FishRanger
The truck you specked out will be a darn nice truck. Most all of us have over thought ours. I wound up going platinum so I could get massaging seat and no sun roof. Very happy I did. The only draw back is the price. But I warn you, you will be spoiled and there is no turning back

 

Another thing that comes with the Lariat Ultimate is the huge "moon roof". Some folks like them but I live in Florida and it's basically a convection device. If I were ordering a new one that would steer me towards the Platinum so I could have things like the LED's without the big hole in the roof. Also, I have the optional wheel well liners which are standard on the Platinum.

 

My kids love the moonroof. Great sky view from the back seat.

 

My kids are grown. They can buy their own moon roof. LOL...

 

True, but I wouldn't say that it's the same quality as the leather in the KR. The Lariat has the manufactured pleather stuff.

 

I liked it at first on our KR but down here in South Texas it bakes the truck, sucks!

 

Different for sure, I love the feel of the saddle leather in the KR trucks, the platinum has real leather too though

 

Thanks. I have learned thru the years that if I don't get exactly what I want I will wind up doing it again, usually way too soon. I really don't want the moon roof either but the way Ford packages things makes it hard to not get it and get the other things in the package that I do want. Just checked it on the KR but when I priced the items separately in the KR Ultimate package that I wanted without the roof the price difference was less than $200 so basically the moon roof is close to free. Not so much on the Platinum which brings up another question.

If I remember right the lane departure warning is part of the Platinum Ultimate package. If I don't get it to avoid the moon roof is the lane departure still there? I don't think I've seen it listed as a separate item.

I have to admit the seats in the KR we test drove were way more comfortable than my Denali.

 

Right!! Full disclosure: I have a black truck so it's like a big rolling solar panel. You can put your hand on the headliner and it's basically the ambient temperature of the cabin but when you feel the moon roof cover is has to be 15 degrees or more hotter. As big as this cabin is it may be conceivable that it has it's own weather system; cool air from the A/C meets hot air lingering around the roof creating your own personal thunderstorm... LOL.. Maybe not that bad but you get my drift.

 

450 Ultimate Lariat here. 450 is a joy to tow with. Heavy or light towing. The turning radius makes it worth while. Lariat Ultimate is the way to go, yes you forgo Adaptive Cruise and the Massaging Seats. But you get chrome bumpers (which I know you can get on the KR and Plat). It seems to me to be the best deal. I have a KR 350 prior gen. I keep it under cover but a prior KR spent time outside in Dallas and the seats degraded very fast. Both the KR and Plat's are nice, don't get me wrong.

Additionally, I am not sure if the profile of the seats with the massaging feature are different, but I do NOT like the new seats in the SD's. My 2016 KR seats are much more comfortable. I find the new ones uncomfortable when I first settle into them for a trip. During the trip they are comfy and maybe that is the way they designed them.

 

I think there are a few misconceptions here. Way back almost a year ago, the "early adopters" of the 2017 Super Duty discussed the difference in seats between the Lariat, KR, and Platinum. I was actually able to compare them side by side.

The basic seat design is the same XL-Platinum. Trucks with the massaging seats have small air bladders beneath the cushion which inflate and deflate in a computer controlled manner to simulate a "massage" function. This results in a thinner "cushion" material and some folks have felt this makes the seat less comfortable; others have no issue. Otherwise, all trucks share the same seat cushion.

The coverings are vinyl, cloth, or leather. In my direct comparison, the leather grade between a Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum is identical. However, the Lariat seats use more vinyl sections than leather sections when compared to the KR or Platinum. This might give the impression that the leather is "better" when in reality it is not...there is just more leather.
Just because the color of the leather is different on a King Ranch, does not make it higher quality.

2009kr made a great point in another posting regarding 350DRW vs 450: the poster tends to be biased towards what they purchased. So it only seems natural to think the leather quality in a KR or Platinum would be superior to the Lariat trim.

Quite a few years ago, KR leather truly was different - more saddle like. However, it required frequent care and maintenance to keep it looking and feeling great. Many owners complained, and Ford eventually switched over to the standard leather dyed to the orange-brown signature color, and with a little stitching here and there plus a logo. This leather held up better with little to no maintenance.

My previous truck was a 2016 F-250 King Ranch. The seats were very nice, and definitely "looked" better than the standard Lariat seat. However, I don't believe they were a different grade of leather.

It's possible I'm wrong and if you're a leather expert with access to both trucks, feel free to correct me.

 

You don't have to forgo adaptive cruise on the Lariat Ultimate...

I definitely agree the seats on the previous generation truck (2011-2016) were more comfortable.

 

Test drive and "feel" each interior. Ride will be he same depending on your suspension options added in.

I didn't like or use the message seats until my longer trips, gotta agree with past posters... life-saver option to have on long runs. As far as the F350 vs F450?, you'll have to see what outweighs for you, tighter turning radius (F450) or better super-slabbing mileage (F350 w/3.55)?. I opted for the better mileage and lower RPM's which is more in the sweet spot for this diesel engine.
Good luck!

 

The mid 2000's KR trucks did have a real saddle leather but as noted, they degraded easily if not constantly conditioned. You may be correct on the quality of the newer seats being all basically the same, but I don't think the quality is the same between the Lariat and the KR. YMMV and I could be proven wrong.
At the end of the day my biggest complaints on the 2017 compared to the previous generation (11-16) is the sun baking panoramic roof and I miss the round A/C vents. Other than that I feel that the new gen trucks are a major improvement in almost every area.

 

Maybe Ford should have offered an optional "Southern States moonroof sunshade package" which would include a much thicker sunshade complete with reflective shiny aluminum backing (facing the glass). This could have been included at "no cost" to the group of "hot weather states" and optional for everyone else, much the way the "cold weather states" get the engine block heater, electric supplemental cabin heater, and dual alternators at "no cost."