2015 Ford F-series

Ten percent more electricity than last year and a solid whump of added torque in the Power Stroke diesel mean that it is Ford's move to leapfrog its truck-making opponents to claim "best-in-course" honours for 2015. Although the blue-oblong team is making more important pickup truck news with its aluminum-intensive F150, in this situation we are discussing heavy duty or, in Ford parlance, "super-duty" light trucks, the F 250, F350, and F450.

We climbed for short drives into some of the revised 2015 F350 versions. Both were four-by-fours wearing the King Ranch badges that denote trimmings that are lavish, both in crew cab/short-bed spec. Both were equipped with the Power Stroke diesel V8 and TorqShift six-speed automatic transmission. Visible badges reminded us if given the opportunity that B20 biodiesel would burn.

A Ford engineer told us the single-wheel version was equipped with an uprated towing bundle and that its big wheels and distinct back- spring and axle set up changed the ride and steering feel.

Although they are called one-ton trucks, that is not a lot of load. Ford says that these Power Stroke F350s, depending on trimming and gear, can be rated to tow up to 26,700 pounds (or no more than 12,500). Mind you, these are meant for work and farm -site use, although the distinctions between private- commercial vehicles and use are blurring. Advertising nomenclature however, these pick-ups are actually classed with their half-ton stablemates as light duty trucks rather than with accurate medium- or heavy-truck sections where commercial grade haulers fit.

2015 Ford F-series

Ford is not helping to keep this distinction, yet, boasting that this second-generation Power Stroke diesel is basically an engine so powerful that it is all but identical to the one used in the moderate-duty F450. (similar claims were made by Ram for its Cummins-assembled six last year).

Additionally on the dashboard, Ford put a push button with a business eye on its crosstown rivals to actuate the exhaust brake. Like those at GM and Ram, the exhaust brake creates pressure back through the turbo to create haul. Ford asserts that besides the simple one-touch actuation, this year's version also operates more efficiently.

Dearborn additionally boasts that it updated the interior trimming for 2015 on the King Ranch versions. It seems somewhat better but we have tried lately to our eye did not fit the quality of substances in the Ram and Chevy trucks. The leather, now wearing the King Ranch's "snake" brand more conspicuously, seemed great but there was less of it and occasionally it was used in strange locations, while inexpensive-looking plastic touches (notably pockets on the games console and the interior door panel) felt flimsy. $55,000 to $70,000 or so, F350 s trim cans run and trimming that is chintzy might be offputting. However, customers in this section are constantly asking for more capacity, Ford promises, so maybe they will be happy to overlook such variables of boasting the largest power numbers in favor.