The 2008 Ford Super DutyRoad Test Review
F250, F350 and F450
If you think that the Ford Super Duty pickup has no place in a publication called familycar.com, then y'all ain't been to Texas, which is responsible for 15% of the sales of Ford F-Series, many of which are used as primary family haulers. So when Ford invited me to the Lone Star State for a January preview of the newest heavy duty models, I leaped at the chance to view their latest creation, while escaping the cold of a New York winter. Don't I wish...
When I left JFK airport, it was a balmy 50o F at a time when winter normally plunges temperatures into the 30's. Ironically, when I arrived in south Texas--four hours later than planned--I had to brave the ice storms that blasted San Antonio airport and forced the closing of numerous highways. But despite nature's relentless assaults, the folks at Ford gave us the wheel-time we craved by finding alternative roads with a dogged persistence that gives new meaning to the slogan, "Built Ford Tough!"
By early afternoon, the Ford team had me behind the wheel of a Ford F-250 King Ranch with a 6.4 liter Diesel engine. Aside from sitting high up and able to see far down the road, this King Ranch hardly felt like a work truck at all. This beast was as smooth and quiet as a passenger car and a good one at that.
What diesel? You just couldn't tell it was a diesel engine unless you were standing outside with the hood up and listening closely. There was almost no diesel clatter. Acceleration was also smooth and quiet. If you stepped down hard on the throttle from a dead stop, you had to be careful not to get whiplash. That is what happens when you tromp on an unloaded pickup with 650 pounds feet of torque at your disposal. This powerplant is one of three engine choices for the Super Duty line.
Once under way, I noticed very little wind noise even with the large trailer towing mirrors that were on this vehicle. Those mirrors even had a power telescoping feature, which would allow me to see past a wide trailer had I been towing one. I noticed very little change in the level of wind noise when I tried extending them. They even had a power fold feature for navigating in close quarters.
Road noise was also very well controlled. If you wanted to use the truck as a passenger car, you wouldn't need to make any excuses. But then, this is a truck, and people buy trucks for specific reasons, whether it is for carrying heavy loads, pulling large trailers or going off-road to get building supplies to a remote job site.
I did not get the opportunity to take the Super Duty to the off-road events due to road closures that were caused by the ice storms, but a colleague of mine, Paul Weissler, was there the day before the big freeze set in and was able to get down and dirty (literally) piloting the Super Duty through all kinds of terrain.
The torrential downpours of the previous couple of days made for a challenging driving experience turning the off road course into a giant mud hole. The folks from Ford made sure that all the journalists in the previous group were protected from the goop by raiding all the department stores in the area and purchasing waterproof hip boots for everyone.
Paul writes for a number of publications including Popular Mechanics, Motor Magazine and Automotive Engineering among others. He was happy to provide us with his impressions of the Super Duty doing what it was meant to do.
Off-road, the part-time 4WD system didn’t even breathe hard. Paul reports; "I drove it in 4W High through a backhoe-scalloped and rutted area that would have stalled every one of those 'car-like' vehicles, and all I had to do was modulate the throttle to keep going."
Paul also drove an F-450 4x4 tied to a 20,000 lb. house trailer. He was able to handle it surprisingly well (of course, the F-450 can pull a lot more than that—up to 24,500 lbs., or up to 24,000 lbs. with 4x4). The Super Duty has a trailer brake controller which includes a control panel built right into the dash. This controller provides electronic integration of trailer and regular brakes, and includes ABS functionality. This system makes it as easy to stop smoothly as the diesel engine does at pulling away.
If you’re one of the not-so-tall types, the Super Duty with optional 20-inch wheels can be difficult to enter without running boards or an assist step (one of those swing-out devices that can be added on at any time). But access to the truck bed is easy if you get the optional step-up, which is built into the tailgate. Just lower the tailgate, pull the step (which comes out and down) and raise a grab rod. Put a foot on the step, grab the rod and you’re in the bed—great idea. Ford also is offering an optional two-section truck bed extender, which doesn’t restrict loading the bed when the tailgate is up –another nice feature.
The front bumper has built-in “steps,” actually U-shaped protrusions from the bumper (one on each side), that enable you to step up to do the routine maintenance checks without getting on a ladder.
The Super-Duty is sold primarily as a diesel (about 70%) for the combination of torque and fuel economy, but you also can get a 5.4-liter V-8 or 6.8-liter V-10 (Paul's attitude—spend for the diesel). For those less familiar with “Super Duty,” the classification is called “heavy-duty,” or over 8500 lbs. GVW (gross vehicle weight).
The transmission used with the diesel is a five-speed automatic, and it’s available with power takeoff, something Ford introduced on the previous generation Super Duty in 1999. The standard transmission offering is still a six-speed manual (with first gear a super-low). But these days only 5% of buyers order the manual, a simple matter of fewer young truck drivers comfortable with it. GM reportedly is dropping the manual on their new heavy-duty models.
Paul also thought that the ride was amazingly smooth for a heavy-duty truck, and the interior reflected everything Ford learned about making a truck cabin look good. Yes, it has shapes that give it an “industrial strength” look, but nice materials and no exposed fasteners, so you get the look of craftsmanship. The luxury leather interior of the King Ranch model is dazzling. Journalists gaped at it, and Paul thought, “Boy, would I like living room furniture that looked as good as that.”
The Ford Super Duty is offered in three cab styles, two bed lengths and four trim levels. As mentioned earlier, there are three engines to choose from as well as three capacities. All this to allow you to tailor a truck to your exact needs and wants.
The two bed lengths are 6.75 feet and 8 feet. All cab styles are available with the 8 foot bed. The SuperCab and Crew Cab are also available with the shorter bed as well.
The base trim level is XL. This is the work truck. If you don't add any option packages, it will come with crank-up windows, manually adjustable outside mirrors, no air conditioning and black, full length vinyl floor covering along with a HD vinyl, full bench seat. You also get a basic AM/FM radio with 2 speakers. The base engine is the V8 with a 6 speed manual transmission and rear wheel drive. The price for this bare bones truck? $22,380. This is a bargain for a person or a company that needs a rugged, high capacity work truck.
Step up to an XLT and you get air conditioning, power windows and door locks, power outside mirrors, cruise control and a 40/20/40 split bench seat with center armrest, cupholder, and storage. You also get a premium sound system with a CD/MP3 player and 4-speakers. The starting price for an F-250 XLT is $26,065 for the Regular Cab model.
The FX4 is only available in a 4x4 configuration and adds remote keyless entry and larger wheels with all-terrain tires. The price for a SuperCab F-250 FX4 begins at $33,625.
The Lariat is the luxury cruiser of the bunch. This trim level adds18" premium forged polished aluminum wheels, dual zone electronic automatic temperature control, rearview, electrochromic self-dimming mirrors, power driver and front passenger seats, front, premium leather seating surfaces 40/20/40 split bench with center armrest, cupholder, and storage, and color coordinated leather-wrapped steering wheel with redundant audio and climate controls. A SuperCab Lariat will set you back $31,785 or $34,755 for a 4x4.
The King Ranch is a special option package for the Lariat Crew Cab and has a special interior and paint treatment. The Lariat Crew Cab with the King Ranch package starts at $38,890. A fully decked out King Ranch can reach $60,000 when all available options are factored in .
Engine choices include the standard 5.4 liter Triton V8 which has 300 horsepower and 365 lb-ft of torque, a 6.8 liter Triton V10 with 362 horsepower and 457 lb-ft of torque, and of course, the 6.4 liter Power Stroke Diesel V8 with 350 horsepower and a stump-pulling 650 lb-ft of torque.
The Diesel will be the most popular choice and for good reason. Diesels are known for their low speed pulling power and efficient use of fuel, desirable qualities in a work truck. On the down side, diesels have always been known for noisy operation and belching black smoke at the slightest provocation. Certainly not what you want in these days of environmental consciousness.
Ford has come up with an answer to these concerns with the cleanest diesel ever to grace an American pickup truck. This engine is the first in the segment to offer Clean Diesel Technology, which provides an increase in performance with a sharp decrease in particulates and emissions. It is also one of the quietest diesel engines I have ever experienced.
Sequential turbochargers coupled with advanced engine electronics and software help improve off-the-line performance and allow the engine to have up to a 97 percent reduction in particulate emissions, which makes it as clean as a modern gasoline engine. High-pressure, common rail fuel system uses precision of Piezo-electric injectors to deliver quiet operation without compromising performance or efficiency.
The series sequential turbochargers work in tandem with the small variable geometry turbocharger coming on at low rpm to provide extra boost at take-off, while the larger fixed turbo joins the smaller turbo to boost power through the middle of the torque curve. As speed increases, the larger turbo takes over.
A 6 speed manual transmission is available with the gasoline powered V8 for the few that want it, but most people will opt for the 5 speed TorqShift automatic overdrive. The automatic is the only transmission that will be available with the Diesel or the V10 gasoline engine.
This is the first time that Ford is offering a fully finished truck in the super heavy duty F-450 platform. Prior to this, if you wanted an F-450, you had to buy the chassis and cab and have an outside company add a box or pickup bed. The F450 has the capacity to pull a trailer of up to 24,500 pounds when properly equipped.
The Ford Super Duty is a big, no-nonsense truck for people who work hard and play hard. It can be dressed for rough work, for a trip to to the opera, or anything in-between. The Super Duty is an important vehicle to Ford's Way-Forward plan and represents a substantial percentage of their profitable truck market. The Ford F Series, which includes the F-150 as well as the Super Duty line is the best selling pickup in America. Heck, it's the best selling vehicle of any kind in the US. Ford needed to hit a home run with the 2008 Ford Super Duty, and after my hands-on look, I believe they have.
F 350 2008
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