There are some out there who like to bash the 8F35 trans, but I'm like you, I haven't heard of any widespread issue's with them. Sure there are a few that need attention but that includes the HF45 also. You have to treat them right and change the fluid regularly.
In some cases, even if you knew how to change a flat tire, you had better carry a breaker bar since some lug nuts are torqued on or rusted that you wouldn't be able to get them off without one. How many people carry those ?
So there you have it. Looks like there is a split decision between the XLT and the Lariat. It's all up to you now to decide what best fits your wants and needs. If I had to do it all over again, I may just cough up the extra $$ and get the Lariat just for the B&O sounds. But then, I'm not...
Don't hit that mini attenna. Mine got damaged somehow and the dealer said it will be $1,300 to repair. I questioned the cost and they said labor to remove the headliner etc. It still works so they can pound sand.
Maybe this was asked before and I apologize if it has, but is there any reason you have not rotated the tires yet with 44K on them ? One would think they would be a little noisy by now.
I have a hard cover RevolverX4S roll up from RealTruck. It was fairly expensive but I got a discount by being a member of MTC. Just like anything else, it's gone up in price quite a bit since I bought it 3 years ago. It locks with the tailgate closed so there is no access to the cable release...