2017 Ford F-250 Super Duty Review

Base XL models come standard with a 17-inch steel wheels, black grille and bumpers, front tow hooks, manual front locking hubs (four-wheel-drive models), auto on/off headlights, intermittent wipers, manually adjustable telescoping towing mirrors, a removable locking tailgate with tailgate lift assist, a 2.5-inch trailer hitch receiver (with 2-inch insert), air-conditioning, vinyl upholstery, a 40/20/40-split front seat, a 60/40-split rear seat, vinyl floor covering, manual windows and door locks, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a dual glovebox, an overhead console with storage bins (extended and crew cabs only), a driver information display and a four-speaker AM/FM audio system (six speakers in extended- and crew-cab models).

Step up the the XLT and you get 18-inch alloy wheels, a chrome grille and front and rear bumpers, manually telescoping power-adjustable, heated mirrors with built-in turn signals, four locking cleats in the bed, keyless entry, cloth upholstery, carpeted floor covering, rear under-seat lockable storage, power windows and locks, rear privacy glass (extended- and crew-cab models only), cruise control, a rearview camera, an alarm system, the Sync voice-controlled infotainment system with a 4.2-inch display and USB charging port and an AM/FM/CD audio system with satellite radio.

Springing for the midrange Lariat trim level gets you bright-finished 18-inch alloy wheels, an electronic shift-on-the-fly four-wheel-drive system (four-wheel-drive models only), foglights, power-folding, telescoping outside mirrors (plus driver-side auto-dimming and integrated spotlights), tubular side steps, a power sliding rear window, rear parking sensors, dual-zone automatic climate control, leather upholstery, 10-way power front seats, power-adjustable pedals, a rear-seat center armrest, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, an 8-inch center touchscreen display, an upgraded Sync 3 voice-controlled infotainment system, two 110-volt household-style power outlets, and a premium Sony 10-speaker audio system with two USB charging ports.

The Western-themed King Ranch model, which is offered on crew-cab models only, adds unique alloy wheels, automatic high beams, automatic wipers, a body-color grille, accent-color bumpers and lower body trim, LED box lighting, unique fender badges, keyless entry/start, remote start, upgraded leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, driver memory settings, a power tilt-and-telescoping and heated steering wheel, and a navigation system.

Choosing the top-of-the-line Platinum model, again offered on crew-cab models only, gets you 20-inch alloy wheels, adaptive steering, LED headlights, LED foglights, power running boards, a remote tailgate release, a built-in tailgate step, LED taillights, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and multicontour front seats.

Many of the standard features offered on upper trim levels are offered as options on the rest of the lineup. Other noteworthy options include a power sunroof, a heavy-duty trailer tow package (offered only with the turbodiesel engine), a massive 48-gallon fuel tank, a fifth-wheel/gooseneck hitch prep package, adaptive cruise control and collision warning with brake support, skid plates (four-wheel-drive models only), an Ultimate Trailer Tow Camera System (a total of seven cameras), a separate rearview camera that can be mounted on a customer's trailer, trailer tire-pressure monitoring and a spray-in bedliner.

The 2017 Ford F-250 comes standard with the familiar 6.2-liter gasoline V8 that's been tweaked to up the output to 385 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. Also available is a revised version of the 6.7-liter turbodiesel V8 that now puts out an impressive 440 hp and a whopping 925 lb-ft of torque.

Both engines are mated to six-speed automatic transmissions. Rear-wheel drive is standard, and four-wheel drive is offered as an option.

Properly equipped, the F-250 is rated to tow conventional trailers up to 18,000 pounds and fifth-wheel/gooseneck trailers up to 18,600 pounds. A two-wheel-drive regular cab F-250 has a maximum payload of 4,200 pounds, and the popular crew-cab 4WD can carry a maximum of 3,450 pounds.