What Truck Shoppers Need to Know
- The Ford F-150’s King Ranch trim is both characterful and near-luxury.
- Despite its work-oriented roots, the F-150 is perfectly suited to urban life.
- Expect just average fuel economy with the PowerBoost hybrid powertrain.
My Ford F-150 King Ranch test vehicle was a genuine rarity: A loaded-out four-wheel-drive press truck without an off-road package. In this line of work, a 4×4 pickup truck often comes with a set of FX4 (Ford), Z71 (Chevrolet) or TRD Off-Road (Toyota) graphics on the side of the bed. I rather enjoy — prefer, actually — trucks wearing such badges, but I also like an occasional dash of cold realism, you know?
Not that folks don’t spec these rough-and-tough equipment groups en masse; they absolutely do, but such equipment almost invariably affects ride and handling. For once, I’d love to float around in a light-duty pickup without the extra rumble of all-terrain tires and the jounce of heavy-duty shocks. I got my chance in the best situation possible: a week with a 4×4 King Ranch — sans FX4 Off-Road Package — in Dallas. (I drove a 2025 F-150 King Ranch for this review, but there are no significant changes for the 2026 model year.)
Related: How Much Is the 2026 Ford F-150?
All that vehicular real estate was reserved exclusively for family events and airport runs. This was my grandmother’s 100th birthday celebration, after all, and what better way for outta-towners to experience the dusty, rawhide reality of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex than from the stitched leather seats of a King Ranch? The fam was immediately and invariably impressed. It’s common knowledge these days that trucks can be ritzed up to Lincoln or Cadillac levels of luxury, but the King Ranch’s distinct two-tone interior, rich appointments and “cowboy couture” vibe inspired both conversation and compliments.
Materials and surfacing in this truck are generally commensurate with its $80,000 as-tested price — and the feature set? Sheesh. The King Ranch I drove was decked out with heated and ventilated front seats, massaging front seats, BlueCruise hands-free adaptive cruise control, a Bang & Olufsen sound system and a panoramic moonroof — must-haves for a day on the range — along with heated rear seats and a quite impressive 7.2-kilowatt Pro Power Onboard generator.
Is the Ford F-150 King Ranch Luxurious?
- Takeaway: The F-150 King Ranch is luxurious but not quite luxury; it’s a small step below Ford’s luxury brand, Lincoln.
I and my kin all loved it — though it was equipped with Ford’s hybrid powertrain, and I’d have preferred Ford’s tried-and-true 5.0-liter Coyote V-8. Alas, that engine isn’t offered in the King Ranch; Ford’s ongoing effort to streamline both its products and production means both the King Ranch and Platinum trims get a choice of either a twin-turbo 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 or Ford’s PowerBoost hybrid powertrain.
Cars.com editors spent two years with a 2021 F-150 PowerBoost hybrid as a long-term test vehicle, so I was forewarned about its real-world fuel economy’s variance from its EPA-estimated figures. Their experience held true; I earned an indicated 18.3 mpg over roughly 300 miles of driving versus the truck’s 23 mpg combined EPA estimate. That’s pretty far off, but not terrible considering my heavy right foot and my chronic unwillingness to adopt an eco ‘tude in an attempt to push that average fuel-economy figure up.
Is the Ford F-150 King Ranch Comfortable?
- Takeaway: The King Ranch is quite comfortable, though an adaptive suspension is no longer available.
We weren’t the biggest fans of the F-150’s ride comfort in our loaded Limited long-term truck, particularly as it didn’t incorporate Ford’s Continuously Controlled Damping adaptive suspension. Strangely, Ford nixed this suspension starting with the 2025 model year. Even so, I had no real issue with the King Ranch’s comfort, body-roll management or general composure; it was as cushy as all of the best luxe trucks, and my family certainly didn’t complain.
Fuel economy aside, I took umbrage with the hybrid truck’s brake blend, meaning the balance between the regenerative braking system and the physical brakes. The pedal proved overly touchy in low-speed operation, though I’d surely adapt to it if I were to drive a PowerBoost for longer than a week. Everything else about the drivetrain fell between inoffensive and enjoyable, with high marks for the stout 430 horsepower and buttery 570 pounds-feet of torque.
We managed a 5.6-second 0-60 mph run in a 2024 F-150 with the hybrid powertrain, and it sure feels it. I wouldn’t categorize its alarming rush as “fun,” but it’s equal parts satisfying and reassuring to merge at supra-legal speeds in a more-than-2.5-ton brick. All other inputs are on par with modern trucking; driving this F-150 was no more (or less) cumbersome than driving a Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator or one of GM’s full-size SUVs.
Can the F-150’s Pro Power Onboard Power a House?
- Takeaway: It can power key household appliances, like a refrigerator or microwave, but make sure you spring for the most powerful 7.2-kW unit.
Perhaps the one feature I was disappointed I couldn’t take full advantage of was the 7.2-kW Pro Power Onboard hardware, which allows your truck to play generator. Detroit Bureau Chief Aaron Bragman was particularly effusive about our long-termer’s Pro Power Onboard system when he tasked it with powering an air-conditioned camper trailer, noting that “the truck powered the air conditioners in our camper all night and used about 20% of a tank of gas, running fairly often throughout a 12-hour stint to keep us nice and cool. If I had a camper trailer of my own, I’d say that an F-150 hybrid with the Pro Power Onboard system in its maximum power configuration is an absolute must.”
Less than a month after I left Texas for the oppressively sunny streets of Los Angeles, a deep freeze settled on Dallas. Although my parents’ house never lost power, it sure would’ve been (somewhat) fun to keep the fridge running with an F-150. It’s a neat feature that I’d choose only if I consistently needed a mobile worksite or towed a camper, however.
Everything’s bigger in Texas — except the Ford F-150 King Ranch, which is perfectly sized for that state’s unending acreage. If its two-tone paint and aesthetic touches align with your tastes, the King Ranch (without the FX4 package) is one of the best ways to get your cowboy kicks.
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