Experiencing Ford Tough in the 2020 F-350 Super Duty: A Review

Ford‘s tagline is one of those phrases that you can appreciate for its simplicity but never fully grasp until you’re actually behind the wheel a vehicle like the 2020 F-350 with the Lariat Sport Package and the Tremor Off-Road Package. “Built Ford Tough” is the slogan and boy, do you feel tough in the F-350. As if the F-350 Super Duty wasn’t impressive enough, in 2020 Ford decided to finally grant it some additional off-roading flair that kicks things up a notch. It’s still a beast of a truck and while it might not be for every driver, Dad Drivers who love unpaved roads and need serious power for hauling and towing might find the truck of their dreams with the F-350. Just don’t plan to park this thing in your suburban garage—you almost need an entire barn to fit this “mother” in.

What This Dad Digs about the 2020 Ford F-350 Super Duty

Gets Any Job Done – Even without the Tremor Off-Road Package, it’s difficult to imagine any job that the F-350 couldn’t tackle with ease. With payload power of up to 4,200 pounds, the Super Duty Tremor is a no-brainer for, say, laborious work on a farm but if you’re a suburban/urban Dad Driver like me, you’re more likely going to be using a pickup of this magnitude to haul a boat or a camper on road trips to the great outdoors. This Super Duty Tremor is rated to tow a whopping 15,000 pounds with a conventional hitch and up to 21,900 with a gooseneck. More than enough tough capacity for any family adventure.

A New, Capable Engine – New for 2020, Ford has introduced a 7.3-liter V8 gasoline engine that came in the Super Duty Tremor I reviewed. With 430 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque, this engine is capable of producing power similar to Ford’s Power Stroke diesel engine, which is also offered across their Super Duty lineup. Designed for “maximum durability in the harshest environments” this new engine features a variable-displacement oil pump, extra-large main bearings, forged steel crankshaft for durability, and piston cooling jets to help manage temperatures under heavy load. While I didn’t have a large boat to haul around during my test drive, I loaded the bed with a few heavy appliances and found that the “pick-up-and-go” was just as solid as with an empty bed. This particular engine configuration will add an additional $1.7k to the cost of the 6.2-liter V-8 engine that comes in the base model and while I haven’t tested that particular engine, shelling over the extra cash and opting for the newer engine makes sense.

Room for All The Kids – Yes, the 2020 F-350 is large but to call the interior space generous is a gross understatement—this thing is cavernous. As a Dad Driver with two kids, that means plenty of room for car seats, luggage and road-trip odds and ends. Up front, there is a very comfortable distance between driver and the front passenger, making for luxurious elbow room. All the materials used throughout the cabin feel nice to the touch and exceeded my expectations. Some of the more swanky features like the heated/vented front seats and the all-weather floor mats come included as part of the Lariat package. However, features like the leather steering wheel, the gorgeous 8-inch infotainment screen, and rear bench storage under the seats all come standard.

Speaking of storage, there is PLENTY throughout the cabin, so much so that I often forgot which nook and cranny I stored my stuff in. Lucky for me, my daughter is curious and had fun rummaging through storage areas so she eventually found all my misplaced items.

Everything is better with a Tremor Package – This is the first time the F-350 gets a Tremor package option and I’m all for it. I’m not a pro at off-roading but the Super Duty allows me to sit so high off the ground that I feel indestructible and capable to take on any terrain. With the Tremor package, there is now an additional two inches of lift from the higher-riding suspension. Add in specialist shock absorbers, a limited-slip differential on the front axle, locking rear differential and a wicked Rock Crawl mode. You may not need to fully understand what all those options bring to the table but have full confidence this Super Duty can certainly go where most can’t.

I did some mildly challenging off-roading in some hilly areas of central Texas during my week with the 2020 F-350 and there is nothing I felt I couldn’t climb. Depending on where you’re sitting in the truck, you may feel more movement over rocky terrain but even my wife, who easily gets car sick, had no troubles. One of the cooler options of the Tremor package is the ability to wade through 33 inches of water, being that the truck sits so high. We get plenty of flash flooding here in Texas and when that happens, I want to be driving this puppy.

Make a Statement – An F-350 Super Duty is built for work and play but why not look cool at the same time? While Ford has kept a classic truck design at the core of its 2020 F-350 design, there are enough modern highlights that make this truck distinctive. Whether it’s Ford’s bold front grill or the oversized rear bumper lip that allows for easybed access, there is a lot to discover and fall in love with here. Not to mention the sick Agate Black paint job our review vehicle came in. I’m not always a fan of black paint jobs but this one, paired with the gloss black 18 inch wheels, looks dope. My only complaint on style is the inclusion of halogen headlamps instead of LED.

Where the 2020 F-350 Gets a Dad Downvote

The Very Definition of Gas Guzzler – I was pleased to have a gas powered engine under the hood in the 2020 F-350 but, good gravy, it guzzled through a tank of gas like it was nobody’s business. During my week driving the truck in a combination of city and highway driving I was barely able to squeeze out 14 miles per gallon on average. I wasn’t expecting much fuel economy from the Super Duty, judging from its power and sheer size, but I was hoping for a few more miles out of each gallon.

It’s Texas Sized – Everything is bigger in Texas, where I live, and while this Super Duty isn’t the largest truck you can find on the road, it certainly looks like a behemoth in my driveway. While it’s size exudes an air of capability, there are some downsides to it besides not being able to fit it into a standard garage. Most of these have to do with navigating in urban areas and around tight spots. You’ll certainly get your steps at your local supermarket parking lot because there is no way you’re parking this bad boy in a small parking space near the front. Be prepared to take up two spots somewhere near the back of the lot.

Affordable but without the Fun – I was pleasantly surprised to find that the base trim level of the 2020 F-350 starts at just below $37k. That’s a decent price for a lot of truck. But start adding features and options and that number can top out at around $90k. The Sport Package, which includes wheel well liners and the “tough” bedliner, can arguably be skipped but I would have a tougher time giving up the Lariat Ultimate Package which includes LED bed lighting, the tailgate step, and heated/vented seats. That doesn’t even include the kick ass Tremor package which admittedly I could give up, as I wouldn’t be off-roading that often. But the Tremor package makes the F-350 so darn effective and that I would make excuses to have fun with it.

Tough as Nails

While sitting in the 2020 F-350, crawling over rocky hills with ease, I get it: owning a truck, particularly a Ford Truck, can be awesome. But as exhilarating as the Super Duty is, I’ve never felt more aware that I don’t utilize the hauling and towing features to the extent that this truck would allow me to. That’s not to say I couldn’t become a Dad Driver that needs a truck like this— it just means that I’m not that kind of Driver right now. Even so, roading tripping and off-roading were positive experiences in the F-350 and with a trim level like the Tremor, it’s easy to understand how empowered a truck can make you feel. Sitting up high in the driver’s seat, reaching the top of that rocky hill, my daughter giggling in the back…I felt Ford tough.