The Ford F-150 has always managed to be a proverbial swiss army knife when it comes to offering buyers all kinds of ways to do truck stuff. That’s especially true if you’re an off-roader with the dune slaying F-150 Raptor and the trail-ready Tremor models delivering the goods. However, inflation is pushing up prices for a wide variety of goods and one of the ripple effects is that some buyers might have a tighter wallet to work with. Ford has listened and has unveiled a budget-focused alternative, the 2023 F-150 Rattler.
Off-Road Fun For The XL Crowd
Unlike its more expensive cousins the Raptor and Tremor, the Rattler is based on an F-150 XL model and it retains the black plastic grille and bumpers that often come with the model. However, Rattlers feature fender-mounted vents, rear decals, a dual-exhaust system, and 18-inch alloy wheels. The presentation here helps give the Rattler a unique look and is certainly a step up over a standard fleet-ready XL variant.
The interior doesn’t have alot of frills, but that gave Ford designers the opportunity to focus on the fine details that adorn the truck. Look around and you can actually see snakeskin-inspired patterns on the cloth seats and trim as well as splashes of bronze trim to lighten things up a bit. Look under the skin and the Rattler borrows heavily from the FX4 model with these trucks getting skid plates, hill descent control, locking rear differential, off-road shocks, and more. Oh and did we forget to mention that four-wheel drive is also the lone drive format here?
When Can I Buy One?
If this exercise in value and capability sounds like your cup of tea, Ford revealed that Rattler models will be entering dealerships later this year. The truck will be available with most of the F-150’s color options and engines (minus the 3.3. liter V6) but that’s balanced out by the restrictions with the package only being available on extended and crew-cab models with the 145-inch wheelbase configuration. That translates to either the 5.5 or the 6.5-foot bed which is still usable space for most buyers.
Ford didn’t announce pricing either, but following the path laid out by other gap fillers in Ford’s lineup, look for the Rattler’s pricing to be firmly in between the XL and the FX4 models. Â
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.