Originally I was intimated by the 2026 Ford F-150 King Ranch. It is a large and wide truck and some roads and even more parking stall spots in Vancouver are narrow and small. However the more I drove it, the more my confidence grew.
Despite the perceived would-be extra work it takes to drive such a behemoth, the makers of Ford really do what they can to make the entire driving experience easier on the driver.
The car senses the key on your person as soon as you are near by and unlocks it. If you get closer a step from the side of the car sides out. This is necessary for a smaller person, like myself, to be able to step on to and use to climb into the driver seat.
The King Ranch has a stylish Western theme with wood-ish panels that looked a lot more real than what I have seen from other brands. And what isn’t wood is a rich chocolatey brown leather.
The Ranch’s squiggly “W” logo is visible from every angle. I especially liked it hand stitched into the central console with a cut out feature. The console doubles as a bin and table. You you can open it up to use as a flat surface. I envision this as the perfect counter for a grab and go, fast food order. In order use this, you have to move the gearshift out of the way, and you do this with a push of a button, allowing it to tuck itself perfectly into a personalized slot.
This is the kind of vehicle that you are comfortable sitting and resting in, for your break or when you have to kill time. I found myself doing just that, after I parked and before I headed into my home. There is plenty of legroom and even more arm room. Not to mention the front two seats have a massaging feature. All together it felt like I was in a luxury suite, but made into a moving vehicle.
Outside of the size and the need to really consider my angles when I turned or switch lanes, I enjoyed the ride. I could see the top of most vehicles, and my sheer size gave me so much extra consideration on the road that cars let me in to lanes. Many of them even stopped to give me way. I felt the “king” in “King Ranch”.
I did find myself driving slower and more cautiously, not only because it took quite the hammering to get the vehicle moving once stationary. I even skidded a handful of times of the line, just getting use to the motion. What worried me most was how unsure I was with the perimeter of the vehicle. I have driven large vehicles before, but I never felt larger in it. But once again with the Ford F150 I was on a throne. I need the step to get in and there were additional bars and handles to help me climb in. It immediately made me feel smaller behind the wheel and that size differential transitioned into my driving style out of necessity.
My largest anxiety was having to park or find parking on the street or in one of downtown Vancouver’s underground stalls. It really tested my metal when I parked in my friend’s apartment building. This was a multiple point turn, gingerly eking and inching forward and back as needed.
Where the F150 excelled was uphill travel, i just had to watch out for the downhill rolling.
I don’t remember the last car I drove that had an antenna. But this one ended up getting caught on low garage signs, not enough to break it, but enough to bend. There was also very minor contact with some signs against the Ford’s roof, as we were just the maximum height.
