Posts tagged Ford

I could say that pickup trucks don’t get any bigger than this, but that’s not precisely true considering the medium-duty rig-based monster trucks like the International CXT and Chevrolet Kodiak that are running around these days. What I can say, however, is that the new Ford Super Duty is capable of matching the abilities of those beasts in a relatively normal-sized package.

Of course, “normal-sized” is a relative term. The four-wheel drive F-350 that I drove required about a thirty-inch step up to enter the cab. This did not please my short-of-stature friends, who practically had to do chin-ups on the grab handles to ascend. Ford’s all-new heavy-duty pickup truck is nothing if not significantly bigger and significantly badder.

The wall’o'chrome styling is borrowed partly from the F-250 Super Chief show truck that debuted in 2006, and it’s not shy about communicating to the world that the F-350 is the biggest and meanest thing on the block. The vertical chrome grille is chest-high to an NBA forward and features Ford’s signature four-element style and a hood that seems to be bulging with the power of what lies beneath. Stacked headlamps on either side make this truck seem even taller. Vents on the front fenders are functional, and also indicate whether the truck has gasoline or diesel power. The massive, trailer-friendly side mirrors can be folded electronically. The F-350 and other Super Duty pickups lack the streamlined, carlike look of most modern trucks, going instead for a much burlier, bulkier and mechanical presence. From the rear, it’s all business, from the tailgate to the standard heavy-duty trailer hitch and solid one-ton axle that’s visible to anyone sitting at normal-car level. Not visible at a glance is the available tailgate step. To ease cargo loading and climbing up into that tall cargo bed, a handy step and grab handle fold out of the top of the tailgate. It looks fragile, but Ford says it’ll hold up to 350 pounds. There’s also a folding bed extender that takes up less space when it’s not in use than the conventional flip-out bed extender, but is somewhat fussy to use.

Naturally, the Super Duty series is available in a cornucopia of body styles, trim levels and cab configurations. The short story is this: regular, extended and crew cabs, short and long beds, two- or four-wheel drive, single- or dual-wheel rear axles, four trim levels and four basic chassis configurations, from F-250 to F-450. The F-450 is available with a factory pickup bed for the first time. My test truck was a regular cab, long-bed model.

You might think that meant I was driving a stripped-out worker bee, but that’s not the case. The regular cab is spacious, with room for three across, or two and a lot of extra stuff. The massive console is designed to hold just about anything. It’s obvious that the interior of the F-350 is a place for doing business. Spread out in front of the driver is a dashboard that could more properly be described as a “control panel,” thanks to gear-shaped gauges and a businesslike layout. The console is large enough to hold a laptop computer or file folders. Unlike the carlike F150, the F-350 and other Super Duty trucks are clearly bred to work, and work hard. Blank switchgear for trailer brakes and other auxiliary equipment is already in place, to ensure a clean look to the dash once you’ve installed your snowplow, PTO rig, or winch.

By the same token, this is no hose-out work truck with rubber floormats and a plastic ceiling, either. You can get an F-350 so equipped, of course, but for the real world, there are plenty of comfort and convenience features to be had. My tester was ready to work, complete with a carpet delete package and cloth seats. Want to go whole hog? The F-350 offers dual-zone climate control, a navigation system, a snazzy King Ranch edition, a backup camera, adjustable pedals, and more.

Once up in the driver’s seat, the view of the road is commanding, of course. You ride high and tight in the F-350–especially in the four-wheel drive versions. Two-wheel drive F-350s get twin I-beam front suspensions, with solid front axles for the 4x4s. The rear leaf springs are eight inches longer, for improved balance. The bigger F-450 rides on its own set of heavy-duty leaf springs and a radius-arm front suspension that improves its turning circle, a necessary evolution for the ultra-long wheelbase truck. The F-350 is surprisingly quiet on the road, thanks to judicious use of Quiet Steel sound-deadening material throughout the cab. Ford’s TowCommand system adds a trailer brake controller and anti-lock brakes.

The standard Super Duty powerplant is the familiar 5.4 liter V8, but eight cylinders aren’t enough for this big boy. My test truck rolled ten-cylinder style, with Ford’s 6.8 liter big-block V10 under the hood. With 362 horsepower and 457 ft-lb torque, the V10 is a work-ready engine. Need diesel? A new 6.4 liter Power Stroke V8 is also available, with 350 horses and 650 ft-lb torque. The new Power Stroke burns cleaner and more efficiently than past diesels thanks to a high-pressure common-rail fuel delivery system. Transmissions include a six-speed manual and a five-speed automatic, both of them sturdy enough to handle the work these trucks are expected to do. The autobox may not be the smoothest around, but it’s designed for work, not play. Ford’s research shows that over 90% of Super Duty owners use their trucks to tow, so the engine and transmission choices reflect this.

An interesting suburban challenge is to find a task big enough for a truck like the Super Duty. It laughed off a six-hundred pound load of furniture in the bed; the F-350′s payload is over two tons, after all. Towing capacity is 12,500 pounds, and that’s the lightest member of the family. The big daddy of the clan, the F450, can tow up to 24,000 pounds and will haul more than 6000.

No doubt about it–this is a hard-core work truck. The F-350 will work as hard as the oversized monster-pickups from Chevy and International, but it’s easier to pilot around town (and comparatively easier to climb into). Compared to regular-sized pickups, Ford’s Super Duty series is the undisputed heavyweight champion, offering more options that you could shake a stick at and surprisingly good road manners coupled with construction so solid that many F-350s might just outlast human civilization. My test truck was a ready-to-work four-wheel drive XLT model with the regular cab and an MSRP of $30,160. After options like an upgraded sound system, adjustable pedals, the V10 engine and a limited-slip rear end, the total sticker came to $37,795.

Specifications:

All specs are for the 2008 Ford F-350 Super Duty

Length: 227.0 in.

Width: 79.9 in.

Wheelbase: 137.0 in.

Curb weight: 6273 lb.

Towing capacity: 12.500 lb.

Payload: 4220 lb.

Base price: $30,160

Price as tested: $37,795

Engine: 6.8 liter 30-valve SOHC V10

Drivetrain: five-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel drive

Horsepower: 362 @ 4750

Torque: 457 @ 3250

Fuel capacity: 38.0 gal.