What Are the Differences Between the F-250, F-350, and F-450?

When the maximum towing and hauling stats on a light-duty truck, even a class-leading light-duty truck like the F-150, just aren’t enough to get the job done anymore, it’s time to upgrade to a heavy-duty pickup. Luckily, you can find the Ford Super Duty for sale here at Reineke Ford of Findlay and get the same quality you’re used to getting from the Blue Oval brand. There’s just one thing left to figure out: which Super Duty model is right for you?

The F-Series lineup has a naming convention that’s easy to understand, you get more power as the numbers go up. So the F-250 is stronger than the F-150, the F-350 is stronger than the F-250, and so on. As you might expect, prices increase alongside strength, so it’s smart shopping to find just the right model for you instead of paying for more capability than you’ll actually use. To help you narrow in on that perfect truck, we’re going to dig into the details of the 2025 F-Series and look at what exactly differentiates the Super Duty models.

Max Towing & Hauling Capability

The most significant difference between the various Super Duty models is their maximum towing and hauling capabilities. When configured properly, the F-250 can tow up to 23,000 lbs, the F-350 can tow up to 38,000 lbs, and the F-450 can tow up to 40,000. For comparison, the light-duty F-150 can tow up to 13,500 lbs with the right combination of cab, bed, and engine options. Of course, the Super Duty has various configurations, too, so you need to make sure that the combination you’re interested in has the power you need.

It’s also worth noting that the configuration that offers the best towing figure doesn’t necessarily provide the best payload capacity. For the F-250 and F-350, the diesel engines that can tow the most can’t handle as much payload as the gas options. On the F-450, however, no gas engines are available, so the best towing and payload figures both belong to the same configuration. That being said, the maximum payload figures are 4,246 lbs for the F-250, 8,000 lbs for the F-350, and 6,482 lbs for the F-450.

Engine Options

The 2025 Super Duty offers four different engine options: a 6.8L gas-powered V8, a 7.3L “Godzilla” gas-powered V8, a 6.7L Power Stroke turbo-diesel V8, and a 6.7L Power Stroke High Output turbo-diesel V8. Both the F-250 and F-350 let you take your pick from any of the four, while the F-450 is strictly a diesel-powered affair, limiting you to either the regular or H/O version of the Power Stroke turbo-diesel V8. To make the engine options and towing and hauling stats a little clearer, let’s put the maximum figures into a table (keeping in mind that we’ll be leaving out factors like trim, cab style, and bed length for the sake of simplicity).

	6.8L V8	7.3L “Godzilla” V8	6.7L Power Stroke turbo-diesel V8	6.7L Power Stroke High Output turbo-diesel V8
Horsepower	405 hp	430 hp	475 hp	500 hp
Torque	445 lb-ft	485 lb-ft	1,050 lb-ft	1,200 lb-ft
F-250 max towing	14,800 lbs	17,200 lbs	22,900 lbs	23,000 lbs
F-250 max payload	4,240 lbs	4,246 lbs	4,048 lbs	3,918 lbs
F-350 max towing	18,900 lbs	22,500 lbs	36,400 lbs	38,000 lbs
F-350 max payload	8,000 lbs	7,635 lbs	6,952 lbs	6,935 lbs
F-450 max towing	N/A	N/A	38,600 lbs	40,000 lbs
F-450 max payload	N/A	N/A	6,322 lbs	6,482 lbs

Cab & Box Options for Your Truck

The Super Duty offers three different cab styles and two different bed lengths. The regular cab and four-door Crew Cab can be had on any of the Super Duty models, while the two-door extended SuperCab is only available on the F-250 and F-350. Across the lineup, two-door cabs can only be had on the XL and XLT trims. The eight-foot bed can pair with any of the cab styles and any model, while the shorter 6.8-foot bed can only pair with the Crew Cab on the F-250 and F-350 and is entirely unavailable on the F-450. Additionally, choosing the right combination of cab and bed length can significantly affect the truck's towing and payload capacities, so it's important to select the configuration that best suits your needs.

Off-Road Capability of the Super Duty Lineup

The Super Duty truck doesn’t have to stick to paved roads if it’s configured properly. There are multiple packages available to give it some rugged capability, though they aren’t all available across the lineup. The most comprehensive package, for instance, is only available on the F-250 and F-350. The Tremor Off-Road Package adds an off-road-tuned suspension system with twin-tube dampers, all-terrain tires, protective skid plates, a front limited-slip differential, and rear electronic locking differential. It also has water fording vent tubes, off-road running boards, and features like Rock Crawl mode and Trail Control, which is a low-speed cruise control designed for off-roading. However, the F-450 (like the F-250 and F-350) can be had with the more modest FX4 Off-Road Package, which adds on basics like front and rear shock absorbers, protective skid plates, and Hill Descent Control. 

Your Trim Options

While there are certainly some major differences between the different Super Duty models, it’s worth noting that they also have a lot in common. While some packages are exclusive to certain models, all three have the same basic lineup of five trims: XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum. 

If you understand the trim lineup of one Super Duty model, you can essentially apply that knowledge to the others. The XL is the basic workhorse with the most limited range of amenities, while the Platinum is dripping with luxurious extras like heated and ventilated seats, a premium B&O sound system, and power-deployable running boards. The others fill in the gaps in between, making it easy to find something that strikes the right balance between your wishlist of features and your budget.

One thing that differentiates all of the Super Duty models from the F-150 is the standard array of tech features. You might be surprised to find that the 2025 Super Duty XL comes standard with an 8-inch touchscreen and lacks Ford Co-Pilot360 driver assists like forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking. That’s because heavy-duty trucks are popular choices for fleets and need to have affordable and basic models available so business owners can get all the powerful trucks they need.

If you want to make sure you get a full array of modern safety technology and a large 12-inch screen, don’t panic. The Super Duty can be equipped with everything from adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go to a 360-degree camera view if you choose the right trim level. If you want help choosing a trim, just reach out and let us know. We’ll be happy to talk you through your options.

We Can Help You Decide

There are many different ways to configure the Ford Super Duty. That’s good news because it means you can definitely find a model that’s a perfect fit for your individual needs. On the other hand, we understand that having so many different ways to mix and match engines, cab styles, beds, models, and trims can feel overwhelming. Luckily, you don’t have to sort through everything alone. Here at Reineke Ford of Findlay, we’re happy to provide you with everything you need to make an informed decision on your next truck.

Right now, you can look at our inventory to see what options are available instead of sorting through the pros and cons of every possible configuration. If you want to see things in person and ask someone face-to-face about the pros and cons of different features and configurations, you can always visit us in person here at the dealership. We’re always ready to go the extra mile to make sure you end up in a model that will serve you well for miles to come.