2016 Ford F-450 Super Duty Review

The 2016 Ford F-450 gets a standard supplemental cab heater in certain states, as well as optional four-corner LED warning strobe lights.

With a formidable turbodiesel V8 and industrial-grade construction, the 2016 Ford F-450 is immensely capable, and it also offers numerous upscale options. It's dated inside, though.

Heavy-duty trucks like the 2016 Ford F-450 are tools. They're intended for hard work and can move, haul and tow extreme loads like no other passenger vehicle. At the very top of Ford's F-Series truck range is the F-450, which is essentially unchanged this year. Intense competition as of late has produced a bumper crop of desirable big trucks, but the 2016 F-450's eye-popping capabilities continue to set it apart.

Indeed, the F-450 Super Duty carries a tow rating so high that fully exercising it requires a commercial driver's license. When properly equipped, the F-450 can tow a staggering 31,200 pounds. Delivering this brawn is a true beast of an engine, a 6.7-liter turbodiesel V8 that develops 440 horsepower and 860 pound-feet of torque. You can get the diesel V8 in lesser F-Series Super Duty models, too, but their tow ratings are relatively modest. The F-450 is what you need if you're going to be towing a large horse trailer, for instance, or a motorhome equipped with heavy granite countertops and dual pop-outs. It's the truck you buy when nothing less will do.

The closest rival to the F-450 is the 2016 Ram 3500. It boasts a similarly towering 31,210 -pound towing capacity, while its higher trim levels pamper occupants with a more pleasant cabin and a ride quality that's a notch plusher. Given the gaudy tow ratings of the Ford and Ram, the Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD's 23,200-pound maximum might appear meek, though it's still a fine choice if your towing needs aren't enough to tax the other two trucks. Another factor to consider is that the Silverado and Ram are offered in a variety of configurations, whereas the F-450 is only available as a four-door crew cab with an 8-foot box, 4x4 and dual rear wheels. For other configurations in the Ford, look to the F-250 and F-350 Super Duty. But when big tasks call for big tools, the "Edmunds "B"-rated 2016 Ford F-450 should definitely be on your radar screen.

The 2016 Ford F-450 is powered by a turbocharged 6.7-liter diesel V8 engine that produces 440 hp and 860 lb-ft of peak torque. The F-450 also features engine exhaust braking to help maintain control on downhill grades while towing.

A six-speed automatic transmission, a limited-slip differential and four-wheel drive are standard. Properly equipped, the F-450 Super Duty can tow up to 19,000 pounds with a conventional trailer hitch. When configured for fifth-wheel towing, this figure increases to 31,200 pounds. When properly equipped, max payload capacity for the F-450 is 5,300 pounds.

During Edmunds performance testing, an empty F-450 went from zero to 60 mph in 8.3 seconds, which is a good performance for the segment.

The 2016 Ford F-450 Super Duty comes standard with antilock brakes, trailer sway control, hill start assist, side curtain airbags and an SOS post-crash alert system. Stability control isn't available but traction control comes standard.

In Edmunds testing, the F-450 in Platinum trim came to a stop from 60 mph in 146 feet, which is a bit longer than average, even for such a big, heavy vehicle.

If you have a lot to tow, the 2016 Ford F-450 is surely up to the task. Like all crew cab dual-rear-wheel heavy-duty pickups, though, it casts an imposing shadow. At nearly 22 feet long and 9 feet wide, this big pickup is a handful in urban settings and just about any parking lot. A wider track compared to Ford's other Super Duty models means that turning it around will require even more room than the big-truck norm.

When we put the F-450 through our full battery of tests, it came out the other side with an Edmunds "B" rating, receiving top marks for its powertrain. It tows huge loads with greater ease than other trucks, thanks to the might of the engine. We found the six-speed automatic transmission to be fully competent, with crisp and well-timed shifts. The transmission's standard Tow/Haul mode gives the driver an extra measure of control when climbing or descending hills, backed up on downhill sections by the standard exhaust brake. The F-450's steering is vaguer than that of other heavy-duty pickups, however, making it less confidence-inspiring when maneuvering heavy loads. And it should go without saying that its unladen ride quality is very stiff.

Your choice of trim level will have a significant effect on the F-450's cabin ambience. That's because the base XL has a bare-bones interior with vinyl seats, uncarpeted floors, hard plastics and a measly little two-speaker AM/FM radio, while upper trim levels dress things up to luxury-class levels. While the materials quality and presentation may not match that of a Ram 3500, the F-450 still delivers advanced technology features like the MyFord Touch electronics interface and a long list of luxury features like supple leather and ventilated seats. Having said that, the uninspired design motif and a handful of poorly laid out controls remind us that this aging truck could benefit from a redesign in the manner of the recently redesigned F-150.

At its core, however, the F-450 is all about getting work done. This mission also explains the thought that went into interior details such as lockable storage bins, and the available front seat console designed to hold laptop computers and hanging files.

On the Lariat trim and higher, there is a large multifunction display in the instrument cluster that allows the driver to customize settings and relays trip computer, fuel economy, towing and off-road information. Also included on those trims is the MyFord Touch infotainment system, which brings dual USB ports, an SD card slot and an 8-inch touchscreen that controls phone, climate control, entertainment and navigation features. This version of MyFord Touch also incorporates large physical buttons for the climate and audio controls that allow them to be operated by those wearing work gloves.