© Perry Stern, Automotive Content Experience
Big and Bold
For most people who decide they need a pickup truck, a midsize or light-duty full-size truck is typically more than capable of handling most tasks. However, for shoppers looking at something bolder and stronger to take on specific, brutish tasks there’s the Ford F-350 Super Duty. We recently spent a few days with this behemoth and found that not only is it supremely capable, it’s quite nice to live with on a day-to-day basis — most of the time.
© Perry Stern, Automotive Content Experience
Not Inexpensive
Our test vehicle was a 2019 Ford F-350 Super Duty 4X4 Crew Cab Limited — the top trim level of the Super Duty line. Already fully loaded as a Limited, our truck also included a gooseneck hitch kit, FX4 Off-Road package, spray-in bedliner and premium Ruby Red Metallic paint for a total MSRP of $85,675. The competitive set for a truck such as this is limited to the Chevrolet Silverado HD, GMC Sierra HD or Ram Heavy Duty.
© Perry Stern, Automotive Content Experience
Standing Out From the Crowd
The Ruby Red metallic paint on the F-350 SuperDuty makes this already boldly-styled truck stand out even more. To say this truck has presence is a gross understatement. The satin-finish grille is massive and works well with the LED quad-beam headlights and LED fog lights. The 20-inch polished aluminum wheels finish off the premium look. Retractable running boards are a nice touch, and a real necessity for climbing into the truck without needing a stepladder — or possibly injuring a body part not intended for stretching.
© Perry Stern, Automotive Content Experience
Beautiful Interior
As much as this truck’s styling attracts attention, it’s the interior that really blows people’s minds. The Limited cabin is on par with a luxury sedan, featuring big, comfy bucket seats swathed in soft leather with a two-tone treatment and stitching. Seats have multiple power adjustments and are heated or cooled. Leather covers the center console as well as the dashboard and steering wheel. The headliner is suede, and a twin-pane power moonroof takes up the entire roof.
© Perry Stern, Automotive Content Experience
Useful Features
A centerpiece of the F-350 dashboard, an 8-inch touchscreen display provides easy access to all items via a set menu at the lower part of the screen. Audio and climate controls are separate and easily accessible, although we admit to accidentally increasing the temperature rather than the volume since the knobs are almost identical. Ford also provides a dual glovebox in front of the passenger as well as a 110-volt outlet. Front and center is a very large covered storage bin as well as multiple cupholders and space to store multiple electronic devices.
© Perry Stern, Automotive Content Experience
Big Back Seat
Rear-seat passengers will find plenty of legroom and headroom in the F-360 SuperDuty, and with a flat floor there’s easily space for three in back. The heated rear seats are extremely comfortable. Plus the F-350 possesses two USB outlets as well as 12-volt and 110-volt power outlets.
© Perry Stern, Automotive Content Experience
Handy Storage
The seat bottoms in the rear passenger area of the F-350 SuperDuty can be folded up out of the way, revealing a roomy storage area to keep valuables out of site. If more space is needed for storing items in the cabin, the storage cubby can fold flat to reveal a spacious cargo floor.
© Perry Stern, Automotive Content Experience
Utility
Of course The 2019 Ford F-350 is a truck — although riding around in the luxuriously-appointed cabin might make you forget —and the bed offers plenty of utility. The factory bedliner is extremely durable and should keep this truck looking good for years to come. The tailgate can be released via a remote and it lowers slowly. The F-350 has multiple tiedowns for easily securing loads, and the innovative step built into the tailgate always impresses with its simplicity and functionality.
© Perry Stern, Automotive Content Experience
Extreme Capability
And even though there’s plenty of luxury and space for stuff, the real reason for buying a vehicle such as the F-Series Super Duty is its incredibly capability. Under the hood lurks a 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbodiesel V8 that generates 450 horsepower and a stump-pulling 935 lb-ft of torque at a mere 1800 rpm. This gets teamed with a 6-speed automatic transmission; the powertrain is capable of towing more than 31,000 pounds. The F-350 can also handle almost 5,000 pounds of cargo in the bed. The EPA does not report fuel economy for heavy duty trucks; however, during our press drives the trip computer indicated about 12 mpg around town, and up to 17 mpg cruising on the highway. We would expect those numbers given this truck’s immense power; a light load or small trailer would probably not have much effect on fuel economy.
© Perry Stern, Automotive Content Experience
Pleasant to Drive
Unfortunately during our time with the big truck we didn’t have any stumps to pull out of the ground or yachts to tow; that said, the Super Duty drives quite well even when empty. There’s plenty of power on tap, and with large mirrors and plenty of cameras, visibility is quite good. On the highway we found the truck does just fine cruising at 70 mph, although the ride does get a bit bouncy with no payload in the pickup bed when the road gets rough — this is one big truck.
© Perry Stern, Automotive Content Experience
Hard to Park
The biggest issue we ran into during our time in the Super Duty is something every owner will have to confront: finding a place to park. At almost 21 feet long, the F-350 Crew Cab Super Duty does not fit into most typical parking spaces. Even with the aid of cameras in front and back, we found there was no avoiding taking up considerably more than its fair share of parking space. Maneuverability also is hindered considerably by overall length. That said, these are problems with any full-size HD truck and not an issue specific to the F-Series.
© Perry Stern, Automotive Content Experience
Rating: 9.0
The F-Series Super Duty has specific tasks at which it excels — primarily hauling and towing very large loads. But this F-350 Limited shows the softer side of these workhorses, allowing owners to fully experience a luxurious ride with all the latest amenities, without giving up any of the truck’s extreme capabilities. While the price for this high-end truck is approaching Mercedes-Benz S-Class territory, buyers can happily sit in their leather-trimmed seats knowing they could tow six of the big Mercedes sedans to safety — and all at once if necessary.
© Perry Stern, Automotive Content Experience
© Perry Stern, Automotive Content Experience
2019 Ford F-350 Super Duty
Flat load floor under the rear seat.
© Perry Stern, Automotive Content Experience
© Perry Stern, Automotive Content Experience
© Perry Stern, Automotive Content Experience
2019 Ford F-350 Super Duty
Clear and informational gauges.
© Perry Stern, Automotive Content Experience
© Perry Stern, Automotive Content Experience
2019 Ford F-350 Super Duty
Added utility in the cargo bed.
© Perry Stern, Automotive Content Experience
© Perry Stern, Automotive Content Experience
