Ford F-350
Want to know the biggest brain-buster of the competition? The F-350 Super Duty SuperCab was $95 more expensive than the F-150. So why was that significant other than the hmmm factor? Because when we began the test, we figured you'd be smokin' it if you didn't fork over the minute dough for a pickup with an optional V-10 and a payload of 4,255 pounds.
However, we could not hide our immediate disappointment with what those extra Washingtons would get you: a gutless truck with a painful ride. We test pickups unloaded, but this suspension was found stiff even for a 1-ton, and the rear end would kick out at the slightest freeway crack. Then there was its 2301/2-inch length, making it less than desirable for roaming the city.
Once at the racetrack, its fan club downsized. The F-350 posted fourth-slowest accelerator and dead-last stopper. Sure, it is 2,448 pounds heavier than the Suzuki, but still. Not making matters easier was the poorly positioned transmission shifter, which lead to difficulty with finding the gates and dislocated shoulders from stuffing the stick into Reverse. And don't ask about the mpg or the noise.
But then the Super one hit pay dirt. The beast showed what it could do with its just-more-than-8 inches of front clearance and dead-serious limited slip: scale rocks and hills. Being heavy forced it to bog on sand, but that wasn't a limiter on inclines. It walked very determinedly up the knoll with nearly no driver assistance, and then it showed the naysayers of long wheelbases that great traction, clearance, and compression braking are all it takes to four-wheel--the F-350 came in behind the Jeep and the Dodge for third at rockcrawling, exactly one point behind the Jeep at four-wheeling attributes, and behind none at hillclimbing. But it was the real winner in all our hearts for having manual locking hubs.
There were other quirks, though, that couldn't move it past middle-of-the-pickup pack in the final cut: a parking brake that when released removed chunks of shin, not having grab handles on both sides, tons of slop in the drivetrain, a utilitarian interior, and that good, but very familiar, body style.
General
Manufacturer: Ford
Model: F-350 Super Duty SuperCab Styleside
Base Price: $26,640
Price as Tested: $30,545
Options as Tested: Preferred Equipment Package (manual locking hubs; front tow hooks; speed-control/tilt steering; passenger-side SRS; air conditioning; AM/FM/cassette/clock; forged aluminum wheels; mid-ship fuel tank; and power convenience package); 6.8L V-10 engine; five-speed manual transmission; LT265/75R16 tires; 4.30:1 limited-slip axle ratio; front license plate bracket; spare tire and wheel; power mirror; Off Road Package; aero headlamps; power-takeoff; chrome rear step bumper; trailer hitch receiver; 40/20/40 cloth bench seat; remote keyless entry; Trailer Towing Package; and heavy-duty battery.
Engine
Type: SOHC V-10
Displacement (liters/cubic inches): 6.8/415
Bore & Stroke (inches): 3.55x4.16
Compression Ratio: 9.0:1
Induction Type: Sequential, multiport fuel injection
Fuel Requirement/Capacity (gallons): 87 Octane Unleaded regular/29
SAE Peak Horsepower: 275 @ 4,250 rpm
SAE Peak Torque (lb-ft): 410 @ 2,750 rpm
Transmission
Type: Five-speed manual
Model: M5HD
Ratios: First: 5.72:1; Second: 2.93:1; Third: 1.60:1; Fourth: 1.00:1; Fifth: 0.76:1; Reverse: 5.23:1
Transfer Case
Type: Two-speed part-time
Model: NV731
Low-Range Ratio: 2.72:1
Axles
Front Type: Solid
Rear Type: Solid
Hubs: Manual
Ratio: 4.30:1
Suspension
Front: Single-stage, constant-rate leaf springs
Rear: Two-stage, variable-rate leaf springs
Steering
Type: Power recirculating ball
Turns Lock-to-Lock/Ratio: 3.8/17.0:1
Turning Radius (feet): 54.2
Wheels
Size (inches): 16x7
Material: Cast-aluminum
Tires
Size: P265/75R16
Brand: Firestone Steeltex
Brake System
Front: 13-inch discs
Rear: 12-inch discs
Weight
Advertised GVWR (pounds): 9,900
Mileage
As Tested (mpg): 10.72
Acceleration
Standing ¼-mile (seconds @ mph): 18.37 @ 73.97
Braking
60-0 mph (feet): 162.98
Dimensions (inches)
Wheelbase: 142
Overall Length: 230.5
Overall Width: 99.5
Overall Height: 79
Front/Rear Track: 68.5/68
Front/Rear Overhang: 21.75/35.25
Minimum Front Ground Clearance: 8 .25
Likes
*Really low 5.72 First gear
*Confident limited slip
*Torque curve impressively flat
Dislikes
*Drivetrain noise
*Beyond bouncy on and off highway
*It's a V-10?
Bottom line
It'll be a rough ride getting there, but it's a competent slow-go 'wheeler.