Both the Ford F-450 vs F-350 are undeniably capable of almost anything you want them to do. In 2016, Ford changed the body, most notably by making the rear fenders boxier, especially on dual rear wheel models. It’s also changed the front grill and some wheel designs. While things have changed slightly since you’ll find most of the same features in each trim level today as you did back then. This review will give you a full F450 vs F350 model comparison, and we will give you an update on what’s new for the most recent model year.
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Main Differences Between the F-450 vs F-350
The main differences between the F-450 vs the F-350 are:
- The F-450 only comes with one engine option, whereas the F-350 has three.
- The F-450 can tow up to 37,000 pounds in a gooseneck configuration and up to 24,000 pounds conventional, whereas the F-350 can tow 35,700 pounds and 21,200 respectively.
- The F-450 only has two different cabin configurations, whereas the F-350 has three.
- The F-450 comes with a dual rear wheel design, whereas the F-350 comes in the single rear wheel and dual rear wheel options.
Ford F-450 Super Duty Review
The Ford F-450 Super Duty smashes the competitors in the arena of what it’s supposed to do: tow things. It has a turbodiesel V8 with 475 horsepower and is factory built with a gooseneck hitch capable of pulling a whopping 37,000 pounds.
It comes in rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive configurations, and it can pull 24,000 pounds with conventional towing. Both RAM and GMC have more recently redesigned their entire pickup, but all Ford did was re-tune the engine for even more power.
Pros
- Spacious cabin options
- 37,000-pound towing capacity
- Vigorous V8 turbo diesel
- Affordable starting price
Cons
- Horrible fuel economy
- Upper-end prices exceed $100,000
- Interior features could use updating
Recent Updates
While not much has changed, in more recent years, you will find that Ford trickled down some of its more useful features to more basic trim levels, like standard automatic high beam assist. There are also a few new pain options if you want more options there.
F-450 Exterior
The F-450 looks like the beast it is with standard dual rear wheels, blocky quad halogen headlights, and an intimidating grille. The base XL trim has a matte black grille while higher trim levels enjoy a chrome trim. The upper-most trims have LED headlights and taillights as well as fog lights.
All models have 19.5-inch alloy wheels. XL and XLT trims have a standard regular cab while the Crew Cab is standard on all other trims. The F-450 only has an 8-foot box, so there’s no short bed here.
F-450 Dimensions
When you get to the upper limit of the Super Duty range, you don’t have as many customization options as you do with lighter-duty pickups. The F-450 comes in only the shortest or the longest wheelbases. The standard cab with the long bed has a 141.6-inch wheelbase and the Crew Cab with the long bed has a 176-inch wheelbase.
That’s 231.8 inches and 266.2 inches from front to rear, respectively. It’s also 82 inches tall and 105.9 inches wide with 8.6-inch ground clearance.
Angles of approach and departure could be tighter, but you can’t expect too much from something this massive. It’s also one of the heaviest passenger vehicles on the road, topping out at 8587 pounds.
Exterior Colors
If making a fashion statement is your thing, you’ll want to check out all 11 exterior color options. There’s a lot of neutral going on here, with some red and blue sprinkled throughout.
F-450 Engine and Transmission
The F-450 only has one powertrain option, whereas lower-tier Super Duty models have more. This one has a 6.7-liter turbo diesel V8, delivering 475 horsepower and 1050 pound-feet of torque.
It also has an automatic gearbox with a jaw-dropping ten speeds. Rear-wheel drive is standard, but every model offers a four-wheel drive option. The Limited model is the only one that comes standard with four-wheel drive.
You might be surprised to find out that this 4-ton pickup can go from a standstill to 60 miles per hour in about 8 seconds, and it can do it almost as fast loaded to full capacity.
Plus, it comes equipped with a standard gooseneck in the bed, so you’ve got 37,000 pounds of capacity right away. Conventional towing will afford you just over 24,000 pounds, which is a lot more than the competition.
Handling
If you’ve ever driven a truck this big, you know it can be a bit cumbersome around town. The good thing about the F-450 versus smaller Super Duty models is that it has a wider front end, giving it a sharper turn radius.
The adaptive steering also helps. But remember, taking a corner too sharp will quickly remind you that this is not a race car, it’s a workhorse.
As with any large pickup, your ride won’t be as smooth as it is in a luxury sedan but loaded up with more weight, it’s actually quite nice.
Side tow mirrors extend with just the push of a button, and you get blind-spot monitoring and surround-view camera options to make towing even easier from the driver’s seat.
The cabin is also very well insulated, so you won’t hear much rumble from the turbo-diesel or road noise to distract you from your primary job.
Fuel Economy
This is where the F-450 really hurts, but you shouldn’t be surprised. That engine is a gas guzzler, and it has to propel a 4-ton truck hauling a massive load. While the Super Duty isn’t rated by the EPA because of its niche use, most drivers of the Crew Cab model find that they get about 10 miles per gallon on average.
Thankfully, the Crew Cab has a 48-gallon tank, which will get you pretty far with one drink from the pump. The regular cab is lighter, so it may be slightly better, but it only has a 29-gallon tank, so you won’t get quite as far.
Interior
With a regular cab, you can seat three passengers, but two is much more comfortable. If you’ve ever towed anything with a truck this big, you know that having someone in the middle seat next to you is just a pain.
The Crew Cab seats 6, and the backseat is even large enough to seat adults pretty comfortably.
Both configurations have plenty of headroom, and visibility is good thanks to the seating positions and the height of the roof. However, adjustability is lacking on lower trim levels.
Upper trim levels have ten-way power seats in the front and plush leather upholstery, making comfort achievable even with cloth or vinyl. There could be more cushion though.
There are standard side steps and grab handles, making getting in and out easier.
Cargo Space
For most pickups, your only cargo space is the bed, but the F-450 manages to give you just a bit extra. The regular cab has 11.6 cubic feet of space behind the front seats and the Crew Cab has rear seats that fold, giving you 52.1 cubic feet.
Since the only bed option is the 8-foot box, both configurations offer 78.5 cubic feet of storage in the bed, if you don’t put anything taller than the rails back there. However, as you know, the bed is open and can accommodate taller items if needed. At its most capable, this Super Duty has a payload of 6200 pounds.
While the regular cab does have some space behind the front row of seats, there’s not much. The Crew Cab affords much more room. You can trade the bench seat for bucket seats and enjoy a large center console with a sizable storage compartment and cupholders.
The rear seat also has an armrest that folds down in the middle and the front seats have back pockets for passenger storage. There’s a standard glove compartment, of course, but the pockets in the doors are pretty small and narrow.
Features and Infotainment
The base XL model of the F-450 comes with air conditioning, cruise control, two 12-volt outlets, and two-way manual front seats. Upgrading to the XLT gives you locking cleats in the cargo bed, a 4.2-inch instrument cluster, and remote keyless entry.
The Lariat has ten-way power front seats, automatic dual-zone climate control, and a 110-volt outlet, while the King Ranch adds a heated steering wheel with power telescoping and tilt as well as heated and cooled front seats.
If you go all out on the Platinum trim, you’ll get heated rear seats and multi-contour front seats, but the best of the best is the Limited with massaging front seats and a dual-panel sunroof.
Ford includes their Co-Pilot360 safety suite on all trim levels but the upper trims unlock more of the features it includes. The entire suite has forward collision avoidance, a rearview camera, a surround-view camera, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warnings, and lane-keep assist.
The basic XL trim has a 4.2-inch Sync display with Bluetooth and one USB-C port, but all other trims have the 8-inch touchscreen with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM radio, and two USB ports.
Wi-Fi is standard on every model but the King Ranch and above has voice commands, navigation, HD Radio, and a wireless charging pad. The XL has four speakers, the XLT has five or seven, and the Lariat and up has ten.
Safety and Reliability
While the IIHS nor the NHTSA take the time to do crash tests on heavy-duty vehicles, the F-450 is certainly a safe choice. It comes with standard stability and traction control, ABS, and six airbags. There’s also a rearview camera standard on every trim.
And while the F-450 doesn’t have a dependability rating from J.D. Power, the F-350 gets an 82 out of 100. However, the F-450 isn’t a stranger to recalls due to fire potential and unexpected tailgate openings.
Final Thoughts on the F-450
If you ever need to tow three African elephants or a stable full of horses, the F-450 is the most capable. There are similarly dependable heavy-duty pickups, but nothing quite matches the F-450 for towing capacity.
It also has all of the creature comforts you need if you upgrade to some of the higher trim levels. While the ride may not be the most luxurious, it gets better with added weight, and due to its size, it’s one of the safest vehicles on the road. You’ll simply crush the competition.
You’ll likely find better choices for only hauling a payload in the bed, you won’t find anything as strong to pull a gooseneck.
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Ford F-350 Super Duty Review
The F-350 Super Duty also hasn’t had a full redesign in a few years, but notable updates rival the competition, including Chevy’s Silverado 3500HD and RAM’s 3500 one-ton pickups. The F-350 has an upgraded V8 diesel with 475 horsepower, just like the F-450.
It has a towing capacity of 35,750 pounds via gooseneck and 21,200 pounds conventional. It’s a pretty potent powertrain that’s not much of a step down from the F-450. You won’t get great fuel economy with this model either, but it’s a more affordable option with almost as much power.
Pros
- Three different V8 engines to choose from
- Excellent features on top trim levels
- Leads its class in towing capacity
- The cabin is spacious and comfortable
- Handles well for its size
Cons
- Awful fuel economy
- Could use a full update like its competition
- Can get expensive at upper trim levels
Recent Updates
In more recent years, Ford updated the F-350’s engine choices to include a V8 gasoline engine, offering 430 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque. It traded a six-speed automatic transmission for a ten-speed gearbox in both the diesel and gas engines.
They’ve also included new features like standard automatic high beams. Upper trim levels get rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and pre-collision avoidance.
There is also a wider range of color options including several different reds and blues.
F-350 Exterior
The F-350 has the same massive grille and chunky bumpers that the F-450 has, and you’ll have plenty of power to make it a true workhorse. There are standard automatic quad halogen headlights, but fog lights are reserved for upper trims.
Dual rear wheel models have huge wheel arches with extra payload capacity and stability, which may seem a bit blue-collar to some, but the cabin is surprisingly sleek.
F-350 Dimensions
The F-350 varies quite a bit in its dimensions, depending upon the configuration. Regular cab wheelbases with a short bed are 141.6 inches while Crew Cabs with long beds have a 176-inch wheelbase. There are several configurations in between, too.
Height will vary from 78.7 inches to 81.5 while the width of a single rear wheel configuration is always 80 inches without counting the mirrors. If you add dual rear wheels, the width increases to 96 inches.
Ground clearance is 8.3-8.8 inches with at least a 16.7-degree approach angle and at least a departure angle of 17.9 degrees.
The curb weight will also vary quite a bit based on configuration, but the lightest is 5887 pounds and the heaviest is 8133.
Exterior Colors
Ford offers a whopping 17 exterior color choices with plenty of neutrals. However, they’ve included greens, reds, blues, and even a couple of yellows.
F-350 Engine and Transmission
As mentioned, there are currently three different engine choices from which you can choose. The standard powertrain includes a 6.2-liter V8 gasoline engine with 385 horsepower, but it also has a ten-speed automatic transmission.
It’s plenty of power to move the truck around, but acceleration is nothing to brag about. It also boasts a 16,700-pound conventional towing capacity.
There’s also a 6.7-liter V8 turbodiesel with 475 horsepower and 1050 lb-ft of torque. It has the same ten-speed transmission and it’s the combination that gets this Super Duty its top spot in its class. This pair can tow 21,200 pounds conventionally and 35,750 pounds with a gooseneck.
There’s also a 7.3-liter V8 gas engine with the same gearbox, with 430 horsepower. There’s not nearly the towing capacity of diesel here, but it’s still more capable than the standard gas engine. You get 21,000 pounds of conventional towing capacity. Plus, it has better acceleration, making it a better choice for buzzing about town.
Each option is standard rear-wheel drive, but everything has a four-wheel drive option.
Handling
With electronically assisted steering and a tight turn radius, the F-350 provides some pretty good maneuvering in traffic. You just have to remember how large the truck really is. Parking lots will be tight and you can’t take corners like a race car.
The brakes are a bit unresponsive and require a heavier foot than expected, but the ride is pretty good, the seats are comfortable, and the suspension does a fine job of handling large bumps.
Upper trims have even more comfort features like leather seats with heat and air. While the cabin might be comfortable, you’ll soon find that noise is an issue if you push your diesel to perform.
Fuel Economy
The EPA doesn’t offer traditional gas mileage ratings on these heavy-duty trucks, but there are consumer reports of average fuel economy. The standard gas engine offers 11 miles per gallon while the diesel is likely to get about 14.
Fuel tanks vary in size from 29 to 48 gallons, so at its largest, you can go almost 700 miles between fill-ups.
Interior
Unlike the F-450, the F-350 has three different cab sizes. The standard cab can seat three and the Super and Crew Cabs seat up to six. There’s plenty of legroom and headroom, even at its smallest.
Upgrading to the Super Cab actually decreases your legroom, but the Crew Cab is plenty spacious, and the best option for taller passengers. Seats sit up high, offering good visibility, but cameras and blind-spot monitoring help quite a bit, especially when towing.
Lower trims have manual seats while upper trims have ten-way power front seats and memory functions, as well as heating and cooling.
Cargo Space
Once again, the bed is the only sizable cargo space you get. There is some space behind the front seats of the regular cab and the rear seats in the larger cabs fold down to give you more room. The regular cab includes 11.6 cubic feet of space, the Super Cab offers 31.6, and the Crew Cab has 52.1.
These are typically enough around town, but of course, with the seats folded down, you can’t carry passengers.
There’s a 6.75-foot standard bed and an 8-foot option. Bed height is 21.1 inches. The largest payload configuration is 7850 pounds.
Inside, you have compartments for small items like the glove box, door pockets, a center console, and cup holders.
Features and Infotainment
The entry-level XL trim comes with basic features like vinyl upholstery, cruise control, two-way manual front seats, air conditioning, and two 12-volt outlets. Upgrades in the XLT include remote keyless entry, cloth seats, locking cleats in the cargo area, and a 4.2-inch instrument cluster.
As you move up to the Lariat and beyond, you’ll get varying quality levels of leather, ten-way power front seats, a 110-volt outlet, and dual-zone climate control. Other upper-level trims include a power telescoping and tilting steering wheel, climate-controlled front seats.
The Platinum trim has heated rear seats, multi-contour front seats, a power dual-panel sunroof, and keyless entry and ignition. It also has a safety suite with blind-spot monitoring, a rearview camera, surround-view camera, lane keep alert, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control.
Infotainment also starts pretty basic. Lower trims have a Sync interface with Bluetooth and a Wi-Fi hotspot, AM/FM radio, and four or six speakers. The XLT gets upgrades like a 4.2-inch touchscreen, the Sync 3 system, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and SiriusXM radio. It also has an extra speaker.
Lariat trims and higher have ten-speaker systems. Navigation with voice commands happens at the King Range trim. Every model has at least one USB port while upper trims have two.
Safety and Reliability
The F-350 isn’t tested by independent safety institutes, so you won’t get a crash test rating of any kind, but it still has plenty of safety features like automatic headlights, ABS, stability and traction control, six airbags, and a rearview camera.
Ford Co-Pilot360 offers additional safety features like cameras, traffic monitoring, parking sensors, and varying levels of protection based on the trim level you choose.
There’s an 82 out of 100 dependability rating from J.D. Power, which means it’s more reliable than the majority of vehicles on the road, and while there are a couple of recalls, there haven’t been many.
Taking it For a Test Drive
You’ll be hard-pressed to find better-towing capacity than these two trucks afford. They are nearly identical in terms of trim levels and features. Where things differ starts with the towing capacity, which is incredible on either, but the F-450 is capable of more.
Most people who need a larger pickup will be quite satisfied with the F-350, and you’ll spend less on it, too. However, there will be some people who need just a bit extra, and that’s where the F-450 drives up to the starting line.
Find the right tire for you at Goodyear Tires. They offer a wide range of high performance car tires, SUV, passenger and 4x4 tires online.
F450 vs F350 Model Comparison FAQs
Answer: Luckily, the answer to this question is no. The same goes for the F-350. If you are using it for pleasure, you don’t need a special license or registration for your vehicle.
However, if you use the vehicle for work or you tow a trailer larger than 26,000 pounds, you’ll need a DOT number on the side of your vehicle and a CDL. Every state is different, so you’ll have to check with your local government to find out what the requirements are.
Answer: All Ford Super Duty pickups, including the F-350 and the F-450, come in six different trim levels. They include XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, Platinum, and Limited. As the trim level increases, so do your options. You’ll get more features and comfort out of higher trim levels, and more luxurious options will come standard.
Answer: This term dates back to when a one-ton pickup could carry 2000 pounds of cargo. These days, they can carry a lot more than that, but the name stuck around.