Massive Ford F-250 a civilized pickup on the road

A menu of Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen on the Business page of The Sacramento Bee’s website – www.sacbee.com/news/business/article4005306.html

Sacramento, California – I know what you’re thinking: What’s he doing reviewing another Ford pickup truck, given last week’s posted review of the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor?

Here’s the simple answer: The recently tested 2017 Ford F-250 Super Duty SRW 4X4 Crew Cab pickup is as different from the Raptor as an elephant is from a cheetah.

The Raptor was the irresistible force.  This F-250 is the darn near immovable object.

Sure, I’ve tested big vehicles before, but the massive F-250 seemed to block out the sun.  Before I stepped into the cockpit, I was already working out alternative driving routes to avoid the possibility of crushing other cars.

The most-said sentence I heard from passersby in my week in the F-250: “Now THAT’S a truck!”

Yes it is, and yet, I quickly adjusted to the Super Duty F-250’s dimensions and its on-road manners.

I was put at ease by the F-250’s remarkably agile handling characteristics.  The steering is just firm and responsive enough to let you know exactly where you stand.  I could keep the big truck with a two-inch imaginary wall on either side of the vehicle, with very little effort on my part.

Adding to my confidence were exceptional acceleration notes from the 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 turbodiesel engine rated at a max 440 horsepower.  It moved the truck briskly in the low revs.  At no time did I feel that I had to goose the gas to get more speed off the line.  When stopping power was needed, the four-wheel, vented disc brakes dug in and took over in a comforting eye-blink.

Super-impressive.  No wonder the Ford Super Duty trucks have pulled down a ton of awards, including Truck of the Year honors from Motor Trend magazine.

Unlike the previously reviewed Raptor, this F-250 pickup was made for the muscular, long-day duties at the job site or on the sprawling acreage of a major ranch.  The massive bed of the tester was big enough to qualify for its own ZIP code.

But my ride was much more than a working stiff.  It was loaded with luxury perks both standard and optional.  The short list included a navigation system, a rapid-heat supplemental heater, an engine block heater, a remote-start system, heated/cooled front seats with 10-way power and 20-inch chrome-and-aluminum wheels.

Truck of your dreams, you say?  Maybe, but be prepared to pay.  The bottom line on my tester’s sticker read $66,945.

If you have that kind of dough to lay down, you’re getting yourself a seriously loaded laborer … and a pretty nice ride when you’re rolling strictly for leisure.