By Ghaith Madadha

AMMAN - A quintessentially American niche, the full-size pick-up truck is one of the most formidable vehicles around, and it is a segment almost exclusively dominated by Detroit’s Big Three: Ford, GM and Chrysler. Of the few big beasts around, Ford’s F-Series pick-ups are acknowledged to be among the best for capability, durability, comfort, style and interiors.

Offered with several vast V8 engines, the F-Series comprises the lighter and more practical F150 and includes the Super Duty range of pick-ups and chassis cab, and are classed according to payload and towing capability with the F250 Super Duty being the entry level offering.

Road warrior

A vast, heavy, hugely powerful and rugged pick-up the Ford F250 is a fully capable commercial vehicle with 5,670kg towing, 1,324kg payload and 10,659kg gross combination weight rating capacities as well as a 2077mm long cargo bed, yet in 4x4 version is also a capable off-road vehicle, while its cabin offers better space than many luxury cars and is full to the rafters with amenities.

Bizarrely, one could even make a case for the Super Duty as an almost ideal vehicle for Jordan, if one were prepared to put up with its inconveniently huge size and 2,998kg weight and vast engine.

Being an American built commercial vehicle, the F250 benefits from significantly reduced import costs, which offsets its extra fuel and regular oil requirements - the 6.4-litre twin-turbo diesel version featured at least minimises the Super Duty’s fuel costs compared with 5.4-litre V8 and 6.8-litre V10 petrol versions.

One also expects the F250 to yield long-term savings in terms of wear and tear and accident damage, considering its rugged construction makes virtually impervious to Amman’s bumps and potholes, while its sheer weight, presence and size deters many otherwise dangerous drivers and potential accidents. If an accident is unavoidable, the Super Duty would fare better in many cases too, but its huge weight and size do make it less controllable in terms of handling, braking and visibility.

Brash, bold and bountiful

Big, bold and squared off, the Ford Super Duty’s aesthetics are functional, sharp and clean in terms of the wide and tall measurements for excellent cabin and cargo space, while its bold, brash and hugely aggressive grille define its uncompromised nature. Possibly the best looking of full-size American pick-ups, the Super Duty’s vast chrome rectangular grille uses two slats and an oversize blue oval, and dominates its facia.

With two vertically rectangular light clusters flanking the grill but set slightly lower, including a lower headlights and upper running lights divided by a yellow strip for the turn signal, the Super Duty looks muscular, menacing and Mack-truck like.

Driven in crew cab configuration the Ford F250 boasts a spacious and accessible cabin with generous width and leg and headroom, making it better than many full-size luxury cars and SUVs. With expected mod cons and practical amenities from A/C and stereo storage boxes and cup holders the F250 is comfortable for daily and extended use.

In terms of finish, fit and style the F250 is no basic pick-up nor luxury item, but rather affordably luxurious and functional, with hard wearing leathers and plastics incorporating hard and soft textures. Fit is generally good and its layout is functional and accessible, with a macho styling sense incorporating shiny round vents and dials, and chunky and big controls and buttonnes.

Earth plowing power

With 6.4-litre of displacement, eight cylinders and two turbos operating in sequence the Ford F250 certainly has the muscle and grunt to lug its huge weight and then some left over for payloads and towing.

A 32-valve common-rail turbo-diesel, the F250’s engine develops a mighty 350hp at 3000rpm and a locomotive-like 650lb/ft torque at 2000rpm, however, being a diesel, the F250’s immense talent come on-line during a specific engine speed band, which here is approximately 2000-3000rpm, where the Super Duty’s glut of oomph belies its weight. Below 2000rpm, response is sluggish, while past 3000rpm the vast diesel runs starts running out of steam, requiring one to change by around 3500rpm.

With its formidable torque and power in its sweet rev band, the F250 builds up speed quickly for a three-tonne rig, but during high speed driving on vast dry mud flats - where slightly more rolling resistance is expected - the turbo-diesel F250’s acceleration rate dropped markedly after 120km/h, but on road it’s quicker.

During sand dune driving, the F250’s high power allowed it to navigate very deep and sandy steep inclines, but one should engage low gear ratios to enable one to maintain high revs and high power even at very low speeds to keep plowing through the sand. The F250’s gearbox smooth changing, but needs forceful kickdowns to downshift on demand to keep engine speed high - in desert conditions it is better using the steering column gear selector instead.

Street and sand

With its rugged and stiff ladder-frame construction, high ground clearance and approach angle, and live axle and leaf spring suspension providing terrific durability and axle articulation, the F250 is set-up for good off-road abilities, and is happy to drive through sand dunes and through rough and uneven surfaces, where its suspension and frame cope well with a pounding drive.

But while its long wheelbase and reduced break-over angle doesn’t lend itself to technical off-roading and size not particularly agile, the F250’s huge thrust, manually locking front differential and the 4x4 optional package’s all-terrain tyres and limited-slip rear axle make it a thoroughly capable desert driving machine.

Despite its body-on-frame chassis and industrial rear suspension the Ford F250 is surprisingly comfortable and composed in town and when cruising, where its length and width also pay dividends in motorway stability and through corners where its lateral grip threshold is very high.