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Unique colors, paint jobs, and even wraps are cool. After all, it’s the unique individuals who spring up for these that keep our roads looking less bland than they already are. But how much are you willing to pay for that visual pizazz? What about 20% of the vehicle’s purchase price?
A Ford F-150 Lariat SuperCrew starts around $60,000, so checking the box for the new $12,545 two-tone paint job offered on 2027 models means you’ll spend roughly 20% of your truck’s cost on a single option. Of course, that percentage will vary depending on which trim and options you ultimately buy, but regardless, that just seems silly and, not to mention, a poor financial decision. I can’t imagine anyone will salvage any resale value from it down the road.
Ford
Speaking of poor financial decisions, you can dig yourself into an even bigger hole by opting to roll the price of that paint job into the lease or finance monthly payment. Yes, you can actually do that. Depending on your personal history and financing terms, that could mean anywhere from $200 to $320 per month on top of the car’s monthly payment. Or, y’know, you can just pay it out of pocket.
For the record, I’m a big supporter of people doing whatever they want with their money as long as it makes them happy. If you want to pay almost $13,000 (or more) for a paint job, wheels, or engine mods, by all means, do it. What I’m emphasizing here is the ridiculously high cost of that standalone option and, to a certain extent, the fact that an automaker and its credit division are salivating at the revenue they can make off this thing, fully knowing it’ll put consumers in a tough place down the road.
Would you?
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As deputy editor, Jerry draws on a decade of industry experience and a lifelong passion for motorsports to guide The Drive’s short- and long-term coverage.
