Ford Motor Company recently announced that the 2017 Ford F Series Super Duty will have the most horsepower and torque among diesel engines, the most torque among gasoline engines and the highest towing and payload capacities in a variety of classes. Most importantly, with the F-450 included in the Class 3 trucks, along with the likes of the F-350, the Ram 3500 and the Silverado 3500HD, the F-450 leads that group in pretty much every possible statistic.
To be specific, the 2017 Ford F-450 will offer the best towing capacity in the segment with a maximum gooseneck ability of 32,500 pounds – beating the Ram 3500 by more than a thousand pounds. It pulls all of that weight with a new 6.7L PowerStroke diesel which delivers 440 horsepower and 925 lb-ft of torque, making it the most powerful engine in the segment.
That powerful new engine will also help the 2017 F-250 and F-350 lead their class with a conventional towing capacity of 18,000 lbs.
While we don’t know all of the figures for the 2017 Ford Super Duty, we know that the F-450 will beat any 1-ton truck in power, towing and hauling while the F-250 and F-350 will lead in various categories in their respective class.
For our Question of the Week, we want to know if best-of claims like these lead you to buy a new truck? Are you more likely to buy a new Ford Super Duty based on the fact that they are literally the strongest trucks in the consumer grade ranks?
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
