Unlike in the F-150 lineup, Ford’s returning Expedition King Ranch does not sit comfortably in the middle of the trim range. It’s on a higher shelf, sandwiched between the Limited and the range-topping Platinum. And, as you’d expect, the King Ranch version of Ford’s largest SUV, last seen in 2017, demands a premium over lesser Fords.
If looking like a refugee from Southfork doesn’t appeal to you, it’s easy to outfit your Expedition Limited to King Ranch specs for less money.
Here’s the basics, drawn from order guides seen by Cars Direct: The Expedition King Ranch starts at $74,290 after destination. For that price, you get the shorter-wheelbase variant with a standard 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 and a 10-speed automatic transmission sending power to the rear wheels.
Also standard is Ford’s Co-Pilot 360 suite of driver-assist features, but what separates the King Ranch (besides the branded leather, logo overload, etc) from the lower-rung Limited is the inclusion of niceties from Equipment Group 302A (glitzy 22-inch wheels, panoramic sunroof, Enhanced Active Park Assist, 360-degree camera, LED headlamps). Should a loaded-up Limited appeal more, you can expect to save about $3,500 over the King Ranch.
Of course, this is all a starting point, and loading up a King Ranch will see the Blue Oval’s BOF SUV quickly surpass the Lincoln Navigator’s threshold (base for 2019 being $75,145). Adding all-wheel drive bumps things up to $77,420 after destination. Going long-wheelbase without AWD means an expenditure of $76,985, though adding all-wheel traction and a lengthier wheelbase sees the King Ranch’s price ($80,110) come close to that of the top-flight Expedition Platinum Max.
Placed against the Navigator, a loaded and long Expedition King Ranch starts just below the lowliest of the long-wheelbase Navigator Ls (“Select” trim, rear-drive).
Will Ford somehow live to regret the return of the country-glam King Ranch to the Expedition lineup? Not for a second.
[Image: Ford]
As those young stock brokers mature they will no doubt turn their eye towards people-haulers like this behemoth, since they already own a Porsche, Ferrari or Lambo, and with their annual bonus they will be able to scoop one of these Expedition King Ranch up, without regard to its price tag.
I’ve rented a 2016 Expedition EL for long-distance trips on two occasions and it is very easy to live with for the month that we had it each time.
“King Ranch”???
Goofy name.
Yeah, but it’s classier then “Big Dick” ;-)
Named after a huge cattle ranch in South Texas. Over 800,000 acres. Bigger than Rhode Island. Huge.
Go GMC Denali.
Candy apply red.
If I’m going to spend $70k+ on a pickup, I won’t be settling for a V6.
Exactly this, that’s a lot of money to be stuck in a V6.
I can’t get excited about a V6 either but it’s not like there’s a lot of choice here anymore.
GM has the 6.2 going for them and pretty much everything else going against.
The Land Cruiser is a crampy antique.
The Nissan is pretty nice in pure car terms but old inside, invisible out, and Infiniti is a dead brand walking.
The V8 BMW and Benz start past 90K. The V8 Range Rover that you really want starts at 110.
Believe me, you won’t be settling with this engine. It destroys the 5.3L GM and is about equal with the 6.2L GM in terms of power. Long term reliability is no issue either. Anyone who thinks they are “stuck in a V6” or “Settling for a V6” hasn’t owned one of these. I’m 49 and have considered my self old school for the most part, but I’ll never go back to a naturally aspirated engine now.
Wow, the air is THIN up there ! I will not be buying a new truck probably EVER, just making do with my old V-8 F-150. It will haul and pull anything that I need it to in relative comfort and with ease. I don’t mind 4-cylinder motors in my economy car, or a 6-cylinder inline or Vee in my mid-sized people hauler, but my old truck will probably see me out. At last check, it was still worth the amount that I have in it, thanks to rising new and used truck prices.
P.S.- is a V-8 available in this thing ? I see no mention of that.
No the only engine is the 3.5 EcoBoost which is the (current) top dog of the F150’s power trains.
Pretty outrageous that this costs $15,000 more (before negotiations) than my King Ranch F350.
Yeah but irregardless, they’ll sell every one they build!
I love saying that, along with “VIN number”. It’s a ripoff if you ask me. But if you gotta have it, nothing else will due. Or the others in its class will cost you just as much, pound for pound. . They’re all about the worst values on wheels. Basically a 1/2 ton pickup, no bed, all cab, except (crack pipe) priced almost twice as much, after pickup rebates.
But then all depreciate faster than Land Rover Discoverys, metallic gold at inner city BHPHs.
Full-size SUV pricing is completely unreasonable, while full-size truck pricing can easily dip into the low 20s, a lowest your getting a full-size SUV is in the high 40s. The worst part is that they no longer resemble full-size trucks, why do I want an SUV with a dumbed down interior or softer exterior lines?
We shall see how long it takes them to sell them all. If it drags out too far, dealers will be unhappy paying on their floor plans and begging for potential customers to come in. Yes, they will sell every one that they make, but in the long run, will smaller engines just frustrate their owners, or will they last as long as larger engines ? This is the larger question- will these turn out to be junk in 5 years, and damage the builders’ reputations ? And will buyers of $60-80K trucks want a new one in 3 or 4 years ? Or will they have to keep it 7 or 8 years to get their money’s worth out of it ? Will the super-high prices kill off sales in the long run ?
We shall see.
P.S.- And will a hard recession kill Ford, GM, FCA, and other car makers ? Don’t laugh- it could happen. Auto executives have been making some strange decisions lately, taking big risks with the futures of their companies, in my opinion. Yes, Mr. Obama, Bin Laden is dead, and GM is alive. But 7 of 10 cars that GM builds (and sells) are in China now . China is vulnerable to a big recession too. A big recession here could cause a big recession in China and in Europe, then worldwide. MANY corporations could die, and not just car companies. We DO live in interesting times !
But the F-250 Limited starts at 80k.
Just looks like Ford lines up their truck trims in a different order from their SUV trims. Trucks go, King Ranch < Platinum < Limited. SUVs go Limited < Platinum < King Ranch.
Dont know why they dont just align em, but eh, whatever.
Just how much more power do you guys want than 400 hp and 480 lb-ft?
(If you really need even more, get a Navi instead and it comes with a power bump to 450 hp/500 lb-ft.)
I didn’t have any complaints about the Expeditions we rented, except that they were slow from a dead stop until the boost kicked in at higher rpm, particularly in mountain country.
OTOH, there was my wife’s 2016 Sequoia, a thirsty beast if there ever was one. But you knew exactly where you stood if you goosed that 5.7L V8.
No two ways about it, given the choice, I’d rather have a V8.
Alas, we no longer have that choice. Another freedom taken away from us.
You can still buy a Sequoia. Not many do because it is a bit ancient and as you said, you know where you stand when you mash the go pedal. Plus you can get the 6.2 in the GM as mentioned. Not sure how anyone’s freedom is being taken here.
The drift of the conversation mentioned that the only engine available was the V6-T.
Freedom taken away includes the trend toward smaller engines for those buyers who want a big V8, because they can.
They no longer can, in many cases like with the Expedition.
And it would not surprise me if Toyota drops the 5.7L in favor of the 4.6L in the Tundra.
Things are changing in the US auto market. Cars and trucks are being sissyfied at an alarming rate with smaller engines, lighter bodies, and cheaper interiors.
Maybe it is time for those who can to step up to 3/4-ton 4dr pickup trucks as their daily drivers.
It makes other drivers on the road see one of those gargantuan pickup trucks coming toward them, for them to get out of their way.
Size matters. In bodies and engines.
My next vehicle will most likely be a 3/4 truck, I can’t get any of the basic amenities that should be expected when your spending $40k+ almost anywhere else. It’s sad, I have little need for a 3/4 truck but I have been left with no options.
One of my Elks brethren bought a Dark Blue F250 Platinum Diesel 4dr 4X4 back in January of this year, electric fold-away side steps and all.
No need for it that he couldn’t do with a halfton but like you he felt that, “I have been left with no options.” And hey, he’s 75 years old. He can buy pretty much whatever the fock he wants.
And…. he got beaucoup money for his 2014 F150 5.0L XLT 4dr 2WD trade in. Goes to show, trucks hold their value these days. Pay more up front but get more back at trade-in.
He and I go to lunch maybe once a week and take his truck. Nice truck. The only thing I don’t like is the Black Leather interior. Man, it gets hot sitting in the desert sun!
But Ford just announced a 7.3 gasser for the 3/4 ton and up pickups. Ford buyers have embraced the turbo truck motors. I’d argue this is added freedom. Until the expedition folks like me that prefer the turbos had no choice. Now I do. If you are a give me a V8 or give me death type you probably want the GM 6.2 anyway.
This is the top offering in the F150 line motor wise. It outperforms the 5.0 pretty much all around. People buy the 5.0 for subjective reasons (sound, V8 or die, etc).
How many people here complaining were going to put up money for one if they came with the 5.0, or heck, the new 7.3 for that matter. I am guessing I can count them on no fingers.
For all the Ford hate, it’s hard to knock their truck marketing folks.
“he’s 75 years old”
Lincoln just about went away catering to this crowd
So your buddy bought a turbocharged diesel that needs DEF and is known for being maintenance-intensive because he didn’t want a turbocharged gasser that’s accumulated a considerably better reliability record?
Not to mention that same 5.0 is still an option in the half-ton trucks.
Takes all kinds, I guess.
It’s far more than just V8 “sounds”, manly or otherwise. Keep us posted though, except there’s still not better engine so far, all things considered. Icing upon icing on the cake. And the V8 is cheaper too??
dal20402, actually, it does take all kinds. I don’t think that he set out to buy a TurboDiesel but that’s what he ended up with.
Maybe the brawny, masculine features rang his bell.
Maybe he was tired of driving an everyman’s Ford pickup truck as his daily driver.
Maybe he wanted something unique, different, a stand-out. This one sure is.
To be sure, this is not his only vehicle. His wife drives an Enclave CXL because that is what caught her eye – the styling. She loves it.
For traveling he and his wife have a Marathon Motor Coach. The Enclave is pulled behind the Marathon in an enclosed custom built Haulmark ramp trailer. Pretty slick.
And he’s got a 1979 Mercedes-Benz 280S he brought back from Germany (stick shift no less). Still runs good after all these years. The Inline-6 smokes a little but it’ll get him wherever he’s going. Using 20W-50 Castrol these days.
And then there is his Big Block Corvette, I believe it is a 1973. And his 1982 BMW 320 2dr.
They all run. He has gotten generous offers from strangers to buy these classics, but he’s not parting with them until he dies.
Some men collect guns. Others collect cars.
The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys.
@dal90210-
Just HOW LONG do you want your new $65 or $70K four cylinder turbo or 6-cylinder direct-injection truck to last ?
(If you need more than 5 years, you should get a V-8 Chevy or Dod…er…Ram pickup.)
P.S.- GM Deathwatch
Ford Deathwatch
This talking point again?
The 3.5 EcoBoost has proven a good deal more reliable than the Gen V small-block in practice. (Although the Gen V seems to be getting better after its initial problems.)
Truth.
Of course the Navi carries a weight penalty. However last week I rented an Expedition Max which was a XLT so “only” 375 HP 470 TQ and I certainly didn’t find it slow or lacking in power. So yeah I’m sure that 400/480 will be sufficient in the lighter Aviator. Of course the one I’ve got my eye on is the Grand Touring. We’ll have to see just how good this new hybrid system works and just how much plug-in range there is.
The MKExpedition shouldn’t cost this much!
Why would anyone pay these outrageous prices for such a sub par product?
Because the ads are so good.
GM Deathwatch
Ford Deathwatch
Nissan Deathwatch
More later.
IDK. They pay that much for GM garbage, for FCA garbage and so on and so forth. Why would Ford be any different?