Ah, there's nothing like the open road: the brilliant yellow orb of the sun in an endless sky, a slight wind kicking tumbleweeds through the mesquite, the smell of desert sage and saddle leather. It's enough to move you to song.
But that's all cosmetic; the real differences are inside this 5,000-pound truck. Your first impression upon opening one of its four doors is of the deliciously fragrant saddle leather upholstery. It is thick and rich and burnished to an orange-brown glow that will make even the greenest greenhorn feel like a seasoned cowpoke. A few minutes in one of the four captain's chairs (a 60/40-split rear bench is available as a no-cost option) and you'll begin to think you could teach Clint some manners. The same leather also covers the tops of the generously sized center consoles, which are big enough to hold the entire oeuvre of John Wayne. Most impressive are the oversized seatback pouches that resemble saddle bags more than map pockets.
The King Ranch name and its squiggly W brand appear eight times inside the commodious cabin. This raises an interesting question about its significance. Or as a friend put it: "What's with the King Ranch stuff? Is it a real place, or what?" Turns out it is a real working ranch in south Texas (between Corpus Christi and Brownsville) that covers nearly 1,300 square miles, a bigger area than Rhode Island. The ranch was founded in 1853 by steamboat captain Richard King. Since then, the ranch has passed through seven generations and is considered the birthplace of American ranching. Over the years, it created the first U.S. breed of cattle (Santa Gertrudis), raised some of the best running horses, quarter horses and cutting horses in the U.S., and developed many innovations in livestock production and ranch management. That's some legacy to hang your hat on.
The F-150 SuperCrew King Ranch has some other attributes in addition to its Old West association. First, the optional 5.4-liter Triton V8 hauls the big truck around with ease. Starts are robust, thanks to 350 lb-ft of peak torque. Unless you plan to race for pink slips, you don't need any more power. Nor do you want it. The 25-gallon fuel tank empties at an alarming rate (Ford estimates mileage at 14 mpg city and 17 mpg highway for four-wheel-drive models). The feral roar of the big V8 is a vocal indication of its primal thirst, though comparable pickup offerings from General Motors, Dodge and Toyota are no less thirsty. The four-speed automatic tranny is best operated sedately, anyway, as it tends toward reluctance and clunking under hard acceleration.
The F-150's suspension and steering aren't really up to energetic driving. The aged chassis can't match the road feel or compliant ride of the 2002 Dodge Ram, Chevrolet Silverado or GMC Sierra. Also, the big 17-inch alloy wheels and tires make for a lot of unsprung weight that tends to give the King Ranch a harsh ride over most bumps. As a result, the steering is vague with poor tracking and on-center feel. Besides that, the recirculating-ball steering setup is also overboosted, presumably to enable one-finger parking lot control. The F-150 SuperCrew is easy to maneuver, but the steering lacks feel. We were left with the disconcerting sensation of piloting a pat of butter on a hot skillet.
But all this is true only when the truck is empty. We loaded it with 1,000 pounds of landscaping materials and that changed everything. As the springs compressed, the ride became more supple and the steering more responsive. With a big load, the V8 was still able to move the truck with ease. The tranny also seemed to come into its own, making much smoother and more efficient shifts. The brakes showed their excellent stopping power (with good feel and resistance) while the truck was laden.
Towing capacity is rated at 7,600 for 4x4 models (4x2s can pull up to 8,000 pounds) with the 5.4-liter V8. Although we did not test its trailering performance, we are confident the King Ranch could handle such duty easily judging by how well it operated with a full cargo bed (the truck can carry payloads of up to 1,715 pounds in four-wheel-drive form and 1,900 pounds in two-wheel-drive form). So, if you often load four people and their gear into your vehicle and tow a boat or trailer, the King Ranch may be the truck for you.
Your rear passengers will appreciate the wide and comfy captain's chairs that are akin to sitting in business class. They should also like the optional ($1,295) VCR-based entertainment system. Headphones are included so the front passenger doesn't become jealous and/or the driver distracted. In winter months, those in front can enjoy the heated seats. Also for 2002, Ford has added electronic climate control, which allows you to keep the interior temperature just right.
As our test vehicle was a 4WD model, it rode high off the ground, which made for a steep climb into the cabin. Running boards and sturdy grip handles aided mounting the steed, but anyone who lacks strength or mobility will have difficulty. On the plus side, Ford made the rear doors fullsize so ingress and egress are easy.
Though it may hinder some, the truck's high stance makes for a, well, kingly vantage point over the road, and visibility from the ample greenhouse is excellent.
In the negative column, the high ride height makes for an overly high liftover (35 inches) into the truck bed. After loading two dozen 30-lb bags of pea gravel, we longed for the lower height of a 4x2. We did like the tubular steel bed extender that flips out over the open tailgate to increase the length of the 5½-foot box by 25 inches. When not in use, it sits inside the bed and can be used to stop items, such as coolers, from sliding around too much.
Back inside the cabin, we were disappointed that the upscale King Ranch theme didn't extend to the dash, which is marred by the use of too much hard, gray plastic. We'd like to see leather inlays on the steering wheel hub and the dash, or on the door panels, and perhaps wood trim on the wheel and elsewhere. That way, when we're stuck in city traffic, it would be easier to imagine that the other vehicles on the road are just steers and cows from our prized herd.
Is the King Ranch for you? Perhaps. It is an F-150, which means it has the advantages of a roomy cabin, a sturdy build and a lot of versatility. But you'll need to make sure that its extras are worth the extra cost. If not, you should just stick with the city-slicker version, pilgrim.
Keep movin,' movin,' movin'
Though they're disapprovin'
Keep them doggies moving
Rawhiiiiiiide
The 2002 Ford F-150 King Ranch will do that to you. It may look like a regular F-150 SuperCrew (the King Ranch is also available as an extended-cab) from the outside, but there are a few visual clues that let you know this is a special truck. For starters, the two-tone charcoal blue and Arizona beige paint on our test vehicle is one of the special King Ranch color schemes. In addition, the box rail moldings are color-keyed, the 10-spoke aluminum wheels are unique to this trim level, and there are special King Ranch badges on the tailgate and on the front fenders.Though they're disapprovin'
Keep them doggies moving
Rawhiiiiiiide
But that's all cosmetic; the real differences are inside this 5,000-pound truck. Your first impression upon opening one of its four doors is of the deliciously fragrant saddle leather upholstery. It is thick and rich and burnished to an orange-brown glow that will make even the greenest greenhorn feel like a seasoned cowpoke. A few minutes in one of the four captain's chairs (a 60/40-split rear bench is available as a no-cost option) and you'll begin to think you could teach Clint some manners. The same leather also covers the tops of the generously sized center consoles, which are big enough to hold the entire oeuvre of John Wayne. Most impressive are the oversized seatback pouches that resemble saddle bags more than map pockets.
The King Ranch name and its squiggly W brand appear eight times inside the commodious cabin. This raises an interesting question about its significance. Or as a friend put it: "What's with the King Ranch stuff? Is it a real place, or what?" Turns out it is a real working ranch in south Texas (between Corpus Christi and Brownsville) that covers nearly 1,300 square miles, a bigger area than Rhode Island. The ranch was founded in 1853 by steamboat captain Richard King. Since then, the ranch has passed through seven generations and is considered the birthplace of American ranching. Over the years, it created the first U.S. breed of cattle (Santa Gertrudis), raised some of the best running horses, quarter horses and cutting horses in the U.S., and developed many innovations in livestock production and ranch management. That's some legacy to hang your hat on.
The F-150 SuperCrew King Ranch has some other attributes in addition to its Old West association. First, the optional 5.4-liter Triton V8 hauls the big truck around with ease. Starts are robust, thanks to 350 lb-ft of peak torque. Unless you plan to race for pink slips, you don't need any more power. Nor do you want it. The 25-gallon fuel tank empties at an alarming rate (Ford estimates mileage at 14 mpg city and 17 mpg highway for four-wheel-drive models). The feral roar of the big V8 is a vocal indication of its primal thirst, though comparable pickup offerings from General Motors, Dodge and Toyota are no less thirsty. The four-speed automatic tranny is best operated sedately, anyway, as it tends toward reluctance and clunking under hard acceleration.
The F-150's suspension and steering aren't really up to energetic driving. The aged chassis can't match the road feel or compliant ride of the 2002 Dodge Ram, Chevrolet Silverado or GMC Sierra. Also, the big 17-inch alloy wheels and tires make for a lot of unsprung weight that tends to give the King Ranch a harsh ride over most bumps. As a result, the steering is vague with poor tracking and on-center feel. Besides that, the recirculating-ball steering setup is also overboosted, presumably to enable one-finger parking lot control. The F-150 SuperCrew is easy to maneuver, but the steering lacks feel. We were left with the disconcerting sensation of piloting a pat of butter on a hot skillet.
But all this is true only when the truck is empty. We loaded it with 1,000 pounds of landscaping materials and that changed everything. As the springs compressed, the ride became more supple and the steering more responsive. With a big load, the V8 was still able to move the truck with ease. The tranny also seemed to come into its own, making much smoother and more efficient shifts. The brakes showed their excellent stopping power (with good feel and resistance) while the truck was laden.
Towing capacity is rated at 7,600 for 4x4 models (4x2s can pull up to 8,000 pounds) with the 5.4-liter V8. Although we did not test its trailering performance, we are confident the King Ranch could handle such duty easily judging by how well it operated with a full cargo bed (the truck can carry payloads of up to 1,715 pounds in four-wheel-drive form and 1,900 pounds in two-wheel-drive form). So, if you often load four people and their gear into your vehicle and tow a boat or trailer, the King Ranch may be the truck for you.
Your rear passengers will appreciate the wide and comfy captain's chairs that are akin to sitting in business class. They should also like the optional ($1,295) VCR-based entertainment system. Headphones are included so the front passenger doesn't become jealous and/or the driver distracted. In winter months, those in front can enjoy the heated seats. Also for 2002, Ford has added electronic climate control, which allows you to keep the interior temperature just right.
As our test vehicle was a 4WD model, it rode high off the ground, which made for a steep climb into the cabin. Running boards and sturdy grip handles aided mounting the steed, but anyone who lacks strength or mobility will have difficulty. On the plus side, Ford made the rear doors fullsize so ingress and egress are easy.
Though it may hinder some, the truck's high stance makes for a, well, kingly vantage point over the road, and visibility from the ample greenhouse is excellent.
In the negative column, the high ride height makes for an overly high liftover (35 inches) into the truck bed. After loading two dozen 30-lb bags of pea gravel, we longed for the lower height of a 4x2. We did like the tubular steel bed extender that flips out over the open tailgate to increase the length of the 5½-foot box by 25 inches. When not in use, it sits inside the bed and can be used to stop items, such as coolers, from sliding around too much.
Back inside the cabin, we were disappointed that the upscale King Ranch theme didn't extend to the dash, which is marred by the use of too much hard, gray plastic. We'd like to see leather inlays on the steering wheel hub and the dash, or on the door panels, and perhaps wood trim on the wheel and elsewhere. That way, when we're stuck in city traffic, it would be easier to imagine that the other vehicles on the road are just steers and cows from our prized herd.
Is the King Ranch for you? Perhaps. It is an F-150, which means it has the advantages of a roomy cabin, a sturdy build and a lot of versatility. But you'll need to make sure that its extras are worth the extra cost. If not, you should just stick with the city-slicker version, pilgrim.
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