2020 Ford F-450: A No-Holds-Barred Owners Review

F-450 owner prefers this larger Super Duty over his past few 1-ton pickups for many reasons.

Ford Motor Company is unique in how the automaker markets their heavy duty pickups. Ford, Ram, Chevy and GMC all offer trucks ranging from 150/1500 to 550/5500 models, but Ram, Chevy and GMC don’t market the trucks that are rated above a 1-ton to consumers. Ford has marketed the F-450 to consumers for years while the competition has not, allowing the Motor Company to offer an advantage in towing and hauling over the top competitors.

The only problem with the F-450 is cost. It is quite a bit more expensive than the F-350, leaving some consumers wondering if the advantages are worth the extra cost. According to “17 Oaks” and his thorough review of the massive Super Duty, the F-450 is worth every cent.

New F-450 Review Intro

When the OP shared his detailed review of the 2020 Ford F-450, he started with some background about himself and his preview truck-owning experience while also including a quick synopsis of the first 65 miles.

After only a few days short of 6 months, my F 450 now sits in my barn, This is my first F 450 after a string of 5 F 350s racking up a total of over 150k miles on this. There were 2 dually’s in the mix, 3 King Ranch and 2 Lariat Ultimate’s. I loved them one and all. These are my company trucks as my company has grown my needs have changed and I now need an F 450.

First impressions after 65 miles: WOW this is THE King of the road, a world apart from my F 350’s.

The OP then went into his review of individual aspects of the new F-450, including the seats, handling, ride quality, braking, fit and finish, the 10-speed transmission, the break-in process and the dealership experience. He also includes a “Take Away” section that wraps up the whole review. Several of his review sections are very long, so we have included some key points here. If you are considering an F-450, or simply want to read the full review from an F-450 owner, we recommend reading the whole thread by clicking here.

10 Speed Transmission: This is a brilliant work of a team of engineers. Ten-speed, 6 speed, 3 speed, you will never know it is transparent to the driver. It shifts that smooth, that fast, if you do not look at the dash you will not know what gear you are in. I have not nailed the go pedal to the firewall but a positive push on the go pedal will take you on a ride to numbers that are beyond the “speed limited’ which if it is then it did not appear.”

“Take Away: If I only knew then what I know now my first truck would have been an F 450 and skip at the other F 350’s I bought in search of a better fit for my company and personal needs. But that is just me. The F 350 IMO is the best. bang for your dollar in the truck world and the reason why is that it is an F 450 Lite, The magic GVWR number of 14,000k can be found on a properly equipped F 350, that said there are a lot of things you don’t get that I consider important enough to step up to the F 450 brakes and steering alone are worth the few dollars it takes to make the jump. The 14k GVWR line is nothing but an artificial line drawn by states, Feds, insurance companies, etc that may require commercial insurance, CDL, etc. I thank Ford for beating the system by holding the F 450 to the 14k number, I assure you the F 350 and F 450 are NOT one and the same! Ole saying: Don’t step over dollars to save nickels and dimes.

Finally, the first post included a small collection of pictures of the 2020 F-450.

Interesting Break-In Question

After the OP’s initial post, there are a variety of comments from members, most of which applaud the OP’s choice of trucks or thank him for his input. However, “Hindy” asked an interesting question about the break-in period.

Thanks Don! What is your thought of doing the break-in with the Tow/Haul Mode? I’m thinking this would keep it in gear longer and use the transmission to slow it back down. I’m I over thinking this?

The OP replied with just as much detail as he included in his review.

Interesting take. What we/I don’t know is how the 10 speed trans deals with the Tow/Haul. For that reason, I would just stick with the regular approach. I just rolled over 300 mi on my 450 and it is running exceptionally well. Today on my trip of about 100 miles I will be giving it a bit more power on the accel side. I gage it by how quickly I arrive at 80 mph on I 10. Since you brought it up I may experiment with the Tow/Haul and see how the 10sp reacts.

10 Speed observations: I am totally AMAZED at how the trans holds 10th gear. I live in the Texas Hill Country and its called that for a reason. Lots of steep short hills in this part of Texas. Routes I travel my 6 sp would start downshifting into 5th or 4th before I got to the top the 10 spd holds 10th gear. The trans is very well integrated with the massive torque of this engine.

MPG: After 300 mi of driving mostly I 10 miles I am at 13.6, but I have noticed that it continues to INCREASE in mpg on every trip, not sure where it will end. At this point in time, I am amazed at this 10 sp, it is transparent to the driver. It seems to get to 10th gear and stay there!!

 Click here to read the whole F-450 review, or to ask any questions of the owner of this new Super Duty.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

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