Lariat, KR, Platinum?
 

At this late date I will wait for the 2018's but it appears the only way I can get exactly what I want is to order one. I have had several questions answered here and really appreciate the information. I will be getting a 350 dually.

My question is about ride, quietness and seat comfort in the Lariat, KR and Platinum lines. I would assume the ride would be the same but not so sure about the other. I have sat in all of them for a few brief moments and driven a KR. We take pretty long trips with our fifth wheel and get a lot of seat time so comfort is important to us older folks. The reason I ask is because pricing out each equipped the way I want results in about $5k less money for the Lariat. I know there are some things that come standard in the Platinum and KR that I would not get with the Lariat but they are things I would not get in the first place, except maybe the messaging seats, which I don't think are available on the Lariat. Each would have the Ultimate packages along with all the safety features Ford offers, trailer TPMS and cameras, 3.55 LS and a few other minor things. I do not want the FX4 package, camper or snow plow package or all terrain tires that every in stock truck I have seen has.

One other thing. How do I know if the Ford trailer TPMS would work on my fifth wheel? I have an aftermarket TPMS for my GMC Denali and it and the trailer's valve stems are the same size. Thanks.

Well, I have a Lariat Ultimate 350 dually. No ride quality difference across the board. Lariat Ultimate can have pretty much everything the others have...with the exception of the massaging seats, lighting up door sills (Platinum), and real wood trim on the doors. The leather is perhaps a better grade on the King Ranch and Platinum, or perhaps the same grade but there is more actual leather sections vs vinyl in the Lariat seat. The seat design is a little different, with the Platinum having a "stripe" down the center of each seat which I found uncomfortable. Others love it.

I've got the base Lariat without all the bells and whistles. Does the job for me and was priced right so even an old guy like me on my old age pension could afford it!! :D

I have the platinum. I do not think any ride changes.
I will say the options that I like the most are the LED headlights because it greatly improves driving at night and adaptive cruise is nice on open highway, and I drive that every day.
The seats to me are comfortable. The massaging seats are nice on trips or after a long day.
I have a 17 350 4x4, DRW and I am pleased with the ride. I am far more comfortable than I was with my 2001 350, 4x4, SRW, LB Lariat. That is not knocking the lariat, but the older seat style and truck in general.

If I ordered a Lariat it would include the diesel engine plus:

Lariat Ultimate Package
Tow Tech Package
Spray bed liner
Trailer TPMS/Camera
Quad Beam LED Headlights
Front wheel well liner
5th wheel package
BLIS
Power running boards
3.55 LS
Adaptive cruise
Garage door openers
Upfitter switches

Sticker would be $75,369, which is hard to say, but probably more with an 18. The KR making sure I get the above is $79,109, even more hard to say. The Platinum would be $80,319, which I can barely whisper. I really don't like the painted bottom of the KR so probably would add the chrome package to break it up. That adds another $1125 which puts it right next to the Platinum. So, I would say it is between the Platinum and the Lariat. I just have to decide if the close to $5k difference is worth it. I have found a dealer who will order at invoice less any incentives. I will do a further search for possible better pricing when it gets closer. I wish I didn't have to mess with a trade so may try to sell my 15 Denali dually myself.

I currently have a '17 F250 Lariat Ultimate that is heavily optioned and previously had a '16 F150 Platinum. I prefer the seats in the Platinum. They were easier on my lower back even without using the massaging function. Also, you get more leather, real aluminum trim, real wood accents (which makes the sliding door in the console feel much more substantial) and better knobs on the center stack. If I had to do it over I would probably get the Platinum.

I have a fully equipped 2017 Super Duty F-250 Platinum FX4 and have found it very comfortable for my needs. It difficult to talk to someone else about the comfort aspects of a truck since the choice is so subjective. What is comfortable for one may not be comfortable for someone else.

Two biggies...
1. Get the massage seats (KR or plat). They make a big difference, esp on long trips. I found the KR seats more comfortable than the platinum.
2. If parking ease and trailer backing ease are priorities, seriously consider a 450 instead of the 350. The wide-track-enabled 45* wheel turn is a really BIG deal.

Wouldn't the 450 ride a lot rougher empty?

Let's also not forget the much superior brakes on the 450 that really help if you plan on towing a lot.

Will it ride rougher? Yes. Is it so small of a difference that the 450 benefits greatly outweigh the SLIGHTLY worse ride? Also yes.

The big ride issue is when inflating the tires to the 90/80 listed on the door sticker. This makes the ride rough and the truck wander on the highway due to driving mostly on the tire centers.

I run 80/70, and it rides just like an F350 DRW to me. Personally, it rides about the same as the F350 SRW short bed to me. (The SRW long bed rides better.)

My 2017 and the previous two were King Ranch editions, we keep buying them for a reason. That said, all three are nice, only the KR has better leather, Platinum is same stuff as Lariat. One thing we thought was kind of hokey when we bought it were the massaging seats, but now we absolutely love them.

I wanted the massaging seats on our 350 and that dictated KR or Platinum. Love them. The adaptive cruise is a great feature. My bro has the 450 and raves about the turning ease, but also warned me that there are tax or insurance hits if you get a 450. Some years it's an option to get the wider front axle on the 350 but we were told you couldn't do that for MY 2017.

The Platinum has different leather then the Lariat as well