What Is It?
A heavy-duty pickup is the vehicle of choice when large, heavy loads need moving, and for decades Ford has dominated that market with the F-Series Super Duty. The automaker created its Super Duty line about 25 years ago when it split its HD trucks from the light-duty models, and now more than half of HD trucks sold are Fords. Never resting on its laurels, the 2023 Ford F-Series Super Duty is redesigned with fresh styling, innovative features and more capability.
Built Ford Tough
“This truck represents the pinnacle of BUILT FORD TOUGH® strength and capability, now with advanced technology that makes towing and hauling even easier and businesses more productive,” said Tim Baughman, general manager, Ford Pro, North America. “Whether you are towing a boat for weekend family fun, operating a boom lift to fix powerlines, or hauling heavy loads while navigating hills and tough terrain, the all-new 2023 Super Duty not only tackles the task with ease, but its smart connectivity will surprise our customers with ingenious new solutions to transform their truck experience,” Baughman noted.
Updated Design
The Super Duty gets refreshed styling for the 2023 model year, although it’s easily recognizable as a Ford. The truck has a wide stance up front thanks to its signature C-Clamp running lights that frame the grille. Cross bars on the grille are differentiators for each trim level, and the wide grille improves engine cooling for enhanced performance under load. The big truck also gets new LED taillights as well as integrated steps for easy access to the bed.
Model Lineup
Ford offers the 2023 F-Series Super Duty as an F-250, F-350 and F-450 with six trim levels: XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, Platinum and Limited. Regular cab, SuperCab and Crew Cab versions are available, as is 2- or 4-wheel drive. Prices range from the mid $40,000s for an XL Regular Cab 2WD to more than $100,000 for a fully loaded Limited Crew Cab.
Under the Hood
Four different engines are available for the F-Series Super Duty, each providing impressive power and performance. The base engine is a 6.8-liter V8 producing 400 horsepower and 440 lb-ft of torque — the standard engine for the XL. A larger 7.3-liter V8 that ups output to 430 horses and 485 lb-ft of torque comes as standard equipment on all other trims except the Limited. While both of these engines deliver excellent capability, the diesel engines are the best options for towing. A 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbodiesel produces 475 horsepower and 1,050 lb-ft of torque, which would be plenty for most applications. But for maximum towing, Ford offers a high-output version of this diesel that generates 500 horsepower and an immense 1,200 lb-ft of torque. All engines (gas or diesel) are teamed with a smooth-shifting 10-speed automatic transmission.
Hauling
With the upgrades for 2023, the Ford Super Duty now delivers more hauling and towing capability than the Chevrolet Silverado HD, GMC Sierra HD or the Ram 2500. With an F-350 XL Regular Cab with dual rear wheels and the base 6.8-liter V8, the F-Series can carry up to 8,000 pounds. For perspective, that would be like hauling a fully loaded F-150 in the truck bed.
Max Towing
For maximum towing capability, a customer would need an F-450 with the high-output diesel V8. With this combination, the truck can tow up to 40,000 pounds — more than any other truck on the market. There aren’t many reasons to haul that much weight, but if you needed to move a half-dozen Rhinoceros, this would be the truck to do it.
Hooking Up
With more than 90 percent of Ford Super Duty owners using their trucks for towing, Ford put considerable effort into making this task easier. Pro Trailer Hitch Assist is one of our favorite new features for the Super Duty. We backed the truck up to be generally in line with the trailer. Once we activated the Pro Trailer Hitch Assist, we selected the trailer hitch via a rearview camera on the center display. Once the hitch was identified, we just held the Pro Trailer button down, and the truck automatically reversed and steered, stopping when the tow ball lined up perfectly under the hitch.
Loading Up
It would take a lot, but loading too much into a Super Duty is still possible. To avoid overloading the truck and causing a dangerous situation, an onboard scale will display how much weight is in the bed on the main screen. For additional assistance, the taillights feature four LEDs that indicate if the load is over or under the maximum capacity, making it easy to check weight while loading.
Checking the Lights
Not only is hooking up a trailer now a one-person task, so is checking the lights. The trailering system will cycle through turn signals, brake lights and reverse lights, letting the driver check the lights on the trailer rather than running back and forth or yelling at someone (often the spouse) behind the trailer.
Backup Assist
Parking a large trailer can be intimidating, but Ford has made this easy, too. With Pro Trailer Backup Assist, parking is easy for beginners or experts. With the system active, the driver uses a dial on the dashboard to direct the trailer rather than trying to figure out which way to turn the steering wheel. Turning the dial to the left or right turns the trailer in the same direction. Multiple camera views provide additional assistance. Using Pro Trailer Backup Assist, we placed a 32-foot trailer into a small designated parking spot without drama or cursing.
Inner Space
While the Super Duty’s primary purpose is hauling and towing, the big truck also provides a comfortable cabin, be it the Standard cab or spacious Crew Cab. All cabins offer a roomy interior, and amenities span a wide range from a basic vinyl bench seat in the XL to luxurious leather-trimmed, heated and cooled seats in the upper-level trims.
Storage
The upper-level (Lariat and above) Crew Cabs have a large, covered center bin that can even be locked. Dual cupholders are quite large, and with a sliding mechanism two cupholders expand to four. A wireless phone charger and additional space for small items are at the center console’s front. Two glove boxes provide even more storage, with a locking door on the larger box.
Rear Seat
Passengers in the rear seat of a Super Duty Crew Cab will never complain about a lack of space — with class-leading legroom and plenty of headroom, there’s easily enough room for three adults. If it’s cargo instead of passengers that need to be hauled in the rear seat, the seat bottom can be lifted to reveal a large, flat floor ideal for carrying cargo. A storage box can be unfolded from the floor for secure storage hidden below the seats.
High Tech
Ford equips the XL and XLT with an 8-inch display screen — small by today’s standards but still a decent size. Higher trims come with a well-integrated 12-inch touchscreen display. Both feature the latest version of SYNC, the company’s infotainment and communication system. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard on all trims with the convenience of wireless connection. Audio and climate functions have separate controls for easy access.
Off-Road
Responding to customer demand for better off-road capability, Ford now offers the Tremor package for F-250 and F-350s on all but XL and Limited trims. The Tremor package adds raised ground clearance, off-road front and rear shocks, a rear electronic locking differential, a front limited-slip differential, skidplates, and 35-inch off-road tires. Tremor gets specific off-road features, including a rock-crawl mode and the brilliant Trail Turn Assist.
Trail Turn Assist
With Trail Turn Assist activated, the truck can lock the inside rear wheel when the steering is turned to the lock to effectively anchor the corner of the truck to pivot around a corner. We tested this system on a trail and in a large sand pit, and its capability to maneuver the very large Super Duty on a tight trail is impressive.
Hitting the Trail
Ford set up an off-road course for the assembled journalists on our press junket to test the Super Duty Tremor, and the truck performed quite well off pavement. With plenty of ground clearance, the F-250 Platinum Tremor we drove easily handled the dips and turns of a muddy trail. Selecting Rock Crawl mode, we drove the truck up a treacherous rock hill. With the aid of multiple camera views and a predictable and easy-to-modulate throttle, the truck had no trouble reaching the top.
Towing
We didn’t have any Rhinos to move, but Ford did put 40,000 pounds of stuff on a trailer for us to tow. Pulling 20 tons with an F-450 dualie properly showcased this heavy-duty truck’s capability. The high-output diesel was working hard, but it performed admirably. Most impressive was pulling the heavy load up a 7 percent grade, and the truck could still accelerate! Later the truck pulled a 24,000-pound trailer using the same diesel powertrain. The ride was stable and smooth, making this often stressful chore easy.
On the Road
There will always be times when the Super Duty is just a means of transportation, and it works well in this role. Taking an F-250 Lariat Crew Cab for a drive outside Romeo, Michigan, we found the ride comfortable and relatively smooth. Most surprising is how quiet the big truck is. Almost no road or tire noise infiltrates the cabin. One could almost call it peaceful.
Right for You?
A heavy-duty truck is designed specifically for towing and hauling, and the 2023 Ford F-Series Super Duty excels in these endeavors. The F-Series is best in class with an 8,000-pound maximum payload and a mind-boggling 40,000 pound towing capacity. Add to that a comfortable cabin, innovative features and a range of powerful engines, and the Super Duty becomes an impressive multitool. For customers needing this type of capability, the Ford F-Series is not to be missed.
Rating: 9.0
Pros: Extreme capability; comfortable cabin; innovative technology.
Cons: Can get expensive; advanced safety equipment not standard on all trims.
Bottom Line: With its improved interior and increased capability, the 2023 Ford F-Series Super Duty raises the bar for heavy-duty trucks.
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