2008 Ford Super Duty Review

November 6,2007 by Kelly S. (a.k.a. Webmaster)

In case you haven't heard, the 2008 Super Duty is here. It's without a doubt Built Ford Tough! It features a new dual turbo 6.4L Powerstroke V8 diesel engine. Look at that new grille, it's huge! For 2008 the Super Duty received a new front end, diesel engine, and interior, just to name a few.

Off-Road Capability

FordF150.net was invited by Ford to the Michigan Proving Ground to experience first-hand the development testing endured by the new 2008 Ford Super Duty trucks.

There was some rain that morning, and that proved to be a good thing. We started off in the off-road course. This was admittedly a bit fun. The trail led us through some brush, small hills, and even through a mud pit. I had a chance to see how a 2008 F-350 handled. The Super Duty uses a twin I-beam front end and a solid axle in the rear.

The truck performed very well. There was only one spot where the mud was a bit too much for the stock tires and I had to back up and take another run at that small hill. Just push the pedal down a bit more and the problem was solved. The engineer who rode with me pointed out that the Super Duty has more ground clearance than the new GM trucks. That's a very good thing when you're off-road.

Here's a shot (left/above) of the mud pit (click for a larger picture). Yes, that was a little fun :-)

Payload & Silver Creek

Next up was hauling and what is known as Silver Creek. Some of you may have heard of it before. PickupTruck.com did a video on it [link] this summer. Silver Creek is an accelerated durability test track. If you've seen that video or been there in person, you'll understand why!

I had the opportunity to drive both a Dodge Ram 3500 4x4 and an F-250 King Ranch. The Dodge had a 3,500 lb load in the box and the F-250 had a 2,500 lb load. I drove the Dodge first and the most noticeable thing was that the Dodge seemed to bounce a lot more. I didn't feel as in control of the truck and load as I did in the Ford. I also felt that the shifting in the Dodge left something to be desired. The Ford had a better tow/haul mode. Advantage: Ford.

The Silver Creek track consists of two parts. One is a very uneven surface as you can see in this photo to the right. Basically you get up to 40mph and hang on, trying to keep the truck going in a straight line. It's an experience to say the least. The second part is a series of bumps similar to speed bumps, but a thousand times worse. You go across that at 20mph. I took both the Dodge and the Ford through these tracks. The Dodge was definitely noisier. I encourage you to check out the video link a few paragraphs up so you can really see what that track is about. Note that the video was shot at the Arizona Proving Ground. During testing, Ford trucks endure that track in the neighborhood of 500 to 600 times. I won't be signing up for that job anytime soon :-)

Next up was a presentation called the "Truth About Trucks". It was there that we learned why the Super Duty is superior to it's competitors. Did you know:

• The Super Duty radiator is larger than the competition which keeps the operating temperatures lower
• The Super Duty uses a dual-turbo system. A smaller one for quick response off the line and a larger one that kicks in to beef up the midrange
• The Super Duty water pump flows 125gph versus 70-80gph of the competitors

Towing

Next up was towing. I had the opportunity to drive a Ford F-350 and the GM 3500 towing a 10,000 lb trailer. The GM truck had a VERY car-like interior. I felt like I was driving an Impala. Personally I'd rather have the rugged, tough interior of the Super Duty. The GM truck was definitely noisier inside, so obviously the QuietSteel used in the Super Duty is doing it's job! The GM's tow/haul mode was too harsh for my liking. The downshifting was a lot more noticeable (read: rougher), as was the engine braking. I'd say GM definitely has some work to do to bring their transmission and ride/comfort to the level of refinement of the Super Duty. Advantage: Ford.

I also had the opportunity before the day was done to ride in and drive the new F-450 and tow a 20,000 lb trailer. The trailer was 40 feet long! I was surprised at how capable the F-450 really was. The F-450 had no problem with the load, it handled surprisingly well.

To summarize, here are a few words to describe the new Super Duty: Tough, Capable, Quieter, Powerful. After spending the day putting the 2008 Super Duty through the paces and driving the competitors trucks, there is no doubt in my mind that the Ford Super Duty is better than the competition, and prepared for anything.

More Photos

Further Reading

• TruckBlog Super Duty Review
• Jalopnik Super Duty Review
• Off-Road.com Super Duty Review
• Ford Super Duty
• 2008 Ford Trucks
• Ford Super Duty Forum
• Diesel Forum