Editor's Rating: 
The Good: Snazzy interior, towing capacity, turbo-charged diesel engine
The Bad: Doubts about new engine, far from great fuel economy
The Bottom Line: Great for towing boats and trailers?but do you really need one?
Reader ReviewsIn the world of heavy-duty pickup trucks, the arrival of the redesigned 2008 Super Duty Fords is a big deal. Ford (F) work trucks?the F250, F350, and F450?are the market leaders, coveted not only by ranchers, plumbers, and contractors but horse, boat, and recreational-vehicle owners, as well. Ford says 90% of buyers of its Super Duty trucks end up towing something at one time or another.
Detroit has no Asian competition in heavy-duty trucks, which is one of the market's unique features. Ford's smaller, lighter F150 pickup faces tough new rivals such as the redesigned Toyota (TM) Tundra, the Nissan (NSANY) Titan, and the Honda (HMC) Ridgeline.
But for now, at least, when it comes to the big-dog models (which are bulked up to increase their hauling and towing capacity), Ford's only real rivals are the heavy-duty versions of GM's (GM) Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra, and the Dodge Ram from DaimlerChrysler (DCX). Not surprisingly, given the lack of competition, heavy-duty pickups are a huge source of profits for the companies.
And my guess is that the new Ford and GM trucks are going to be tough competition for the Dodge Ram, which is due for a redesign. Already, Dodge is offering discounts averaging $3,273 on its '07 Ram 2500, according to the Power Information Network.
I test-drove the ultra-fancy, four-wheel-drive Lariat version of the F250 with the optional King Ranch interior. This is nothing like the barebones pickups of yore. My test truck listed at $57,000 and had a spacious cab, with four comfy captain's chairs upholstered in soft brown "Chaparral" leather that made the interior smell like a saddle shop. It also was more than 20 feet long and had all sorts of extra gizmos, including a power sunroof, backup alarm, and navigation system. There's an optional rear-seat entertainment system for watching movies.
As with other full-size pickups, however, the big appeal of the F250 is the vast number of configurations it comes in. The basic two-wheel-drive F250 XL with stick shift, regular cab, and a gasoline-powered V8, starts at $23,305. But the price easily tops $30,000 once you start adding options many shoppers want, such as a diesel engine ($6,895), four-wheel-drive ($2,975), an automatic transmission ($1,490), air conditioning ($855), a basic radio and CD player ($250), extendable trailer mirrors ($250), a tilt steering wheel ($150), and traction control ($130).
Going with an extended or crew cab model jacks up the base price commensurately. With an extended cab, stick shift, and a gas-powered V8, the basic XL starts at $25,430, or $28,410 with four-wheel-drive. Move up to the bigger crew cab, and the XL starts at $26,790, or $29,765 with four-wheel-drive.
Add about $5,000 to those prices to move up to the fancier XLT, which comes with such basics as air conditioning, 17-inch chrome wheels, cruise control, a CD player, and power mirrors, doors, and windows. Another $3,000 to $4,000 moves you up to the most basic Lariat, which has power seats, leather upholstery, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel, extra cupholders, and 18-inch aluminum wheels. Add $3,640 more for the King Ranch interior. In the same price range as the Lariat, there's also a four-wheel-drive-only FX4 with a techie-looking interior featuring black leather trim.
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