Nowhere in the description of a pickup truck — neither modern or classic — does the adjective “luxurious” appear. You’ll find “tough,” utilitarian” and “strong.” But, no one expects to be comfortable — to ride in style — in a pickup.
Ford has built two versions of its massively successful F-150 that earn that elusive luxury tag with the 2014 Limited and the King Ranch Edition.
The base F-150 is the world’s best selling pickup truck and (depending on where you like to get your statistics) the second biggest selling consumer vehicle on the planet behind the Toyota Camry. On average, Ford sells a couple F-150s per minute around the world.
The Limited and the King Ranch are specially tuned and equipped version selling at a price well above the base model — north of $50,000, to be exact (depending on options). I had a chance to drive each for a week and didn’t want to give either one of them back.
The Limited sits atop the F-150 line, just a notch below the Tremor and Raptor models. With a 3.5 liter, 365 horsepower, Ecoboost turbocharged engine, the Limited can manage multiple driving modes — including two-wheel and four-wheel modes to switch between street driving, off-road and utility or towing use.
Fuel economy for both vehicles is estimated around 17 mpg average, but I was unable to squeeze more than about 13 out of the limited during my road tests. Still, even with the Ecoboost system in full effect in the Limited’s case, it’s not reasonable to expect hybrid numbers out of a vehicle as big as any F-150.
The King Ranch is a rarer breed than the standard F-150 with a special, western-themed trim package and logo set. It stands alongside the Limited in external attraction. I drew a few stares and thumbs up in both trucks between Tennessee, the Midwest and California. These are not trucks that pass by unnoticed.
In the case of both vehicles, Anthony Prozzi and the Ford interior design team were on point, creating an environmental blend of leather, metal and functional plastics that put everything at easy reach without the boring, monochrome presentation of pickups generations previous.
Driving the Limited is an experience in comfort that you don’t usually associate with a vehicle originally designed as a beast of burden. Both seem more attuned to street driving, though they carry the same off-road capable suspension and towing capacity inherent to the F-150 line.
I had the pleasure of driving the King Ranch out in the Tennessee hills and Smoky Mountains on a hunting trip — giving the truck a chance to chew on some dusty dirt roads and severe inclines. With a simple shift of the transmission into four wheel, high or low settings, I had carefree driving no matter the terrain.
Even though both vehicles have all the truck capabilities you expect, I still can’t imagine most buyers of the Limited or King Ranch using them to do a lot of off-roading or hauling in them. These strike me more as comfortable urban status vehicles with the ability to carry a hell of a lot more than your average luxury car.
