Having just completed a full week driving a 2013 Ford F-250 XLT Super Duty Crew 4X4 pickup truck, there is no doubt in my mind that the Ford line of Super Duty pickups indeed own work in the U.S. as they claim.
The 2013 Ford F-250 XLT Super Duty Crew 4X4 pickup we have been driving is, in our judgment, indeed a working persons truck with all the "Built Ford Tough" you would expect along with Ford F-Series styling, comfort and productivity amenities that make it a handsome and comfortable drive anywhere you are.
Our F-250 Super Duty was the 4X4 XLT model with the Crew cab (seats five), powered by the 6.2L V8 gas engine generating 385 horsepower at 5,500 rpm delivering 405 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,500 rpm.
Equipped with the 6R140 TorqueShift six-speed automatic transmission with SelectShift and the 3.73 rear end, this F-250 had a haul capacity of 3,250 pounds and tow capacity of 12,500 pounds.
The 6.2L gasoline engine has been reengineered for 2013, and, according to Ford, delivers 15% better mileage on regular gas than its V8 predecessor in the Super Duty. Though fuel efficiency ratings are not required for this level of truck, it is equipped with a 35 gallon tank and at 15 mpg, this Super Duty would have a range of over 500 miles.
Our test truck was very handsome yet rugged in its deep Green Gem Metallic color. If you look on their consumer site for the color, do not be fooled as you will find it looking more like a Robinhood or Peter Pan green on that site. The actual color is a handsome green metallic.
The interior was done very nicely in a rugged yet refined, adobe color cloth with patterned seat and back accents. The interior cab surfaces were attractive blends of deep brown soft (stitched leather) and hard surface accents. Surrounding the seating area were adobe color hard panels in subtle texture patterns with trim pieces in matte metallic with chrome highlights.
Fully carpeted front and rear, this was a very refined and almost luxurious interior for a working truck.
I would be remiss if I did not mention a couple of functional items in this truck that add to the comfort, security and productivity of the Super Duty.
Storage in and alongside the console is large, deep and easy to access readily storing all manner of items including your laptop or tablet safely and securely.
There are six major size cup holders in the console ( four in the front and two in the rear) that are well placed for easy reach and include rubber inserts that allow easy cleaning and, when removed, provide space for jumbo cups of hot or soft drinks.
Hidden under the fold-up 60/40 rear seat are two lockable storage units with a divider that can be locked or unlocked from either side. If you remove the divider, you can store fishing poles or hunting rifles securely there as well.
Our test truck had a base price of $40,620 as a F-250 XLT Super Duty Crew 4X4 equipped with the 6.2L V8 rolling on 18-inch cast machined aluminum wheels with a 12,500 pound trailer hitch, spare tire and holder, engine block heater and rear glass defrost, hill start assist, manually locking hubs, telescopic heated foldable mirrors, trailer brake controller, trailer sway control, remote keyless entry, locking removable tailgate, air conditioning, audio system with AM/FM radio and single disk CD/MP3 player with auxiliary input connection and Ford SYNCH connectivity.
Optional additional items on this truck were the 18-inch LT275/70R18E BSW All Terrain tires ($955), 3.73 locking axle ($390) and XLT Value Package ($1,125) which included fog lamps, adjustable pedals, reverse sensors and six-way power driver seat.
Other items were the electronic shift on the fly ($185), FX4 off road package with skid plates ($295), power sliding rear window ($405), PowerScope Trailer Tow Mirrors ($165), up fitter switches ($125), tailgate step system ($375), spray-in bed liner ($300), bi-fuel system mod prep ($315), 40/console/40 front cloth seating ($300), SiriusXM Satellite Radio ($195) and rear view camera ($470).
I would note the rear view camera system viewing screen is in the driver's corner of the rear view mirror and I was amazed at the degree of sharp clarity in the screen embedded in the mirror. It is as good as or better than many I see in seven and eight inch touch screens on other trucks and high end passenger cars.
All of these accessory options totaled just $5,775.
With delivery, our test 2013 Ford F-250 XLT Super Duty Crew 4X4 priced at $47,390.
The only item I would have added to this truck would have been the convenience and ease provided by either of the available cab steps: a 6-inch angular black molded or 5-inch chrome tubular.
The chrome step rail would have been very nice on this truck carrying the bold chrome look from the trademark Ford Super Duty grill and front bumpers back along the side.
A couple of aftermarket accessory items caught our eye that would be worth considering for this working truck.
One is the aftermarket body extender which flips outward and extends over the tailgate giving 18-inches of additional bed space and can help keep cargo from moving when flipped inward.
The other are the Carhartt branded custom seat covers from Covercraft. They are custom pattern fitted for the F-250 interior and are made from breathable, heavy-duty polycotton fabric with over-lapped and triple stitched seams. They have a durable water-repellant finish and can be removed easily to wash in your home washer and dryer.
An additional feature of the F-250 is that the 6.2L V8 can be configured for up fitting to bi-fuel gas and CNG/LPG operation offering fleet or commercial owners the opportunity, with LPG fuel prices near half of gasoline, to save on fuel without loss of performance over the life of the truck.
The F-250, Super Duty pickup truck line from Ford has trim models that mirror the offering in the F-150 Light Duty line. The MSRP for the F-250 line in regular cab configurations are: XL - $29,585, XLT - $33,620, Lariat - $41,280, King Ranch - $49,070 and Platinum - $52,955. In addition to regular cab, the F-250 is offered in Super Cab and Crew versions.
Not only does Ford sell more F-Series trucks in the U.S. than any other manufacturer, selling almost 650,000 in 2012, but they claim, with their slogan 'We Own Work', to have a higher percentage of F-Series trucks working in almost every commercial and industrial enterprise in the country than any of their competitors.
According to Ford, some of their F-Series trucks in service by work type and percentage of truck brand include, among others, farm and livestock operations - 40 percent, oil and gas - 50 percent, construction - 48 percent and heavy construction - 54 percent.
With Ford Super Duty trucks designed and built like our test truck, it is no wonder they lead the work market overall as well as most of the major work categories.
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