All hail the truck king -- Ford.

Ford's been the sales leader in trucks for quite some time now, and it certainly holds its own no matter how new the competition might be. This year, the brand has to contend with new models from Toyota, Chevrolet and GMC.

But despite the new ones on the block, Ford's current batch of trucks is more than up to the task at hand, for the most part.

I tested the all-new 2007 Ford Explorer Sport Trac Limited 4x4, which bridges the gulf between SUVs and more conventional pickup trucks. I also tested the 2007 Ford F-150 4x4 King Ranch, a duded up, glitzed out truck if ever there was one.

The Explorer had a base price of $29,540. Standard equipment included full power accessories, automatic headlamps, independent rear suspension, second row 60/40 seats, anti-lock brakes and other features.

Optional accessories included a class three trailer towing package, navigation, power adjustable pedal, two-tone leather buckets, and redundant steering controls. Other standard features include Ford's comprehensive safety canopy program, power sliding rear window, power adjusting pedals, Sirius satellite radio and lots of other things. The final price was $38,240.

Power came from a 4.6-liter, 292-horsepower V-8 engine with gas mileage ratings of 14/20. The truck has a 1,350-pound payload capacity and a 6,640-pound towing capacity.

It's worth noting that Explorer Sport Trac has been given five-star ratings for driver and passenger frontal impact test results, and a five-star rating for the front and rear seat in side impact crashes.

The Sport Trac was totally redesigned for 2007, including a much stiffer new chassis, a new suspension and the bigger engine. As a result, one of the biggest pluses of the Sport Trac is a terrific sense of stability and solidness on the road. It very much feels all of one piece, and because of its city traffic-friendly size, it is one of the best trucks around for people who live in urban areas or who must traverse congested streets.

However, the construction on the Sport Trac model that I drove left something to be desired. There were gaps in places inside and out, the gearshift lever was ratchety and noisy when being handled, and bare, black metal could be seen under the seats. It just did not seem bolted together correctly.

I found all of this disconcerting, but to be fair, this may be just one example, which of course can happen on any make or model of a vehicle. Or perhaps life in press fleet hasn't been good to the truck. After all, every online evaluation of the Sport Trac that I read from owners lauded the quality control, and other writers have said much the same thing.

Let's turn our attention now to the biggest and baddest of the two I tested, the F-150 King Ranch. This one has to rank as one of the handsomest trucks I've ever tested.

Ford is hands down the best designer of truck interiors around, and it also is quite talented in differentiating between the many variations of the F-150 by clever use of interior materials and design themes.

The interior on my King Ranch had a rugged, aged leather look about it, done in two-tone tan leather with embossed highlights. This scheme complemented the Forest Green clearcoat exterior quite nicely.

The King Ranch I drove was a 4x4 Super Crew version powered by a 5.4-liter, 300-horsepower V-8 that can operate on both ethanol and gasoline. Standard equipment included front tow hooks and fog lamps, locking removable tailgate with a lift assist, full power accessories, two-speed transfer case, cruise control, a tilt steering wheel and many other items.

Options included Pueblo Gold accents and running boards, an audiophile system, the King Ranch package, power moon roof, skid plates, navigation radio, heated seats and other features. Base price was $38,365, and final price was $44,945. The 5.4-liter V-8 had a mileage rating of 14/18.

Payload on the F-150 King Ranch I drove was 1,670 while the towing capacity was 9,500 pounds.

Ford's F-150 still ranks as one the quietest trucks around. I didn't hear any rattles or squeaks to speak of. But on acceleration, it was a bit different story because the engine seemed loud and rough.

Interior comfort was well above average, with big, thick comfy captain's chairs and plenty of legroom and headroom to spare.

The highway ride was pretty terrific, too. Bumps and jolts from the road were nicely isolated from the truck cab, and the truck behaved well when cornering and going around curves.

Acceleration however, left a lot to be desired. This truck is just too big for a 300-horsepower engine, when you consider that the much smaller Sport Trac I also drove had 292. This also puts the Ford at a big disadvantage to the much more powerful Toyota Tundra.

All things considered, the Ford falls just a notch below GM's new Chevy and GMC trucks in terms of driving ease. You never forget you're behind the wheel of a Ford truck -- a very nice Ford truck -- but a truck nonetheless. That's because of the sheer weight, the way everything works together and just the psychological sense of things.

GM, on the other hand, fools you into thinking you're driving a car. Again, it's the combination of the tangible and intangible qualities of the truck itself. The steering, seating position, instrument panel design, angle and location, and the overall sense that you're driving something far smaller than a truck all combine to give you that "car" feeling.

Too, the Silverado and Sierra both feel more athletic and agile behind the wheel.

Consumers on chat lines love the big Ford's ride, interior sling, towing and hauling ability, and the price and incentives available. But they all decry the fuel mileage, visibility to the rear and poor acceleration. In several cases quality control was an issue, from nonworking windshield washers and signal lights to a heat shield needing constant repair.

But overall, it's a terrific truck. I will say, however, that it's a good thing for Ford that a new model is on the way because my sense was that it could stand some updating.

First Published: July 25, 2007, 11:00 p.m.