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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, March 10, 2010 · 18 $ + FREE CHAMOIS Coupon required. Expiry: Apr. 30, 2010 Code: 5526 5 OFF with any oil change package 345 Speers Rd. (at Dorval), Oakville 905-842-9299 Valid at all GTA locations. Ford Super Duty trucks are more powerful for 2011 By Neil Moore Metroland Newspapers Carguide Magazine PRESCOTT, Arizona: It's not every day I'm tethered to a 75,000-pound front-end loader. But perched high in a 2011 Ford F-450 pickup, I receive last-minute instructions as the journalist in the truck beside me ­ similarly tethered ­ gets the same. Moments later, the "race official" drops his arm. It's quite simple. Ease on to the gas, and if you feel it slip, back off. The surface at the bottom of the desert quarry is packed dirt and gravel, so I expect wheelspin, but the F-450's dual rear wheels bite hard and within seconds, I'm across the finish line. My first truck pull ­ and victory is sweet! This wasn't an experience to cross off my "bucket list", but was an eye opener, and one of several demonstrations that Ford officials had arranged for Canadian and U.S. journalists to showcase their all-new Super Duty trucks. The Ford F-Series has been the best-selling line of trucks in Canada for 43 years. And the Super Duty has been a top-seller in the heavy duty segment. As pickup truck, it is available in three models: the F-250, F-350 and F-450. The latter and the F-550 are also available as chassis cab models which can be outfitted for dumping, towing, spreading salt and more. But from here, it gets tricky. Factor in trim levels (XL, XLT and Lariat), engine choice (gas or diesel), 2WD or 4WD, various packages (ie. King Ranch, FX4 Offroad), single or dual rear axle, bed length, rear axle ratio, not to mention a bevy of options, and you have literally thousands of ways to configure a Super Duty truck. To keep things simple, we'll stick with the Ford F-Series Super Duty 2011 Trucks At A Glance: BODY STYLE: full-size, heavy-duty pickup truck DRIVE METHOD: front-engine, reardrive and four-wheel-drive ENGINES: 6.7-litre turbocharged diesel V8 (390 hp and 735 lb/ft of torque); 6.2-litre (gas) V8 (385 hp and 405 lb/ft of torque) TOWING CAPACITY: up to 16,000 lbs/7,258 kg (conventional); up to 24,400 lbs/11,068 kg (fifth wheel) PAYLOAD: up to 6,520 lbs/2,958 kg FUEL ECONOMY: n/a WEBSITE: www.ford.ca PRICE: F-250 XL 4x2: Reg Cab $35,499; Super Cab $38,599; Crew Cab $40,999 F-350 SRW XL 4x2: Reg Cab $36,999; Super Cab $39,599; Crew Cab $41,299; F-450 XL 4x4 Crew Cab $59,599 per cent of Super Duty drivers who tow. The 2011 lineup offers best-in-class towing, with a maximum conventional towing capacity of 16,000 lbs (7,258 kg) and maximum fifthwheel towing of 24,400 lbs (11,068 kg). Payload is also best-in-class at 6,520 lbs. (2,958 kg), but like towing capacity, varies according to model, cab size, wheelbase and axle ratio. Ford cites the F-450 as being able to tow a 24,400 lb trailer up a six per cent grade at 47 mph (76 km/h), which is more than 50 per cent faster than the outgoing product. Sounds a bit far-fetched, but I rode shotgun while a Ford representative did just that up a steady grade. Continued on page 20 The all-new 2011 Ford Super Duty offers a new look and two new engines with best-in-class power and fuel economy.This work truck also delivers class-leading maximum payload and towing capacities. Super Duty family, and to the big news that includes all-new, more powerful gas and diesel engines, better fuel economy, less noise, and what these work trucks are all about: classleading towing and payload capability. For 2011, Ford decided to go in-house to build its new 6.7-litre Power Stroke V8 diesel engine. It delivers best-in-class 390 hp and 735 lb/ft of torque at a low 1,600 rpm ­ up 40 hp and a whopping 85 lb/ft compared with the outgoing 6.4 litre diesel. This B20 biodiesel compatible engine, according to Ford, also delivers class-leading fuel efficiency, which is up 18 per cent for pickups and 25 per cent for chassis cabs. Manufacturers of heavy-duty trucks are not required to post fuel ratings, but Ford scheduled an 80-mile "fuel economy challenge" to demonstrate this improvement. The winning journalist at our event achieved 34 mpg U.S. (41 miles per imperial gallon), but did so using some nutty hypermiling techniques, such as shutting off the engine numerous times during the drive (not recommended for obvious safety reasons). Still, others achieved in the mid to high 20s (U.S.), demonstrating that with prudent driving, these big trucks can be surprisingly thrifty. The gasoline engine also delivers some big improvements. Replacing the current 5.4-litre V8, the new E85 compatible 6.2-litre engine provides 385 hp and 405 lb/ft of torque (up 85 hp and 40 lb/ft). It is also more fuel efficient, with an average improvement of 15 per cent. During our fuel challenge, I drove a gas-powered Super Duty, pulling off 18.4 miles per U.S. gallon (22 mpg here), not far off the winner who posted 19.2. Both engines are mated to an all-new, heavy-duty TorqShift six-speed automatic, which was designed to handle the diesel's massive low-end torque. This is all good news to the more than 90