Ford F-350 Super Duty Diesel 2021 Review

When you need maximum power, strength and capacity for the job, the 2021 Ford F-350 Super Duty stands ready to serve. With its high-strength steel frame, aluminum bodywork, and choice of gasoline and diesel V8 engines, this heavy-duty full-size pickup can handle just about anything you throw at it.

The F-350's maximum conventional towing capacity is 24,200 pounds when properly equipped. Set your F-350 up for fifth-wheel towing and you can pull as much as 32,500 pounds. Either way, you've pretty much got the capability to pull any big recreational or commercial-oriented trailer. Or if hauling is what you need, the F-350 can take on as much as 7,850 pounds of payload in its cargo bed depending on the truck's configuration.

Towing and hauling are just two of the tasks assigned to a heavy-duty pickup truck. When you're spending this kind of money, your rig needs to work hard, but it also needs to play hard and look good doing it. That's where the F-350 Tremor comes in. This is an off-road version of the Super Duty that adds a healthy dose of visual attitude combined with serious capability when the going gets tough. You can even equip it with an integrated winch offering 12,000 pounds of capacity.

Ford also offers a wide range of cabs, bed lengths and trim levels for the F-350, covering the spectrum from a basic, affordable work truck to a fancy, plush and technologically advanced luxury model. In short, if you're looking for a specific feature or function in a heavy-duty truck, the Ford F-350 likely offers it.

Which F-350 Super Duty does MatoCar recommend?

The 2021 Ford F-350 is available in XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, Platinum and Limited trim levels. Regular cabs come in XL and XLT trim only with an 8-foot-long cargo bed. SuperCabs add the Lariat trim to the availability list, as well as a shorter 6.75-foot bed option. Crew Cabs are offered with all trims and both cargo beds. You can option any F-350 with the 8-foot bed to have dual rear wheels.

A 6.2-liter gasoline V8 (385 horsepower, 430 lb-ft of torque) is standard. Upgrades include a 7.3-liter gas V8 (430 hp, 475 lb-ft) or a turbocharged 6.7-liter diesel V8 (475 hp, 1,050 lb-ft). In the F-350, all three engines use a 10-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive is standard, and four-wheel drive is optional.

XL With XL trim, the F-350 includes:

• 17-inch painted steel wheels
• Black grille, bumpers and trim
• Front tow hooks
• Trailer towing equipment
• Air conditioning
• Vinyl floor coverings
• Heavy-duty vinyl seats
• Tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel
• Individual tire pressure monitoring system
• 4.2-inch center display screen
• Connected services including Wi-Fi hotspot
• Remote engine starting
• Voice recognition technology
• Reversing camera

XLT Choose the F-350 XLT to enjoy these standard equipment upgrades:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Chrome exterior trim
• Heated side mirrors
• Rear privacy glass
• BoxLink cargo box cleats
• 110-volt household-style power outlet
• Carpeted floors and floor mats
• Cloth seats
• Power windows and locks
• 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration

The F-350 XLT also has Ford Co-Pilot360 driving assistance technology. This package includes:

• Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
• Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert (warns you if a vehicle is in your blind spot during a lane change or while in reverse)
• Automatic high-beam headlights

Lariat Moving up to Lariat trim, the F-350 includes:

• Body-colored trim
• Foglights
• Power-folding and -telescoping side mirrors
• LED side mirror spotlights
• Power-sliding rear window
• Upgraded driver information screen
• Power-adjustable pedals
• Leather seats
• Power-adjustable front seats
• Premium sound system
• Rear parking sensors

King Ranch The King Ranch is a Western-themed upscale version of the F-350 Crew Cab. It has:

• Unique accent-color trim
• Rain-sensing wipers
• LED cargo box lighting
• Remote tailgate release
• Woodgrain interior trim
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Heated and power-adjustable steering wheel
• Ambient interior lighting
• Trailer towing camera system
• Ford's Pro Trailer Backup Assist (makes backing up to a trailer easier)
• Integrated navigation system
• Wireless smartphone charger

Platinum With Platinum trim, the F-350 adds even more luxury in the form of:

• 20-inch wheels
• Body-colored bumpers
• Chrome and satin chrome exterior trim
• LED headlights
• Power-deploying running boards
• Tailgate step
• Multi-contour massaging front seats
• Adaptive cruise control (maintains a driver-set distance between the F-350 and the car in front)

Limited At the top of the F-350 trim ladder, you'll find a rung named Limited. It comes with the diesel engine and 4WD as standard. Other extras include:

• Adaptive steering (adjusts the steering wheel's responsiveness to enhance low-speed maneuverability and high-speed stability)
• Panoramic sunroof
• Hands-free keyless entry
• Premium upholstery and interior trim
• Lane keeping assist (steers the F-350 back into its lane if it begins to drift over the lane marker)
• Upfitter switches

Many features found on the upper trim levels are available on the lower trims as options. On select F-350s, you can also get the Tremor Off-Road package that includes:

• Off-road tires
• Raised front suspension and special shock absorbers
• Locking rear differential and limited-slip front differential (enhances traction when off-roading)
• Skid plates
• Special drive modes for off-roading