If you plan on shopping the 2024 Ford F-250 trim lineup, you’re going to notice something pretty shocking: the top trim is more than twice the cost of the bottom trim. The XL, the F-250’s starting trim, sits at $44,970 for the 2024 year, and the Limited, the highest trim, sits at $97,095. That’s a huge jump from the lowest trim to the top trim of the same model. It’s hard to believe that those two vehicles with those two price tags are even related. So, this naturally begs the question: is this price difference justified? We did a deep dive into some of the biggest differences between the two trims in search of an answer. Here’s what we found.
Engines
The XL has a 6.8L two-valve DEVCT NA PFI V8 engine, and the Limited has a 6.7L High-Output Power Stroke V8 Turbo Diesel Engine. At first glance, you might think, “They both have V8s; how different can they be?” You might even notice that the XL’s engine is just a bit larger than the Limited’s. However, the way the numbers break down is significant.
The XL’s engine kicks out a horsepower of 405, while the Limited’s engine sees a horsepower output of 500. That’s already a big jump in power, but that’s not where the most significant discrepancy lies. The XL produces a torque of 445 lb-ft. The Limited gets a whopping 1,200 pound-per-foot of torque. Higher torque, put simply, means a vehicle can both accelerate quickly and pull massive loads without sacrificing efficiency. When you want to trailer something huge with your F-250, you’ll notice the Limited handles this task way better than the XL. In fact, it’s capable of some towing feats that the XL just isn’t.
There’s also the fact that the Limited’s engine is a diesel one, which will mean a boost in fuel efficiency. Diesel engines even tend to last longer than gas engines, so you should see more longevity out of your Limited’s powertrain.
Accessibility
Next, we’ll look at accessibility. Heavy-duty trucks are large trucks, and getting into them is no small feat. So, what do the XL versus Limited have to offer in terms of accessibility?
The XL has integrated box side steps and rear corner bumper steps. This should make it easy enough to access items in the bed. Plus, it has grab handles on the driver and front passenger side, as well as roof ride handles.
The Limited has all the grab handles of the XL. However, it gets something the XL doesn’t, which are power deployable running boards. These extend and retract from the sides of the pickup, giving passengers a secure place to hop onto when getting into the vehicle. Because they can retract, you can also put them out of the way when necessary in narrow parking spots. It’s a little touch that makes a big difference for many passengers, especially elderly or shorter ones who struggle to get into such a tall vehicle.
Tailgate and Bed
Oh, the tailgate. This is one of the most important parts of a pickup truck. We’ll start with the difference that arguably adds the most value to the Limited, and that’s the Pro Power Onboard system. It gets you two 120-volt electrical outlets in the bed. You can use these to power a number of tools and appliances, which is pretty handy for most pickup drivers. This comes standard in the Limited. The XL only has it as an option, and you’ll need to pay an extra $985 for it. So that’s nearly a thousand dollars’ value included with the Limited for this feature alone.
Now, let’s talk about the functionality of the tailgate itself. You can remove the tailgate on the F-250 XL with a key lock to allow for greater accessibility, which is especially useful when using a trailer hitch. The Limited takes things to the next level with a power tailgate that goes up and down with a button on your keyfob. This allows for a slow, gentle lowering of the tailgate with no slamming.
The tailgate on the XL feels, put simply, well, simple. It’s pretty bare-bones. The Limited’s feels luxurious and you’ll notice the difference if you have serious jobs ahead of you.
Interior/Seating
Let’s take a peek inside these two trims now. Everybody wants to be comfortable in their pickup truck, especially if their commutes are long.
The Limited sort of blows the XL out of the water in the interior comfort and seating departments. The XL has very limited adjustability for the driver’s seat, and those adjustments are manual. So, you’d just better hope you’re content with the factory-provided settings. If you can’t get the angle or height just right, you’ll have to learn to live with them.
The Limited, however, has a 10-way power adjustable driver seat that can recline a good deal. The multi-contour seats provide support at critical points to fight body fatigue. Did we mention that the Limited’s upholstery is leather while the XL’s is cloth? There is a world between these two trims when it comes to seating and comfort.
Infotainment
There are about a dozen differences between these trims on the infotainment and technology fronts. The Limited has wireless charging for devices and a 14-speaker Bang and Olufsen sound system. The XL has an AM/FM radio with an MP3 player. We won’t patronize you by explaining the differences between these two systems. They speak for themselves.
The Limited has a 12-inch touchscreen; the XL has an eight-inch touchscreen. Oh, and the Limited’s screen comes with swipe capabilities. You know—like an iPad. Plus, while both trims have SYNC 4, Ford’s newest infotainment system, only the Limited has enhanced voice recognition, so you can use your voice to give the system commands.
Safety
We’ll wrap things up with the safety category. You can technically have the same suite of safety features (just about) in either trim, but you’ll pay extra for many of them individually in the XL while they all come standard in the Limited.
Here are the safety features the Limited gets standard that the XL only has as options:
- Blind spot monitoring system with cross-traffic alert
- Reverse brake assist with rear parking sensors
- Pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning
- Reverse sensing system
We can’t really put a dollar value on the costly repairs you might avoid by having these systems in place, but you can imagine it would be very high if we could.
So, Is the Limited Trim Worth It On The 2024 F-250?
As you start to add up all of the Limited trim’s features, you can see that Ford has probably priced it fairly. Opting for the XL trim and adding many of the Limited’s features as add-on packages and options would quickly get you close to the Limited’s cost. That’s not to say that the Limited is right for everyone. Not everyone needs or cares about all of the features it has to offer. But when you see a price difference that big between two trims, you can’t help but wonder if it’s justified. We’d say yes.
