Harry Pegg
Published: 30 08 2010
If a person is going to get roped into the heavy-duty truck market, a 2011 Ford F-350 Super Duty Lariat might just be the pickup to tie them down.
If you figure a truck is a truck is a truck, take a closer look at its lines. From the big chrome grille to the big trailer mirrors to the step-up tailgate, everything is in proportion, making the truck appear smaller in pictures than it really is in real life.
The Lariat test vehicle carries $17,000 worth of add-ons including the brand new version of the Ford-built 6.7L turbo diesel Power Stroke engine. Lift the hood and you see a mass of plumbing (yes, there is an engine in there) serving the turbo and serving the inboard exhaust and outboard intake architecture. There is a new heavy-duty TorqShift six-speed automatic transmission with SelectShift manual operation. Shifting is smooth and easy, almost sedan-like.
Trailer hauling is made easier by the integrated trailer brake control and the addition of Trailer Sway Control. A rear-view camera built into the tailgate is a big help when hooking up to a trailer.
The outside of this truck is great for both the weekend trailer-hauler and every-day work applications.
You find all the comforts and conveniences you’d find in a high-end sedan - leather seats (with heat), navigation system, satellite radio, Sync voice-activated systems, 110-volt power inverter, driver information screen and a centre console that has more configurations than I was able to use. Of course seats, windows and mirrors are power activated.
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