The 2019 Ford F-450 Super Duty Limited: Who Knew Ford Built a Luxury Tank?
Erica Mueller
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This isn’t your everyday pickup truck. It’s dually muscle-y.
Unless you’re a woman who pulls a 5th-wheel camper, horse trailer or flatbed on a regular basis, you don’t need a truck this powerful. But if you’re that woman, this truck is for you! The 2019 Ford F-450 is made for towing. With a 6.7L Power Stroke V8 Turbo Diesel Engine that delivers 450 horsepower and 935lb ft of torque, this truck comes ready to work. And the model we drove was equipped with the FX off-road package too, which means it included 4-wheel drive to get anywhere and skid plates to protect the underside of the truck when you’re out working on the ranch.
Oh, and it’s a dually. That is, it has double wheels on the rear, heavy duty shocks, brakes and springs and it can hold a ton–in this case several tons–in the bed. Now that is some muscle.
For All the Facts, Click Here for Our F-450 Fact Sheet.
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Do You Really Need a Limited?
Well, maybe not, but for those who are on the road all day, every day, comfort is a big deal, and the Limited really delivers with massaging heated and ventilated leather seats up front, heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, dual-zone temperature control for the backseat passengers, rapid-heat cab heater to speed up the warming up on cold winter days, power-adjustable everything (including the pedals), an 8″ productivity and infotainment screen, remote start, and storage like you’ve never seen before. Plus an available lockbox (AKA safe) in the console.
The Ford Limited trucks are special in every way, and they like to show that off with a beautiful decal on the center console that shows off your truck’s VIN, in addition to the Limited badging throughout and leather everywhere.
Related: Check out these Ram Heavy Duty Trucks for Women Who Trailer
What Can You Haul with the Ford F-450 Super Duty Dually?
Pretty much anything. Let’s start with some numbers… How about a towing capacity of 21,000 lbs. and the ability to haul up to 7,640 lbs. of cargo? And if you’re talking gooseneck towing, you can tow up to 35,000 lbs. with the 5th-wheel option we drove maxing out at 27,500 lbs. That’s a camper your whole family could live in. Or maybe one of those live-in horse trailers… And for the hot-shot woman crisscrossing the country delivering steel, equipment, vehicles and goods, the F-450 can be purchased with fuel tanks ranging in size from 29-48 gallons so you can make fewer stops and better time with that massive load.
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What We Love About the Ford F-450 Super Duty
There is space for everyone. Just because you haul a lot, doesn’t mean you don’t also have a family to get around! And the F-450 Crew Cab gives you plenty of space with seating for up to five adults. Or, you can flip the rear seats up and pack all of your gear plus take your dog on the road. We’ve even seen people remove the rear seats and install a bed in these big trucks! We enjoyed the passenger space. With my husband being 6′ 2″ and our boys growing like weeds we could easily see ourselves growing into a Crew Cab and never having to worry about growing out of it, even with a baby on the way!
Locking storage. For a work truck, this is huge. You need space to securely store your tools and equipment while you’re on the road. From the locking under-seat storage in the back to the dual-glovebox up front, we appreciate that everything locks up tight. Plus you get a massive center console storage that you choose to have a safe installed in. We’re talking locking vault. Or you could use that space for files, your handbag, a laptop… probably even a backpack. It’s that huge!
We felt safe. There is just something about driving a truck with a stance like that. You’re above the crowd and you can see everything! You also feel like you can go anywhere, on or off the pavement and you feel like your family is safe in “The Tank.”
Because it’s such a big truck, made for a specific set of jobs, fuel economy ratings aren’t required or published for the F-450 Super Duty, but we averaged about 17-18 MPG without a load or trailer. I’m sure those numbers would go down with some added weight, but it really isn’t that bad for something so large and capable. Heck, my older model SUV only gets 13-14 MPG!
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The Downsides of a Big Truck like the F-450
#1: Parking. OMG. I consider myself a pretty capable parker. I’m usually in straight on the first try, even in a big truck. But this truck is so long and so wide it takes a little getting used to.
Let’s not even talk about parking garages at the mall, or trying to find a spot close to the store entrance. No, you’re gonna have to park on the back-40 when you’re driving this truck. And you’ll probably need more than one parking space if you’re driving the long wheel-base truck like we had cause it just sticks way out into the row if you don’t pull through a few feet. I was shocked that I had to do this, even at places like Home Depot where you’d think they’d expect lots of big trucks. On my last day with this truck I had to park it at the airport in one of those extended stay lots… the fancy covered kind where almost every little bay has poles to hold up the carport-like structure that protects your vehicle from hail and sun damage. Well, let me tell you, I feel sorry for any neighboring vehicle owner who needed to get into their car and leave before that truck was picked up cause it just barely fit between the cars on either side and the post up front.
On the upside, when you back out of a parking space you can see over all the other cars and people can’t help but see you coming and get out of the way of the big red beast. :p
Downside #2: Oh wait, we can’t think of one!
Related: Don’t need a truck this big?Perhaps the Ford F-150 is The Truck for You
Disclosure: This 2019 Ford F-450 Super Duty Limited was loaned to me for a week for the purpose of this test drive and experience. All photos and opinions are my own.
