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Today’s trucks are a light-year’s beyond what trucks were not so long ago, with the competition growing more keen each year. Ford’s new Super Dutys haven’t just raised the bar, they are also uber-cool. Come along for the ride and see if you agree--some days, you can have it all!

Model tested: 2011 Ford F-250 XLT 4 x 4 Crew Cab Super Duty; Base MSRP: $39,420; Price as tested: $48,600 (gasoline engine; includes destination/ delivery); EPA Fuel Economy: Ford reports 20 mpg to 26 mpg, with gasoline and diesel.

Payload capacity: 2,690; Towing: 22,500; GVWR: 9,600

First Glance at the 2011 Ford Super Duty

While the most noticeable change to the 2011 Super Duty is its immense and brazen new grille and power dome hood, the truck’s biggest news is its increased power, payload, and fuel economy. Two new engines get best-in-class horsepower and torque, class-leading towing (up to 26, 400 lbs.) and payload (up to 6,520 Lbs.); a 6.2-liter V8 gasoline engine produces 385 hp. and 405 ft. lbs. of torque, improving fuel economy by 15 percent over the 2010 gas version and is E85 Flex/Fuel-capable; and a new 6.7-liter turbo diesel V8 ( $7, 835 option) achieves 390 hp. and 735 ft.-lbs. of torque, with 18 percent improvement--plus, you can also burn B20 biodiesel. Both engines are mated to a new heavy duty torque shift 6-speed auto that allows four types of powertrain control.

I liked the bling on the uplevel XLT; the outside is accented with a chrome bar-style grille; chrome bumpers with grained top covers; privacy glass on rear doors and rear window; along with perimeter anti-theft alarm and remote keyless entry.

Checking the XLT box, you’ll get an extensive list of standard accoutrements. Our truck was also set up with plentiful options, including 18-in. aluminum wheels (17’s come standard) with LT275/70R/18E AT tires; 4 x 4 off-road package w/ electronic shift-on-the-fly; 3.73 electronic locking axle; engine block heater; power telescope mirrors and sliding rear window; Ford Work Solutions in-dash computer and Tool Link.

Up front is a mono beam suspension with coils springs, shocks and stabilizer bar; a rear-live axle gets leaf springs, staggered shocks and stabilizer bar. The truck comes with standard power-assist steering, 4-wheel ABS brakes, rollover stability control and an 81.8-ft. cargo box, optioned with rearview camera; tailgate step, spray-in bedliner, bed extender and cable lock.

In the Driver's Seat of the Super Duty Truck

Getting into the Crew Cab is easier than it looks. Step onto the running board and you’ll find a perfectly-positioned grab handle at each door in the full-sized interior, with ample room for 5 or 6, depending on your seat and center console choices. Super Duty borrowed its cozy seats from last year’s redesigned F-150; they have just the right snug and lumbar to ‘get your back’ and keep your bottom-side flat, especially in corners, with sculpting to reduce fatigue. The look and quality of all the interior hardware and materials is impressive, with the exception of the headliner, which feels a bit like mouse fur.

Stowage is maximized, with cubbies and nooks (smooth edges and great touch feel) and a locking center console with sixty percent more storage and room for a lap top, 12-volt power, and a false bottom. Rear riders get another power source, ventilation and under-seat lockable stowage, ideal for firearms, and other prized gear. Ford claims best-in class cupholders both in numbers and size.

New is a 4.2-in. LCD Productivity Screen, with standard driver info; the new High End Cluster brings an array of information that rivals the electronics of a space shuttle, with impressive feedback for off-roading and trailering. There is improved ease of access to gauges and the instrument panel, and a redesigned, more organized flow-through on the center stack and center console.

Optional is Ford’s SYNC voice-controlled technology that enables BlueTooth and cell phone, as well as MP3 and voice-activated navigation.

On the Road in the Super Duty Pickup

I drove both gasoline and diesel-powered Super Dutys some 200 miles on and off the road, and hauled a 10,000 lb.-trailer up and down significant grades, on a high-elevation course from Prescott, AZ to Phoenix. Ford engineered many improvements to the ride quality, with retuned shocks and enhanced steering response, and since 97-percent of Super Duty owners tow, included a with a host of technologies to make towing easier and safer, with trailer brake control, trailer sway control and integrated auxiliary switches.

The best surprise and delight features are the lushness of the ride and the interior quietness. The drive of the diesel is hushed; the new engine gives only a hint of diesel sound (no knock!), when under hard throttle. A pleasant throttle note has been dialed in to both engines. Both have ample power throughout the rpm range and are matched to a new, smooth-shifting, driver-adaptable 6-speed automatic transmission that lets you shift gears via a ‘select’ button on the steering-column-mounted shifter. When towing, you can manually limit the top gear.

Super Dutys’ plush and stable ride quality comes from retuned shocks, engine and body mounts; there is improved steering response, with power assist steering; the steering ratio has been dialed back to make less effort for parking and trailoring.

Off-road mode is engaged by a knob; when pulled out, it adds the benefit of an electronic locking axle. Hill Descent Control, a first in tucks of this size, is a big-brother-like braking system that gently guides you down steep or slick terrain.

Journey's End

Ford has claimed sales leadership with its F-Series trucks for 33 years. In 1999, Super Duty trucks became distinct from Ford’s smaller personal, light-duty trucks. Each generation of Ford Super Dutys has grown more brawny and stalwart; the 2011 models raise the bar again, driven by engines that are more clean and green and truly standout in their class. The biggest news for the new Super Dutys is changes in powertrain capability--engine performance, towing and payload, plus the all-new Ford-designed and engineered diesel engine that is the heartbeat of that tale. Ford expects that 65 percent of Super Duty buyers will purchase diesel, which is now B 20-capable, a huge ‘why-buy’ for the agricultural market, and there’s merit to the gasoline engine’s capability to sip e-85/Flex Fuel.

For me, Ford’s latest prodigy hits the bull’s eye as a truck with multiple personalities and good looks. Its ergonomics and motoring upgrades make it a family vehicle that you can drive around town; its cutting-edge engineering and equipment give you a safe and efficient tow and hauling vehicle, with capability on both the tarmac and in the dirt, mud and snow; and its business-based technologies make it a mobile office on wheels.

Our single complaint? The cloth seats, standard on the XLT; while attractive and high quality, we prefer leather, which comes on the special edition versions. And, the best news of our drive day? The 2011 F-250 XLT Crew Cab Super Duty, with a gasoline engine, is priced the same as the 2010 model.

Disclosure: The vehicle for this test drive was provided by Ford. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.