From Dale Wickell,
Your Guide to Trucks.
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In 2001, Ford wanted to kick the Lariat a couple of rungs up the luxury ladder, and looked for a partner that meshed with its own philosophy and history. Texas's legendary King Ranch, and its top-line leather goods, was a good fit. Both companies have seen good times and bad times, surviving the bad to flourish and become innovators in their fields.

Ford is determined to keep its popular F-Series in the Number 1 sales slot. With a new generation truck coming in 2009, are 2008s still competitive?

King Ranch F-150: $38,795 base, $45,740 as driven; 14.4 mpg in combined highway / city driving.

A Quick Walk Around the F-150 King Ranch

It takes a turn of the ignition to hear and feel what's sitting under any truck's hood, but one look at the King Ranch is all it takes to convey the feeling of comfort and luxury. The standard package includes quite a few features that would be options on other F-150s.

The White/Pueblo Gold color combination is unique to the King Ranch package, and comes with matching running boards for easier entry and exit. King Ranch emblems are obvious on the truck's tailgate and front fenders.

My test truck sat on 20" alloy wheels (18" is standard) with the King Ranch Running W brand embossed at their centers.

Ford's Cargo Management System is installed in the bed of the King Ranch, with rails that can bear up to 1,200 pounds each. The rails can be fitted with load bars, a bed divider and watertight, lockable composite storage bins, all optional. Bins have a thermal barrier that lets you use them as coolers.

Although it's not unique to the King Ranch package, one of my favorite features is the rear vision camera that's located in the truck's tailgate handle. Shift into reverse and look at the left side of the auto-dimming rearview mirror for a display of what's behind you. Audible tones become more rapid as you near an object, and turn solid when it's time to hit the brakes. Rear cameras are a big help when you're hooking up a trailer, and they enhance safety by eliminating the blind spot immediately behind the vehicle.

Ford added a coded entry pad to the driver's door. Punch in a combination to open the door if you lock your key inside the truck.

Step Inside the F-150 King Ranch

As soon as you open the truck's door you'll get a strong whiff of genuine leather -- Castaño leather from the King Ranch's top-grade inventory. Look around the cab and you'll find the Ranch's badging on just about every leather component in the cab.

The heated leather captain's chairs up front are power controlled, except the back angle, which is adjusted manually. Saddlebags on the seat backs are good sized and can hold DVDs, maps and other similar items.

The truck's flow-through leather covered console is large, but not big enough to hold a laptop computer (watch for more space in 2009). Additional leather is used to trim the door panels, steering wheel and dash.

On top of the dash you'll find a recessed area with an audio jack to hook up your iPod or other player. It isn't as deep as the inset on the F-150 Harley-Davidson -- things can slide around and out if you take a corner too quickly.

All King Ranch trucks are SuperCrews, and in the second row you'll find a 60/40 split leather seat. Move a lever and the seat bottom folds upwards to increase cargo capacity. There's a drawback though -- the jack sits on top of the floor where it creates an obstacle for large boxes.

Even with the driver's seat moved backwards as far as it will go, there's plenty of leg room for rear passengers.

Before you turn the key, adjust the pedals to a comfortable level. Set the (optional) navigation and tune the (optional) Sirius satellite radio to your favorite station. You're ready to hit the road.

On the Road in the King Ranch

The F-150's 5.4L V-8 (300 hp) and 4-speed automatic transmission are adequate for the size of the truck and its load ratings, but now that competitors are offering horsepower in the mid 300s (or even higher), and five and six speed transmissions, Ford's setup is somewhat dated. But don't assume the truck is underpowered -- its engine performs just fine and the transmission shifts smoothly in all conditions.

On slippery roads or when off-road driving, the F-150's limited slip differential helps keep the truck moving by transferring power to the wheel with the best traction. The differential's 3.73 gear ratio gives a loaded truck the boost it needs to pull away from a stop with ease.

Sitting behind the tilt steering wheel, the driver has a good view of the well-lit gauges, and most controls are within easy reach. The exception is the overdrive switch, which is on the console, near the shifter. It takes a little bit of searching to locate it, especially at night. That might not be an issue for you, but I live in the mountains and often downshift to slow down. For me, an easily accessed overdrive switch is a must.

The radio/nav screen has a large anti-glare face, a good thing unless you're wearing polarized sunglasses, which turn the screen black.

Amply sized windows and trailer towing mirrors eliminate most blind spots. Visibility will improve even more in 2009, when Ford relocates the B pillar, the post between the front and back doors. The pillar will move backwards, opening up the view through side windows.

Journey's End

My last drive ended with the truck pulling up a steep, snow covered drive with ease. Coming down, the anti-lock brakes kicked right in when a tire began to slip. During the week, I was never concerned about the F-150's ability to stop.

Ford trucks are equipped with the same 4WD system they've had for several years. It works just fine, but an automatic position would be a nice addition. Right now, 2-Hi can be switched to 4-Hi while you drive, but you have to come pretty much to a stop to switch over to 4-Lo.

In 2009, Ford will offer a more fuel-efficient 6-speed automatic transmission. It should increase gas mileage when you're not towing -- extra overdrive gears keep the engine from running as fast, something that's most beneficial at highway speeds.

Although the F-150's cargo system is impressive, the bedsides on Ford trucks are taller than they are on some makes. Extra height creates more cargo capacity but makes it more difficult to get things out of the front of the bed. I had to stand on my toes to get inside the storage boxes. Aftermarket side steps are available if you don't want to wait for a 2009 truck equipped with a factory step.

For a full-size truck, the King Ranch rode smoothly, and interior noise was minimal -- about as good as most cars. My truck's sticker price was about $7,000 higher than the base King Ranch, giving you some flexibility to outfit a truck to fit your needs.

For a truck with utility and amenities, it's hard to beat the King Ranch. Should you wait for a 2009? It's a tough call. Take a little time to compare the generations: 2008 | 2009