The big news of course this year is the new engine. Displacing a massive 7.3 liters and utilizing a cast iron block and just 2 valves per cylinder, this pushrod beast (code-named Godzilla during development by the way) produces 430hp and 475lb-ft of torque which is considered best in class – the class in question being What are Full-Size Pickups over 8,500lbs GVWR, Alex.
One little finger is all it takes to push the button that fires it up, and with a quick bellow it does just that and then spins into a smooth and quiet idle. After releasing the parking brake and using the column mounted shift lever to put it into gear, a gentle push of the throttle elicits forward motion. A not so gentle push of the throttle elicits much more forward motion, but an off-the-line rocketship this is not, at least not for those used to regular cars, there is still a LOT of weight to move around.
However, it’s a very pleasant engine to sit behind and drives wonderfully in town, the transmission which has a dashboard display and shows you exactly which of the ten gears it’s in at all times seems to magically skip gears as you accelerate and decelerate but even loafing around at 25mph is already in fifth gear and by the time you are cruising a boulevard at 40mph, it’s already in 8th! This keeps the engine quiet but also helps it with fuel efficiency. Downshifts are quick and unnoticed, it just goes when prodded. My first dozen miles with it were around town and while I was easy on it, it barely broke 10mpg. However taking it on the freeway later upped that considerably with the understanding that a large engine in a heavy truck will use a lot of fuel, hopefully you are getting something (work) in return for that.
On the freeway this truck loved to cruise at around 80mph. Curiously the speedometer maxes out at 100mph, clearly the engine and truck are inherently capable of more. Of course it’s equipped with load range E light truck tires which are speed rated to 106mph, I’d imagine controlling this much truck in an emergency situation would get exponentially more difficult the higher the speed is, I didn’t explore if it actually had a speed limiter although it likely does.
I did end up taking it down to Denver and back as well as to regions to my east on highways and at one point had the cumulative gas mileage above 15mpg. However at the end of my time with it and the 270 miles I drove it, the final tally ended up at 13.4mpg. (There is no EPA rating as trucks this large are not required to have one). Figure around 200 miles on high speed roads and freeways and the other 70 around town, if you were to drive it more around town then you’d likely get closer to 10mpg and if more on higher speed roads around mid-teens. Tow anything or carry a maximum load and all bets are off.
What really surprised with the Ford was the ride and please keep in mind that I did not drive it with any kind of load or trailer which will obviously affect all of this. This particular truck had the 10,000lb GVWR package which the last RAM2500 I tested had as well (and was also fifth-wheel equipped, same length bed, Crew Cab 4×4 but with a 6.4 gasoline engine), so overall very similar except for one aspect, the wheelbase. This Ford had a 160″ wheelbase which was 11″ longer.
Around town the trucks rode alright if quite firmly and things like railroad crossings resulted in fairly harsh jolts in both. However when I took the Ford on the same concrete slab freeway that the RAM had bounced and jiggled significantly on, it traversed that section much more smoothly. There was still some movement (way more than in a car and still annoying) but much less than with the RAM.
I did note that the Ford was equipped with leaf springs in the rear as opposed to air shocks, perhaps that had something to do with it along with the wheelbase difference, nevertheless it was interesting. The upshot I suppose is if one is considering a large truck, it would be a very good idea to wangle an extended test drive of the contenders on the roads that would be frequently traveled in the actual configuration or as close to it as possible. The wheelbase difference carried over to the overall truck’s length as well by roughly the same amount.
Noise was very well controlled at speed with perhaps a little more wind noise than in the RAM, but not significantly so. Bluetooth phone conversations were easy, clear, and good from both ends of the conversation.
As with most trucks, the Heavy Duty versions can be equipped in millions of different ways, everything is an option and depending on how it’s to be used factory ordering likely makes a lot of sense as you can really dial it in correctly. I’d imagine those buying these off the lot either don’t really have an actual use for one or don’t care, but with what’s available and the costs involved it seems crazy not to speak with a specialist about what option combinations would serve best.
This was one of the first vehicles to come to me with a sticker price that didn’t have pricing on it (apparently this happens sometimes for vehicles that are preproduction). It was a very early build 7.3 and had done the rounds, it crossed the 14,000 mile mark under my control and had been built fourteen months ago.
Covid kind of screwed up many of the test vehicle schedules but the positive aspect is that sometimes an older vehicle is nice to have in order to see how it holds up and while 14,000 miles is nothing over this truck’s projected lifespan it was rock solid and problem free. Fit and finish were very good and the crew in Kentucky that puts these together clearly knows what they are doing.
In the meantime the 2020 models have disappeared from Ford’s configurator and the 2021 model seems to have things bundled differently (or at least named somewhat differently).
The F250 CrewCab 4×4 in Lariat trim with this shorter bed starts at $49,540, and the very bright Velocity Blue paint is a no-charge color. That pricing includes as standard the Powered mirrors, Automatic headlights with Auto high beam, Trailer brake controller, 10way Power seats, 110V/400W outlet, an 8″ “productivity” screen in the gauge cluster between speedo and tach, Dual-zone HVAC, Leather-wrapped steering wheel with controls, Power everything including steering wheel and pedal adjustments, an excellent Bang&Olufsen 10-speaker sound system, Blind Spot Warning with Cross-Traffic alert, Lane Keep Assist, Pre-Collision Braking Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking, the 8″ SYNC3 System, 4GWiFi Modem, and Cruise Control. (Adaptive Cruise Control and some other safety items are still optional extras at extra cost though.)
Options is where the fun starts and of course the engine is the obvious one at a $2,045 premium which also includes the 10-speed tranny as discussed above, then there is the 10,000 GVWR package which seems to not have a charge (But also warns that if you choose an F250 instead of an F350 it’s really only a 9,900GVWR package but the sticker still says 10,000, go figure), then there is the Lariat Ultimate Package for $3,495 but it’s a bit nebulous starting with that. Moving on, this is what all was also included in the options section if you want to go to the configurator and try to figure it all out…it seems that some is standard and some is part of different packages.
Here’s the rest of the list: 4.30 Electronic Locking Axle, Gooseneck hitch kit, All weather floor mats, Chrome package, 6″ Angular step bar, Chrome PVD Aluminum 18″ wheels, UTT Camera Pro Trailer Backup Assist, 5th Wheel Hitch prep package, Quad beam LED headlights, Adaptive steering, Jack, Wheel well liners front and rear, Toughbed spray-in bedliner, Navigation System, LED Box Lighting, Remote Start, Tailgate Step, Memory seats, Heated/Vented front seats.
Looking through everything to the best of my ability the total would come out at right around $66,000. That’s a huge amount of capability for not much, if any, more than a similarly loaded half-ton. As durable and solid as a half-ton feels compared to a “regular” vehicle, stepping up to the heavy duty versions is at least a similar step in solidity and durability. And of course that solidity translates to more heft which makes driving it somewhat more work than a smaller vehicle.
If there is a need for something like this, then it makes sense to drive it. If there is no real need (i.e towing/carrying heavy loads) then it’s likely not such a smart purchase. However resale values are strong, the trucks are durable, plenty of people in this nation have a real use for them, and there are a plethora of choices available between three main makers which keeps things somewhat competitive both in pricing as well as feature sets.
A very big Thank You to Ford for sending us this truck and a tank of gas to check it out!
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While this is more pickup than I can envision myself needing, it would be narrow-minded of me to disparage its existence because of that. Rather, I am quite happy Ford is making these. It certainly gives more choice to the prospective buyer and, let’s be honest, pickups have more versatility, utility, and economy than ever before.
That 7.3 speaks to me. Having driven an example with the 6.2 it is no slouch so I am happy to read about your enjoyment of the 7.3. The fleet manager at work ordered a new F-550 with the 7.3 early this year but I have yet to see it due to that stupid virus.
You’ve got a great point about buying from stock versus ordering something specific to one’s needs. Oddly enough there is a dealer about an hour south of me which specializes in ordering tailor-built pickups. They also do a decent job of having examples in stock built for local needs. However, I cannot imagine this being anywhere near a uniform trait among all Ford dealers. There are simply too many variable needs with these pickups, particularly in larger areas.
I would imagine this was quite the contrast parked next to your Tesla.
Minor detail, but in its use in the bigger trucks this engine is de-rated to a mere 350 hp.
So it won’t blow up. From working first hand as a service advisor, I’d feel very confident in saying one should only tow 75% of the maximum rating if one wants to avoid breaking things like transmissions.
For the first 5yrs and 60k miles any powertrain issue would end up being on Ford’s dime. If one chose the diesel, the engine is warrantied up to 100k but still 5yrs.
They’ll all break or wear out eventually, working it (or anything mechanical for that matter) harder will make it last less long.
Speaking from the point of view of fleet operator, in a light duty vehicle the big gas motor is the way to go. For one thing, it’s like $10,000 cheaper than the diesel. The diesel will never save that much in fuel.
The diesel just has too much that can go wrong and cost a fortune to repair. These are not heavy duty commercial motors. The gas motor is, by all accounts, built simple and strong like bull. When you guys are paying $2.00 a gallon for gas, I say go for gas motors and avoid the cost and headache of the diesel.
Yes there is a five year warranty. I expect a vehicle to be reliable out to ten years. Light duty diesels are challenged by this.
I feel vindicated. When Ford needed a new, more powerful gasoline engine, they did it old-school. No turbos, no multi-valve setups, no fancy alloys. Just a big-assed cast iron block, an intake and exhaust valve for each cylinder, and lots and lots of cubic inches.
I find it interesting how diesels have become less and less of a paying proposition, with ever increasing cost and more maintenance headaches – the two things that used to work in a diesel’s favor.
And did I read that correctly – a 4:30 axle? That thing must have multiple levels of overdrive among its ten transmission gears, or else you would have been seeing 10 mpg at 80 mph on the highway, too.
Yes, 4.30. And the transmission’s 7th gear is 1:01 but 8, 9, 10 are overdrives. (In the old 6-speed, still available with the 6.2, 5th and 6th are overdrives).
Well, these trucks are of course exempt from CAFE, so why bother trying to make it more efficient? For that matter, no one in this class has gone that route (downsized/turbo/etc.) with gas engines.
Regarding that 4.30 axle ratio: those wheels and tires are of course enormous, so one can’t exactly equate that ratio with the ratios of yore, when the circumference of tires was typically vastly different.
Back in the pre-war era, ratios were also typically very low, and big wheels and tires were a key reason.
The better metric would be rpm per mph.
Looking it up it appears that 10th is .63 to 1. So those 4.30 gears in OD are going to be equivalent to a set of 2.70 to 1 gears and direct drive.
Using the 653 rpm /mile for the tires that Jim posted below.
653*4.3*.63 = ~1770 rpm/mile or 1770 rpm at 60mph.
Stick a set of 35″ tires on it, like you get with the Tremor package, which many dealers and buyers will do and you are down to ~1600 rpm at 60mph.
One thing to keep in mind is that it is wearing tires with an actual measurement of over 33″ tall, though one of the reasons that the 4.30 gears is even an option is that they know a lot of buyers are going to go straight to the tire store for a set of 35’s.
Close, actually they are just over 32″ tall. Your point stands though.
“The 275/65R18 Continental ContiTrac has a diameter of 32.1″, a width of 10.9″, mounts on a 18″ rim and has 653 revolutions per mile. It weighs 53 lbs, has a max load of 3415 lbs, a maximum air pressure of 80 psi, a tread depth of 12/32″ and should be used on a rim width of 7-9”.
Oops I thought it had the 275/70’s on it which are 33.2″.
No matter how much time I spend behind the wheel of a new F-series, I never get used to the sea of identical little buttons on the instrument panel. The two 3×3 panels of buttons require you look down at them to tell what you’re pushing. Just the lower climate control area has 15 buttons and 2 knobs, and requires too much attention be taken off the road. Some of them need to be differently sized or shaped.
Very gorgeous truck! I would never have a need for a truck like this but it’s appealing – very cool and I agree that I like the proven and low tech manner of this engine. Hopefully it does well for Ford.
I wonder if the 7.3 displacement was somewhat intentionally re-used to bring buyers back from the old Powerstroke days…
I’m sure the displacement is no coincidence. But found it interesting that there is no badging whatsoever to denote it. Every other truck maker seems to display something showing at least the top engine trim on either the side or on the hood itself.
This is the truck I would seriously consider but with less creature comfort options. I’d get the 8 foot bed and that engine. The main reason to buy is the aluminum body. The mileage isn’t bad as its the same as my 1999 Ram 1500 with a 318.
Yes COVID19 is screwing up vehicle deliveries here I was reading that only recently yet I see transporters loaded with new cars and pickups every day distributing them to dealers all over the country and drive past the stockpiles of unsold new cars regularly there doesnt seem to be anything resembling a shortage over here and the roads are clogged as usual as are the new and used dealer lots
Nice ute though it just manages to fall into the car category here unladen so no restrictions on licence when used for work though at $2 per litre revenue would want to be going well to keep it fed at those mileage figures diesel is more advantagious for that even if the mileage isnt much better here anyway, There are plenty of large F series about though for me its hard to tell which one I see if its just driving by.
It’s a beautiful truck, if I were in the market, I’d much rather have this than a diesel…
My inlaws are one of the customers for these. They currently have a lower trim double cab Tundra with all the HD options (5.7 tow package etc). They pull a 5th wheel that’s close to the max. They spend more then 5-6 weeks a year camping (sometimes alot more). They started shopping for a replacement truck this summer but have switched from new to 3-4 year old car buyers recently and pricing is crazy right now. They don’t really want a Dually and the don’t really need a diesel either (they do use it when not pulling the camper but since they are mostly retired it’s not a ton of miles). So far they have mostly been looking at Chevy and GMC gasser in both 2500 and 3500 trims. They like they idea of a 3500 in case they go bigger on the 5th wheel in the future.
On gas mileage the Tundra gets 14 average and can get 18 on a trip. Loaded with trailer in tow its 9-10 mpg.
I’m not going to buy one new with my current income but, I would love to have a 3/4 gas as a 3rd car. My toy fleet doesn’t require it now but it would be nice to be able to pull a bigger camper with ease when the time comes.
Regarding the 2500/3500 thing it is more important to look at the specific truck’s data plate. As Jim noted this Ford has the 10,000/9,900 lb payload package. In this case it is 9,900 because the badge has a 2. If it had a 3 then the data plate would say 10,000. I’m pretty sure there is zero difference in any mechanical component to give that extra 1% rated capacity. In other words the payload package matters more than if there is a 2 or a 3 on the badge. Ditto for the towing rating, which is based on power train options, and SRW vs DRW. So if you want SRW the 3 is only useful for bragging rights.
This one is weird in that the data plate actually does say 10k as does the window sticker (referencing the 10k package), however when I was in the online configurator trying to figure out the pricing that is where I saw the note re: it only being 9,900 in the 250 line. In the overall scheme of things that’s around half a passenger’s weight so not really any practical difference, just a bit odd. In real life if called on it I’d assume you point to the data plate.
Interesting. When shopping for my current truck it was to replace a old F-350. However when I started looking at them I found that with the optional payload package the 06 F-250 I did end up buying had the 9,900 lb rating on the data plate while the SRW gas engine F-350s of similar year I looked at had the 10,000 lb on their GVW. So I figured I was fine to “downgrade” to the lowly 250.
Forgot to include…
I haven’t really looked into it on the ford’s. On the rams an gm even with the bigger GVWR options a gas 2500 to 3500 SRW, nets you anywhere from 600 to 1200 lbs more payload. Trailer ratings are about the same. Since they are looking at high pin weights with the 5th wheel and having 3 grandkids in the back seat the extra payload is appealing.
For me the only reasons to go SRW 3500 is heavy 5th wheels and slide in truck campers where your often looking for every ounce of payload possible.
I can’t wait until these 7.3 trucks get ubiquitous enough to be had (somewhat) cheaply used. A 7.3/10-speed regular cab SRW F-350 would be the perfect replacement for our current ’08 flatbed. 13 MPG may seem awful, but it’s certainly better than the 6-8 we’re currently getting with the 6.8L V10 and 6-speed manual, even without taking the power difference into account.
Another great thing about the Super Dutys (although this wouldn’t matter for our use) is their lower bed vs. the F-150, to make up for the higher ride height. GM could take a page out of their book.
You raise an interesting question in my mind – what *is* the values of these $60K and up luxury trucks once they have 100K or more on them and move on to the second or third owner? Seems like they would experience steep depreciation to me, especially if a lot of the gizmos are starting to flake out.
Ed, I’ll give you an extreme case example:
My father in law is a serial Ram buyer. In 2013, he decided to move on from his 2006 2500 5.7 HD Ram to a 2013 Ram 2500 Bighorn with the 6.7 Cummins. Well optioned truck, sticker was well over 60k. He drives a lot for work, so in 5 years the truck had a little over 250,000 miles. He decided to get a 2018 Laramie with the Cummins, so its trade in time. Blue Book value at the time of trade in? $12,000
And yes, it had problems with the DEF system and a fender starting to rust. But when stuff cropped up, he would pay through the nose to have it fixed everytime. So it was still in pretty decent shape apart from the odometer reading.
In an interesting version of the pre CC effect on Thursday I got to see my buddy’s 2020 Super Duty Lariat that he purchased the week before. His is the F-450 though so diesel and an 8′ bed is standard.
I had to move a car and rather than just borrow his trailer he brought his truck and trailer. I was surprised at how well it rode with just the trailer behind it or with the trailer+ car which put a tongue weight that is a small fraction of the payload.
We did fill up on the way back to my house and the first tank averaged 15 MPG and that included some previous towing and local driving.
It also showed just how far trucks have come in the last 10 years as this replaced his 2009 F-450 King Ranch. When he got that we thought it was very luxurious with so many bells and whistles, while today’s Lariat has everything it had and more. The only significant difference in “Luxury” is that the old King Ranch (which was higher up in the food chain then) definitely had softer feeling leather.
So I can’t say I was disappointed with the materials since there are 3 trim levels above it they need to leave some room for those higher trim levels.
I kind of want to put this engine/trans combo into a ’73 Country Squire.
And Ford has you covered with a crate engine offering. https://performanceparts.ford.com/part/M-6007-73
I already thought of that Evan! Even a ’73ish Ranchero would be cool.
Great review as always. I have two porblems with this truck. First, why does Ford continue its practice of cheap plastic in the interior, on vehicles like this? Second, that front grill in the second phtoo looks like one truck fell symetrically on another and squashed it!
“Why does Ford continue its practice of cheap plastic in the interior, on vehicles like this?”
Because commercial and farm buyers appreciate an interior they can wipe down, even if it is a higher trim (Lariat and up).
I think that was the conventional wisdom until RAM came out with their nicer interiors a few years back across the lineup. I don’t see why the farmer can’t wipe down a higher quality plastic that doesn’t feel as cheap or with buttons that fit snugly into their apertures instead of wiggling around slightly that feel hard and brittle when rapped with a fingernail. Yes it may seem petty superficially but when you’re in it and have your finger on a button in the center stack to feel it wiggle around slightly left to right or top to bottom just doesn’t scream quality and precision. Maybe that doesn’t matter to some but if I were spending $60-$100k and all other things were equal that might make a difference. After all, the higher trims are the ones that make the most profit and the base XL is even more plastic/vinyl covered but with the same button quality (and there are a lot of buttons).
It is for sure nicer than the prior generation so for “Ford Fans” that won’t look at anything else mission accomplished but I don’t know if people are quite as brand loyal as they used to be and with sales volumes increasing there are obviously continuously new-to-the-market buyers without any specific allegiance in the marketplace. That’s where it matters.
Nobody is advocating suede on the dashboard or Ford’s famed pantycloth on the seats and headliner…. If you sit in a new Toyota Tundra (the oldest of the half-tons) the buttons all feel solid with a very smooth action, are virtually flush fit into their apertures with minimal gaps around them, have a good feel, and the HVAC and Audio knobs have zero slop and wiggle, they just turn with good damping/resistance but are tightly in place.
My niece recently bought a loaded Chevrolet truck. The interior is surprisingly good and much less Rubbermaid like than my buddy’s F-350. I mean, exposed screw heads in a 2019?
I’ve been enthusiastically following Godzilla since the first rumblings about its development. Haven’t seen one in the flesh yet. I can’t believe that another (one last?) brand new, clean sheet, push-rod V8 made it in my lifetime. LoL
First picture: I assume you towed all those wagons to the silos?
Great review and shade of blue, I don’t think I will come across one any time soon. An F-150 would be a more realistic find.
More in general, I can’t explain why specifically Ram pickups (the 1500) outsell the US competitors here for such a long time, by quite a wide margin. Can’t be the dealership networks…
I noticed that traveling to NL in 2012 saw a number of ram pickups one silverado and oddly a 2500 series suburban. I recently started following a german camping magazine on instagram and so far whenever a full-size american pickup is shown it’s a ram. In fact a recent post from the magazine was a test drive of the new ram calling it the S class for cowboys.
Says a lot about me that I have paid virtually zero attention to what’s been happening in the automotive industry until Ford announced this engine. Detroit Muscle > Silicon Valley tech! 😁
But man that front end has a lot going on!
Diesels fell WAY off my radar screen the day they got rid of the strictly mechanical injection system. The one thing that actually made them reliable.
Unfortunately emission regs have turned diesels into very complicated machines. Miss the old days for ease of diagnosis. All you needed was fuel, air and compression, now there’s about 500 possible reasons that it doesn’t run. Hopefully the diesel industry will follow a similar trajectory as the gas engines did.
I started my mechanic career when gas engines were gutless and strangled with pollution control equipment. The diesels just had a lot of new systems strapped onto them to meet the regulations, the old Beta testing by the customer system. Now that they meet the regulations the engineers can work on improving reliability and tighter regs that are coming. Meanwhile they are also working on elec and hydrogen power.
Just too dayum long, tall, wide, heavy & expensive for me.
The 7.3 engine is also a big deal for the medium duty market and for the same reasons. A lot of customers are dissatisfied with the diesels especially in the rental market.
Also a minor chance that a derivative of the 7.3 could end up in the Mustang. Could be a limited edition Boss 429 or a new 428 Cobra Jet or lastly maybe they finally put a 427 in a Mustang.
Great review – I too was amazed at the rear seat space.
If I had the money, time, energy, and fortitude, I’d buy a 7.3 crate motor/10 speed and install it in a completely stock ’67 Lincoln…fun times…
Maybe I should mention that to Jay Leno…:-)
Yes, the next time you and Jay meet up for some Tonkatsu near Shinjuku you should definitely discuss that. 🙂
I did find it interesting that the 7.3 crate motor documentation states the bellhousing bolt pattern is the same as on the 4.6/5.4 and Coyote 5.0. But that 10-speed is a sweet transmission.
Hmm, 7.3 pushrod in my 94 Cougar with its modular pattern Tremec 5 speed… my imagination is running wild 🙂
It’s been bothering me all day but it finally came to me what those fake wood inserts on the door panels remind me of, Paul’s favorite car!