2017 Ford F-450 Super Duty Review

Base XL models come standard with 19.5-inch commercial tires mounted on polished alloy wheels, black grille and bumpers, front tow hooks, manual front locking hubs, automatic headlights, LED roof marker lights, intermittent wipers, manually adjustable, telescoping towing mirrors, running boards, a removable locking tailgate with tailgate lift assist, a 3-inch trailer hitch receiver (with 2- and 2.5-inch inserts), 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, a driver information display and a six-speaker AM/FM audio system.

Step up the the XLT, and you get a chrome grille and bumpers, manually telescoping power-adjustable, heated mirrors, four locking cleats in the bed, keyless entry, cloth upholstery and carpeting, rear under-seat lockable storage, power windows and locks, rear privacy glass, cruise control, a rearview camera, the Sync voice-controlled infotainment system, a 4.2-inch display, a USB charging port, a CD player and satellite radio.

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

The Western-themed King Ranch model adds a body-color grille, accent-color bumpers and lower body trim, automatic high beams, automatic wipers, LED box lighting, unique fender badges, keyless ignition and entry, remote start, upgraded leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, driver memory settings, an easy-entry/exit driver seat, a power tilt-and-telescoping and heated steering wheel, and a navigation system.

Choosing the top-of-the-line Platinum model adds adaptive steering, LED headlights, LED foglights, a remote tailgate release, a built-in tailgate step, LED taillights, a blind-spot monitoring system with rear cross-traffic alert, illuminated door scuff plates, multicontour front seats with massage, and a leather- and wood-trimmed heated steering wheel.

Many of the standard features offered on upper trim levels are available as options on the rest of the lineup. Other noteworthy add-ons include a sunroof, a fifth-wheel/gooseneck hitch prep package, adaptive steering, adaptive cruise control with collision warning and automatic braking, skid plates, an Ultimate Trailer Tow Camera System (with 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-450 comes standard with a turbocharged 6.7-liter diesel V8 that produces an impressive 440 horsepower and 925 pound-feet of torque. That engine puts the power to the ground via a six-speed automatic transmission. Four-wheel drive is standard, as is a dual-rear-wheel configuration.

Properly equipped, the F-450 is rated to tow conventional trailers up to 21,000 pounds. The limit on fifth-wheel trailers is 27,500 pounds, and gooseneck trailers max out at a class-leading 32,500 pounds. All F-450s have a maximum payload rating of 5,320 pounds, which is superior to the F-350 crew cab but not as high as an F-350 dually with a regular cab, a configuration that's not offered here.