By David Finkelstein

When it comes to meeting the needs of the commercial industry, building trades, towing and the everyday tasks that ranchers and farmers confront, the choice of a work truck is extremely critical. Having said that, Ford Motor Company meets these needs with a variety of vehicles including the all new 2017 F-250 Super Duty series of vehicles.

Ford's marketing suggests that its 2017 models are the toughest, smartest and most capable line of Super Duty trucks its ever manufactured. Additionally, they further advocate that their engineers have raised the bar when it comes to the “best-in-class” towing, engine performance and exclusive rolling on-board technologies, in order to improve the level of driving. Summed up,  the F-250 has improved operator assurance and a higher level of towing capability.

The backbone with any truck designed for durability is it's underside frame assembly. Ford incorporates a fully boxed frame that uses 95-percent high-strength steel. This helps to raise the bar with increased chassis strength by 24-times, when compared to the previous designed frame they used.



Now, with the usage of a military-grade, lightweight aluminum-alloy body, the 2017 version has about 350-pounds in weight savings overall. Worth noting, its closest cross-shopped competitors — the Dodge Ram, Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra H-D — don't offer a full body outer structure with an aluminum blueprint, as does Ford.

There are trade offs — the aluminum bodies help somewhat in the vehicle's fuel mileage and the trucks agility, however some may feel that it doesn't meet the needs of the trades and those shoppers still tend to gravitate toward a conventional steel-body truck.

Regardless, Ford really did its “due diligence” in order to make this F-250 a world-class vehicle on many fronts.

As with just about every other vehicle on the road, the allure factor generally begins with the engine. The model I tested was powered by their optional 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbo diesel V8. It develops the industry's best-in-class 925 lb.-ft. of torque and an overwhelming 440 horsepower.

The Super Duty also delivers maximum payload capabilities. This industry-defining capability is matched by never-before-seen towing technology. Super Duty is the first truck to offer adaptive cruise control and collision warning with brake support for heavy trailers, allowing drivers to traverse steep mountain grades while maintaining speed.

The engine itself is state of the art and uses an elevated combination of mechanical, hydraulic and electronics, in an “all in one” power dynamo on a proven architect that is a bundle of energy. F-250's standard engine the 6.2-liter V8. It produces best-in-class 430 lb.-ft. of torque and 385 horsepower.



Both the diesel and gas V8 engines are matched with a TorqShift, six-speed automatic transmission with SelectShift for reliable and efficient cross-country or city towing. The six-speed automatic delivers responsive shifting for discerning three-quarter ton truck customers.

This model's exterior has a beefy and brawny footprint that clearly shows the Ford DNA. Perhaps like the F-150 on a major steroids type diet.

The trucks interior is nicely laid out. You sit up high in a commanding position, controls and dash readouts are thoughtfully positioned. The version I drove had a re-configurable instrument panel, however a number of the readout font characters were too small to interpret at a glance.

When it comes to creature comforts, this model had automatic retractable side running boards and retractable over sized door mirrors, power tilt/telescopic steering column, power adjustable pedals, keyless push button start, two-tier glove box, full sunroof, power operated rear window and a large center storage compartment, although it wasn't lockable.

The ride is as quiet as a premium upscale car and its braking is more than adequate. For the '17 model year, Ford also make available a center high-mounted rear camera that provides visibility into the cargo box. It's quite helpful when hooking up a goose-neck hitch and fifth-wheel trailers. The ultimate “trailer tow” high definition four-camera system helps to give the driver a 360-degree bird’s-eye view.

Additionally, trailer towing customers benefit from among things including a segment-first in-cab trailer tire pressure monitoring system. The Blind Spot Information System with trailer tow helps to optimize towing trailers that are up to 33 feet long. This is coupled with the vehicle's radar sensors in the taillamps to monitor areas that may not be visible to the driver.

At road test, this Kentucky manufactured 2017 F-250 Super Duty 4X4 crew cab Platinum series truck, powered by the 6.7-liter diesel engine, had an MSRP sticker price (after options) of $77,015 including shipping charges of $1,195. As a average, my fuel consumption calculations came out to be around 15 MPG city/19 highway.