Ford F-350 XLT Super Duty 4x4 Super CabTo answer the needs of truck people who've really got heavy work to do, on-road or off, we chose the Ford F-350 XLT Super Duty as a muscle-bound representative of just how full-size a full-size truck can be. About the biggest truck most people are likely to call into service for personal use (though Ford offers gargantuan 450 and 550 versions), the F-350 and all Super Dutys are built on a different chassis than the smaller (though still considered full-size) F-150 and F-250. The Super Duty series offers a dizzying choice of 44 model configurations. And they're all big.
Our example was just about fully loaded, equipmentwise, with premium XLT trim, line-topping V-10 engine, and four-wheel drive. With a hood that's chest high to a grown man, the Super Duty has an imposing presence. The door sills ride 2 feet above the pavement (there are no running boards-they left 'em off to avoid grounding-out off-road), so just getting in might make you pull a hamstring. Once in the driver's seat, the view is fabulous, and you look down on just about everything but heavy trucks and office buildings. Access to the back seat is decent, once you've cleared that formidable sill height, through rear-hinged doors on each side. The back seat itself is neither roomy nor particularly comfortable-our back-seat riders actually preferred the rear compartments in the "smaller" Dodge and GMC.
The Ford distinguishes itself with what struck us as a particularly attractive and inviting interior. The Super Duty, along with the Toyota Tundra, has a passenger compartment notably free of squeaks, creaks, and groans over rough pavement. Rated to carry almost three times the weight the Dodge can, for example, the Super Duty's unloaded ride is firm, as you'd expect, but stops short of being abusive. Decent test track numbers (154 feet braking from 60-0, 0.71 g on the skidpad, and 53.0 mph in the slalom) reveal good handling manners of kind and no significant vices. And with the ready response of the Triton 6.7-liter/275-horsepower V-10, you can hit 60 mph in just 9.5 seconds if you press the issue. All this, and a 10,000-pound tow rating, demonstrate just how much comfort, performance, and utility you can buy for $32,345.
GMC Sierra 2500 SLT 2WD Extended CabThough a lifetime of societal programming seems to make American males lust after it, for the trailer-towing crowd, four-wheel drive is pretty much just dead weight. Plus, the high-riding chassis 4WD mandates works against highway stability. The two-wheel-drive GMC Sierra 2500 we've got here shows just how functionally impressive-and luxurious-a street-only truck can be.
Offered in 1500 and 2500 series, our $30,450 GMC is just about maxed out as a luxury towing vehicle: It's a 2500 with the strongest gasoline engine available from GMC, a 6.0-liter/300-horsepower Vortec V-8 coupled with a four-speed automatic transmission, towing package, limited-slip differential, and short 4:10 rear axle ratio. It can carry an impressive 4014 pounds' (in base form) worth of cargo and people. More impressive still is its 10,500-pound towing rating-500 more than that of the giant Ford F-350 Super Duty. If you're looking to move something heavy, this GMC is ready to get it done.
Even if you're just running errands, the Sierra is an accommodating companion. Its low, rear-drive stance makes it easy to get into; and inside, it's loaded with enough amenities to rival a Lexus: leather, dual power-heated buckets, and power everything. With the most comfortable seats of all the trucks in this group, the Sierra is a great place to spend time, even though the rear compartment is no roomier than those of the other trucks here. The few strikes against the GMC are the lack of a left-side rear door (not on the options list), the presence of a few more squeaks and creaks than we'd like, and a choppy unloaded ride.
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