This is the KingBack in 1948, Ford introduced their new line of pickup trucks that included the F 1, the F 2 and the F 3. Buyers had the choice between a 95 hp inline 6-cylinder and a 100 hp V8 engine. Over the last sixty years or so, the F-150 has become the benchmark in the full-size pickup world. I cannot imagine that Ford knew, at that time, that they had just launched one of the most successful lines of cars or trucks every manufactured in North America. Actually, if the trend continues, the Ford F-150 will be, in the next few years, the best selling truck over the past thirty years.
For 2004, Ford revamped the F-150 from head to toe. This 11th generation of Ford's full size pickup is surely the best built and designed. The Kansas City assembly plant and the FoMoCo are wise to ensure the utmost quality and craftsmanship goes into each F-150 built. This truck, along with the Explorer, has kept Ford at the forefront of the truck business thus keeping the money flowing during Ford's tougher times over the past few decades.
A base
King Ranch retails for $50,185. Our optioned out model weighed in at $54,470 with options like a rear DVD player and a rear parking sonar. The F-150 itself ranges from $24,930 up to over $50,000 with options.
Exterior stylingI always have a hard time describing how good or bad a vehicle looks; it
such a subjective point of view that it should sometimes not be part of an evaluation. But I digress. In the case of the King Ranch, nearly all males (evidently) and most females that were surveyed by myself agreed that the pickup was handsome. The King Ranch in particular is attractive thanks to its two-tone paint application and unique 18" alloy wheels. The large Arizona Beige painted "H" styled grille surrounded with chrome and square shoulders leave no one guessing as to what this truck is all about. I find the crewcab and short box body to be the best-looking of the six possible configurations because of its better divided proportions.
Interior stylingThe front seats are very large and although they look like they offer lateral support, the side bolsters barely touch the sides of most normal sized people. The cushion and seat back are very firm and nearly uncomfortable. An at-ease driving position is difficult to find due to the limited power adjustments: the base cushion is power adjustable and the seatback is manually variable (at this price it should be at least 10-way power
adjustable). Although the pedals are power adaptable, it was difficult to optimize the distances between the steering wheel, the seat and the pedals. Interior volume is very generous for the legs and the head for both front and rear passengers.
The dash is comprised of a mixture of cheap and good looking plastics and colour-coded inserts. Some of the pieces are very hard and even feel thin. The faux-wood appliqués are in good taste. I like the combination of the brown, aluminium and orange-like colours throughout the interior of the truck. The steering wheel, pulled out of a Lincoln truck, is in itself an attractive piece although the controls mounted on it are not easy to make out: They all look the same and are stacked one on top of the other. The gauges are very nice (finally for a Ford product) and simple to consult. The cream tinted faces of the instruments match nicely with the rest of the cabin. Ford has a habit of using a single steering-column mounted arm for wipers and turn-signals. On a few instances with the wipers on during the test drive, I would accidentally change the position (speed) of the wipers while activating the turn signal. This is an aggravating little detail.
