Friday, April 8, 2011

2011 Ford F-250 4x4 Crew Cab Lariat King Ranch Diesel: The Ultimate Working Boys (Girls) Luxury Toy


Highlight: This five-seater luxury workhorse has the highest-rated towing capacity in its class and has been apart of a series of the U.S. best-selling fullsize trucks for 33 years.

Test Vehicle's MSRP: $64,145 (Base F-250 starts out at $48,860)

Major Standard Features: locking removable tailgate with lift assist; tie-down hooks; dual-zone electric temperature control; Ford’s Sync System; Sirius Satellite Radio; Manual Locking Hubs; Trailer Towing Package and 20-inch wheels

Standard Engine/Horsepower: 6.7-liter, 8-cylinder diesel/400

Standard Towing Capacity: 14,000 lbs

Standard Fuel Mileage: No Government Fuel Rating is Available for Heavy Duty (Super Duty) Trucks

Competition: Chevy Silverado Heavy Duty Crew Cab, Dodge Ram 2500 Crew Cab and GMC Sierra Heavy Duty Crew Cab

What’s New:

Underneath the two-tone exterior of the redesigned power dome hood, the F-250 Lariat King Ranch edition now carries an all-new booming diesel engine, offering more torque, improved fuel-economy and 40 additional horsepower.

Added to that, the Super Duty truck is also outfitted with a new six-speed transmission, which enhances the fuel economy. More so, the new Super Duty diesel engine is compatible with B20 fuel, allowing up to 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel.

Furthermore, for the 2011 model year, every F-250 is now decorated with an easy-to-read LCD (liquid crystal display) productivity screen, which provides such driver-oriented information as fuel-economy, off-road performance and towing guidance. The F-250 now also offers heated (and cooled) fronts seats along with a larger front seat center console, which includes a lockable storage.

And for those looking for extra towing power, a factory-installed fifth-wheel and gooseneck are now available. One no longer has to use an aftermarket company to accessorize their truck.

Pros:

By equipping this truck with the F-250’s top of the line trim, the King Ranch Package, transforms a run-of –the-mill pick up to a true luxury workhorse. With the King Ranch Package, it’s like having all of the accoutrements typically reserved for a premium price vehicle, but in this case it’s a truck.

Besides all of the aforementioned features we noted with the new diesel engine, the King Ranch’s interior is unlike any truck we’ve ever tested. Inside the F-250 King Ranch’s roomy cabin, one can find everything from 10-way power front dual to two-tone Chaparral leather seats to a memory driver’s seat to memory adjustable gas pedals to a remote start system to a premium-class eight speaker sound system.

Also to help navigate this gigantic working man’s (ladies) truck, we found that our F-250 was not only equipped with a back-up camera, but an audible reverse vehicle sensor, too. Just like airbags, these much needed safety features should be mandatory for every full size and super duty truck.

Furthermore, our super duty truck was equipped with Ford’s optional power moonroof and a voice-activated navigation system.

And with this being a 4x4, Ford has left no stones unturned as it relates to carrying cargo, offering an optional stowable bed extender, a tailgate step (or man steps) and a sprayed-in tough guard bedliner. All of this and more was attached to our 8-foot bed. (A 6-foot bed is also available in this truck, helping to lower the price.) What else could one ask for?

Moreover, the 2011 Super Duty also increases its tow ability by offering an optional factory-installed fifth-wheel and gooseneck, providing additional towing power. Without the fifth-wheel, the truck is capable of towing up to 14,000 lbs, adding the fifth-wheel increases the F-250 towing power by 1,700 lbs to 15,700 lbs in the 4x4 (and up to 16,000 lbs in the 4x2).

Lastly, to help maintain control of this Super Duty when towing, a trailer sway control (TSC) helps to monitor the truck’s motion when a trailer is attached. Added to this, Ford also offers a factory-installed integrated trailer brake controller, aiding the driver in offering a safer and smoother operation when stopping, while towing. Again, Ford has thought of everything for this luxury workhorse.

Cons:

This super duty truck was accessorized with almost everything except Ford’s Blind Spot Lane-Changing System, which alters the driver of objects in its blind spot before changing lanes.

And we were somewhat disappointed that our F-250 wasn’t equipped with a larger fuel tank, allowing for us to achieve more than 350 miles on one tank of gas.

The Verdict:

No you won’t need a special Class A license to drive this truck, but with in a matter of seconds one will easily find out that this vehicle is just as a tough as an 18-wheeler. Not only is this truck capable of pulling almost everything in sight, it does so in class and style with its bigger, bolder grille, which hides the booming sound of the diesel engine. The F-250 takes no strangers.

In fact, this miniature big rig is so interchangeable that it can be used for field work during the week, towing a small yacht on the weekend or cruising across the country towing a camper during vacation season. This everyday working man’s (woman’s) luxury truck is available with a diesel (or gasoline) engine in either a 4x4 (or 4x2) configuration. Yes, it’s no wonder why Ford is America’s best-selling truck in America.

1 comment:

car blogger said...

Well information about Ford.
This is just well descriptive as well as quality to define.

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