Ford F-250 Super Dutys bring brawn and bling to the serious truck market

By Jim Bray
October 17, 2024

Ford, the king of pickup truck sales in North America, has updated its big F-250 for 2024, though since it was updated in a major way for the last model year it may be a case of gilding a pretty nice lily.

Still, if you're looking for a three-quarter ton diesel-powered workhorse, you probably can't go too far wrong – after all, there must be a reason Ford sells so many trucks year after year!

All this is mostly lost on me because, as I've said repeatedly, I'm not a truck guy in the slightest. Oh, I get their use and their place and that people love them even if they don't really need a truck (people don't need MX-5's either, after all). But I'm more a MX-5, small and sporty car guy and I'm sure that makes some truck aficionados think I'm from outer space.

So, when I'm tasked with reviewing a truck, it's quite a challenge for me. Hell, just getting into and out of a full-sized truck is quite a challenge for my short and round body.

That was one of the reasons I enjoyed Ford Canada's sample F-250 Super Duty diesel: it had retracting running boards that meant I could get in and out without making a complete fool of myself (the downside being that I had to find other ways of doing that!).

Fortunately, as well, I have some friends in my neighbourhood who are truck folks and they took me out in the F-250 to give me their impressions. And they loved the truck!

The F-250 is about as comfortable to drive as I've ever experienced with a full-sized truck, though in my non-truck-guy world that isn't saying a lot. My neighbours thought it was great, though, smooth and comfortable and with responsive steering and a ride that isn't as bouncy as they expected. I thought it was as bouncy as all get out, chittering over frost heaves and seams in the asphalt as if it's about to spin around on you – though it never came close to doing that. But they are far more experienced with and tolerant of trucks, so I must defer to them.

I hate that!

Click here for a gallery of photos from Ford's website.

The F-250 Limited comes with Ford's 6.7 litre high output V8 diesel, which makes 500 horsepower and a blistering 1,200 lb.-ft. of torque. The "lesser engine" is a 6.7 litre Power Stroke V8 turbodiesel that makes 475 horsepower and 1,050 lb.-ft. of torque. Both come with a ten-speed automatic transmission. I hate that many gears, because the thing's always upshifting to save gas and then you have to downshift through many gears when you want to accelerate – but what can you do? That's all they come with.

Besides, I don't think it's quite the issue with a big truck as with, say, a Mustang.

There are also two gas engines available on this truck (though the Limited gets the big diesel as standard), a 6.8-litre V8 rated at 400 horsepower and 445 lb.-ft. of torque, and a 7.3-litre V8 making 430 horsepower and 485 lb.-ft. of torque.

I have to admit, that big diesel does a terrific job of motivating this big vehicle and you really cut a swath through traffic when you drive it. It doesn't get the eyeballs of onlookers as much as the F-150 Raptor R I drove last year, but not much does!

Naturally, the F-250 Limited also sports 4x4 credentials, and it features a 3.31 Electronic Locking Axle Ratio.

The Limited – well, the entire line, except for options – has a handsome, efficient and roomy interior with a great greenhouse, comfortable seats, and with Ford's typically easy-to-use buttons and dials interfaces instead of forcing you to use touch screens for everything. This is how it should be!

Speaking of screens, higher end trim levels get a 12-inch screen as opposed to eight inches, and it comes with a subscription to a navigation thingy that, for instance, will help you avoid routes (if you tell it your trailer info) where turns are too sharp or bridges and the like are too low for you. I didn't actually get a chance to try this, but have no reason to think it doesn't work as advertised – Ford's usually pretty good about such things. And it's a pretty cool feature if it's something you're likely to use.

Ford says the Super Duty also contains "must-have tech such as Pro Power Onboard that can power a jobsite or campground, and Ford Pro's suite of software and services to help maximize uptime, accelerate productivity, and lower the cost of ownership."

The company also says it's the first pickup in North America to have 5G embedded, "enabling faster mapping, Wi-Fi and Ford Power-Up software updates while driving".

A new Pro Upfit Integration System is designed for customers who "rely on body equipment and upfits to accomplish a job, such as utility cranes or plows". It's a digital thingy that supposedly lets aftermarket equipment makers integrate and operate their hardware better into the truck's digital displays. Ford says this "cloud-based" software lets equipment makers add digital buttons for drivers to control their equipment from inside the truck." I like the sound of this since I'm a little guy and getting into and out of the truck was, to me, an ordeal.

New "available" driver assist technologies (which I assume means "optional") include something called "Onboard Scales with Smart Hitch", which the manufacturer says estimates cargo weight in real time and provides guidance on trailer tongue weight distribution, displaying it directly on the centre touchscreen, as well as on the FordPass app. A 360-Degree Trailer Camera System also comes in very handy.

Not only that, but "Pro Trailer Hitch Assist" will back the truck up automatically and align the conventional hitch ball to the trailer receiver.

Other safety equipment includes:

Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop-and-Go and Lane Centering
Trailer Theft Alert (sends an alert to the FordPass app if anyone tries to steal your trailer when the truck is locked
Front and Rear Brake Assist that's meant to help prevent low-speed collisions
Full-colour head's-up display that helps you keep your eyes on the road ahead. I hated these displays when they first came out, but have grown to really appreciate them.

The "Tremor Off-Road Package" not only means you get a front-end lift and a uniquely tuned suspension, there's also a Dana front axle with limited-slip differential and axle vent tubes. You also get whopping 35-inch Goodyear tires, unique 18-inch wheels, Trail Control, various drive modes including a rock-crawl mode and Trail Turn Assist.

It really is a heckuva truck and were I a truck guy I daresay I'd be salivating over all the stuff that comes in it (let alone the extras you get on this Limited trim level), as well as all the stuff it's capable of doing. It almost makes me want to be a truck guy!

Maybe if it were the size of a Maverick, it would tick my boxes better. But that would kind of defeat the purpose of the F-250, wouldn't it?