2012 Ford Super Duty F-250 Pickup Overview Change Vehicle

This 2011 Ford F-250 Super Duty overview explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 F-250 Super Duty, and includes Ford F-250 Super Duty safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

The Ford F-250 is the first in a series of ever more-capable Super Duty pickup trucks that the company sells to people with serious hauling and towing requirements. Depending on the F-250 model selected, buyers can tow up to 14,000 pounds or haul as much as 4,290 pounds of payload. The maximum fifth-wheel towing rating is 16,700 lbs.

Software programming updates for the optional 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbo-diesel V8 engine produce a slight bump in horsepower and ten percent more torque, leading to an increased maximum payload rating for 2012. Trucks equipped with short beds can now be outfitted with a factory-installed and warranted fifth-wheel or gooseneck hitch attached directly to the Super Duty’s frame, complete with electrical connections integrated into the bed wall. The standard 6.2-liter gasoline V8 engine is newly available with a compressed natural gas/propane (CNG/LPG) preparation option. Otherwise, the F-250 carries over unchanged after a significant freshening for the 2011 model year.

The 2012 Ford F-250 Super Duty is sold in Regular Cab, SuperCab, and Crew Cab body styles equipped with a short- or long-bed and two- or four-wheel drive. A 6.2-liter flex-fuel gasoline V8 is standard, with a B20-compatible, 6.7-liter, Power Stroke turbo-diesel V8 available as an option. The model lineup includes XL, XLT, Lariat, and King Ranch models.

Buyers looking for the basics and nothing more will want to investigate the F-250 XL, the least expensive model. As such, it comes as no surprise to find vinyl seats and flooring inside the cab, but Ford does include air conditioning, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, and lumbar adjustment for the driver’s seat. The dashboard contains a dual-glovebox storage arrangement, the tailgate features an easy-lift design and the cargo box is illuminated. Manual telescoping towing mirrors, a trailer hitch receiver, and Trailer Sway Control are also standard, as well as a basic trip computer and an AM/FM stereo. Black bumpers, a black grille, and 17-inch silver steel wheels identify the XL model.

The F-250 XL can be upgraded with several options including cloth seats, power windows, power door locks, power heated side mirrors, and cruise control. Sync hands-free communication and entertainment can be added to the F-250 XL, along with a CD player, shiny chrome bumpers, and aluminum wheels. Ford also offers an integrated trailer brake controller on the XL.

Rather than add options to the XL, it might make more sense to just get the F-250 XLT. This truck is equipped with standard and optional features listed above plus carpeting, floor mats, an auxiliary audio input jack, remote keyless entry, a chrome grille, and dark tinted rear glass on the SuperCab and Crew Cab models. The XLT’s option list is also longer, featuring highlights such as upgraded cloth upholstery, all-weather floor mats, an LCD productivity screen, a reversing camera, and rear bumper sensors. PowerScope side mirrors, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, satellite radio, a sliding rear window, and 18-inch aluminum wheels are also available on the XLT. Option packages add to this list with a power driver’s seat, power adjustable pedals, Sync, SecuriCode keyless entry pad, fog lights, automatic headlights, and lots of shiny chrome trim.

The F-250 Lariat brings the Super Duty into luxury truck territory with many of the features listed above plus leather upholstery, dual power front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, a premium sound system with an auxiliary audio input jack, Sync hands-free technology, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a 110-volt/115-volt power inverter. Add the optional Lariat Ultimate Package and you’ll get heated and ventilated front seats, a power moonroof, a navigation system, a reversing camera system, memory for the driver’s settings, and more. A HomeLink universal remote, two-tone paint, and 20-inch chrome wheels are also available on the Lariat.

At the top of the F-250 Super Duty trim lineup is the King Ranch model. Loaded with just about everything you see listed for the Lariat, the King Ranch features unique Chaparral leather inside the cab, a two-tone paint treatment, Pale Adobe exterior trim, illuminated side steps, skid plates (4WD), and special polished and forged aluminum wheels. Key options include a navigation system, a power moonroof, 20-inch wheel upgrades, and a King Ranch Chrome Package.

There are numerous features that are available on all F-250 Super Duty models. They include a 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbo-diesel V8, remote engine starting, a Live Drive Power Takeoff, heavy-duty suspension and electrical system upgrades, and a choice between frame-mounted gooseneck or fifth-wheel trailer hitches. Snow Plow Prep, Camper and FX4 Off-Road Packages are offered across the board, as well as Ford Work Solutions features such as Crew Chief and Cable Lock. A rapid-heat cab heater, roof clearance lighting, electrical system upfitter switches, and a reversing alarm are also optional, along with a spray-in bedliner, a tailgate step, and a bed extender. Any F-250 can be equipped with a tonneau cover for the bed, a bed mat, and splash guards.

Every 2012 F-250 Super Duty comes standard with a 6.2-liter V8 that burns unleaded gasoline or an E85 ethanol blend. It cranks 385 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 405 pound-feet of torque at 4,500 rpm, and can tow up to 12,500 pounds. A six-speed automatic dubbed TorqShift is standard, and it includes a tow/haul mode and SelectShift manual gear selection. The EPA does not provide fuel economy ratings for the F-250.

A 6.7-liter Power Stroke turbo-diesel V8 engine is optional, making 400 horsepower at 2,800 rpm and, check this out, 800 lb-ft of torque at 1,600 rpm. Those are increases of 10 hp and 65 lb-ft, respectively, leading to new maximum towing and payload capacities of 14,000 lbs. and 4,290 lbs. The TorqShift six-speed automatic is standard, and the Power Stroke engine can be operated on B20 biodiesel if that’s your preference. Diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), a urea-based solution, is used to help the Power Stroke engine meet increasingly stringent air-quality standards.

Four-wheel drive is optional on all F-250 models. With XL and XLT trim, a manual transfer case with manual locking hubs is standard. Optional on those models and standard on the Lariat and King Ranch, an electronic shift-on-the-fly system means you don’t need to stop and get out to switch from two- to four-wheel drive.

The F-250 provides a comprehensive package of standard safety features, including six airbags, four-wheel-disc antilock brakes, stability control, trailer sway control, hill start assist, and an SOS Post Crash Alert System that unlocks the doors, sounds the horn, and activates the flashers after an airbag deployment. Hill descent control is optional, included in the FX4 Off-Road Package, and all but the XL models can be equipped with rear bumper sensors and a reversing camera.

Crashworthiness ratings are unavailable from both the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), except for rollover resistance ratings of 4 Stars for two-wheel-drive models and 3 Stars for four-wheel-drive models.

Reliability predictions are also incomplete. As this review is written, neither Consumer Reports nor J.D. Power and Associates are providing a rating in this regard. Last year, J.D. Power thought the F-250’s long-term dependability would prove to be slightly better than average.

According to a Ford Motor Company analysis of R.L. Polk registration data, the Ford Super Duty accounts for nearly half of all heavy-duty pickup sales in North America. Maybe it’s because the Super Duty hails from Louisville, Kentucky.

When it comes to heavy-duty trucks, brand loyalty plays almost as significant a role in purchase decisions as sheer capability. The popular Ford Super Duty benefits from a strong owner base and what Ford asserts are best-in-class power, towing, and fuel economy. We think there’s good reason the F-250 is a sales leader.

By Christian Wardlaw