2020 Ford F250/450

12/9/2019

heavy duty - truck

2019 seems to be the year of the HD trucks and it seems that even Ford wants in on the action. Considering that GM, RAM and Chevrolet have all released their HD versions, it was just a matter of time before we got to see an all new F-250, 350 & 450. And I guess when you’re the top dog you have to keep up with the crowd.

Ford maybe the top the dog in the world of full-size trucks, but is it really all that much of a top dog. Sure, anyone can push power and torque to their limits, but really in the end it’s all about how we see your truck that really sets you apart from the crowd.

For 2019 Ford has given their HD lineup a fresh makeover and with it comes a few minor changes. Again, Ford has only gone in with one foot and just given their HD lineup a mild refresh. Will it be enough to keep them on top or will they fall from there top dog position? Only time will tell in that case as we have a good feeling that this dog should be put out to pasture.

Like its competitors, the Super Duty lineup has gone big with its front grille and by big we mean big. This thing is huge by even truck standards, but I guess when you’re up against the likes of RAM, you should probably have a big grille. A touch of the 50’s resonates with the amount of chrome used on the front grille and if you think that’s too much, Ford has even added in their side grille ports. These are a nice touch, but could have been done a lot better. We say this as the grille does have a standard rectangle appearance and could have been updated to flow better with the front end.

A bit lower and you find a pretty standard bumper residing where an integrated could have been. We get it that these trucks are meant to be heavily used, but they could have at least added some of the chrome accents from the grille down here. Add to that a very cheap and way off the mark, set of side gills which house the fog lights, and you have the makings of one bland and boring bumper. A bit more attention is needed along this area to make this truck really stand out from the crowd.

One thing up front that the new super duty has going for it could be the oversized cowl hood. And now that RAM has left the transport front in their past, Ford has no worries about pushing the new Super Duty as a downgrade from a transport. Now they could have used some rear or side exhaust ports to help cool the engine, but I guess this hood will suffice for now.

Sliding along the side of the new Super Duty we find ourselves astonished that Ford would keep the outdated wheel well covers. This is one problem that we have had with this model over the past decade and it seems that Ford wasn’t about to change them yet. Had they integrated the front in and smoothed out the transfer of the rear, they could have made them flow a bit better. But again, they didn’t and they just left them looking like cheap add-on products you got from your local parts store.

Ford again has added no character lines which could have helped break up the vast emptiness which we call the side profile. Add in a lower crease line or even a notched brake duct line and they could have made the side profile a bit more appealing. But again, who are we kidding when they kept the well covers why would they think to change anything else?

One good part along the side could be that Ford did take into consideration that smaller individuals might need a helping hand in. And again, Ford has added on some chromed out running boards. This has always been a great feature from Ford and again we are happy that they have kept it.

Running quickly away from the bland side profile, for fear that it may bore us to much, we find the rear of the truck. No not much has changed back here as Ford has only updated the lights and chrome accent package. But again, they seemed to forget that we don’t like it when your exhaust isn’t integrated and again have stuffed it under the side of the box. Guess only RAM got the picture, but even they have lost their way.

We can say that Ford did a decent job at their handle housing though. Adding in some rough plastic and rubber has made this feature a bit easier to handle for its consumers. But unlike their competitors the tailgate is still the standard flip down with a pull-out step and handle. Guess Ford is waiting to see how well the new RAM and GM tailgates do in their real-world test before launching their own.

All around the new Super Duty lineup is a decent take on an old classic, but really it could have been so much more. Guess we will just have to wait a couple of years before we receive our complete makeover of the F-Series Super Duty lineup. And we will be waiting for them.

Everett J.
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