Car Gazing
Ford's King Ranch truck has Old West style
By Derek Price
There’s only one thing you can say about leather seats like these.
Holy cow.
I’ve driven plenty of pickup trucks through the years, but I’ve never seen one with the kind of leather that comes in the King Ranch Edition of Ford’s popular F-150. It feels like it’s straight out of a Beverly Hills saddle shop – if such a place exists – because it has the rugged look of a classic cowboy saddle but feels soft as a Persian kitten. Oh, it’s sweet.
But don’t let the softness fool you. This truck is injected with an extra dose of Lone Star State testosterone.
Climbing into the cabin is like stepping into a hunting lodge thanks to the dark, fragrant leather, and the matching dash trim looks and feels almost exactly like a football. A big shifter knob seems like it belongs in the Stealth Bomber cockpit, reinforcing the message that this is a rough, tough, yet very classy truck.
Of course, you can’t have a rough-and-tough truck without a rough-and-tough V8 engine, and the King Ranch doesn’t disappoint. It comes with a 5.4-liter V8 that pounds out 300 horsepower and 365 pound-feet of torque, enough power to constantly remind you that this thing is capable of handling virtually any job you throw at it.
On the downside, expect to get only 14 miles per gallon in town – perhaps even less if you drive it hard – and 19 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA. Those will be awfully painful numbers if gas prices remain high.
Then again, folks who buy the King Ranch truck probably aren’t looking for economy. It starts at a pricey $36,155.
Before you throw up your hands in disgust, though, let’s take a look at what you get for the money.
For starters, there are the big, comfortable, power-adjustable captain’s chairs in front. They feel like the La-Z-Boy in your living room, perfect for spending hours on the road.
On the outside are sharp-looking running boards that make the truck look like it rides close to the ground. You also get power-folding mirrors, which can be nice for pulling into narrow parking spots or maneuvering through the drive-thru at the bank.
Inside, you get plenty of luxury goodies like automatic climate control, an outstanding stereo system, cruise control and power everything. The whole interior looks like a high-end luxury car with chrome and wood trim, not to mention those awesome leather seats.
In fact, when you compare it to a fancy luxury car with similar features, it comes out looking like a bargain. You could find similar goodies and style in, say, a Cadillac CTS, but the Caddy couldn’t tow a boat or haul lumber.
If you’re thinking about buying a King Ranch Edition, you might also stop by a Lincoln dealership to check out the Mark LT pickup. It’s very similar in terms of comfort and luxury – it’s based on the F-150, after all – but it has a different, more modern style that some drivers find appealing.
Whatever you buy, there’s no truck that has the same Old West feel as the King Ranch.
(Derek Price is a newspaper editor and freelance writer living in Texas.
Contact him at dprice@cargazingonline.com)
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