This week I’m in beautiful Colorado running around with Ford’s 2017 heavy duty F-250, F-350 and some F-450 pickup trucks. These models have major changes to the frame, engine and body design for the first time since pretty much 1999. So what do you want to know about them?
Ford’s Super Duty line is what they call their heavy duty trucks, though they’re technically heavy-duty light-duty trucks. Hilarious, I know. We have a complete guide for your reference if you want to get into the frustrating semantics of how trucks are classified, but our purposes here the F-250, F-350 and some versions of the F-450 are basically incrementally more capable than an F-150. They’re also subject to a different set of regulations, meaning they can get heavier and don’t comply with the same emissions rules.
The F-150 was traditionally known as a “half-ton” truck because it was rated to carry that much weight in its bed. By the same logic the F-250 was a “three-quarter ton” and the F-350 was a “one-ton.” Those terms no longer apply, since there are now F-150 variants capable of hauling over a ton. And some of the new Super Duty rigs could put the weight of an F-150 and then some in their own beds and carry on just fine.
Some of the specs on these new mongrels are downright ridiculous, and I can’t wait to feel what 925 lb-ft of torque is like. But equally interesting is the list of technological toys Ford’s slapping on these things. Cameras everywhere, adaptive cruise control, there should be enough driver-assistance equipment in one of these to make any idiot look pro.
Naturally, I’m the perfect guinea pig to put that to the test. Let me know what you want to know about these bad boys.