The Super Duty trucks are not exactly luxurious, but Lariat and King Ranch models get wood-grain interior accents. King Ranch gets rich-looking leather and a fixed center console topped in leather matching the steering wheel, seats and A-pillar assist handles and light-colored gauge faces in the speedometer and tachometer.

The 2005 Ford Super Duty trucks feature increased capability and fresh styling. Power is up across the range, even in the 6.0-liter turbo-diesel, which accounts for 70 percent of the Super Duty's sales. The new, optional five-speed automatic transmission complements all three powerplants.

The Ford Super Duty trucks offer roomy, comfortable cabins with up-to-date creature comforts and features. Re-designed suspensions and re-engineered suspensions improve handling and ride. The new TowCommand system with integrated trailer brake controller is a must-have option for owners who tow.

New Car Test Drive correspondent Tom Lankard filed this report after driving Super Duty models around Kingman, Lake Havasu, and Yucca, Arizona. NCTD editor Mitch McCullough tested the integrated brake controller at Ford's proving grounds in Michigan.

Ford bestowed on the 2004 F-150 much of the brawny, no-nonsense look we liked about the previous generation of the company's F-250 and F-350 pickups. This meant the 2005 Super Duty line had to have its own spruced up, new look. It also had to have strong, in-your-face styling cues that make clear it's no lightweight, but a true do-anything, go-anywhere workhorse, all while keeping faith with the Ford truck family look.

Ford accomplished this by adding heft and boldness to the grille; the company's stylists describe it as a billet-look, as if the grille were lasered from a block of metal and then bolted to the front clip. The lower front fascia is beefier, too, adding to the impression of mass in motion.

Otherwise, the styling of the 2005 models doesn't differ much from the 2004s. The cab's dropped sill line gives it a sense of openness and accessibility. It also makes climbing in easier, a welcome feature when juggling tools, briefcases, or even toddlers. A distinctive dip along the front door side glass improves the driver's view of the exterior mirrors, a big help when towing a trailer or for seeing around cargo boxes or dump-truck bodies. A locking tailgate is standard.

King Ranch Crew Cabs are dressed up with body-color mirror housings and door handles and distinctive two-tone paint selections, lighted running boards and special King Ranch aluminum wheels. The Harley-Davidson specials sport a unique, tautly meshed grille; color choices consist of black, black and orange, and black and gray; factory-applied flame graphics are a new option ($675).

The tow hitch receiver has been increased from 2 inches to 2 1/2 inches for increased towing capacity.

The new 5.4-liter V8 that comes standard is rated at 300 horsepower (a 40-horsepower increase over 2004) and 365 pound-feet of torque. The 6.8-liter V10 is rated at 355 horsepower (a 45-horsepower increase over 2004) and 455 pound-feet of torque (compared with 2004's 425). Both gas engines are part of Ford's Triton series, and employ overhead cams for valve control and three-valve heads for improved breathing and power delivery. The 6.0-liter Powerstroke turbocharged diesel V8 is an expensive option, but it's rated at 570 pound-feet of torque at 2000 rpm (a slight increase over 2004) and 325 horsepower at 3300 rpm.

A six-speed manual transmission is standard on all Ford Super Duty models, but we prefer the new five-speed automatic available with all three engines. It's especially sweet with the 6.0-liter turbo diesel.

With its new, more refined frame and re-engineered suspension, the 2005 Super Duty has achieved parity with, if not edged slightly ahead of its GM and Dodge competition in ride and handling. Yes, it's a heavy-duty pickup, and long wheelbases can't give it the ride quality of its lower-rated sibling. But pavement bumps and irregularities are suppressed to a refreshing degree, even when the truck is empty. Head toss on rough pavement is minimal and there's little body lean in turns. Trucks of this weight rating aren't usually candidates for serious off-roading, but we found the Super Duty handled very well on a washboard dirt track and through sandy washes.

Upstaging all these routine measures is the new TowCommand system, a feature we feel is a must-have for drivers who tow. Gone is the light switch-like, on/off, all-or-nothing braking prevalent in aftermarket trailer brake fitments, that makes stopping on a dime difficult. With TowCommand, touch the brake pedal, whether on the flat or on a grade, and the trailer begins slowing, exerting a mild drag on the Super Duty's forward progress. Press harder on the brakes, and the trailer's drag increases. Release the brakes, and the drag fades. As the Super Duty comes to a stop, the trailer brakes gradually back off, virtually in sync with the towing truck. No jerking. No yanking. Its operation is truly proportional to the amount of brake pressure. In back-to-back testing with an 11,000-pound trailer, we were able to stop precisely where we wanted from 25 mph and 45 mph with the new system. Conversely, when using an aftermarket system, we were not able to accurately stop; we usually stopped short of the mark and had to release the brake and creep up to position. This makes the system more comfortable and less annoying for driver and passengers, and less annoying to the motorists behind you. The system enhances safety as well; it gives audible and visual warnings if the trailer wiring becomes disconnected. It's also tied into the truck's anti-lock brake system and uses a special trailer brake strategy when the ABS detects poor traction (wet pavement, for example). No aftermarket trailer brake controller can do this.



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