When you need more power than what a half-ton pickup truck can give you, turn your eyes to the Ford F-250, first in the lineup of Super Duty Ford trucks. With more payload and towing capacity, the Ford F-250 is for bigger, dirtier jobs. This big truck can tow up to 15,000 pounds maximum and has a payload capacity of 4,332 pounds. That’s almost double the payload and towing capacities of the F-150. That’s not to say that you won’t find creature comforts and optional extras if you want them. But the F-250 is made for working, first and foremost.
The Ford F-250 comes in several different trim levels to choose from, the names of which mirror those of the F-150 pickup. All models come as a regular cab, an extended cab (aka SuperCab) or a crew cab with your choice of 6.8- or an 8.2-foot bed length.
F-250 XL
The base model is all power, no frills. You still get the basics, like a rearview camera, AC, and four-speaker audio system. But Ford has thrown in features on this base model that are built to make your work day go more smoothly, like manually adjustable telescoping towing mirrors, a removable locking tailgate with tailgate lift assist, and a 2.5-inch trailer hitch receiver with a 2-inch insert. Most importantly, there’s that 6.2-liter V8 that produces 385 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque with rear-wheel drive and mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission.
F-250 XLT
If you want more than just a workhorse, the F-250 XLT is where you live. The XLT trim level is much the same as the F-250 XL, except the 17-inch wheels become 18-inch, there are power locks and windows, and there are additional standard features like power-adjustable heated mirrors, four locking cleats in the bed, keyless entry, rear underseat lockable storage, rear privacy glass, cruise control, alarm system, Sync system on a 4.2-inch display, USB port, CD player, and satellite radio.
F-250 Lariat
This is where the workhorse mentality gets left in the dust. Once you hit this trim, the Lariat starts piling on the features. There are too many features to name here, but the highlights include electronic shift-on-the-fly four-wheel-drive system, rear parking sensors, dual-zone automatic climate control, leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, 8-inch center touchscreen display, upgraded Sync 3 system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, two 110-volt household-style power outlets, Wi-Fi hotspot, and premium B&O Play 10-speaker audio system with two USB charging ports. And it just gets better from there.
F-250 King Ranch, Platinum, and Limited
These three top-tier trim levels are the luxury liners of the F-250 family. All three come with automatic high beams, automatic wipers, LED box lighting, keyless entry and ignition, remote start, upgraded leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, driver-seat memory settings, power tilt-and-telescoping and heated steering wheel, and a navigation system with satellite radio. You’ll find the King Ranch to be the western-themed truck you need for when your home is on the range (or you wish it were), the Platinum for city driving, and the Limited for the very best F-250 on offer.