2017 Ford F-250 Super Duty Diesel 4x4 Crew Cab

We all know that person who makes a resolution each new year. The one who promises to better himself and become stronger, smarter, and more capable. The Ford F-250 promises much as it enters the 2017 model year. Dearborn’s heavy-duty hauler is all-new from the ground up, and it’s as if it were hellbent on self-improvement.

Weight Watchers

Even if you live in a cave, off the grid, or within 100 miles of our editor-at-large John Phillips’s Montana desk, you’ve heard that Ford’s heavy-duty truck line now has a body constructed from aluminum, just like the F-150. That allows Ford to trim some fat and replace it with muscle. The F-250 now has a heavier, fully boxed steel frame, an upgraded rear axle, and fortified four-wheel-drive components. It has been some time since we’ve done a full test on the F-250, so drawing an exact weight comparison is difficult. The 2017 F-250 Platinum 4x4 crew cab tested here tipped the scales at 8300 pounds, a noteworthy 350 pounds more than the steel-bodied 2012 F-250 King Ranch’s 7950 that we recorded. But five years is a long time between trips to the scales, and the previous generation was updated in 2015, which is not accounted for in this comparison.

Regardless, the additional structural rigidity the truck gains from the chassis is immediately apparent. The heavy-duty suspension paired with the unique dampers in the optional FX4 Off-Road package returns a rather firm and jumpy ride for daily use, though. We were unable to load the bed to its advertised 3450-pound payload capacity, but this sturdy machine is built for hauling loads far afield, and unladen ride quality clearly wasn’t anyone’s priority.

If towing massive objects is your thing, the F-250 has you covered. The tow capacities benefit from the updated structure. The frame-mounted trailer-hitch receiver incorporates three sleeves slid over one another, allowing 2.0-, 2.5-, or 3.0-inch ball mounts to be used. This F-250 can pull up to 15,000 pounds without a weight-distributing hitch; our test truck was equipped with the optional fifth-wheel/gooseneck trailer attachment, raising the towing capacity to 15,400 pounds. While today’s F-series Super Duty tow ratings are class leading, the towing battle among the Big Three likely will render these numbers obsolete in 2018.

Muscle Building

Hauling nearly eight tons of stuff isn’t accomplished by uprating the frame alone; it takes torque, and lots of it (not to mention thoughtful thermal management). For 2017, Ford unleashes its second-generation, 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 diesel engine. Peak torque from this hot-V design—meaning the turbo is mounted in the valley between the cylinder banks—increases from 860 lb-ft to a massive 925 lb-ft at 1800 rpm, 200 revolutions per minute higher than the previous generation. The horsepower remains the same at 440. To achieve these gains, the diesel engine employs a larger turbocharger, new fuel injectors, and an updated fuel pump. The diesel is smooth and quiet enough to pass for a gasoline engine at cruising speeds. Throughout our test, we averaged 15 mpg, right on par with F-150s we’ve tested. That efficiency doesn’t come across as a bargain, though—stepping up to the diesel will set one back $8795 over a gasoline F-250.

Remember the words “torque steer”? They’re seldom spoken in modern times, but a four-wheel-drive-aided launch of this 8300-pound behemoth involves that old countersteer reaction. It also takes the truck from a standstill to 60 mph in an impressively brief 6.9 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 15.3 seconds at 90 mph. There is much more left in the acceleration times; to protect the driveline, peak torque is limited in the first three of the automatic transmission’s six gears. Diesel tuners, unite!

It Also Stops and Turns

Stopping this big rig from 70 mph requires nearly two-thirds of a football field, or 202 feet. That’s hardly sports-car territory, but it’s also an improvement of 40 feet—two full truck lengths—over that 2012 King Ranch we tested. The brake pedal feels firm and easy to modulate, and despite track-testing abuse, zero fade was noted over repeated panic stops. Strong brakes paired with large towing ability is a combination of which we approve.

What is happening in the steering column borders on magical. Standard hardware on the Platinum-level Super Duty trucks, the speed-dependent variable-ratio steering system could well be the most profound upgrade in the entire truck. A planetary gearset wedged between the steering wheel and the column gets input from an electric motor and the steering wheel. The steering shaft becomes an output shaft, telling the hydraulically assisted recirculating-ball steering system which direction to turn. The addition or subtraction of rotations required at the steering wheel provides a great sense of flexibility. At lower speeds, the front wheels will turn more with less steering input, while the opposite is true at highway speeds. Navigating the local home-improvement-store parking lot becomes a breeze, and busy work with the steering wheel at highway speeds is virtually eliminated. With a trailer in tow, your prized equine will appreciate the latter attribute.

Lifetime Luxury

As remarkable as the towing capacity and updated steering is the Platinum’s interior. The spacious cab (identical to that of its little brother, the F-150) packs trimmings comparable to those of a luxury sedan. Rough day at the ranch? Settle in to the plush leather-wrapped seats and relax with a massage (front occupants only) while enjoying the dual-zone automatic climate control. To polish off the truck’s class-leading technology, adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist are available for the first time.

Six auxiliary switches are available to control any electrical add-on imaginable. We’ve seen these upfitter switches used to control off-road running lights, in-bed air compressors to run tools at a work site, and air horns that mimic those on a train locomotive.

The cost for all this is no small matter, however. Things escalate quickly from the F-250 Platinum 4x4 crew cab’s base price of $63,605. Our test truck had the aforementioned $8795 diesel engine, as well as the $2785 Platinum Ultimate package that contains a panoramic sunroof, adaptive cruise control with brake support for trailers, lane-keeping assist, and 360-degree cameras. A bundle that oddly pairs a bed camera with a tire-pressure monitoring system for a trailer was $725. The FX4 Off-Road package, which includes uprated dampers, hill-descent control, and skid plates for both the transfer case and the fuel tank was another $295. Also added was $370 for the fifth-wheel prep package, $390 for the limited-slip rear differential, $95 for LED roof clearance lights, $495 for the spray-in bedliner, and $165 for the six pre-wired upfitter switches. Lastly, Ruby Red paint was a final $395. In all, stacking $14,510 worth of options on an already hefty base price brings the total to $78,115 as tested. Certainly, the F-250s impressive towing abilities can be had for much less in lower trim levels. In our opinion, the only gotta-have-it option is the adaptive steering system, which is offered on the Lariat and King Ranch trim levels for $685.

The improved structure, added power, top-notch luxury, and latest technology result in one fine pickup truck, albeit a costly one. Ford’s resolution raises the bar in the heavy-duty market, leaving the others in tow.

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-/4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door pickup

PRICE AS TESTED: $78,115 (base price: $49,020)

ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled pushrod 32-valve diesel V-8, iron block and aluminum heads, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 406 cu in, 6656 cc
Power: 440 hp @ 2800 rpm
Torque: 925 lb-ft @ 1800 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 159.8 in
Length: 250.0 in
Width: 80.0 in Height: 81.3 in
Passenger volume: 136 cu ft
Curb weight: 8300 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 6.9 sec
Zero to 90 mph: 15.3 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 8.3 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 4.0 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 5.3 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 15.3 sec @ 90 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 97 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 202 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad*: 0.73 g

FUEL ECONOMY:
C/D observed: 15 mpg
C/D observed 75-mph highway driving: 17 mpg
C/D observed highway range: 570 mi

*stability-control-inhibited