More Muscle, More Options in the Ford F-250

You don’t buy a Ford F-250 for its looks (though it does look pretty darn awesome). You buy a Super Duty for its class-leading capability. With three V8 powertrain options available, how do you decide which Ford F-250 engine is best?

The short answer is it depends on the type of power you need. Will you be towing heavy trailers? Do you need 4×4 capability for those hard-to-reach places?

To help you decide, here’s the rundown on each available power plant and transmission option in this new Super Duty truck.

This is Some Flex

Ford’s standard engine in the F-250 is its flex-fuel gasoline-powered 6.2L V8. Teamed with a six-speed automatic transmission (there is no manual shift option in the Ford Super Duty lineup), it makes a respectable 385 horsepower with 430 pound-feet of torque.

This combination has a maximum conventional towing capacity of 15,000 pounds and 15,800 pounds when towing by gooseneck or 5th-wheel.

The 6.2L delivers plenty of muscle to handle the heavy lifting when you need it while balancing it without burning too much fuel.

Level Up

Need a little more heave-ho? Upgrade to the 7.3L V8 gas engine. Like its smaller sibling, it maxes out at 15k conventional towing, but you get an extra 3,700 pounds of gooseneck and 5th-wheel capability.

Combined with the 10-speed automatic transmission, a Ford F-250 produces 430 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque. If you’re looking for the best-in-class gas-powered V8, you’ve found it.

Now This is Class

We know, we know. Diesel fuel costs a lot more per gallon compared to gasoline. But when you need pure, unadulterated power, there’s nothing that compares to a diesel engine.

And since this is a Ford F-250, you know we’re talking about best-in-class muscle. The available 6.7L Power Stroke turbodiesel V8 links up with the 10-speed automatic transmission to pound out 475 horsepower and a ridiculous 1,050 pound-feet of torque.

What does that mean for towing capability? How about 20,000 pounds of conventional and 22,800 gooseneck/5th-wheel capacity? And not only does the diesel power plant give you plenty of towing power, but it’s got some hustle, too. MotorTrend clocked a 0-60 time of 7.2 seconds.

A Note About Towing and Payload

With any pickup, towing and payload capacity depend partly on how much power your truck cranks under the hood. But other factors come into play, including whether you opt for rear-wheel drive or 4×4 and which cab size and bed length you choose. A smaller cab/longer bed gives you more gooseneck and 5th-wheel capability as well as more cargo bed capacity.

The Ford F-250 Super Duty has a payload capacity range of 3,040 – 4,260 pounds. So make sure your specs include your hauling priorities, whether it’s people or cargo.

So, Which Ford F-250 Engine is Best?

Compared to the rest of its class, no matter which Ford F-250 engine you choose, you’ll be getting best-in-class power. Bring your specs to your Ford dealer and take some trucks for a test drive to see which works best for your needs.