|
By Rick Webster
Four
slamming doors, a six foot bed, a direct injected, turbo charged 7.3-
liter diesel motor that puts out an impressive 235-horsepower, 500 lbs.-
ft. of torque and a gross combined weight rating of over 10 tons, the
brand new 2000 Ford F250 Super Duty was our choice for Project Workhorse.
Our objective was, for two months of October and November of 1999, to find
a work truck that could "talk the talk and walk the walk" while
providing its occupants with a bit of comfort. Ultimately, we needed to
find a rig that could tow a gooseneck trailer, a '77 Jeep, a '74 Land
Cruiser, three people, luggage and more, while providing decent fuel
mileage, reliability, plenty of power, good styling and creature comforts.
Our list of demands read:
- Lots of torque - preferably the most available in a passenger truck
- Big payload / towing capacity - hauling capability in excess of 11,000 lbs. and its ability to do so through mountainous terrain.
- Long-term reliability
- Spacious interior - need lots of room for four or more people, luggage, equipment, etc.
- Fuel Mileage - Need fairly decent fuel mileage when towing, city driving, etc.
- Decent street driving
- Some creature comfort - comfortable cloth seats, lots of headroom, hip room, legroom, etc.
- 4-Wheel Drive - Never know when you might need to venture off-road to recover a broken vehicle.
- Solid front axle - A solid front axle would provide increased reliability and make lifting the vehicle a snap.
- Availability of accessories
|
After a month or so of asking questions, talking about diesel versus
gasoline motors, test-driving, talking to experts and much deliberation
between Chevrolet, Ford and Dodge, we decided first on a diesel motor
and then on a 4-wheel drive pickup. After all of this debate, we chose
the 2000 F250 Super Duty. With a sticker price of $38,550.00, our truck
came with loads of standard amenities, but not too many to prevent it
for it's real purpose: work.
The decision itself was a tough one. Chevrolet, unfortunately, went out
of the picture early due to their lack of heavy-duty, light truck options,
leaving only Dodge and Ford in the running. The choice from there was
pretty tough as the Dodge has a great history for making beefy, long-
lasting trucks. Although Dodge can't boast the torque that Ford can, the
Cummins turbo diesel's torque range starts earlier and lasts a bit longer
than the Ford. The Power Stroke however, has a much better throttle
response and has much better acceleration throughout its torque and
horsepower ranges, in addition the interior of the Ford
has considerably more room was a bonus while the simple fact that by
comparing classes, the Ford has air conditioning, power windows, power
door locks, tilt, cruise and alloy wheel as standard features while
these are costly options on the Dodge. Lastly, Ford had some 30 base-
model pickups to choose from; Dodge didn't even come close.
Dodge did put up one heck of a fight, but round for
round in the showroom ring, the new Ford won the battle.
Review
Super Duty; a cocky name that brings forth thoughts of blasting through the
mud, towing heavy loads and commercials with bucket loaders dumping several
thousand pounds of aggregate into the bed from 10 feet above. With a baseline
of some 500 lbs.-ft. of torque and a GVWR of some 12,000 plus pounds, who can
argue that name? The Super Duty pickup is a high sitting, stout truck with an
aggressive stance and antagonistic lines.
With only a few minor changes to the line up this year such as four-wheel,
anti-lock disc brakes, two new interior and exterior colors and power windows
and door locks added as standard features to the XLT package, the Super Duty
is a combination of creature comfort and sheer working status.
Exterior
What can we say but BIG?
There is no mistaking the new styling of the Super duty series, with its immense
size, the aggressive flares and high stance. The 99 ½ to 2000 model transition
had no noticeable changes to the exterior, but the 98 to 99 exterior differences
were dramatic nonetheless.
Ford did add a set of semi-automatic locking hubs this year. The hubs allow you
to drive around in "unlocked" or "automatic" position. The "automatic" position
keeps the front-end disengaged until the driver engages 4-wheel drive from inside
the cab. Our tests proved that this new feature works well and provided no problems
during off-road testing.
Interior
Interior fit and finish rated about an 8.5 on a scale of 1 to 10 but its empirical
ratings were much lower. Its cavernous interior allows for six large people and
provides more than ample leg, hip, shoulder and headroom, both up front and in
the rear seats. A standard illuminated entry feature turns the dome light and
cargo light on and dual air bags keep the front seat occupants safe. Two standard
12-volt auxiliary "cigarette" plugs are handy, along with oversized center
console / middle front seat. Everything about this truck is big. Shift on the fly
4-wheel drive controls allow the driver to engage 4-wheel drive and 4-wheel
drive lo-range with a twist of the knob.
The four large doors make entry for multiple occupants a snap, and rear leg,
hip and shoulder room is equivalent to that of a large sedan. Four reading/
map lights are well placed and provide minimal interference with night
driving. The driver’s seat offers a number of adjustments including lumbar
support and the passenger front seat has similar adjustments to ensure
everyone is comfortable.
The dash, although all too familiar, is well laid out. All controls are
well within reach and can be operated with gloved hands. The stereo system
has a clear and crisp sound, but lacks in bass and distorts at high volume.
The gauges are well positioned, easy to read and provide the driver with
vital information in all lighting circumstances with minimal sunlight glare.
The overall interior design and usability of the Ford hasn’t changed and is
overdue for a makeover. Its lack of empirical features that help other
manufacturers tip the charts won’t be found here. No compass, no automatic
dimming rearview mirror, no premium sound are here and the list goes on.
Engine
The engine is comprised of a direct injected, 7.3 liter turbo diesel motor.
The motor is a V8 by design, which helps with producing a bit more horsepower
by nature, but advancements were needed as standard inline diesel motors tend
to put out more torque. As stated previously, the motor exhales some 500 lbs.-
ft. of torque and 235 horsepower. Dual batteries are standard for the diesel
motor and dual alternators are an option.
The motor provides great power through all RPM's and the automatic transmission
shifts crisply and without confusion. Additionally, Ford has added a good amount
of sound dampening material to the firewall to help quiet things up a bit in the
cab and has done a good job at it.
Off Road
Off the beaten path, the F250 Super Duty's performance is a bit lacking. The
live front and rear axles provided minimal articulation and the truck is a bit
top heavy considering its length and width. We expected a bit more frame/bed
flex than we saw but this is due to the heavy-duty boxed frame. The steering
feedback during off road testing is more than expected and is on the verge of
bumpsteer. Hitting a good sized rock with a front tire, even at low speeds, spun
the steering wheel out of our hands.
Our wishes of having a full size rig with a live front axle did come true with
a strapping Dana 50 located with leaf springs. This should make for easy lift
kit installations.
The off-road traction is better, however, than expected and attacked the steepest
hills with minimal wheel slip and little effort. Putting the truck in 4-wheel
drive, lo-range provided a fantastic compound ratio even with the 3.73:1 gear
ratio.
On Road
On road driving is surprisingly pleasant for a 4-wheel drive and a pickup. With
a solid front axle and leaf springs all the way around one would expect nothing
less than a brutal ride. Not so however, the F250 Super Duty soaks up all but
the largest bumps and provides a firm, yet comfortable ride. The steering system
lacks badly in steering radius making u-turns nearly impossible.
The 4-wheel, antilock, disc brakes help to stop the big truck quickly and in a
straight line. Additionally, the antilock system isn't affected much by off road
testing and high-speed washboard road driving.
The Super Duty handles turns, corners and lane changes better than most full-size
trucks and provides minimal body roll and sway.
Final impressions
Considering the Ford's less than perfect off-road performance, we really like the
big truck. Its intended purpose is that of towing, hauling and work and the off-
road performance was much lower on the list of requirements we had. The interior
space is immense and makes talking with your passenger nearly a long distance
call.
If you are in the market for a large truck with a spacious and comfortable
interior, a truck that can handle well and tow, drag or haul just about anything
you can think of, then the Super Duty is for you. We look forward to driving
project Workhorse as often as we can.
| Pros |
Cons |
- 500 lbs.-ft. of torque
- Large payload / hauling capacities
- Ample interior space
- New styling
- Large, easy to operate controls
- Quieter diesel motor
- 4 full-size doors
- Shift-on-the-fly four-wheel drive
|
- Poor steering radius
- Heavy bumpsteer while off-roading
- Ageing interior layout
- Meager ground clearance
|
|