The 2021 Ford F-350 Super Duty falls between extreme heavy duty and full-on commercial. It offers plenty of payload and towing capacity and its diesel V8 generates immense power and torque. Let’s compare it to the 2021 Ram 3500 with its diesel and towing capability.
Design/Trims and Price
The 2021 Ford F-350 Super Duty features a comfortable, spacious cab that can be built in numerous configurations. It is available in three cab styles, two bed lengths and either single or dual rear wheels. Ford offers available cooling seats, leather interior and ambient lighting, as well as a new bed step. Vinyl seating is standard on the XL trim and cloth seating is standard on the XLT trim. There are six available trims – XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, Platinum and Limited. Starting prices range from $35,745 for the XL to $85,365. for the Limited edition.
The 2021 Ram 3500 features a single cab, a spacious four-door Crew Cab and a massive Mega Cab that offers the largest rear seat in its class. They pair with standard 6 foot-4inch or 8-foot cargo beds and rear-or four-wheel drive. It offers a clean, modern design, with luxury detailing; the highest trims offer premium materials. The top Longhorn trim gets striped wood and gold trim on the dash, doors and gauges along with the Longhorn logo hand-branded into the wood on the upper glove box door. It features a lot of interior cubby storage and its multilevel center console can accommodate a laptop with a 15.0-inch screen. Trim levels include: Tradesman, Big Horn, Laramie, Longhorn, and Limited, with starting prices of $50,080 for the Tradesman and ranging to $87,870 for the Crew Cab Limited.
Features
The F-350 features technology to make your life easier such as FordPass Connect that helps you stay connected by using your app; accessing features like start/stop, lock/unlock, remote start scheduling, vehicle location, fuel levels and mileage. Available SYNC uses your voice to activate the controls, keeping your eyes on the road. All models except the base XL come standard with a user-friendly 8.0-inch touch screen infotainment system and features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; built-in navigation is available. All F-350 trims include one USB port, additional USB charge ports and a 100-volt outlet. Ford’s Co-Pilot technology offers a long list of safety features, including automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring with trailer coverage, adaptive cruise control; as well as a 360-degree view camera system and trailer sway control.
The Ram offers available safety features to keep you safe and secure on the road that include adaptive forward lighting system to help with nighttime visibility, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, and front and rear park assist. Ram’s infotainment technology is intuitive and responds quickly. It features a large 8.0-inch touchscreen and an available 12.0-inch reconfigurable touchscreen. Navigation, Wi-Fi hotspot, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, five USB ports and up to three 115-volt outlets are standard.
Power
There are three available V8 engines for the F-350 – in gasoline, a 6.2-liter V-8 that makes 385 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque or a 7.3-liter V-8 that delivers 430 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque. The third-choice is optional in the F-350 and is the segment’s most powerful turbo diesel engine. The 6.7-liter with a V8 Power Stroke turbo diesel engine, makes 475 hp and a hefty 1,050 lb-ft of torque. Available with every engine choice, is the heavy-duty 10-speed TorqShift automatic transmission that sends power to a permanent 4X4 AWD system. The 2021 Ford-350 Super Duty comes with rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive. The F-350 that carries the most payload is the regular cab, long bed, RWD, dual model, with a maximum capacity of 7,850 pounds. The crew cab, long Bed, 4WD configuration has the lowest payload of 2,890 pounds. Maximum towing reaches 21,200 with the Powerstroke diesel engine. For gooseneck or fifth-wheel towing, capacity reaches 35,750 with the diesel models.
Engine selections on the Ram 3500 include gas and diesel options. A 6.4-liter gas V8 with 410 horsepower and 429 lb-ft of torque is standard and it comes with an eight-speed automatic transmission. A 6.7-liter Cummins turbocharged diesel inline six-cylinder with 370 horsepower and 850 lb ft of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic is optional, as well as a high-output version of the diesel with 420 horsepower and 1075 lb-ft of torque. Ram boasts massive max towing power and can pull up to 37,100 pounds with its Cummins diesel.
Conclusion
The 2021 Ford F-350 Super Duty truck does it all. It adds style while you’re out on the town and toughness to your off-road driving experience. Ford has you covered in all areas, while the Ram 3500 delivers higher pulling power, but at a higher base starting price.