I recently purchased a new 25 King Ranch, and being a mechanical engineer (retired), I have been burning up the internet learning all things Gen14 F150. Now that things have settled, I thought I should stop lurking and join the discussions.
I came from a 2019 Ranger Lariat which was awesome for my needs. However, I was getting tired of the tight interior, noise, and bouncy ride. A friend got a 24 KR and I was amazed at the huge interior, quietness, and soft ride. I was not a big fan of the western interior motif on previous generations, but this one just seems to work.
I'm usually methodical on big purchases, especially vehicles, but this was a bit of a wild hair journey over a few short weeks - Ranger Raptor >>> Tremor >>> Lariat >>> KR. My kids were even pushing me to a big Raptor lol. In the end I decided to splurge on the KR, based on available inventory on my preferred configuration (Carbonized Gray, Eco boost, pro-access tailgate, FX4, spray-in liner, and 3.55 max tow e-lock), no real change for 2026, and A-plan pricing (my son works at Ford).
Accessories I added - bed mat, tri-fold cover, wheel well liners, splash guards
A few early observations:
- Luxurious Ride, better than wife's nice SUV
- Soooo much tech- software, sensors, actuators, motors, etc. - I hope they last?
- Blue cruise worked better than expected, I had to take a 16 hour trip along I10 & I8 and it really reduced my fatigue. I learned it does not engage above 80 mph.
- Gas mileage has settled to mid 18's in mostly semi-rural driving. I have been mixing premium and regular in the cooler weather. Adding the turbo boost gauge in the cluster is a nice proxy for staying off the gas.
- Love the color and new marsh gray accent combo. Not a big fan of the chrome wheels, wish they offered Silver or Gunmetal.
- Pro-access tailgate is very functional, I rarely use the full tailgate. But closing the door feels slightly flimsy - you can't slam it for sure. Ford also removed from 2024 the interior button for the tailgate actuation...WTH!
- Did not know F150's don't have locking gas door, surprised as my 2019 Ranger has it (as well as cap-less filler neck)?
- I was thinking about adding the Ford Performance tune kit, but honestly don't think it need any more power for my needs.
- I changed the oil at 1K, and plan for all future oil changes at 5K intervals. There is a lot of opinions about the other fluids, since my duty cycles will be light, I plan to hold off until at lease 60K and reassess then.
- The transmission is required to have a level check every 10K miles if I am reading the manual correctly ("if equipped with a dipstick"). If so, the stubby one on top of the transmission next to the CAT is a crummy solution!
- Maneuvering in close quarters is not near as bad as I imagined, the power folding mirrors and steps do help in parking spots and in the garage.

In summary, while early days, I am super happy I made this choice. I look forward to getting a lot of valuable insight from you guys - Cheers.

 

Welcome.

 

Welcome!

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

Great looking truck. I like that color combo a lot

 

Thanks, me too. I was never a fan of the high contrast 2-tone effect, but this is very subtle - in low light it is hard to tell it is there.
My friend with the 2024 KR has the same main color, but the bronze trim color is a little too maroon for his liking - he says the 2025 Marsh Gray really compliments the Carbonized gray.
My Ranger was the previous Magnetic Gray, very close to this one, so I was up for a change, but all the other KR colors just did not work at all for me.

 

Welcome.