“We judge the contenders based on six categories—from design to efficiency to performance—characterizing the things consumers want most in their next vehicle,” says Ed Loh, Motor Trend editor-in-chief. “The all-new 2017 Ford Super Duty met and exceeded our criteria, truly proving it is the undisputed leader in towing, capability and power—exactly what truck customers want.”
The Motor Trend article says the Super Duty has a distinctive design with a an “obvious mission,” noting that the trucks also outperformed the competition when it came to fuel efficiency.
Ford unveiled the 2017 models in September 2015. The latest generation of Super Duty marks the introduction of an aluminum body (like the F-150) to the lineup along with a new steel frame Ford says is “24 times stiffer than the previous frame.”
And though the body is 350 pounds lighter, the majority of the buzz around these new trucks has been focused on all of the technology they pack and the fact that the new 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbo diesel now delivers a best-in-class combination of 440 horsepower and 925 lb.-ft. of torque.
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Because of those specs, the 2017 F-350 has a towing capacity of 32,000 pounds and has unseated the former towing champion, Ram’s 3500, by 800 pounds. The F-450 Super Duty SuperCrew 4×4 has a maximum gooseneck tow rating of 32,500 pounds while maximum fifth-wheel towing is increased to 27,500—2,500 pounds better than its closest competitor.
Power is where Motor Trend was most effusive about the Super Duty. Here’s an excerpt from the article:
What the ads don’t tell you is how the truck actually behaves with 16 tons burdening the rear axle. With a class-leading 925 lb-ft of torque on tap, the F-350 Super Duty will begin rolling forward at idle when you release the brake—despite a gross combined vehicle weight of more than 40,000 pounds. That’s simply stunning torque. Give it some throttle, and it’s a strong, steady pull to freeway speeds. Braking from such speeds is handled with confidence thanks to a powerful exhaust brake, a well-calibrated Tow/Haul mode, and strong 14-inch rotors front and rear.
“With 30,000 pounds in tow, the F-350 was remarkably unfazed,” Chris Walton said. “Sure, there’s a sense of weight behind, but not 15 tons. The engine pulled smoothly through the rev range, the transmission clicked off smooth, quick upshifts without surging, and when it came time to slow after the quarter mile, the Jake brake gave me so much compression braking that I felt extremely confident transitioning from off-throttle to gentle braking for the turnaround.”
Be sure to read Motor Trend’s full breakdown of the Super Duty here. The Motor Trend win for Super Duty follows the lineup being named the Truck of Texas.
