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Back in the day, a serious work truck demanded sacrifice. Drivers were forced to sacrifice amenities for capability, luxury for ability. That's not the case any longer. The 2011 Ford F-350 can be ordered completely duded up, fit for a ranch owner on a night at the opera and loaded with technology that will confuse the cows. The 2011 Ford F-350 4x4 Crew Cab carries a base price of $49,410 ($64,770 as tested) with a 3-year/36,000 mile basic warranty and a 5-year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty.

The EPA doesn't require fuel economy estimates on vehicles over 8,000 lbs GVWR. Let's drive.

First Glance at the F-350 4x4 Crew Cab Truck

Ford wants to make sure that everyone knows you're driving a Super Duty, so they changed the F-350's front end. A bigger, bolder grille embossed with the words "Super Duty" graces the nose of the truck. A gigantic Ford blue oval claims attention front and center, advertising the brand for the world to see. The hood bulges to indicate that there's some massive power underneath -- a boast that the F-350 can back up. I've got mixed feelings about the new front end. It is very bold and overstated, almost cartoonish in its earnest attempt at saying "TRUCK." Though I appreciate a bold statement, I was a little embarrassed by the braggadocio.

My test vehicle came with the 6.75' bed and Crew Cab, riding on a 156.2" wheelbase. There's an 8' bed version with a 172.4" wheelbase available, too, as well as a SuperCab with short or long bed and a Regular Cab, which only gets the 8' bed.

Each bed is smartly dimensioned at 50.9" wide between the wheel wells, 69.3" wide at the maximum and 20" deep. My test vehicle wore a coat of factory-applied spray in bedliner ($450) and a stowable bed extender ($250), two essential features (especially with the short bed). The tailgate was also equipped with Ford's nifty tailgate step ($450), which earned oohs and aahs every time I demonstrated it to friends.

In the F-350 Truck Driver's Seat

My test vehicle came with the King Ranch package of options ($445), inspired by the Texas outfit that is famous for its leather work. Luckily, the package included not only some King Ranch logos and brands on the interior leather, but some useful accessories as well. Chromed tubular cab steps were essential in mounting the tall heated driver's seat. Once up in the cabin, I was taken with the level of equipment inside the F-350. My test vehicle seemed to have every box checked on the option sheet, so I had the benefit of a Navigation System with satellite radio ($1,875), which included Bluetooth technology. I also found a rear view camera, remote start and a universal garage door opener. All great luxury features for a car, never mind a work truck.

At the bottom of the center stack, my test F-350 had a row of four toggle switches labeled "AUX." I discovered that they were part of an upfitter system ($125), with corresponding relays mounted under the driver's dash. The four switches can be easily rigged to divert electrical power to an accessory, in order to make the F-350 almost a mobile generator for some fairly heavy-duty equipment (up to 20 amps), especially when paired with an optional ($75) extra heavy duty alternator. The owners' manual only hints at the possibilities for upfitting -- but it's nice to have a factory-installed head start on customizing the work solutions for your truck.

I was a little disturbed by the placement on one switch on the F-350, however. The button to turn off traction control was on the passenger's side of the center stack, where a fiddly kid might be tempted to play. When traction control is disengaged, the driver gets a brief message on the driver's information center, and a small warning light remains illuminated in the instrument cluster. It would be easy to miss.

On the Road in the F-350 Truck

I can't say enough good things about the .7-liter V8 diesel engine ($7,835) that was stuffed under the hood of my F-350. With 390 hp and 735 lb-ft of torque on tap at very low RPM, the Power Stroke Turbo-Diesel simply performs, propelling the big truck without drama or noise. Set up like my test vehicle with single rear wheels, the F-350 is rated to tow up to 14,000 lbs conventionally, and up to 15,800 towing a fifth wheel. Maximum payload is nearly two tons (3,960 lbs). F-350 is equipped from the factory with substructures and neatly installed electrical connections to make towing simpler, and with electronic trailer sway control to make it safer.

I didn't test the F-350 with a trailer, fifth wheel or heavy load -- I only tossed about half a ton of bagged mulch in the bed to check the effect on ride quality. I didn't notice any difference in acceleration or braking with an extra 1,000 lbs in the bed, though I did notice that the ride smoothed out significantly over rough surfaces. F-350's suspension is massive and beefy, with a mono beam front and live-axle rear on the 4x4 version, but it feels pleasantly sure-footed under most conditions. F-350 is a real truck, and despite the interior amenities, you're never going to forget it while you're behind the wheel. I found some equilibrium with the truck during my week in control, but only when I realized that I had to drive the left side of the vehicle and let the right side follow along. The F-350 is so wide and tall that you can't keep track of the whole thing at once -- you have to narrow your concentration to keep your place on the road. Eventually, driving in traffic and maneuvering through obstacles becomes second nature. Until that point, F-350 is not for the meek.

Journey's End

If you need a big diesel-powered truck for towing and hauling, F-350 is a really good choice. It's even remarkably fuel-efficient for such a big vehicle. Though the EPA doesn't require fuel economy ratings for big trucks, I consistently achieved over 12.5 mpg during my week with F-350 -- better than I got the previous week with a gas-powered F-250 in similar driving.

If you only occasionally need the power and capacity of a big diesel-powered truck, this diesel-powered F-350 is probably overkill -- especially since the engine option is $7,835. That's a lot of dough for occasional use. You could certainly leave some of the luxury boxes unchecked on the order sheet, and still get a very well-equipped truck for less money than my loaded King Ranch edition. But the price of entry is pretty steep for the SuperDuty lineup.

If you need a big heavy-duty diesel, you should also check out the GMC Sierra 3500 HD, Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD and Dodge Ram 3500. Each has its merits. You can load a GMC Sierra down with the Denali package, which rivals Ford's King Ranch package for over-the-top fanciness in the truck world. Neither Toyota nor Nissan offer a diesel option on their full-sized pickup trucks in the US, nor do they approach the heavy duty capabilities of the domestic vehicles.

Just driving a truck like the F-350 inspired me to find things to haul and tow. I would be a very dangerous man with a big truck like that -- so maybe it's a good thing that I don't have an extra $64,770 laying around this week.

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