Ford F-350 vs. Ford F-250
Not only do automakers compete with other vehicle brands to get their products sold, but they also often end up competing with themselves when models overlap and create some gray areas for their customers.
Our article looks at the F-250 and F-350 from the Ford family of trucks.
Both of these trucks from Ford's dedicated heavy-duty F series lineup look pretty much the same but differ in the hidden details. Stay with us as we take a look at what separates these two full-size Blue Oval badged trucks.
Background
The Ford F-series pickups have been hauling loads on US roads since 1948, and the nameplate has a strong pedigree.
The F-250 and the Ford F-350 are classified as Super Duty trucks as of 1999 when they became the dedicated heavier-duty variants of the Ford F-Series.
The first of the two vehicles in our article, the F-250, features a heavier-duty, fully boxed frame chassis, including fortified drive shafts, axles, brakes, towing hardware, and a 4WD transfer case.
Shoppers on the hunt for a good quality, low-mileage, preowned example of the F-250 need only look as far back as the last fourth generation produced from 2017 to 2022.
The F-250 is classed as a pickup truck with three cab options: Crew Cab, Regular Cab, and SuperCab. The trim lineup includes XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum. The Limited trim joined the lineup for the 2018 model year.
The Ford F-350 truck falls into the chassis cab class, which means a passenger cabin that also sits on top of a separate heavy-duty chassis, but unlike the F-250’s full boxed frame, the chassis frame of the F-350 is of an open-C-channel design from the rear of the cabin backward.
Like its smaller F-250 sibling, the F-350 uses heavy-duty components that endow the F-350 with even greater load-carrying capability, along with enhanced towing capabilities.
Exterior Differences
The F-250, built-in two-door Regular Cab, four-door SuperCab, or four-door Crew Cab styles, rides on a chassis frame of 95% high-strength steel with its body constructed with high-strength military grade aluminum alloy offering rust-resistance as well as being lightweight.
The F-250 measures 231.8 inches long as a regular crew cab, 238.2 inches as a Super cab, and as a crew cab up to 266.2 inches, depending on the bed size.
The F-250 Pickup sports a generous list of exterior equipment that includes the likes of auto on/off reflector halogen headlights, daytime running lights, a black front bumper with a black rub strip, a fascia accent, plus two front tow hooks.
The F-250’s manual side mirrors can be folded in, while at the rear, a black step bumper, a handy cargo lamp, and a high-mount stop light are fitted.
Mirroring the F-250, the F-350 fourth-generation model was also available from 2017 through 2022.
The frame of the F-350 is made from 95% high-strength steel, and the cabin is made of 6000 series aluminum alloy, touted as a high-strength military-grade aluminum alloy.
The F-350 shares measurements with the F-250, with the regular two-door crew cab being 231.8 inches long, 238.2 inches as a Super cab, and up to 266.2 inches with a four-door crew cab, depending on the bed size.
Standout exterior features on the F-350 include chrome-finished front bumpers in steel with a black lower air dam and rear bumpers that get the same chrome finish.
Up front rectangular quad dual-beam Halogen headlamps are fitted, black door handles. The F-350 features folding trailer tow mirrors with both built-in clearance lamps and turn signals.
The trim lineup is fitted with steel wheels ranging in size from 17 to 20 inches.
An extensive palette of ten exterior colors is available.
Interior Comparison
The F-250’s cabin features a comprehensive lineup of features, such as:
- Instrument cluster with Speedometer, Odometer, Oil Pressure, Engine Coolant Temperature, Tachometer, Transmission Fluid temperature, Engine Hour Meter, Trip Odometer, and Trip Computer
- Fade-To-Off Interior Lighting
- Heavy duty Vinyl 40/20/40 Split Bench Seat with center armrest, cupholder, storage, and driver's side manual lumbar
- Manual Adjustable Front Head Restraints
- Front Map Lights
A Ford SYNC 4 infotainment system with an eight-inch LCD capacitive touchscreen is standard, as are the AM/FM Stereo radio, four speakers, plus two LCD monitors for the front passengers.
Connectivity is taken care of by a wireless phone connection, cloud connectivity, AppLink with app catalog, 911 Assist, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto compatibility, plus a handy digital owner's manual.
The F-350’s plush cabin is new for 2017 and features standout items like its square-oriented dashboard design, a large center console and armrest, plenty of convenient buttons on the steering wheel, and a generously sized digital dashboard screen.
The Ford F-350's surprisingly luxurious interior offers handy features like leather seats, dual-zone automatic climate, easily accessible storage space underneath the rear seats, plus a 110-volt, 400-watt power outlet.
In-car audio is the same as the F-250, with an 8.0-inch touchscreen fitted with Bluetooth streaming audio, in-car Wi-Fi, voice command, navigation, and wireless charging.
Powerful Engines for Loading and Towing
Nobody really buys a truck like the F-250 and F-350 for a luxury drive and luxury features. Both these Blue Oval products are designed to work first and then play.
The F-250 makes use of either a 6.2-liter V8 making 385 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque or a 6.7-liter turbo diesel V8 with 450 horsepower plus torque of 935 pound-feet.
The TorqShift-G six-speed automatic transmission is standard and powers the rear wheels or the available all-wheel drive system.
The F-250 offers impressive towing capability with a maximum towing capacity of up to 17,600 pounds.
The F-350 makes use of the same engine options but differs from the F-250 with its 6R140 6-speed automatic transmission.
The F-350 is all about enhanced loading and towing capability. The F-350 can easily tow up to an impressive 32,000 pounds, thanks to the even heavier-duty chassis and components.
Find Your Next Ford Truck at Tim's Trucks
Be sure to contact Tims Trucks when a heavy-duty Ford truck is on your shopping list.
Our experienced sales team is ready to show you our vast selection of pre-owned trucks, SUVs, vans, and cars, all backed up by our exceptional customer service.
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