The 2015 Ford F-350 Crew Cab King Ranch Super Duty. See more photos in the gallery at the bottom of this page.2015 F-350 Crew Cab is rich in both features and performance; a stately ride for business or pleasure
Look around any jobsite where there’s dirt being moved, sod is being laid and shrubs and trees are being planted, and more often than not you’ll see at least one Ford Super Duty among the trucks parked on site.
In most instances the F-250/350 will be towing a trailer and/or have the bed filled with tools or filled with material of some type.
If it’s not a laborer’s truck or a company work truck, it’ll probably be the landscaping company owner or site manager’s rolling office, an upscale trim level befitting of the job title.
Super Duties have been a cornerstone of the outdoor workforce from day one, and with every new generation, the more popular they become. Ford’s 2015 F-350, with the Ford-built 2nd Gen 6.7L Powerstroke developing 440 horsepower and 860 foot-pounds of torque, should propel that popularity even further.
I’ve driven and tested a lot of heavy-duty pickups over the years. The competition among the manufacturers is stiff and the performance bar is continually being pushed higher and higher.
Right now Ford appears to have the upper hand when it comes to the complete package with the latest King Ranch SuperCrew 4×4.
The $67,000 King Ranch is a pickup befitting the well-to-do businessman who loves being surrounded by the finer things in life and who enjoys a western motif.
The quality of the materials, attention to detail, overall capability and power underfoot are the best you’ll find in any heavy-duty pickup on a dealer’s lot today.
It’s very responsive to throttle, steering and braking, while providing a spacious interior that provides a setting befitting an executive’s office.
The ride isn’t quite as rewarding. This is a heavy-duty truck and the one I’m driving reminds me of that with a resounding thud every time those “E”-rated Michelin 20-inch tires encounter bumps, expansion joints or potholes.
But that’s what I expect from a single-rear-wheel one-ton that can haul nearly 4,000 pounds in the bed or tow 14,000 pounds with the factory hitch when properly equipped.
Put this F-350 to work towing a heavier trailer, like I did when transporting a Case skid steer on a 20-foot tandem-axle Landoll tilt-deck, and the ride smoothes right out.
This model Super Duty needs to be driven loaded down to really get the full scope of how well Ford engineers did their job keeping the occupants comfortable while the truck is being used for what it’s designed to do: serious work.
That’s also where the availability of power comes into play. Loaded or unloaded, having enough torque to get a load moving, and the horsepower to sustain that speed, is never an issue.
My biggest issue with 440 horsepower and 860 foot-pounds of torque underfoot was paying constant attention to the speedometer to stay within the posted speed limits. The new 6.7L Power Stroke has muscle. Plenty of it.
Roll down on the throttle and the big turbo-diesel moves out with ease. The low-to mid-range torque is impressive. Fuel economy doesn’t take a hit, either.
This new second-generation 6.7L, with the larger turbo, bigger injectors, higher-capacity fuel pump and other upgrades that give it a big power bump over the previous engine, does a commendable job delivering good fuel economy.
I observed 14.3 mpg in light city driving and 19.1 mpg during a 130-mile trip on flat interstate running 70 mph. For both numbers, the truck was unloaded with one passenger.
Towing the 10,400-pound Landoll equipment trailer loaded with a Case skid-steer, along with a couple of passengers, netted 10.2 mpg driving the same interstate at 65 mph.
Those unladen numbers city and highway numbers are within a few tenths of what I saw testing the same truck back in 2011 – and were similar to what I’ve seen driving current Ram and V-8 turbo-diesels.
It’s that kind of performance, along with the level of interior fit and finish you find in a King Ranch edition, that sits well with me when I’m behind the wheel of the 2015 F-350 SuperCrew 4×4.
Is it the best choice for the executive-minded person who needs a pickup to serve as a tow vehicle from time to time?
If you are Ford-loyal, and need a pickup that will be towing more than 12,000 pounds on a regular basis, and need the high-end luxury the King Ranch affords, the F-350 version would be a great choice.
However, if towing or hauling a big load isn’t commonplace, or that trailered load is less than 10,000 pounds, the King Ranch F-250 would be my go-to truck because its unladen ride is noticeably softer than the F-350 while everything other aspect is identical.
Either way, any executive or business owner with Ford blood in their veins would be proud to be seen driving the 2015 Super Duty King Ranch 4×4 Crew Cab. It’s a fine ride for sure.
Basic Specifications (as tested)
- Make/Model: 2015 Ford F-350 SuperCrew 4×4 SRW SB
- MSRP: $64,410
- Price As Tested: $67,515
- Major Options: 5th wheel/Gooseneck Prep ($370); Dual Alternators ($380); Spray-in Bedliner ($475); 3.55 Locking Axles Ratio ($390); 20-inch wheels/Tires ($1,375); Upfitter switches ($125)
- Engine: 6.7L Power Stroke Turbo-Diesel
- Horsepower: 440 horsepower @ 2,800 rpm
- Torque: 860 foot-pounds @ 1,600 rpm
- Axle Ratio: 3.55:1 w/ electronic locking rear diff
- Fuel Capacity: 37.5 gallons
- MPG Observed: 14.3 City/ 19.1 Highway / 10.2 Towing
- Seating: 6
- GVWR: 11,500 pounds
- Payload: 3,800 pounds
- Tow Rating/Conventional: 14,000 pounds (w/ weight-distributing hitch)
- Tow Rating/Gooseneck: 15,700 pounds
- Towed Trailer: 2015 Landoll LT1220 w/ Case SV185 skid steer
