I'm brand spankin' new to this forum and (soon to be) truck ownership.

I'm trying to decide between a Lariat loaded or wait on the 05 KR. Can someone spell out the main differences besides the leather? I love the KR leather, but I'm not sure if I'm up to the constant maint. required and I was wondering if there were other goodies I couldn't get on the Lariat?

The price difference and willingness of dealers to negotiate between a Lariat and the "special" KR concerns me. I don't really want to pay an extra 3-4K just for the leather.

Another comparison question ... relatively, how do resale values stack up (say as a % of original invoice) between the Lariat and KR?

The other truck I'm considering is the Nissan Titan. Any comments (negative or positive) would be appreciated as I don't want to overlook something big.

Thanks in advance!

 

I would say the only difference between the 2 is the interior and exterior colors and trim.

I had no problem with price for my 02 KR. I was able to purchase with x plan, no problems, no questions.

Can't help you with resale or the Titan.

 

Having owned an '01 KR (4x2) and 2 '04 Lariats, (one 4x2 and one 4x4) I can tell you it will be a tough call when the new KR comes out in the fall.

I love my Lariat in Arizona Beige...I think I like it better than the KR's with the 2 tones !

However the Castano Leather is a winner !

If I can justify trading in an '04 after just a year and the hit I'll take is something I will have to think long and hard about.

As far as the leather....I have the tan (As Ford insists on calling it.....it's really beige !!)...and it is probably even more of a pain to keep clean than the castano...it really shows the dirt and needs a clean every couple of weeks...admittedly it's usually only the driver's seat and it only takes a couple of minutes..but it still needs doing.

I don't know whether there will be lighted running boards on the new KR but they were a nice touch.

Overall if I were in your position I would wait 'til the '05 KR's are out....put one next to a Lariat, and say "HHmmm...is it worth the extra ...... bucks?"

Personally I think the answer will be "YES" !!

 

when i bought my kr i looked real closely at the lariat also. i thought the lariat had some real nice exterior color combinations. the castano leather totally won me over to the kr and that became my first choice.

since i bought mine at the end of the model year (03), i gave the dealer a priority list for the truck and then let them find it. if they didn't find one with all the options i wanted (in my case, number 1 was a bench in the back which wasn't the standard for the kr), i would have gone with the lariat.

musicman

 

For me its easy...I love my Lariat...The trade in value will be good as well...

 

First and foremost, get what best suits your need in a truck. If you're not going to have the time or commitment to clean and condition your KR leather, I can assure you that it won't look that great over a very short period of time. Those of us that frequent the boards here can attest that it is a labor of love but, if you let your guard down, the leather can go south on you in rapid fashion.

A big plus to a 'coated leather' similar to that in the lariat is that it cleans up pretty easily and doesn't require nearly as much attention as the KR Castano. Again, choose what's best for your needs/situation.

As far as trade-in value is concerned, consider this...

My 2001 King Ranch SuperCrew with 35, 300 miles is said to be worth $21,085 at Private Party Value according to kbb.com (Kelly Blue Book). The same truck (same miles/options) with the standard Lariat package is said to be worth $19,025. Of course, this takes into account region and items of that nature but, clearly you can see that there is a difference. Again though, you don't recoup the entire cost of the KR package but, $1K is a fair piece of ground to stand upon when it comes time to trade it out.

I can't really think of any additional items that you absolutely should consider in my opinion... The Lariat and the KR are generally the same truck. Simply put, one simply has a few more frills. Personally, I can't get enough of those frills (interior styling, two-tone paint, custom wheels/center caps and, new for the 05, KR leather on the dash -- which may or may not be a bear to keep up).

I can't stress enough though... get what's best for you. For me, the KR SuperCrew fits me to a 'T'.

RP

 

I'm with you RockPick...you need to get whatever makes you happy. I started looking for a KR in '01, but could not find the one I wanted, (SuperCab Styleside; Chestnut/Az Beige; 4X4). I found two Flaresides, and one was Chestnut, but it was not what I wanted. If you want something bad enough, you will do what you need to to get it. I've seen Lariats with the same paint scheme as my KR, but it's just NOT the same truck. The one I finally got was neglected somewhat, (seats not conditioned,etc.), but, I couldn't be happier!
There's also a "Mystique" about this special breed of truck; the "Wild West' or something, that fits me to a "T"
I'm sorry I haven't been on the site for a while, just had MAJOR neck surgery (again) and am finally getting back up to speed.

 

I feel for you Dallas, I went through/going through the same thing.

The Lariat makes more sense for me because of my young kids, constant trips to the dump and jumping in the cab in crusty jeans and work boots. I was set on the Lariat.

I stopped at a car dealer last week and just sat in a 250 KR and all those arguements went right out the window. That KR leather is absolutely wonderful. I'd pay 4k for the leather hands down.

Now that I'm sitting in my pleather office chair the Lariat is the more reasonable and functional choice. They just better not have a KR on the lot when I go to get my truck (waiting on the 05s) or I'm in deep trouble. I'll need my wife there with a fire extinguisher or something to bring me back to my senses.

I see that KR and reason and logic leave me fast...

Jim

Still undecided, will let you know what I decide.

When can I order an 05?

 

Thanks for all the replies! I still don't know what I'm going to do, but I'm in no hurry so that's good.

Just as a point of clarification about the leather treatment. 90+% of the time the truck would be garaged. I will use it mainly to commute back and forth to work, rarely to pull my boat, and once or twice a year to do some 4x4 trails on vacation in Colorado. (My work is all indoors and does not involve using my truck except for the commute.) I will, of course, also use it for hauling "stuff" occasionally. (Actually, it's this convenience that has convinced me to switch out of the SUV market. When I do need to haul something, it usually is too small.)

So, you can see that there won't really me much "heavy duty" outdoors exposure. Given this, do you think that getting to the conditioning of the leather every 2-3 months will be a problem?

Rock - what was the premium you paid for the KR originally? There is a resale difference of $2K and if the original premium was only something like $3K, then it's probably worth it.

Thanks again for all the input! I'll let you know what I eventually decide. It may be a while.

 

i forget, but off the top of my head i think i paid less than $5k more for my kr (i got it on the ford x-plan). to me the interior was more than worth it, and the time required to keep the leather conditioned....it's really just not that much when you take pride in your truck. you can get a feel from this forum, the leather is just part of the package. i'm going nutz, and will try to wash my kr tomorrow (a memorial weekend drive from south carolina to detroit and back has done wonders) as well as condition the leather along with a good interior cleaning.

i think i would be doing the same with a lariat, but when my next door neighbor walked up to me the other day and said: "what's the deal with the king ranch", it was all worth it.....

 

I was buying a F250 and went through the same decision as most of us have. But when I looked at the two together, I knew I wanted white so that was easy. The leather on the Lariat seems to look worse with age( from the ones that I've seen, I'm sure that these were not the best taken care of ones in the world) and the KR leather (if conditioned and such) looks great even as it ages. I was able to get the KR for $1200 above what they wanted for the Lariat and that was adding the power sliding rear window also. So needless to say, I bought the KR and love it. The diesel is strong and the inside is awesome. Couldn't ask for a nicer work truck. I would definetely wait and look at the KR before buying the Lariat just because you are in a hurry. I think you will definetely end up in the KR if you give it a chance. GS

 

You use it as a work truck? I'm glad to hear that....I think. Do you hop out of the work truck in khakis and a clipboard or with jeans and workboots? Not that I have a problem with the former its just you might be the first post I have read where someone works with their KR. If I get a KR it will see dump runs, hauling, camping, etc and it is encouraging to know it holds up well under those conditions.

Jim

 

The only reason I wouldn't "use" a truck, would be if it was a "trailer queen" show truck. I pride myself in having a NICE TRUCK, but they were built to be used. I would NEVER dream of neglecting it, but with proper care & cleaning, there's no reason not to be able to use it. I've seen people trying to load trees, mulch, etc. into their high$$$ SUV's, and laugh out loud. I keep a set of coveralls in there in case I get too dirty for my, (and my interior's), liking. I wish I had the $$$ to have a seperate truck for all the "dirty work", but even that one would not get neglected!

 

Well Vader, both of your options actually. When I go to my office every morning (work as an engineer) I usually have slacks and such. However, I also run a Landscaping business on the side so on afternoons and weekends, it is used constantly to haul trailers loaded with plants, mulch, soil, equipment, the usual stuff. I had the bed sprayed so when I throw in shovels rakes and whatever else, I don't hurt anything. The gooseneck hitch is out of the way until you need it so it all works out well. I don't buy things that I don't use. If I have something, and realize its not being used, it gets sold or given away. I evidently have no use for it. When I'm dirty and such, I cover the seats with heavy blankets and drive home. Keeps the sweat and dirt out of the nice seats. Just cover the seats and keep him clean, makes a great work truck. However, when you park all of the equipment and trailers at the end of the day, it makes a great cruiser also that draws a lot of looks.....