the future. The belt seems tight so this might be something for buyers to look for on used models. All the dash cluster lights go out sometimes at night. If I whack the top of the dash real hard they come back on...sometimes. Ford mechanic at a dealership near me said it is acommon problem and there's no fix other than banging real hard on the top of the dash. Some drink holders would have been nice on that fold down middle front seat which I keep down all the time. There is a retracting flimsy plastic double drink holder that comes out of the center of the dash, but it's cumbersome to use, and may not be usable for stick shift models. There is no AUX or USB on my model. If you want that you'll have to upgrade the stereo or buy a model that has it. REPAIRS: The only thing I have had to repair was the rear axle was slightly bent causing a vibration. I think that was from pulling out of parking lots and the rear right side skipping off the curb in tight situations. I treat my truck very well but a few times I've had the rear right side roll off the curb turning out into traffic. It only happened a few times so I was surprised to see the axle was bent. Runs smooth after my repair and I'm super careful now. SUGGESTIONS: Buy a F150 with power windows and door locks. If you have room in the garage get the model with the fold down rear bench because it adds so much more versatility. The reason I bought my truck with a 4.2L 6cyl is because I read a lot of great reviews on that engine, and it has a timing chain instead of the timing belt. The chain should last the lifetime of the truck. In Arizona it's common for trucks to go beyond 200,000+ miles so the timing chain is nice to have. My 1995 F150 has 170,000 rust free miles (4.9L 300ci 6cyl with timing chain).
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
good buy
raygu, 04/27/2011
Ford F-150 XL 2dr Regular Cab Styleside 6.5 ft. SB (4.2L 6cyl 5M)
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
I would buy this truck again! I bouhgt this truck new in northen Canada for 17554.00 on the road. No trouble with 100248 klm or 62000 miles. the reviews back up the truck !
My 2008 F150 is the great.
JEB, Cedar Park, TX, 11/26/2019
Ford F-150 XL 2dr Regular Cab Styleside 6.5 ft. SB (4.2L 6cyl 5M)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I bought mt 2008 F-150 in January 2009 when gas prices were sooo high and people weren't buying trucks. I paid $12,995 for it; and they gave me $3000 for my 2001 Dodge Ram trade-in that had a bad trans. I was pretty happy about the deal. I've now owned the truck for 11 years and the only thing I've had to do was replace the front brakes at 75K and replace the tires. That seems too soon for a brake job, but I'm not complaining. My biggest complaint about this truck is the rough ride. It'll rattle your bones on any degree of rough road. I always keep a full tanks of gas just to ad weight. The weight of a full tank seems to help the rough ride. But the new Bridgestone tires are far worse than the original Michelin's. I recommend staying with the original tires when new tires are needed. Also there is a click, or tick, that I recently noticed when just idling. I think a drive belt may need replacing. Bottom line is This has been a great truck. Absolutely reliable. I have 86K miles on it after 11 years and expect this truck will outlast me. My truck and my wife's Toyota Corolla are probably the last vehicles we will ever have to buy.
6 Months and Perfection
Tex77, 05/01/2009
Ford F-150 XL 2dr Regular Cab Styleside 6.5 ft. SB (4.2L 6cyl 5M)
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
So far a great truck. Purchased when fuel was over 4dollars/gal and when 09's were coming end= what a deal!! Chrome, cruise, automatic for 11K :). Love the truck, not a single problem.
1