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Ford Super Duty wins its first Motor Trend ‘Truck of the Year’ award

Updated Nov 16, 2016

2017 F-250 Super Duty 4X4 Crew Cab LariatMotor Trend has named the 2017 Ford Super Duty as its latest “Truck of the Year.” Though it is the fifth time an F-Series pickup has won the Motor Trend award, it is the first time the award has gone to the Super Duty lineup.

“We judge the contenders based on six categories—from design to efficiency to performance—characterizing the things consumers want most in their next vehicle,” says Ed Loh, Motor Trend editor-in-chief. “The all-new 2017 Ford Super Duty met and exceeded our criteria, truly proving it is the undisputed leader in towing, capability and power—exactly what truck customers want.”

The Motor Trend article says the Super Duty has a distinctive design with a an “obvious mission,” noting that the trucks also outperformed the competition when it came to fuel efficiency.

Ford unveiled the 2017 models in September 2015. The latest generation of Super Duty marks the introduction of an aluminum body (like the F-150) to the lineup along with a new steel frame Ford says is “24 times stiffer than the previous frame.”

And though the body is 350 pounds lighter, the majority of the buzz around these new trucks has been focused on all of the technology they pack and the fact that the new 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 turbo diesel now delivers a best-in-class combination of 440 horsepower and 925 lb.-ft. of torque.

Because of those specs, the 2017 F-350 has a towing capacity of 32,000 pounds and has unseated the former towing champion, Ram’s 3500, by 800 pounds. The F-450 Super Duty SuperCrew 4×4 has a maximum gooseneck tow rating of 32,500 pounds while maximum fifth-wheel towing is increased to 27,500—2,500 pounds better than its closest competitor.

Power is where Motor Trend was most effusive about the Super Duty. Here’s an excerpt from the article: