In terms of right stuff, it has about half the capability of a transport truck
For buyers of big and brawny work trucks, it’s as much about the numbers as it is about the name. And the numbers produced by Ford’s newest F-Series Super Duty pickup are quite impressive, whether you’re talking power, payload or price.
There’s plenty of competition these days in virtually every vehicle category, but nowhere is it more cutthroat than in the heavy-duty truck bracket. The primary domestic automakers— General Motors, Ram (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) and Ford are continually upping the ante by bulking up their respective powertrains, increasing maximum capacities and introducing new comfort and safety features.
After having the gauntlet tossed in its direction, Ford is responding with all-new F-250, F-350 and F-450 models. The starting point is an all-aluminum-alloy skin that, the automaker says, contributes to roughly a 350-pound weight reduction, compared to traditional steel. A bonus is a body that, like the F-150 pickups that were switched to aluminum for 2016, is now more ding and dent-resistant.
The other countermeasure is a new (and lighter-weight) frame that’s also claimed to be a seemingly impossible 24-times stronger. That kind of toughness helps out in the tow/haul department as well as how the SD behaves in everyday driving. It also allowed Ford to install beefed-up suspension and driveline components without adding to the truck’s overall heft.
The finished product still looks very much like the previous SD (when you’re alreadyNumber One in the rankings, why mess with success), although the front end is more rounded and the grille work is more imposing. Dimensionally, regular-, extended- and four-door SuperCrewinterior volumes have increased slightly.
Of course the heart of any truck is the powertrain and here the SD again reigns supreme, starting with the available 6.7-liter “Power Stroke” V8 turbo-diesel that’s rated at 440 horsepower and a classtopping 925 pound-feet of torque. While horsepower remains unchanged, torque jumps by 65 pound-feet and leads— for now, at least— the rest of the pack. The extra grunt comes from a larger turbocharger plus a newfuel-injection system and a reworking of the engine’s electronics.
Given that roughly 60 percent of SD buyers— nearly all regularly towing for business or pleasure— spring for the extra-cost turbo-diesel, keeping them satisfied is all-important.
Meanwhile the base non-turbo 6.2-liter V8 that warrants barely a mention in Ford’s press literature, makes the same 385 horsepower, although it’s 430 pound-feet torque rating has increased by 25 pound-feet.
Both engines are mated to six-speed automatic transmissions with a manualshifting mode. Yes, those gear-jamming days are long gone.
The F-350 and F-450 hauling and towing capabilities are off the charts and, says Ford, are more than half-way to
matching most semi-tractor trailer rigs. But the numbers for the more commonly used F-250 are equally impressive: 18,000 pounds of max towing capacity (27,500 pounds of fifth-wheel towing) and up to 3,730 pounds of payload capacity.
Assisting in the towing process is the Trailer Reverse Guidance system. It includes a rear camera plus an auxiliary camera that attaches at the rear of the trailer to provide a visual aid when backing up. Fifth-wheel towers can also order a camera mounted to the rear of the cab to help line up the SD with the trailer. An optional around-view system with four high-definition cameras gives you a 360-degree view of the truck and trailer.
The range of available active safety technology now rivals that of most passenger vehicles with adaptive cruise control to maintain safe distances from traffic ahead and blind-spot monitoring that works when towing a trailer (up to 33 feet). Lane-departure warning alerts weary/ inattentive drivers if they drift off course.
The Super Duty’s $33,700 base price (including destination fees) is merely the beginning of a long and expensive climb toward the configuration that best suits your needs. Most of that will entail equipment for the job rather than creature comforts. In terms of numbers, that’s a game that practically knows no bounds.