*All information in this article has been revised and updated for the latest 2021-2022 models.
Are you a cowboy or a city slicker? Is it home, home on the range or master of the urban jungle? Country or downtown? That might be simplifying things because we’re sure the King Ranch would look great cruising downtown but the Platinum can sling some mud around. If we were to go by looks and features, the King Ranch belongs in wide open spaces while the Platinum seems more at home on the city streets.
PRICE: KING RANCH
There’s not a huge difference here, but the standard F-150 King Ranch is slightly more affordable than the Platinum. We’re talking $56,015 for the King Ranch and $58,795 for the Platinum. What accounts for the difference in price? Both come with the same standard engine and begin to differ in features.
Standard features on the King Ranch include everything on the F-150 Lariat, plus the Bang & Olufsen audio system, voice-activated touch-screen navigation system, and heated rear seats and heated steering wheel. The standard features on the Platinum has all that and then goes above and beyond, adding wood trim accents, power-deployable running boards, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert.
STYLING: TIE
The King Ranch and Platinum might look mostly the same from the outside, except for the trim name etched into the tailgate, but it’s what’s inside that counts. Take one look inside a King Ranch and you’ll know this trim was made with country in mind. The seats have a unique look that hearkens to the Wild West. The seats mostly come in beiges, browns, and other earthy colors and a twisted-rope design graces the top of each seat. However, the King Ranch isn’t rugged by any means with leather that is extra fine and soft to the touch.
Meanwhile, the Platinum trim level is, in a word, slick. After the sun goes down, watch this truck light up the night with all-around LED lighting in the form of headlights, fog lamps, and tail lights. Street lamps might even reflect in those large 20-inch polished aluminum wheels. Inside, you’ll find premium leather seats in colors like Dark Masala (wine-colored) or Black.
Notably the King Ranch can be bedecked with chrome, organized into two different optional packages: Chrome and Monochrome. The first package gives you 20-inch chrome-like wheels, chrome bumpers, front tow hooks, side view mirror caps, and door and tailgate handles, along with bright beltline moldings and satin-aluminum tailgate appliqué. If you want drip in chrome, the Platinum comes standard with all that shine from the get-go.
If you feel like lighting up the cool city nights, get the Platinum trim level. If you prefer that rugged look (not rugged feel), the earth-toned King Ranch might be more your style. Either way, you’re getting a great 5-liter V8 engine, your choice of 5.5- or 6.5-foot box, and standard front bucket seats.