Test Drive Gallery: 2020 Ford F-250 Super Duty Platinum

2020 Ford F-250 Super Duty Platinum 4X4 Crew Cab

Miles driven: 227

Fuel used: 15.7 gallons

CG Report Card

Room and Comfort	A
Power and Performance	A
Fit and Finish	B+
Fuel Economy	C-
Value	B-

Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus other vehicles in the same class. Value grade is for specific trim level evaluated, and may not reflect Consumer Guide's impressions of the entire model lineup.

Big & Tall Comfort

Big Guy	A
Tall Guy	A

Big & Tall comfort ratings are for front seats only. "Big" rating based on male tester weighing approximately 350 pounds, "Tall" rating based on 6'6"-tall male tester.

Drivetrain
Engine Specs	475-hp 6.7-liter
Engine Type	V8 turbodiesel
Transmission	10-speed automatic
Drive	4-wheel drive

Real-world fuel economy: 14.5 mpg

Driving mix: 70% city, 30% highway

EPA-estimated fuel economy: N/A

Fuel type: Diesel

Base price: $66,425 (not including $1695 destination charge)

Options on test vehicle: Rapid Red paint ($395), 6.7L Power Stroke V8 diesel ($10,495), 3.31 electronic-locking axle ($390), all-weather floor mats ($135), FX4 Off-Road Package ($400), twin-panel power moonroof ($1495), 5th-wheel hitch-prep package ($500), wheel-well liners front and rear ($325), Tough Bed spray-in bedliner ($595)

Price as tested: $82,850

Quick Hits

The great: Cavernous interior; impressive towing and hauling capabilities

The good: Surprisingly easy to drive, considering the XXL dimensions

The not so good: Steep prices; fuel economy

More Ford price and availability information

CG Says:

The current generation of Ford’s Super Duty pickup trucks debuted for 2017, and for 2020 underwent a refresh that brought a few notable updates, such as the addition of an all-new 7.3-liter gasoline V8 engine (with 430 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque), a 10-speed automatic transmission, updated front and rear styling, and a Tremor Off-Road Package. The new 10-speed comes standard with the new 7.3 engine and replaces the previous 6-speed automatic on the 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel V8. The base 6.2-liter V8 retains the 6-speed transmission.

We didn’t get to sample the new gasoline V8, but the newly fortified Power Stroke diesel V8 is impressively powerful at 475 horsepower and a whopping 1050 lb-ft of torque (that’s an upgrade from the previous ratings of 450 hp and 935 lb-ft). Indeed, it’s fairly easy to spin rears in 2-wheel drive without being too aggressive on damp pavement. And for a truck this big, our observed fuel economy of 14.5 mpg in a mix of 70-percent city, 30-percent highway driving looks good. It’s also an improvement over our previous F-250 test vehicles, which averaged 13-13.9 mpg in our tests (you can check out those reviews here and here). Models equipped like our test vehicle with a single wheel at each end of the rear axle can tow up to 20,000 pounds with a conventional hitch or up to 19,100 pounds with a fifth wheel.

Not surprisingly, the crew cab configuration is very roomy, with genuine 5-adult space. There’s abundant in-cab storage space for personal items, including a standard pop-up box on the floor that’s secure when the rear seat cushion is lowered in place. Platinum has a decent level of standard luxury-grade interior materials, and the Sync3 infotainment system is easy to understand and operate.

The 2021 Ford Super Duty trucks see no significant changes–just a few alterations to feature availability and available exterior paint colors. The redesigned-for-2021 F-150 is claiming that lion’s share of the pickup-truck spotlight at Ford these days, but the Super Duty heavy-duty trucks continue to deliver impressive towing and hauling capabilities with better all-around tractability than you might expect, given their extra-large dimensions.

Test Drive: 2021 Ram 1500 TRX