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On Wheels by Brooks Peterson Archives | Arts & Entertainment | Audio/Video | Business | Classifieds | Columns | Food | Forums | Health & Fitness | News | Obits | Opinions | People | Politics | Science/Technology | Search | Sports | Subscribe | Travel | Weather Saturday, February 24, 2001 New Ford F-250 Super Duty is a dapper diesel HerculesCD changer, plush seats, a V-8 engine and even built-in radar all make the Super Duty SuperCab a fine machine
But, being of a philosophical turn of mind (and, like most motoring scribes down at this end of the food chain, not having much choice in the matter in any case), I reconciled myself to it. It'll be a study in contrasts, I tells myself: your fancy-pants saddle-leather-upholstered designer pickup versus your big, hearty, raucous, rough-as-a-cob working-man's heavy-duty rig with rubber floor mats and an AM radio (if that). Well, so much for preconceived notions.
It's not that last week's tester wasn't a pretty flossy piece of work; it was about as posh as they come, pickup-wise. But with its 4x4 drivetrain and its stiff springs, there was never any danger of confusing it with a luxury sedan. Conversely, while the Super Duty is indeed a big ol' hunka-hunka burnin'-diesel rig, it is surprisingly, almost startlingly, genteel. Gentle On My Behind This is in large part due to the fact that our Super Duty tester is a 2-wheel-driver: That means the suspension doesn't need to be set up to accommodate brush-bustin', boulder-whackin', dry-creekbed-runnin' off-road use.
But still . . . I've driven other heavy-duty pickups, and while I don't recall all the particulars about them, memories of stiff-legged, even punishing ride quality linger with me to this day. These are vehicles conceived and built specifically for the work site - for totin' and haulin' and trailerin.' And to get that capability, standard practice has been to dose 'em up with ultra-stout springs and shocks. So, what gives? FoMoCo isn't talking - at least not if the propa- . . . er, make that public information material accompanying the vehicle was any indication. Whatever the explanation, I found the F-250 to be surprisingly, almost startlingly, Gentle On My Behind. (Thank you, Glenn Campbell.) Eau de Diesel
As for the 7.3-liter Power Stroke turbo-diesel V-8 that propelled our heavy hitter - for a piddling $4,720 premium (medic! medic!) over the standard 5.4-litre Triton gasoline V-8, let it be noted - no surprises there. While diesels used in automotive applications - chiefly by Mercedes-Benz and VW - have been civilized almost to the point of diffidence, with diesel clatter and noxious fumes virtually eliminated, such is not the case in Super Duty land. You will never, ever forget that this is one of Dr. Diesel's babies. Crank 'er up (after first having allowed the glow plugs to warm things up for 10 seconds or so when cold), and you're immediately greeted by that rocks-in-a-coffee-can rattle. And, particularly on start-up, you may get an occasional whiff of Eau de Diesel. Sluggishness not an issue
To which my carefully considered rejoinder is: So whut? You want to live out those fantasies of herding a big rig down the road with that center line snaking its way to the horizon and the traffic-minnows parting in panic before you? Then the diesel is what in Detroit-speak would be called a Mandatory Option. And it really is a pretty impressive piece of work. For one thing, it'll step right out: Sluggishness is definitely not an issue here unless you've got 'er loaded right to the gills. And fuel economy, at least on the open road, is, well . . . reasonable. The mpg calculator on our tester estimated 16 mph in mostly highway and expressway driving. Tricky handling Now, handling-wise . . . sporty it isn't. This is a big, heavy, sturdy rig designed for hauling, not for slicing up twisting country lanes. If you've got your wits about you, you'll stay out of trouble, simply because the vehicle will be signaling you - via body lean and other tell-tales - that it's time to throttle back. Oh, and one other thing: As with virtually every other pickup, slick streets will have you dancing the Lindy if you get overly assertive with the throttle. Word to the _wise, OK? Plush interior Finally, we must spare a moment or two for the interior environment. No rubber floormats. No vinyl upholstery. In addition to everything else, our tester also boasted the posh Lariat trim option: leather seating surfaces, wood trim (which may or may not be real - these days, who can tell?) and so on. The 40-20-40 split bench up front can accommodate three easy riders without a whimper; the fold-up bench in back will take three people who probably won't be terribly happy about being there, given the bolt-upright seating configuration. Meanwhile, your listening needs will be tended to by the six-CD changer, which goes about its business as softly or as raucously as you desire. I was mildly dismayed at the absence of a tape player - how am I supposed to play my Frankie Laine tapes, fer cryin' out loud? - but it's the way of th world, I suppose. Built-in radar Finally, the cherry atop this splendid banana split of a working truck: Radar. You heard me: radar - or, as Ford puts it, a Reverse Vehicle Aid Sensor. As the name implies, it figures out when you're within crunching distance of an automobile (or tree, or boulder, or, I suppose, human), and peeps with increasing frequency as you get closer to the . . . uh . . . target? (Arm the photon torpedoes, Mr. Sulu!) It works like a charm, and if I were to be shopping for one of these hulking rascals I'd go for it in a minute. (Note: You can shut it off if you wish.) Now, granted, this is a specialized vehicle - not the sort of thing you'd buy on impulse. But it's surprisingly easy to live with. And . . . wouldn't it be the ultimate crushing putdown for your neighbor with that big, overstuffed, fuel-slurping SUV of his? Oh, yeah. [an error occurred while processing this directive] 
© 2000 Corpus Christi Caller Times, a Scripps Howard newspaper. All rights reserved. |
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