2023 Ford F-250 Super Duty Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Though it’s been completely redesigned for the 2023 model year, Ford’s F-Series Super Duty trucks have nonetheless undergone more of a visual evolution, rather than a revolution.

Trim levels for the new Super Duty are XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, Platinum, and Limited. The XL is a work truck but not completely without creature comforts. It has 17-inch wheels, vinyl upholstery, a four-speaker sound system, a USB port, Bluetooth, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Moving up to the XLT adds cloth upholstery, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, SiriusXM satellite radio functionality, two wall-style power outlets, and an integrated trailer brake controller.

The Lariat is where you start to get some modern creature comforts, including leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a power-adjustable front passenger’s seat, wireless device charging, dual-zone automatic climate control, a fully digital instrument cluster, remote start, and a heated steering wheel. It also comes with a larger 12-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto.

We drove the King Ranch, which is one of the legitimate luxury trucks in the lineup. It features 20-inch alloy wheels and a two-tone paint job that visually breaks up the big pickup. There’s less chrome compared to previous versions of this upscale trim, as it is accented with more dark tones than before. Our test vehicle was a big, long truck but unlike some versions (like those with the Tremor off-road package), it doesn’t present itself as a monster truck. The front aero dam below the front bumper also helps give it a lower presence.

Our King Ranch also had the trim’s signature Flying W logo on the wheels and “King Ranch” branding on the tailgate. The interior comes beautifully styled on King Ranch trims with two-tone brown leather and perforated seats with saddle leather and stitching. The interior also features the Flying W emblem on the centre console bin’s lid. Other features include an 18-speaker Bang & Olufsen premium stereo system and several auxiliary switches for electronic aftermarket add-ons. Our test model featured a spray-in bed liner, LED in-bed lighting, surround lighting, and fifth-wheel towing prep. Finally, our test model came equipped with Pro Power Onboard, which allows for 2-kilowatt power output.

The Platinum trim sits above the King Ranch, although it features similar creature comforts to the King Ranch, but with more cosmopolitan styling. Like the King Ranch, it features LED fog lights, power-deploying running boards, a powered and remotely operated tailgate, and power-adjustable pedals.

The range-topping Limited trim features nearly every package and option found on the other trims, including Ford’s max-recline seats, a massive dual-panel sunroof, and unique interior and exterior styling.

The 2023 Ford Super Duty line-up has four engine options. The base engine in the 2023 Ford F-250 Super Duty is a 6.8-litre gas V8 engine. It makes 400 horsepower and 445 pound-feet of torque. Buyers looking for more power in a V8 engine can also select a 7.3-litre V8, which makes 430 horsepower and 485 lb-ft of torque. Diesel engines are a popular selection for heavy-duty and commercial vehicles, and the F-250 Super Duty is available with a 6.7-litre PowerStroke turbodiesel V8. That diesel monster makes 475 horsepower and 1,050 lb-ft of torque. But wait, there’s more: Our test model came equipped with a high-output PowerStroke turbodiesel that puts out ludicrous specs: 500 horsepower and an incredible 1,200 lb-ft of torque.

With any of these engines, power is routed to rear-wheel drive (RWD) on the base XL trim or standard four-wheel drive (4WD) on other trims, through a 10-speed automatic transmission. (The XL is also available with 4WD.) The 10-speed transmission managed power beautifully in our test truck. In the past, diesel engines were lethargic but could move mountains. Today, the F-250’s stump-pulling grunt is still there, but now, with the added cogs, the 10-speed ensures Ford’s big diesel is always in the optimal powerband. For such a behemoth, a Super Duty with a diesel engine is lively from a standstill. Even getting up to highway speeds is executed with little to no issue.

While modern engineering can solve for the acceleration, it cannot get around how simply large the Super Duty is. Even at full lock, the truck’s turning radius is massive. Any three-point turns or parking lot maneuvering will require all of your attention and potentially a moment of perspiration. Once you’re out on the road, the Super Duty is manageable in traffic. The steering is precise (for a truck this large) and it can negotiate roads well.

When properly equipped, the 2023 Ford F-Series Super Duty’s towing capacity maxes at 18,140 kg (40,000 lbs). As is typical, it’s only a specific configuration of truck that can achieve this, which in this case is a regular cab Ford F-450 with the high-output diesel engine and the Max Tow package, towing a gooseneck trailer. If you need peak fifth-wheel towing capacity, you’ll find that in a Ford F-450 dually, which can tow up to 15,875 kg (35,000 lbs) in that setup. For peak payload, choose a Ford F-350 dually in XL trim with rear-wheel drive and the Heavy Duty Payload package. This lets you stuff up to 3,628 kg (8,000 lbs.) into the bed. Max towing for the Ford F-250 Super Duty covered in this review is 10,430 kg (23,000 lbs.), achievable with a regular-cab 4x2 truck equipped with the high-output diesel engine, while max payload tops out at 1,950 kg (4,302 lbs.) for the a regular-cab 4x2 truck with the 6.8-litre gas V8.

Ford makes towing an easier task with the available Pro Trailer Hitch Assist. It can automatically reverse the truck up to the trailer hitch and even position the truck so that it accurately places the conventional hitch ball under the trailer receiver. Once the trailer is connected, backing up with it is easier via the Pro Trailer Backup Assist function. The Super Duty is also available with onboard scales. The former can estimate cargo loads in real time and provide inputs on how evenly weight is distributed in a trailer that is being towed. It can be viewed through the touchscreen or the FordPass smartphone app.

The F-250 is offered in regular cab, SuperCab (extended cab), and Super Crew (full four-door crew cab). It’s also offered with either a 6.75-foot bed or an 8-foot bed. You can even get the longer bed with the full four-door Super Crew. One thing to note is that the extended SuperCab features rear-hinged clamshell doors, and you need the front doors open to operate them. This could be an inconvenience, but it does provide a wide opening for the entire cab.

Our test model featured an optional Warn winch on the front bumper. It is seamlessly integrated, so no need for a big apparatus or aftermarket bumper for installation. At the opposite end, the soft-opening tailgate was easy to use and the bed steps ahead and behind the rear wheels were extremely helpful in providing access to the bed.

Given how large the F-250 is, even someone over six feet tall will find those bed steps helpful, and the same goes for the grip handles built into the A-pillars inside the cab. Once inside, there are tons of cupholders in the doors and the centre console. If the two cupholders in the centre console are not enough, a plastic bracket slides out to double the number of water bottles you can hold in that space. There’s also a massive centre storage bin, as well as dual glove boxes and tons of space in the doors for bottles or gear. In our Super Crew test model, the rear seats fold up providing a large cargo area that is protected from the elements.

The base infotainment system in the F-250 Super Duty is an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It is straightforward and easy to use, offering a no-nonsense approach many truck owners will appreciate. Our test model had a larger 12-inch screen with more technology features, including wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto. This screen is large enough to present the connectivity apps, but it also has a display area on the right for other information such as fuel economy. Even the larger screen has a logical control layout, and there are redundant dials for the radio and climate controls. This large centre touchscreen button is seamlessly woven into the dash, a pleasant contradiction to other Ford products with the upgraded infotainment.

We appreciated the F-250’s multiple USB ports, as well as the wall-style power outlet and wireless device charging. No matter what you bring on your next trip, there will be a way to charge it.

In addition to the navigation system, Ford also offers Trailer Navigation, which allows the driver to input trailer weight and dimensions. The system will then plot a route that is optimized to avoid tight turns, low bridges, and potentially dangerous crossings based on the load being towed.

Starting at the XLT trim, the F-250 Super Duty comes equipped with the Ford CoPilot 360 suite of driver assistance features, but the specifics depend on how much you’ve paid for your truck. Depending on the trim, Ford CoPilot 360 includes automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane centring assist, traffic sign recognition, and a 360-degree parking camera system. The parking camera system is a pretty crucial feature for a vehicle this size, especially in more congested areas.

Our test model came with helpful dual-tier power-adjustable and power-telescoping trailer mirrors. In addition to the conventional mirrors, the wide-angle mirrors help spot cars in the truck’s massive blind spots when driving. The power-closing function also helps the truck fit into tighter parking spots. For towing with confidence, Ford offers a trailer blind-spot monitoring system, which requires additional cameras to be attached to the trailer. Ford also offers an industry-first backup camera for when the tailgate is lowered. This is an incredibly helpful feature if you’re transporting something with the tailgate down or if you have to back up to a loading dock with the tailgate lowered.

Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have crash-tested the Ford Super Duty.

Natural Resources Canada does not require automakers to officially report fuel economy estimates for commercial vehicles, never mind the fact that many consumers purchase heavy-duty trucks as personal vehicles and use them for towing trailers. Some websites allow drivers to crowdsource their findings on fuel economy. According to one site (Fuelly), the 6.8-litre gas engine returns around 21 litres per 100 kilometres, the 7.3-litre gas engine returns around between 19 and 21 L/100 km, and the 6.7-litre diesel engine returns between 14 and 18 L/100 km. In our week of combined city and highway driving, we observed an average fuel economy of 13.1 L/100 km in the high-output diesel.

Base MSRP for the 2023 Ford F-250 Super Duty is $58,479 for the XL trim with the regular cab, base engine and standard RWD. The top Limited trim with the crew cab, 4x4, and the high-output diesel starts at $120,115, not including options, destination charges of $2,295, or other dealer fees.

These prices might seem staggering, but from the GMC Sierra to the Ram 2500, they’re now the status quo in this corner of the market. Automakers are selling as many of these high-end, high-powered trucks as they can build, often via 84-month and 96-month financing agreements. But if you are buying your first pickup truck in a decade, many of these creature comforts might seem superfluous, so you could easily opt for a lower-tier trim like an XL or XLT and still be impressed by the features you’ll get for the price. In that regard, the Ford Super Duty F-250 is a solid value. Thanks to the constant one-upmanship, every entrant in the heavy-duty truck segment has been forced to step up, even for base trims. That means that while you might pay more than ever before, you’re getting more truck than ever before, too.

Note: Images show a US model.