Having spent the day testing the new Power Stroke diesel uphill vs. competitive tucks, Ford tossed me the keys to a new King Ranch Edition pickup. Perfect for the jaunt back to Vegas from Laughlin, Nev, I thought.
Inside, the ergonomics were not mind blowing but very logical in so much as you find everything where you’d expect to find it. Huge two tone leather captain’s chairs adorn the cabin of the King Ranch.
There is little outside noise in the cabin of the truck at 85 mph and its similarly quiet at 95 mph. The handling of the truck is by no means sporty, but its very effective and makes you feel comfortable driving that size truck at any rate of speed.
On the power side this F-250 luxury truck leaves nothing to be desired. All 325 horses are ready to go at the touch of the accelerator and best-in-class torque of 560 lbs- ft. will muscle it through any driving assignment. A selectable Tow-Haul mode allows tailoring of the up-shift schedule for the new five-speed automatic transmission. The drive train was very harmonious during midrange acceleration and in passing situations. Laughlin to Vegas is about 90 miles, but it felt more like 50.
The temporal discrepancy wasn’t based on some look what great time we are making style driving, it was more the sheer comfort of driving this machine. The interior begs to be enjoyed and the power train is capable of speeding, cruising or towing you to wherever life may lead.
Cars Worth Noting - 2003 Cadillac CTS
