2018 Ford F-250 Expert Review
Reviewed by Stefan Ogbac
The 2018 Ford F-250 gets an updated diesel engine with more torque.
Trim Levels (Interior and Exterior Options)
The 2018 Ford F-250 is a heavy duty truck that slots above the smaller F-150 and below the larger F-350. The truck is available in five trim levels, three cab styles, and two bed lengths. Rear-wheel drive is standard and four-wheel drive is optional
Performance and Fuel Economy
The 2018 F-250 comes standard with a 6.2-liter V-8 with 385 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque. A 6.7-liter turbodiesel V-8 with 450 hp and 935 lb-ft is also offered. Both engines come exclusively with a six-speed automatic transmission. Heavy duty trucks are not rated for fuel economy by the EPA.
F-250 XL: The base XL trim comes standard with 17-inch steel wheels, vinyl seats, manual air conditioning, a four-speaker audio system, a rear-view camera, a 2.3-inch screen, and bench front and rear seating configuration.
F-250 XLT: Moving up to the XLT grade adds 18-inch painted aluminum wheels, cloth upholstery, the basic version of Ford's Sync infotainment system, keyless entry, and cruise control.
F-250 Lariat: Lariat models come standard with leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, 10-way power adjustable driver's seat, a 10-speaker Sony audio system, Ford's Sync 3 infotainment system with an 8.0-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, rear parking sensors, and remote start.
F-250 King Ranch: One of two luxury-oriented trims, the King Ranch adds unique Mesa Brown leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, navigation, a heated steering wheel, and driver's seat memory.
F-250 Platinum: The range-topping Platinum grade comes with a panoramic sunroof, 20-inch wheels, front passenger side memory, heated rear seats, multicontour front seats with massage function, Platinum-specific leather upholstery in black or Dark Masala, adaptive steering, and full LED headlights.
Optional extras include a 360-degree camera system, front parking sensors, power deployable running boards, LED bed lighting, and the FX4 Off-road package, which includes unique suspension tuning and transfer case, and skid plates for the fuel tank.
Safety
The NHTSA gave the 2018 F-250 a five-star rating for the side impact test (out of a possible five stars). On the NHTSA's rollover test, rear-drive models received four-stars and four-wheel drive models got three stars.
Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert is available on all models. Lane keeping assist, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control are available only on higher-grade models.
Utility
Depending on the cab style, drivetrain configuration, and bed length, the 2018 F-250 can haul up to 15,000 pounds with a conventional trailer or 18,500 pounds with a fifth wheel or goose neck. Maximum payload capacity for the 2018 F-250 is 4,000 pounds.
What We Think
In a 2017 First Drive, we were impressed with the material quality inside the F-250's cabin and the optional diesel engine, which offers plenty of power on tap to move the massive truck. Ride quality is comfortable when the truck is carrying payload but it's stiff when it's empty. We were also impressed with the F-250's driver assistance features, which helps make towing easier by giving the driver plenty of guidance when backing into a trailer. It's also got a blind-spot warning system than includes the trailer when driving.
The 2017 F-250 was <em>Motor Trend's </em>2017 Truck of the Year as part of the Super Duty family.
Cool Fact
Although its body is now mainly constructed out of aluminum, the rest of the F-250's platform continues to use steel.
