When people think of big trucks, they often think of poor fuel efficiency. Of course, when people think of powerful pickup trucks, the Ford F-series often comes to mind, which has not been such a great association in the current social and political climate. Ford is looking to change this from a negative to a positive with a number of tricks that boos the fuel efficiency in the 2010 Ford F350, the king of Ford’s consumer pickups. Of course, the king does have a new name: The Super Duty.
The 2010 Super Duty comes with three engine choices: a 5.3L V8, a 6.8L V10, and a 6.4L dual-turbo Power Stroke Diesel. The Power Stroke diesel not only packs a tremendous amount of power, 650 lb-ft of torque at only 2000 rpm, but it also offers Ford’s latest generation clean diesel combustion system. Optimized for low-range work and towing, the Power Stroke has plenty of power, but with that power comes relatively poor fuel economy. After all, the new Super Duty can weigh over two tons by itself, and add in a towing capacity of more than two and a half tons, and the bottom line is that the Super Duty is not a dainty supermodel.
Helping tilt the physics back towards something more green are a few factors. The gas-burning motors feature aluminum heads to save weight, and 5-speed automatics with 6-speed manual transmissions are all available to help keep all of the Super Duty engines where they need to be in the rpm range. Being ‘in the zone’ makes towing and hauling easier on the vehicle, which in turn burns less fuel.
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