2001 Ford F-350 Super Duty 4WD Diesel

The Paul Bunyan of Trucks

Everything about this truck is huge, including its preposterously long official name: the 2001 Ford F-350 Lariat Four-Wheel Drive Super Duty Power Stroke Turbo Diesel Crew Cab Dual Rear Wheel Long Bed. Try slipping that into a conversation. It's about as easy as slipping the truck into a garage.

No one buys the F-350 Super Duty pickup to be delicate though. It's the Paul Bunyan of trucks.

Our time in the behemoth was limited to one day. Of course, it wasn't enough to determine what it would be like living with this truck, but we're guessing that it's not going to be anyone's primary mode of transport anyway. If it's not going to be used for work, more than likely it will be used on weekends to tow a horse trailer, boat, RV or similar toy. The only other F-350 Lariat we saw on the road was actually carrying a 20-foot speedboat on a custom roof rack. A roof rack! That should give you a good idea of the sturdiness and utility of this truck.

Ford boasts that the dual rear wheel F-350 equipped with the 7.3-liter diesel engine has a GVWR of 11,500 pounds - the highest in its class. And, for 2001, Ford increased the power of the 7.3-liter Power Stroke turbodiesel engine. With the optional four-speed automatic transmission, horsepower is now 250 (up 15 from the 2000 model) and torque is a mountain-moving 505 foot-pounds. With a manual tranny, those numbers are 275 and 520 respectively. Maximum towing capacity for this truck is 11,500 pounds. Maximum payload is 5,225 pounds. Unless you're planning on moving house, really moving house, as in pulling it someplace else, you shouldn't need any more power.

Because Ford estimates that about 90 percent of its Super Duty customers use their trucks for towing, trailer tow packages are standard equipment on all F-Series Super Duty pickups. So is four-wheel ABS, which is a comfort when trying to bring the 7,000-pound behemoth to a stable stop.

Rear parking sensors are a $245 option. This is money well spent as the four-door, long bed F-350 is over 20 feet long. That's nearly 4 feet longer than a regular F-150. Any help you can get to ensure the back end isn't about to crush a Miata is gratefully accepted.

The truck is wide, too. The extra-wide width makes the F-350 more stable, which is good, but also creates navigation problems on city streets. At just under 8-feet wide, the F-350 is 16 inches wider than a regular F-150. We had to constantly remind ourselves that the dual rear wheels stuck out wider than the front wheels. After running over a few curbs (no Miatas, thank God) we got the idea. This is not a vehicle you want to take to the mall. And forget about any underground lots.

Our test truck was a four-wheel-drive model with ground clearance of 8.3 inches, so that even under load, it's not going to get hung up on any puny earthbound debris. Unladen, as we drove it, the ride height gives you a commanding view of the road. With its imposing, squared-off chrome grille that is distinctive to Ford's Super Duty line, our test truck had other vehicles scampering from the fast lane, probably because the approaching front end looked like the gaping maw of a mechanical whale intent on a metal lunch.

We took it on a dirt road just to test the shift-on-the-fly 4WD. The transfer case was as smooth as that of any regular duty F-150 4WD. The difference, however, was that the awesome feeling of power generated by the Power Stroke diesel inspired us to fantasies of rolling over traffic jams and pulling our favorite burger joint a lot closer to the office.

Just because it works so hard doesn't mean it can't look good though. It might make sense for the Paul Bunyan of trucks to be outfitted with plaid woolen upholstery like a lumberjack shirt and hobnailed boots for wheels, but our F-350 Lariat was actually much prettier than that. The two-tone metallic paint looked more limousine than wagon and the luxurious beige leather interior suggested a classy club more than a lumber camp.

The four leather captain's chairs allowed us to lounge about like we were at a club, too. The massive center consoles could easily house a portable fax, laptop or picnic basket. The optional ($285) stereo with six-CD in-dash loader provided adequate sound to nicely obscure the truck's distinctive diesel note. Heated, power seats, power windows, power door locks and power telescoping mirrors added to the luxury. We thought the F-350's spacious and luxurious interior would be a fine place to while away a few hours while we towed our yacht to the lake.

The diesel's rumble, the ride height and truck-like ride won't let you forget that you're in a work truck though. There's no fancy suspension system - just solid axles front and back and leaf springs on all four corners. However, it's not a buckboard either. And today's sophisticated power steering systems greatly enhance maneuverability and responsiveness.

The Ford Super Duty isn't your only option in the big truck market. Chevrolet, GMC and Dodge have similarly sized pickups. The General Motors 6.6-liter Duramax diesel engine boasts 300 horsepower and 520 ft-lbs. of torque. And, combined with its slick new five-speed Allison automatic transmission, offers an attractive option. Dodge's 5.9-liter six-cylinder Cummings turbodiesel is the smallest of the three, but was given a power boost this year and now, mated to a six-speed manual transmission, generates 245 horsepower and a stump-ripping 505 ft-lbs. of torque.

For many, however, it might not be easy to consider another brand. Loyalties are strong and divisions are deep between these three marques. Ford fans regularly knock GM buyers who in turn chide Dodge devotees, who equally deride Ford followers. The quality of all three is so good, however, a serious heavy-duty truck buyer should check them all out before making any decisions. After all, even Paul Bunyan was known for being a careful shopper.