SonarChief
Well-known member
- First Name
- Stephen
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2024
- Threads
- 5
- Messages
- 226
- Reaction score
- 305
- Location
- Connecticut
- Vehicles
- 2024 F150 King Ranch, 153” WB, Anti-Matter Blue PB
- Occupation
- Systems Engineer
- Thread starter
- #1
I have had my 2024 F150 157” wheel base King Ranch with Powerboost for about a week and a half, and wanted to share with the community my impressions, likes, dislikes, and mods I have done (or will do in the next 3 days). First off I want to thank all the fantastic people on this forum who have come before me, without their experience and insights my purchase of both the truck as well as various upgrades would have be far more difficult as well as more costly in returns or mistakes.
1. Ordering Decisions:
1. First off...just wow!!! I traded in my 2010 Ford Explorer Sport Trac, and moving up to the 6.5' bed F150 was a fantastic upgrade in both size and luxury!! From the moment I first saw pictures of the King Ranch version of the F150, I knew I wanted that look of style as well as a country luxury feel! And then to see that it actually had almost all of the same features as the Platinum at a lower cost was even more of a bonus! I deliberately waited through the 2023 year with all the deletes that were part of the MY, and ordered mine back in March with nearly all the options that were available on the sheet. That included the full 7.2KW Powerboost. I'm certainly sorry that those of you who had so many issues with the PB in the 21-23MY, but I am glad that those trial and errors were learned from in the 2024. As I wanted my KR to be my daily driver, I needed both the excellent MPG as well as the use of regular gas to keep it affordable. I also chose NOT to get the FX4 package, as I wanted the flexibility of the CCD suspension, and knew (again, thanks to all of you!!) that an aftermarket skid-plate solution was probably a better option (and my Talon full skid-plate package goes on this Wednesday, pictures to follow).
2. I decided on the 157” wheelbase for two reasons: one, because I really wanted as full a full size as I could get (and still maintain the supercrew and KR choices), and two, I wanted the roll top tonneau cover which I know would take up some bed space.
3. I was originally leaning toward the Rapid Red as the primary color, but thanks to others posting pictures, decided the Anti-matter Blue worked wonderfully with the lower bronze two-tone.
2. Ride Impressions (sorry, I don't do impressions, my expertise is in psychiatry)
1. Very luxurious and quiet!! Both the wife and I feel like we are in luxury SUV, with the overall ride being smooth, with very little extraneous noise intruding at any speed from the tires, powertrain, or wind. The only minor exception is some slight wind noise from the telescoping towing mirrors( which I am very glad I ordered, so much more capability then the standard ones). I do feel more rear end movement over bumps then the front, which can be mitigated by choosing Sport Mode, but I may explore the Forscan options in CCD tuning at some point.
2. Interior
1. Looks and feels like a million (OK, maybe a 100K) bucks!! Not a flaw that I can find, although I do miss the earlier models' lighting of cup-holders and glove boxes. Those of you who either own or have seen enough videos know how fantastic the level of material and detail goes into the King Ranch!!
2. Seats are very comfortable and adjustable, Love the cooling, and the massage capability is excellent for longer trips!!
3. Audio. Excellent sounding system, especially in XM and HD radio. Haven’t tried a USB stick yet. Amazon music also sounds
3. Engine
1. The Powerboost is easily the best powerplant I have ever owned!! My first car was a 1967 Mustang with a 1970 302, my other cars include an Acura TL with the 3.7, the Sport-Trac with the Mustang GT 4.6, and even a 2011 Mini with the 1.8 Turbo, and this simply blows them all away in performance and refinement!! I am old enough to appreciate an engine that gets the job done better, more efficiently, yet doesn't need to yell about it!! At any speed, pushing the gas pedal can quickly start to get away from you if you think you need more power!! And the effortless way it switches from electric to both and back is amazing in it's unobtrusiveness. Lastly, I have the Generac manual switch ready to be installed as soon as the electrician comes out so that my house will be prepared for any sort of power loss (again thank you to the members of this forum for their recommendations).
4. Other
1. Automatic wipers, Had my first test in a mild rain, they did an excellent job, look forward to a heavier rain test soon!
3. Mods
1. Thanks to the wealth of information found in this forum, I was able to per-purchase and plan my mods, here are the ones so far:
1. F150LED LED lights installed to replace the halogens in the rear license plate lights. So much brighter and also more in-tune with the color of the rest of the truck's lights. The biggest issue was finally figuring out that you had to use a small screw-driver inserted into the detente on the light socket to pop the old ones out.
2. Fluid filmed the under-carriage at the dealership. Live in the northeast, started with ZERO rust underneath, trying to stay that way!!
3. Ceramic coated the entire truck. A great job by Saybrook Auto Salon, looks fantastic, and they guarantee it for 10 years (come in annually for a touch up coat).
4. Tinted the front windows to match the rear, and a 70% tint on the windshield to protect from heat and UV damage of the dash. Love the new look, the fronts still allow acceptable night vision, and the windshield is not even noticeable to the naked eye,
5. Short antennae. RYDONAIR 13”. Just puthat in yesterday, no review yet on any change in capability, but looks great (I like the height better then the even shorter ones, blends better with the cab height) and since I use XM and Amazon Music as much as the radio, shouldn't be an issue.
6. Forscan changes. Picked up a good used HP laptop with windows 10, and the OBDLink EX adapter, again, because of the recommendations of other forum members. Worked perfectly, paid for the full Forscan program (12 bucks), and so far did the Bambi mode, set fog lights to pretty much stay on in all light modes, set DRL's to 75% brightness (making them even more amazing looking!!), and will next look into the CCD adjustments. Sometime soon I will pick up the mongoose cable to start the FDRS thing as well.
7. Ruff rear seat protection system. Not technically a mod, but the best decision I could make so that I can take my dog for rides to our hiking areas in my very expensive truck!! This system is so easy to install, yet does a perfect job of covering and protecting the entire rear of the truck from puppy paws, hair, any anything else!! If yo have a dog, get this system!!
8. Talon skid plates (pending) Ia purchased them already, but waiting till I have the Valvomax Oil plug system in first (tomorrow).
9. Valvomax Oil drain plug system. Goes in tomorrow before the skid plates on Wednesday!!
10. Purchased a set of Pirelli Scorpion AT Plus's and Fuel bronze rims for the winter. Wanted to have the least increase of weight but have a measurable increase in winter and off-road ability. The bronze should look amazing with the lower bronze color of the King Ranch, will be putting them on around December or the first snow, whichever comes first here in CT.
11. Lastly, purchased both the Ford extended warranty, as well as their service plan, adding the LED light option and the 5K oil change. I plan on keeping this truck for a long time!!
And that sums it up so far, Just enjoying the truck every day, will do some more off-roading after the skid-plates go on, it's an amazing vehicle!!
1. Ordering Decisions:
1. First off...just wow!!! I traded in my 2010 Ford Explorer Sport Trac, and moving up to the 6.5' bed F150 was a fantastic upgrade in both size and luxury!! From the moment I first saw pictures of the King Ranch version of the F150, I knew I wanted that look of style as well as a country luxury feel! And then to see that it actually had almost all of the same features as the Platinum at a lower cost was even more of a bonus! I deliberately waited through the 2023 year with all the deletes that were part of the MY, and ordered mine back in March with nearly all the options that were available on the sheet. That included the full 7.2KW Powerboost. I'm certainly sorry that those of you who had so many issues with the PB in the 21-23MY, but I am glad that those trial and errors were learned from in the 2024. As I wanted my KR to be my daily driver, I needed both the excellent MPG as well as the use of regular gas to keep it affordable. I also chose NOT to get the FX4 package, as I wanted the flexibility of the CCD suspension, and knew (again, thanks to all of you!!) that an aftermarket skid-plate solution was probably a better option (and my Talon full skid-plate package goes on this Wednesday, pictures to follow).
2. I decided on the 157” wheelbase for two reasons: one, because I really wanted as full a full size as I could get (and still maintain the supercrew and KR choices), and two, I wanted the roll top tonneau cover which I know would take up some bed space.
3. I was originally leaning toward the Rapid Red as the primary color, but thanks to others posting pictures, decided the Anti-matter Blue worked wonderfully with the lower bronze two-tone.
2. Ride Impressions (sorry, I don't do impressions, my expertise is in psychiatry)
1. Very luxurious and quiet!! Both the wife and I feel like we are in luxury SUV, with the overall ride being smooth, with very little extraneous noise intruding at any speed from the tires, powertrain, or wind. The only minor exception is some slight wind noise from the telescoping towing mirrors( which I am very glad I ordered, so much more capability then the standard ones). I do feel more rear end movement over bumps then the front, which can be mitigated by choosing Sport Mode, but I may explore the Forscan options in CCD tuning at some point.
2. Interior
1. Looks and feels like a million (OK, maybe a 100K) bucks!! Not a flaw that I can find, although I do miss the earlier models' lighting of cup-holders and glove boxes. Those of you who either own or have seen enough videos know how fantastic the level of material and detail goes into the King Ranch!!
2. Seats are very comfortable and adjustable, Love the cooling, and the massage capability is excellent for longer trips!!
3. Audio. Excellent sounding system, especially in XM and HD radio. Haven’t tried a USB stick yet. Amazon music also sounds
3. Engine
1. The Powerboost is easily the best powerplant I have ever owned!! My first car was a 1967 Mustang with a 1970 302, my other cars include an Acura TL with the 3.7, the Sport-Trac with the Mustang GT 4.6, and even a 2011 Mini with the 1.8 Turbo, and this simply blows them all away in performance and refinement!! I am old enough to appreciate an engine that gets the job done better, more efficiently, yet doesn't need to yell about it!! At any speed, pushing the gas pedal can quickly start to get away from you if you think you need more power!! And the effortless way it switches from electric to both and back is amazing in it's unobtrusiveness. Lastly, I have the Generac manual switch ready to be installed as soon as the electrician comes out so that my house will be prepared for any sort of power loss (again thank you to the members of this forum for their recommendations).
4. Other
1. Automatic wipers, Had my first test in a mild rain, they did an excellent job, look forward to a heavier rain test soon!
3. Mods
1. Thanks to the wealth of information found in this forum, I was able to per-purchase and plan my mods, here are the ones so far:
1. F150LED LED lights installed to replace the halogens in the rear license plate lights. So much brighter and also more in-tune with the color of the rest of the truck's lights. The biggest issue was finally figuring out that you had to use a small screw-driver inserted into the detente on the light socket to pop the old ones out.
2. Fluid filmed the under-carriage at the dealership. Live in the northeast, started with ZERO rust underneath, trying to stay that way!!
3. Ceramic coated the entire truck. A great job by Saybrook Auto Salon, looks fantastic, and they guarantee it for 10 years (come in annually for a touch up coat).
4. Tinted the front windows to match the rear, and a 70% tint on the windshield to protect from heat and UV damage of the dash. Love the new look, the fronts still allow acceptable night vision, and the windshield is not even noticeable to the naked eye,
5. Short antennae. RYDONAIR 13”. Just puthat in yesterday, no review yet on any change in capability, but looks great (I like the height better then the even shorter ones, blends better with the cab height) and since I use XM and Amazon Music as much as the radio, shouldn't be an issue.
6. Forscan changes. Picked up a good used HP laptop with windows 10, and the OBDLink EX adapter, again, because of the recommendations of other forum members. Worked perfectly, paid for the full Forscan program (12 bucks), and so far did the Bambi mode, set fog lights to pretty much stay on in all light modes, set DRL's to 75% brightness (making them even more amazing looking!!), and will next look into the CCD adjustments. Sometime soon I will pick up the mongoose cable to start the FDRS thing as well.
7. Ruff rear seat protection system. Not technically a mod, but the best decision I could make so that I can take my dog for rides to our hiking areas in my very expensive truck!! This system is so easy to install, yet does a perfect job of covering and protecting the entire rear of the truck from puppy paws, hair, any anything else!! If yo have a dog, get this system!!
8. Talon skid plates (pending) Ia purchased them already, but waiting till I have the Valvomax Oil plug system in first (tomorrow).
9. Valvomax Oil drain plug system. Goes in tomorrow before the skid plates on Wednesday!!
10. Purchased a set of Pirelli Scorpion AT Plus's and Fuel bronze rims for the winter. Wanted to have the least increase of weight but have a measurable increase in winter and off-road ability. The bronze should look amazing with the lower bronze color of the King Ranch, will be putting them on around December or the first snow, whichever comes first here in CT.
11. Lastly, purchased both the Ford extended warranty, as well as their service plan, adding the LED light option and the 5K oil change. I plan on keeping this truck for a long time!!
And that sums it up so far, Just enjoying the truck every day, will do some more off-roading after the skid-plates go on, it's an amazing vehicle!!
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