Ford F-450 Super Duty Review

2008 Ford F-450 Super Duty XLT Crew Cab Shown

Need a pickup good for more than 24,000 pounds of towing capacity or 3 tons of payload capacity? The Ford F-450 Super Duty is your truck. In the past, the F-450 Super Duty has been sold as a cab and naked chassis for commercial use only. With the debut of the latest generation of Super Duty trucks, however, the F-450 became available to the general public with a finished pickup bed. And although it shares sheet metal with its lighter Super Duty counterparts, the F-450 has work capacities that are truly super-sized.

As with the other Super Duty Ford trucks, the F-450 benefits from a more aggressively styled front end and a nicer cabin, with more luxury and storage than before. The PowerStroke diesel engine is larger and more potent as well -- now 6.4 liters and featuring twin turbochargers for quick response off the line as well as a beefy midrange.

The Ford F-450 pickup rides on its own unique chassis, however, and incorporates the radius-arm front suspension from the F-450 chassis cab to greatly increase front load-bearing capacity as well as towing maneuverability. Its rear suspension has been revised for more comfort, but this is still a heavy-duty workhorse truck with commercial-grade tires. It still rides stiffly when unladen, but that's the price you pay for such impressive capabilities.

The bottom line: This is one serious truck, way more than most pickup owners could ever use. If you don't require the massive towing and hauling capacities of the F-450 Super Duty chassis, the less bulky and less expensive F-250 and F-350 pickups offer the same revamped cabin and exterior styling, and both can be equipped with the redesigned 6.4-liter PowerStroke diesel. But if you're about to retire into a house on wheels and need a leather-lined workhorse to haul it around without breaking a sweat, the new Ford F-450 Super Duty pickup should be on your short list.

Current Ford F-450 Super Duty

The Ford F-450 Super Duty pickup comes in a Crew Cab body style with an 8-foot bed and dual rear wheels for greater weight handling and stability. Two- or four-wheel drive and three trim levels serve a variety of needs: base XL, midlevel XLT and luxurious Lariat. The XL is intended as a bare-bones work truck, with the step-up XLT providing more creature comforts and powered accessories. Top-level Lariats come fully equipped with leather and dual-zone automatic climate control. Lots of options are available, including reverse park assist, power-adjustable pedals, a moonroof, a navigation system and rear-seat DVD entertainment. The King Ranch Package really dresses things up with two-tone paint, 20-inch alloy wheels and western saddle-style leather seating and trim.

Powering the Ford F-450 is a 6.4-liter turbodiesel V8 that makes 350 horsepower and a massive 650 pound-feet of torque. It's hitched to a standard six-speed manual transmission or an optional five-speed automatic. Properly equipped, an F-450 Super Duty can tow up to 24,500 pounds and carry up to 6,000 pounds. Antilock disc brakes are standard, but you won't find side or head curtain airbags anywhere on the list.

The cabin displays a rugged industrial theme, and materials quality is generally good. Chrome accents surround the gauges and air vents, while a new center stack puts controls within easier reach. Dual door pockets and a massive center console/armrest quiet our previous gripes about inadequate storage. In fact, for those mixing work with pleasure, the console box is now large enough to accommodate a laptop and/or hanging files. Folding the rear seats up reveals a flip-out utility shelf that keeps the load floor flat.

For such a mammoth vehicle, the Ford F-450 is relatively easy to maneuver, thanks in part to its specialized front suspension that allows a tight turning circle. Still, dealing with traffic and parking lots can be a chore, as its front end is considerably wider than that of its lighter-duty stablemates. An unladen F-450 has a very stiff ride, but with a trailer hooked up the ride smoothes out considerably. The PowerStroke turbodiesel performs admirably under all conditions, especially with an oversize trailer chugging up 6-plus-percent grades. If you need this kind of capability, know that it's simply the most capable tow vehicle we've ever tested.

SELECT A SPECIFIC FORD F-450 SUPER DUTY MODEL YEAR*

* Edmunds.com maintains vehicle data as far back as 1990.