Driving the 2015 Ford F-Series Super Duty, the big dogs in Detroit

The Big Three duke it out in pretty much every corner of the market, and some rivalries—like between their respective muscle cars—are juicier than others. But in no battle do GM, Chrysler and Ford compete more fiercely than in that of full-size pickups. And not just the light-duty models, but in their heavy duty forms, as well. In the case of the latter, the winner is typically the one with the most power. Or hood-twisting torque, to be specific.

The reigning horsepower and torque champ is the 2015 Ford Super Duty pickup that, with its optional 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel V-8, produces an otherworldly 440 hp at and 860 pound feet of torque, up from the 2014 model’s still unfathomable 400 hp and 800 lb-ft of torque and far more powerful than its standard gas-powered 6.2-liter V-8, with its paltry 385 hp and 405 lb-ft. The revised Power Stroke produces way more more grunt than the new 2015 Chevy Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD trucks with their shared 6.6-liter Duramax diesel V-8 that produces “just” 397 hp and 765 lb-ft of torque. It out-torques (barely) the Ram Heavy Duty’s 6.7-liter Cummins diesel engine, with its 385 hp and 850 lb-ft of torque.

All of this is in order to have payload and towing bragging rights, of course, and the Ford models’ maximum tow capacity for its F-450 dually rises from 24,700 lbs. to 31,200 lbs., leapfrogging the Ram 3500’s 30,000 lb. rating and bests the GM twins by 8,000 lbs. Should you be able to live without the F-350’s massive 19.5-inch commercial-grade wheels and beefed-up suspension, the somewhat softer F-350 can still tow 26,500 lbs. of your stuff on a fifth-wheel trailer, while the F-250 can tug up to 16,800 lbs., or roughly the weight of the other two trucks combined.

Ford didn’t have to reinvent the reverse-flow SOHC Power Stroke to achieve the newfound power; engineers simply added new injector nozzles and swapped out the existing turbo for a larger one. The increased airflow in turn allows for improved exhaust braking via backpressure within the turbo, which is now selectable via a button beside the steering column. The level to which the exhaust brake slows the truck can be reduced if desired by stepping lightly on the accelerator pedal, a cool trick that’s unique within the segment, says Ford.

Ford has also stated that not only did the design of the 6.7-liter engine make it relatively easy to upgrade, but that the newfound power does not come at the expense of fuel economy. That said, they weren’t exactly eager to provide actual fuel economy numbers, which it is not obliged to provide (yet) due to its weight class.

“The improvements we’ve made essentially give Super Duty customers an engine designed for our larger F-650 and F-750 trucks,” said Ford in a earlier press release. “They may not realize how tough this engine really is.”