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Going from Ford Lightning to Cybertruck? Thinking of trading up to the cheaper 60k CT from a Lightning, worth ~ extra 10k?

TickTock

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5. If Tesla didn't exist, the Lightning would be a fine electric truck. But Tesla does exist and they're miles better in every single category.
If Tesla didn't exist, there would be no Lightning.
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Cyberkingz

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I went from Lightning to Cybertruck. I would say if you aren't getting a Beast, stick with the Lightning.

Cyberbeast is more fun to drive. The speed is a ton of fun, you are going slightly backwards Lightning to AWD. If performance means a lot to you, it isn't worth the change.

Other Lightning pros:
- More comfortable.
- Quieter
- Frunk is amazing!
- Better bed and tailgate

Cybertruck has one huge upgrade, steer-by-wire. I honestly can't go back to a non-SBW vehicle. If you've been a truck driver your whole life, you may not need the assistance. To be honest, I wasn't great at parking my Lightning, I can park my CT with my eyes closed.

As for FSD vs Lightning assistance, I am mad at the current state of FSD driving at erratic speeds. I rented a Hyundai Sante Fe the other day and the Adaptive Cruise Control + lane assist was a better experience than I had the last six months with FSD.

Battery and charging is also way better with CT though. If you road trip or drive for distance, this is another time you may want to change. If you mostly drive local, this is less beneficial.

You're on a Cybertruck enthusiast website. Most of the guys on here would give Elon their wives if he asked them, you're not getting an unbiased opinion here.
Sure you're not talking about Tesla autopilot instead of FSD? lol It's wild when people bring up "driver assistance" during an FSD convo... not even close.
 

Amuma

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I'm thinking of going to a CT from my Lightning, after trade in and fees I'm thinking it's probably going to be like 10-15k extra... does anyone have any experience going from Lightning -> CT?

I like the Lightning but I'm thinking I'll like the CT more
I came from a lIghtning and it's sooooo much better. From the software, to the handling (Lightning feels like a brick compared to CT), speed, charging experience (superchargers ftw). If you can spare the 10k do yourself a favor and get it. F the people staring at you or shaking their heads. They wouldn't understand.
 

Cybertruck2024

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Sure you're not talking about Tesla autopilot instead of FSD? lol It's wild when people bring up "driver assistance" during an FSD convo... not even close.
I have been a FSD user since essentially day one. I would take an early build that tried to drive me into a wall or stop randomly in a traffic circle over the current build. At least the early builds were usable 98% of the time, needing a quick intervention when it did something crazy occasionally.

The newest build of FSD will fly through school zones and then drive 5mph under the speed limit on a straight highway. Rather than 2% of the time needing to intervene, the newest build is more like 50% of the time.

Having Adaptive Cruise Control and lane assist on a Santa Fe reminded me how nice it is to not be actively fighting my vehicle. It is a shame how far the newest FSD went backwards and really shows that also having Adaptive Cruise Control as an option would make the CT better. I am 17% FSD per my tracker and I am shocked I have even stomached that high of a number.

With that said, Lightning will never make you have these issues, to stay on topic.
 

Cyberkingz

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I have been a FSD user since essentially day one. I would take an early build that tried to drive me into a wall or stop randomly in a traffic circle over the current build. At least the early builds were usable 98% of the time, needing a quick intervention when it did something crazy occasionally.

The newest build of FSD will fly through school zones and then drive 5mph under the speed limit on a straight highway. Rather than 2% of the time needing to intervene, the newest build is more like 50% of the time.

Having Adaptive Cruise Control and lane assist on a Santa Fe reminded me how nice it is to not be actively fighting my vehicle. It is a shame how far the newest FSD went backwards and really shows that also having Adaptive Cruise Control as an option would make the CT better. I am 17% FSD per my tracker and I am shocked I have even stomached that high of a number.

With that said, Lightning will never make you have these issues, to stay on topic.
Weird, my experience has not been even close to what you're saying. I have a HW3 MY and the CT, CT is much smoother and I'm at 98% FSD. I've had the CT for 4 months and I legitimately cannot recall a time where I've had to intervene, it even pulls over for emergency vehicles and stops for school busses. My Lightning (Blue Cruise lol) was archaic in comparison in every single way. It does have a bigger frunk tho lol
 


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True. The list of pros for a Cybertruck vs. a Lightning is much longer than I cared to type out! That would obviously include a new warranty and new tires.

The list of cons is primarily one of money.
2 weeks ago it probably would have been almost breakeven. I am locked in at $58,990! But it went up $1000 a few days after my reservation, with the loss of the loyalty/referral bonus, and then another $10K a week later.
 

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Weird, my experience has not been even close to what you're saying. I have a HW3 MY and the CT, CT is much smoother and I'm at 98% FSD. I've had the CT for 4 months and I legitimately cannot recall a time where I've had to intervene, it even pulls over for emergency vehicles and stops for school busses. My Lightning (Blue Cruise lol) was archaic in comparison in every single way. It does have a bigger frunk tho lol
Same. My experience with FSD is no where close too what he said. It truly is amazing…and I’ve been beta testing it since October 2021 (back when I had a 2020 Model Y).
 

Sposborn

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I'm thinking of going to a CT from my Lightning, after trade in and fees I'm thinking it's probably going to be like 10-15k extra... does anyone have any experience going from Lightning -> CT?

I like the Lightning but I'm thinking I'll like the CT more
Here is a write up I did on going from a 22’ lightning Lariat to my AWD CT. It’s a night and day difference in experience and overall enjoyment:

https://www.cybertruckownersclub.co...ths-would-you-do-it-again.34468/post-30691731
 

HaulingAss

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Pros for Lightning
larger (roomier inside and more bed and frunk room)
really nice interior and more traditional
inconspicuous (looks like the best selling vehicle in the US for 40+ years)


overall the CT is about 80% the size of the Lightning so keep that in mind, Lightning is a great vehicle but the CT is just amazing.
Finding "pros" for the Lightning is pretty difficult. True, it has a bigger frunk, but the bed in the Cybertruck is significantly bigger and has a more useable shape.

The Lighting's bed is only 5'-6" feel long while the Cybertruck's bed is 6'-1" long and has more covered volume (56.1 cu. ft. vs. 52.8) and that doesn't even include the Smuggler's bay under the bed.

The Cybertrucks bed volume is also easier to use without wheel wells intruding. The Lighting's bed volume is quoted with all the awkward spaces forward and above the wheel wells that is difficult to utilize compared to the Cybertruck's rectangular bed that is masterfully tapered slightly in both directions to increase useability. I use the beds of all my pickups all the time for a wide variety of hauling purposes and none can match the useability of the Cybertrucks bed shape.

Here's the most recent example:

Tesla Cybertruck Going from Ford Lightning to Cybertruck? Thinking of trading up to the cheaper 60k CT from a Lightning, worth ~ extra 10k? 20260308_164805adsm

These rounds were difficult to lift (Easy Entry mode made it worlds easier) but they just roll in and out easy-peasy. The F-150 (or any traditional pickup bed with intruding wheel wells, not so easy).

My woodstove likes firewood 17"-18" long. There is no way I could have fit this much wood in my F-150 bed due to the wheel well intrusions. It makes it really awkward to stack all kinds of cargo compared to the Cybertruck's bed shape.

Even if I could have physically fit these in my F-150 bed (I couldn't without stacking very high and securing with ropes), my F-150 XLT would have been begging for mercy (and the Lightning F-150 is similarly limited in payload capacity). The Cybertruck rode level, handled the bumps and corners without batting an eye. I don't care what the task is, give me the Cybertruck's bed shape.

On everything else, I agree with you.
 

HaulingAss

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Can you point to a test where a lightning out performed a cybertruck AWD?
No, he can't, it's no contest in the real world. One is an outdated and overweight boat of a truck, the other is a like an oversized supercar that can pack 2500 lbs. and 5 people.
 


Effonefiddy Lightning

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If Tesla didn't exist, there would be no Lightning.
That might be with an asterisk because Ford produced the EV Ranger from 1997 to 2002. Yes it was a piece of $hit, but there it was. And no, I'm not throwing a dig at Tesla, I'm just saying.
 

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Finding "pros" for the Lightning is pretty difficult. True, it has a bigger frunk, but the bed in the Cybertruck is significantly bigger and has a more useable shape.

The Lighting's bed is only 5'-6" feel long while the Cybertruck's bed is 6'-1" long and has more covered volume (56.1 cu. ft. vs. 52.8) and that doesn't even include the Smuggler's bay under the bed.

The Cybertrucks bed volume is also easier to use without wheel wells intruding. The Lighting's bed volume is quoted with all the awkward spaces forward and above the wheel wells that is difficult to utilize compared to the Cybertruck's rectangular bed that is masterfully tapered slightly in both directions to increase useability. I use the beds of all my pickups all the time for a wide variety of hauling purposes and none can match the useability of the Cybertrucks bed shape.

Here's the most recent example:

20260308_164805adsm.webp

These rounds were difficult to lift (Easy Entry mode made it worlds easier) but they just roll in and out easy-peasy. The F-150 (or any traditional pickup bed with intruding wheel wells, not so easy).

My woodstove likes firewood 17"-18" long. There is no way I could have fit this much wood in my F-150 bed due to the wheel well intrusions. It makes it really awkward to stack all kinds of cargo compared to the Cybertruck's bed shape.

Even if I could have physically fit these in my F-150 bed (I couldn't without stacking very high and securing with ropes), my F-150 XLT would have been begging for mercy (and the Lightning F-150 is similarly limited in payload capacity). The Cybertruck rode level, handled the bumps and corners without batting an eye. I don't care what the task is, give me the Cybertruck's bed shape.

On everything else, I agree with you.

Interesting, I didn’t realize the bed volume was bigger on CT, so that is another pro for CT
 

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I went from Lightning to Cybertruck. I would say if you aren't getting a Beast, stick with the Lightning.

Cyberbeast is more fun to drive. The speed is a ton of fun, you are going slightly backwards Lightning to AWD. If performance means a lot to you, it isn't worth the change.

Other Lightning pros:
- More comfortable.
- Quieter
- Frunk is amazing!
- Better bed and tailgate

Cybertruck has one huge upgrade, steer-by-wire. I honestly can't go back to a non-SBW vehicle. If you've been a truck driver your whole life, you may not need the assistance. To be honest, I wasn't great at parking my Lightning, I can park my CT with my eyes closed.

As for FSD vs Lightning assistance, I am mad at the current state of FSD driving at erratic speeds. I rented a Hyundai Sante Fe the other day and the Adaptive Cruise Control + lane assist was a better experience than I had the last six months with FSD.

Battery and charging is also way better with CT though. If you road trip or drive for distance, this is another time you may want to change. If you mostly drive local, this is less beneficial.

You're on a Cybertruck enthusiast website. Most of the guys on here would give Elon their wives if he asked them, you're not getting an unbiased opinion here.

I went to AWD CT and have to disagree on this

CT performance, speed and handling is better

Bluecruise is great but FSD is on another level, really no comparison, I can eat breakfast in CT while it drives me to work from driveway to parking lot
 

Cybertruck2024

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Can you point to a test where a lightning out performed a cybertruck AWD?
YouTube has a
Same. My experience with FSD is no where close too what he said. It truly is amazing…and I’ve been beta testing it since October 2021 (back when I had a 2020 Model Y).
One of the quoted reasons Tesla's stock value has been recently decreasing.

"Tesla’s Full Self-Driving safety metrics sharply deteriorated, with city miles to critical disengagement dropping to 809 miles in v14.2 from 4,109 miles in v14.1, compared to Waymo’s 30,000-mile standard."

It isn't just me, the new version of FSD is having problems. 14.3 needs to come quickly.
 

Cyberkingz

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YouTube has a


One of the quoted reasons Tesla's stock value has been recently decreasing.

"Tesla’s Full Self-Driving safety metrics sharply deteriorated, with city miles to critical disengagement dropping to 809 miles in v14.2 from 4,109 miles in v14.1, compared to Waymo’s 30,000-mile standard."

It isn't just me, the new version of FSD is having problems. 14.3 needs to come quickly.
Waymo also openly admitted to using remote drivers in the Philippines for confusing situations haha give me a break.
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