‘F-150 Online’ Review: 2017 Ford Super Duty
Ford Truck is All-New for 2017 and Shares Many Similarities with the F-150
When Ford introduced the 2015 F-150 a few years back, the Blue Oval promised that it was working towards a new architecture that would allow Ford faster updates and more advanced features. Part of that strategy at the time was also intertwined with the new Super Duty. Now, the new Super Duty is here. It’s stronger, more powerful, more accessible and more familiar than ever. But is it any good?
The Super Duty shares a common cab with the F-150. That means the dimensions of each cab configuration are nearly identical. There are some subtle differences, such as the column-mounted shifter, that separate the Super Duty from the F-150, but many of the components are the same. That’s a good thing.
That means you can get all of the great luxury features, such as massaging seats, if you want to spec them on your build. It also means much of the technology, such as radar-based adaptive cruise control, is available on your truck.
I spent a week in a mid-range Lariat 4×4 spec of the truck. It was configured for cold-weather climate and included such niceties as an additional cabin-heater option. But the biggest option on the list was the 6.7L Power Stroke turbo diesel engine.
For 2017, the engine makes 440 horsepower and 925 lb-ft of torque. If we ever need to realign the orbit of the moon, we just need to run a cable around it and attach it to a Super Duty. That’s enough torque to pull it.
While that is a slight exaggeration, the truck, with the right configuration–F-450 dually with max tow–can tow 32,500 pounds, which is a lot.
My test-truck same in SuperCrew configuration and had nice leather seats with heating and ventilation. SYNC 3 is on hand, and that includes support for Android Auto and Apple Car Play. The luxury package added adaptive cruise control and the gorgeous panoramic roof. The rear-view camera even has a zoom function to make it easier to hook up to a trailer.
Living with the Super Duty
Since I didn’t have anything to haul, most of my time was spent with an unloaded bed. The heavy duty suspension and tires often make for a jarring unloaded ride, but the new Super Duty is better than ever in that department. Sure, an F-150 will ride a little bit nicer, but the delta between the two is a lot smaller. You could live with this truck as a daily driver comfortably, more than you could in the past.
The truck pulls from any gear selected by the six-speed automatic transmission. That’s the beauty of that much torque. But also, don’t forget that 440 horsepower is nothing to sneeze at, and this truck scoots along at rapid pace easily. Pulling out into traffic or overtaking on the freeway requires just a tiny press of the throttle.
Again, you don’t buy a truck like this for fuel economy, but during one of our standard drive routes the onboard computer reported 18.9 miles per gallon. The EPA doesn’t rate vehicles of this type, but that’s on par with some of the other big trucks I’ve driven in the past. The Ram’s Cummins is a bit more efficient, but doesn’t make nearly as much horsepower.
Big trucks are big, and if there’s anything I’d make sure I’d personally order on the new Super Duty is the 360-degree camera system. The rear-view camera helps with the truck’s massive size, but extra help up front would be a blessing for parking. I’m sure you get used to it. However, once you’ve experienced the truck with the system, it’s hard to go back to not having it.
A Super Duty for Everyone
While the truck starts at a hair over $50,000, the one I tested had a grand total of $71,375. That includes the $1,195 destination charge. The Super Duty is built at Ford’s Kentucky truck plant.
For those looking for the comfort and features of the F-150, but need the ability to do more work, the new Super Duty is the way to go. While it can be a pricey truck if you go for certain options, you’re still getting the best Super Duty ever and a truck that’s better than the competition in a lot of ways. The new Super Duty is a game changer in the heavy-duty truck space that leaves its competition playing catch up.
