2024 Ford F-350 Super Duty Road Test and Review

2023 Ford F-350 Super Duty Limited ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Ask some people about the ultimate vehicle, and they might name an exotic high-performance sports car – an incredible machine that’s been meticulously engineered to excel under extreme pressure. 

Ask some others, and they’ll pick a heavy-duty pickup truck – for essentially the same reason. Its extreme capability comes in towing, hauling, and mudding rather than on a racetrack, but it’s a familiar spirit of “not that I would, but I could.” And that’s to say nothing of the owners who actually do need to move massive trailers or heavy loads of gravel, topsoil, hay, or anything else. Plus, unlike a Lamborghini, a big pickup truck offers acres of room for the driver and passengers to spread out comfortably. 

For this review, we spent a week testing one of the most popular heavy-duty pickup trucks: the Ford F-350 Super Duty, decked out in its top Limited trim level and costing more than $100,000. Keep reading as we break down the pros and cons of the big Ford. 

Mighty Capability

For many drivers, even a Ford F-150 is already a mighty and massive machine. It can tow up to 13,500 and haul a payload of up to 2,445 pounds, depending on the configuration. But the F-350 Super Duty laughs at those numbers. Again depending on how you configure your truck – which of the four engines, three body styles, and other factors you choose – the F-350 can handle up to an 8,000-pound payload or a 38,000-pound trailer. (Our test truck can handle about 5,000 pounds of payload or a 24,000-pound trailer.) 

Ford also provides handy technology to make use of all this capability. You aren’t just handed the keys to an industrial machine and left to fend for yourself. The truck will calculate the weight of the cargo in the bed, help you configure your trailer, and even automatically steer for you while you reverse your trailer – as you point the truck in the direction you want with a knob. Meanwhile, you can also optimize the truck for off-roading or slippery on-road conditions through its selectable driving modes. 

2023 Ford F-350 Super Duty Limited ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Everyday Drivability

Our F-350 test vehicle stretched 250 inches long and 80 inches wide (or 96 inches when you count its side mirrors), and it weighed more than 7,000 pounds. This truck won’t fit easily into every parking space or driveway, even with cameras and sensors helping you out. But it’s unexpectedly easy to drive on the road. 

The F-350 has a busy, jiggly ride when it’s unladen. And it won’t turn on a dime. But despite its size and capabilities, it’s still on the spectrum of modern civilian transportation. The ride and handling are relative nitpicks. Plus, the truck comes packed with modern driver aids that are especially handy on this behemoth, like lane-keeping steering assistance and adaptive cruise control. 

We also enjoyed painless fuel economy. The EPA doesn’t test such heavy vehicles, but we averaged 19 mpg during our test – better than some crossover SUVs or mid-size pickups. (Towing or idling would obviously cut into that figure.) Our test vehicle used a 6.7-liter turbodiesel V8 with 500 horsepower and 1,200 lb-ft of torque. You can also get a slightly detuned version of this Power Stroke engine (475 hp, 1,050 lb-ft) or a choice of gas-powered V8s: a 6.8-liter with 400 hp and 440 lb-ft of torque or a 7.3-liter with 430 hp and 485 lb-ft. 

2023 Ford F-350 Super Duty Limited ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Luxurious Cabin

We’re fans of the F-350’s interior. The dashboard is blocky and purposeful, looking commercial-grade-serious, yet without the indifference to style that you’d find in a mere work vehicle. Even in decked-out Limited guise, the dash looks like a proper truck. It’s just one with thoughtfully selected materials, precise panel fits, and carefully polished moving parts. We also like the F-350’s infotainment system, which uses a 12-inch touchscreen on most trim levels (base models make do with 8 inches). It fits smoothly into the dashboard and is well-complemented with physical buttons and knobs. Some folks would wish for a more overtly luxurious design, but we think the F-350 strikes a great balance for what it is. 

Besides, this is a luxurious cabin, simple dashboard design or not. The seats are cushy thrones with huge amounts of room. The Limited is upholstered in patterned leather, and upper trim levels enjoy heating, ventilation, and even a powerful massage function. An available 18-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo further turns the F-350’s cab into a high-end sanctuary from the messy tasks it might be handling. 

2023 Ford F-350 Super Duty Limited ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Luxury-Level Price Tag

Of course, top-tier capability combined with high-end luxury means a lofty price tag. A base F-350 XL starts for as little as $46,015, but that’s a regular-cab vehicle with no back seat, a big gray-plastic grille, and vinyl upholstery. Cloth upholstery and a chrome grille mean an XLT model ($52,610 as a regular cab, $54,800 as an extended cab, and $56,560 as a family-friendly crew cab). 

Retail purchasers will likely step up further still for the leather-trimmed Lariat ($65,790), the ultra-luxe King Ranch or Platinum (each priced around $80,000 with similar features but different styling details), or the top-of-the-line Limited like our test vehicle: $98,270. Throw in the mandatory $1,995 destination charge, and that’s a six-figure truck. 

2023 Ford F-350 Super Duty Limited ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Is It Worth It?

The 2024 Ford F-350 Super Duty is an incredible machine. It’s a work truck, it’s a family car, and with enough optional features, it’s a limousine. If you can find a place to park it, it can serve as a daily driver no matter how often you make it sweat – if you ever do. It won’t even bankrupt you on fuel costs, stereotypes about big trucks be darned. 

Is it worth so much money? As a luxury purchase or (in its less opulent trim levels) as a necessary tool, absolutely. Do many people need something so incredible? Probably not. We’ve seen folks stretch their budgets to afford luxury trucks, yet would roll their eyes about someone buying a similarly priced BMW sports car or Mercedes-Benz sedan. As long as you’re clear-eyed about what you want, what you can spend, and whether it’s the best use of your money, a truck fan will love the F-350 Super Duty. 

And if the numbers just don’t work out, you can still get great trucks for less money – while keeping an F-350 in your dreams. 

2023 Ford F-350 Super Duty Limited ・ Photo by Brady Holt