heavy duty truck

I purchased my 2006 Super Duty F250 crew cab as a new left over the first week of Feb. 2007. At that time Ford was offering excellent rebates and pricing. This truck was purchased to replace my aging 1978 F150. We chose the Crew Cab configuration because of the age and size of my children. They are 12 and 8 years old and growing taller by the hour. We tried the super cabs of Chevrolet, GMC and Ford and found them lacking in our need of room.
We chose the XLT trim package because the features in this package were everything we needed plus extras and we could only find XL`s and Harley Davidson editions which were either lacking in critical features or (we felt) a little too "over the top " for a pick-up. I feel we chose well considering I originally was looking for a Lariat but there were no " left overs " in that edition and the rebates, at the time, were big in the 06`s.
The truck I purchased is in the following configuration.
Crew Cab
XLT
FX4 4x4
142 in WB
5.4L 3 valve 300 HP V8

The interior has the two power captains chairs up front and the split folding bench seat in the rear. The seating is very comfortable, with plenty of leg room ( I am 6`4") where-ever I sit, with the front seats all of the way back. When sitting up front I do not require the seat to be pushed all of the way back. The Dodges I tried required the front seat to be all of the way aft. The F250`s seat is very supportive and does not give me the feeling of swimming in the seat. The arm rests in the front seats are a little short for my comfort and should have been extended in my opinion but that's minor. The Front seat has a console that is very roomy and I have found several cool features engineered in it such as built in clip board, Cup holders ( The front seat actually has 4 cup holders that really work well), hidden storage compartment in the front and built in change holder/ CD holder. The rear seat sits 3 comfortably or 2 with a rather large arm rest/storage compartment with 2 cup holders built in.
Ford really designed the interior controls well in my opinion. The radio / CD player has the 6 disk option and is very easy to use. The AC controls are centrally located and of standard configuration. Power lock and window controls are easily accessible and have a rugged feel including driver window lock-out allowing the driver to selectively be the only one to operate the windows, a plus for those of us with curious children. My wife loves the folding rear seats with grocery bag hooks. They really keep her cargo stable in the rear seating area. I`ve been told when she goes shopping... I lost my truck for a while.
The drive train provides ample power with the 5.4L v8 w/TORQSHIFT 5spd auto transmission. The 300hp rating is a fair rating and has provided excellent hauling ability. The 4 wheel disk brakes provide super responsive stopping capabilities. The 2 speed transfer case is easily engaged by a flip of the switch located on the dash board. When in 4x4 the truck feels stable and sure footed in my opinion, unlike the Nissan Titan I test drove earlier this year when first searching for a truck. I appreciate a good working 4x4 due to the heavy snow fall experienced in my area. My truck came with the BF Goodrich Rugged Trail T/As as an option. This option is well worth the money because they handle very well on and off road.
The exterior fit and finish is tight and smooth. All exterior lines are equal and everything feels like it fits well. The paint is applied properly and seals everything as it should. I have the True Blue metallic color and I would strongly recommend against it due to the fact it does not hide dirt well. The Black trucks I see on the road do not hide well either. Also I opted against the optional running boards which the dealer offered to install. They felt spongy so I bought a set of Dee Zee nerf bars which feel a lot more stable in my opinion.
The 6 3/4 ft bed has met my expectations in every way. Paired with a hard cover the locking tail gate is exceptionally secure and easy to use. The tail gate height is high but one must remember this is not a station wagon... it is a Heavy Duty Truck.
My truck also has the optional tow command system. This gives me the 12.5k trailer hitch set up as well as an inboard trailer brake control. It is nice owning a truck that I do not have to fiddle with the wiring for the trailer. The trailer braking system is easy to use and allows me to pay more attention to my driving when traveling with a trailer.
This truck has performed well in the past 5 months. My wife who is 5'3" drives the truck often and feels very confident while driving. She can adjust the seats easily and in a short amount of time. Parking is a little bit of a challenge but we are also dealing with a truck much larger than most. Turning radius's are excellent considering the size. A standard K turn is the most that is required in the worst case so far. On the highway, the ride is comfortable. I have not calculated my MPG yet but I could tell you it is no subcompact nor is it as bad as my Previous truck, an earlier model Ford reg cab 4x4.
Over all I feel I have made the right decision in choosing the Ford Super Duty. The ruggedness and overall quality makes me feel that this truck will serve me well in the many years I plan on owning it. It is a sharp looking truck with an excellent ride height for a truck it`s size.


UPDATE:Well it has been over 2 years and a good number of miles since original purchase and I have to say I am very impressed. There have been no troubles what so ever with this truck. The only time it has been in the shop is for routine maintenance. We have also had the opportunity to do some long range trailer towing with the truck since I wrote the review. I can not stress how much time and energy the Tow Command option has saved us. If you even occasionally tow trailers this option is a must. All connections to the trailer including braking are monitored and controlled by Tow Command. Towing with this truck is fantastic and a pleasure.