- The 2023 Ford F-250 Super Duty can tow up to 40,000 pounds in certain configurations.
- This brutish work truck introduces a new 6.8-liter V8 as its base engine, which makes 405 hp and 445 lb-ft of torque.
- The ’23 F-250 Super Duty starts at $45,865 and is on sale now.
If you thought the truck world was going to slow down in the hunt for opulence or spec sheet supremacy, you were wrong. At least, Ford wanted to put a pin in the discussion with the latest iteration of its Super Duty pickup lineup. The heavier-duty off-shoot of its F-Series lineup, these pickups used to be just tools that were tasked with the painful life of pulling trailers, moving heavy payloads, and breathing through worksite dust and debris.
While that’s still the case, and possibly more work-ready than ever, the line of Ford Super Duty trucks now does that hard work with the creature comforts you could only have dreamed about 20 years ago. Oh yeah, and Ford’s latest Super Duty resets the bar for absurd spec sheet numbers and helped expand the company’s pushrod engine lineup.
The biggest jaw-dropper from the latest F-250 Super Duty is its top-flight 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel, which crossed into the four-figure torque number in 2020 with 1050 lb-ft of torque and 475 hp. That’s old news. The new star is the high-output version of that 6.7-liter turbocharged diesel V8, which now makes 500 hp and 1200 lb-ft of torque. If you don’t want or need that much gusto, that 1050-lb-ft Power Stroke is still available as the entry-level diesel.
That’s not the only shakeup under the Super Duty’s massive hood. The base 6.2-liter Boss gasoline V8 has seen the end of the road. In its place is a de-stroked variant of the Godzilla V8. Displacing 6.8 liters, the new base gas engine sends 405 hp and 445 lb-ft of torque through the standard 10-speed automatic. Of course, that’s not the only gasoline-burning option. The 7.3-liter Godzilla naturally aspirated V8 is still on the menu as an option, and Ford’s team squeezed a little more power out of it for ’23, now sending 430 hp and 485 lb-ft of torque through the standard 10-speed transmission.
Starting from the bottom of the list, the new addition to the gasoline V8 family is perfectly happy under the hood of the Super Duty. The entry-level 6.8-liter mill offers plenty of power for the rigors of crawling capably through the curated off-road course of Ford’s Romeo test grounds.
Under the hood of an interestingly optioned F-250 XL with the XL Off-Road pack, this large pickup handled the job-site-esque muddy Michigan soil like a champ and easily powered through the light obstacles. Despite the truck’s heft, the new entry point of Ford’s Super Duty lineup dutifully delivered whatever power I wanted. Of course that V8’s 445 lb-ft of torque probably didn’t hurt the equation. As you’d expect from a torquey V8, power delivery is smooth and predictable.
Stepping up to the larger gasoline engine is still a treat. Climbing behind the wheel of a 7.3-liter F-250 with a boat behind it and tugging thousands of pounds of fiberglass and metal, the Godzilla-equipped F-250 felt the weight of the loaded trailer but powered up Ford’s test grade.
While it might not be the ultimate towing machine with the gasoline engine, it certainly can handle some hauling. While under load, Ford’s Godzilla mill sings a throaty V8 song that is itself almost worth the $1705 option on base XL trucks or the step up to the XLT, where it’s the base engine.
For ultimate towing, you’re going to have to step up to the absurd 6.7-liter diesel burner. Chasing numbers that are edging ever closer to tractor-trailer numbers, Ford’s latest can tug a maximum of 40,000 pounds. While the truck absolutely feels that much heft, the fact that it can move it up a grade at any speed is impressive. Down a grade, the engine brake performance does a sound job of helping you control your rig’s speed.
That said, if you’re a worrier, maybe don’t watch your diesel V8’s tachometer bouncing at 4000 rpm the entire time you’re trying to engine brake down a grade. The only truly jarring experience might be the ultimate towing machine’s hilariously loud cooling fan that’s responsible for keeping everything at operating temp. Though, it seems like trading some engine compartment noise for optimum cooling is a good deal.
Heavy-duty trucks were once rendered to how much work the truck could do, with creature comforts falling well down the priority list. Not so for Ford’s new trucks. On the road, the ultra-luxe work rig feels like you’re sitting atop the world and wielding the Canyonero. The truck’s width is noticeable, but to be expected when driving a large pickup.
2023 Ford F-250 Super Duty Tremor.
The truck’s head-up display helps keep your eyes focused on the road, and away from the digital instrumentation and massive media screen. True, with 1200 lb-ft of torque, swift acceleration is met with some loss of traction, but that only happens on a closed course. Despite its working bones, the Limited grade’s $97,990 price tag delivers a premium level of comfort.
Ford didn’t stop by styling nice interiors for its new top-flight Super Duty trucks. There’s also a lot of useful tech for making the world go ‘round. For starters, Ford installed a camera atop the tailgate—to give you a backup camera and a 360-view with the tailgate down.
This little feature could pay dividends when backing up to loading docks, or just for backing up with the tailgate down. Also, joining the F-250 is Ford’s payload scale system. The truck’s infotainment screen and tail lights will let you know if you’re over the suggested GVWR of your new work machine. This feature made its way to the light-duty F-150, and it’s a nice addition to the F-250’s tool kit.
The most interesting new feature might be Ford’s autonomous trailer hookup assist. Formally called Trailer Hitch Assist, the system is baked into the Ford Pro Trailer system and helps you easily mate up to a trailer without a spotter. If you follow the system’s instructions, it autonomously guides your truck’s ball hitch to your trailer. There are some limitations—it doesn’t currently work with gooseneck or fifth-wheel trailers, but if you’re using one of those, you probably don’t even need it. Still, even if you’re a pro at hooking up trailers, this could be a fun party trick for showing off to friends.
All in, the new Super Duty rig is following the path laid before it. Trucks are getting nicer and nicer every year, and it only makes sense for the more capable consumer trucks to follow suit. At the $45,865 floor of the Super Duty’s price chart, the base truck gives you enough grunt to handle your business, but creature comfort and stump-pulling grunt come with a price. The ’23 Ford Super Duty line of trucks is on sale now.
Do you think trucks are only going to get more capable and lavish? Or will trucks ever go back to basics? Tell us your thoughts below.
Wesley Wren has spent his entire life around cars, whether it’s dressing up as his father’s 1954 Ford for Halloween as a child, repairing cars in college or collecting frustrating pieces of history—and most things in between. Wesley is the current steward of a 1954 Ford Crestline Victoria, a 1975 Harley-Davidson FXE and a 1959 Ford Fairlane 500 Galaxie. Oh yeah, and a 2005 Kia Sedona.
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