For years, Ford has wisely been pushing their trucks into the upper stratosphere of both price and luxurious content. Features once reserved for the finest Lincoln flagships now pop up in pickups with alarming regularity.
Hard working, heavy duty customers naturally want a piece of the action, too. That’s why Ford is applying the Limited trim to their Super Duty fleet for 2018.
If you’re thinking that several premium trims exist for the Super Duty now, you’re absolutely correct. Lariat, King Ranch, Platinum… they all coddle Super Duty drivers and passengers with high levels of comfort. In fact, more than 50 percent of the Super Duty lineup’s retail sales this year are high-end models. The Limited, Ford promises, goes even further.
Starting with a unique leather for the seats (given the odd name of Camelback), the two-tone leather is joined by a premium stitched leather appearing on the steering wheel (heated, natch), armrests, and instrument panel. Ford joins the suede headliner party, too, affixing suede to the inside roof of the Limited Super Duty. Dark ash wood trim lines the dash.
Taking a page from low-volume speciality rides, each Limited Super Duty also has a dedicated serial number laser-etched into a Texas-sized badge on the center console armrest. Technology abounds, including the latest in Ford’s excellent Sync3 system with all its snazzy high-res goodies.
A high-def 360-degree camera keeps an eye on things during tight parking manuevers in the Limited, and Trailer Reverse Guidance is a marvel for anyone (*raises hand*) who’s had to back a 40-foot trailer into a tight spot. Ford’s BLIS blind spot system accounts for your trailer, too, so one doesn’t heave a wayward subcompact car into the weeds during a lane change.
Ford’s parade of tech on the Limited Super Duty continues with adaptive cruise control and adaptive steering. Not long ago, this was Mercedes-grade stuff, folks. Those quad-beam LED headlamps will light up the dark side of the moon.
Outside, a special twin-bar satin grille with chrome accents, quad-beam LED lights and satin-finished tailgate applique are Limited’s unique calling cards. You’ll also notice the Super Duty name hammered into the tailgate. Some of these styling cues are on the F-150 Limited trim, and I think they work to good effect here.
None of this comes cheap, of course, with MSRPs for the Limited Super Duty reaching $94,455 for a check-every-box example of a F-450 Limited Super Duty dually. All Limiteds are powered by Ford’s 6.7L PowerStroke diesel, by the way.
[Images: © 2017 Matthew Guy]
UMMM….. BIG truck…very big truck….. need to be bigger with more chrome stuff
Hmmm. I’m ok with the thing but for one aspect : these things are TALL. As in too tall to access the bed over the sides tall. And I thought my ’06 f350 was tall relative to my old ’90 Gmc. How much gravel can you huck in one of these things anyway ?
Hardly anyone who buys one of these loads a bunch in the bed. These are used for towing fifth wheels or horse trailers. I’m sure it’ll depreciate more slowly than a similarly priced Mercedes, too.
This isn’t more steak house (I love steak), but pure whore house.
This is just whoring these F Series platform out to maximum frequency.
I suppose they could put a mechanical bull in the bed (a shrunken one that fits).
Someone criticized me for driving a 5 year old MB E350 and praising its chassis, build quality, and overall goodness and depth of thoughtful engineering after I criticized Nissan Altimas and Rogues (one which I unfortunately was stuck with as a rental recently), but I purchased the one-owner creampuff E350 with 19,000 miles on it along with a Mercedes MBCPO warranty from a buddy’s family’s dealership in Grand Blanc for less than the price of a upper trim new Altima or Rogue.
The E350 is freaking built like a tank and has interior and exterior craftsmanship like a Katana compared to the wet paper-napkin Altima or Rogue, and cost less!
needs more cowbell
So for that price you get Camel hump leather and the VIN number on the arm rest.
Riveting stuff
A Vehicle Identification Number number?
Bitter, party of one, your table is ready.
Along with the feelgood of knowing your truck made use of everything from the cows consumed by it’s manufacture: The leather, and the cheese.
With the price of a new Raptor up here in Canuckistan *starting* at $70K, I’m seriously considering replacing my ’12 Raptor with a new F250 Platinum SuperDuty which will top out at less than the Raptor starting price (with Ford Employee pricing, Costco Member and F150 loyalty discounts). I know it’s much more truck than I need which will piss off a lot of the B&B….but hey, it’s a lot of truck for the money!
You can get a backhoe for around the same price as well. Might want to consider one of those :)
Camelback is one of those huge gross crickets. Not the best reference.
http://mississippientomologicalmuseum.org.msstate.edu/images/grasshopperphotos/camel_cricket2.jpg
And Swingline can use these as rolling adverts, with that light arrangement.
It is more likely the Camelback name reference is to a mountain in the metro Phoenix area that looks like a camel’s back. The most exclusive and expensive Metro Phoenix properties in the area are in the Town of Paradise Valley, which back up to Camelback mountain.
Well heck I’m not from Phoenix, I only know bout crickets.
Maybe their trying to sell to oil rich Bedouins….
I’m gonna need you to go ahead and advertise for Swingline so if you just arrange your headlights differently, that would be great. Mmmm kay?
Oh oh, almost forgot. Gonna need you to go ahead and come in on Sunday too, mkay? Theeenks.
and before people start moaning about how expensive these trucks are compared to 20 years ago, recall that 20 years ago “Lariat” was the top trim and that basically meant you got nicer seats and power windows/locks.
I think it’s fine – it’s a money grab like many luxury vehicles, and they’re making little luxury changes for your status signaling needs.
It’s no different than buying an expensive German sedan and paying for the V8 AMG version.
Yes, exactly. It’s price discrimination which, contrary to the name, is a good thing. Charging a huge premium to those willing to pay it subsidizes the development for everyone else.
I always prefer the term “Trimline” to just “Trim.”
The same way I put my hands in handwarmers, not muffs, and my cat is a kitty and not a pussy.
Wankerwagon
I could stare at the interior of an Audi all day, but these things are just ridiculous – not one attractive or interesting aspect to the entire interior.
If you had to create a parody of these trucks, just what would you add?
Fender skirts.
@Corey – ding ding… and a spoiler to the tailgate.
Is the “useless inappropriate spoiler” the new continental kit or the new tailfin?
I think it has to be considered a continental kit. The tailfin was a design element, and not removable like the spoiler and kit are.
Gorilla glue a pointed star, rondel or four rings logo over the ghastly American manufacturer’s badge.
Better?
Thought so.
And Mercedes has already come out with a hilarious parody of these trucks, they call it X-Class, and they’re too embarrassed to sell it here.
Which will happen first, a truck with a 1,000 ft lb of torque or a $100,000 MSRP?
It appears to be a very close race.
I doubt the “Limited” forces the 6.7 diesel. But I understand the “F-450” forces the diesel (and crew cab 4X4) in every trim, XL to “Limited”.
I love the idea of a full one-ton hyper-luxury dually, but why can’t American OEMs commit to putting good leather in *anything*? This segment should be the epitome of the American luxury vehicle, and it looks like it’s got some wipe-clean wheelchair vinyl and Naugahyde. No American luxury sedans are much better.
I’ll bet that a one-ton dually with an extremely opulent and high-quality interior for $120-150k+ will sell, and not just in the USA. This thing is still a half-measure IMO. Look at the aftermarket, people really want to spend money on these.
Why do you think people still buy the G63? It has an all-but-academic reputation, and everything is covered in quilted leather. Wise up Ford/GM/Dodge.
News flash: G63 buyers will never show up to their Russian Mafia Christmas Potluck in a Ford, and Ford buyers will never buy something that hints at he “is a bit uppity”(yeah I know, I know) to their social circle the way say, a Lincoln pickup would.
I’m sure that is why Ford is intentionally staying below the magical 100k barrier and waiting for GMC to do it first.
I’m not suggesting the vehicles will be cross-shopped; more that disparate groups who each have lots of money are similarly motivated.
Mercedes will sell a $250k+ G-series; Do you think no one who would prefer an American pickup has that to spend? Again, SEMA might have something to say about that.
To those whom the Benz implies Eurotrash, or Wall Street pantywaist, what does the $200K+ American pickup mean? Is it as insulting, or is it respected as a symbol of success in earnest in that context?
and you continue to miss the point. Ford owners don’t want theirs to be known as the first trucks that crossed 100k. They are waiting for GMC to make a 100,001 dollar Sierra HD first, so they can point and say “see, those suit wearing types buying GMC have no shame like us regular folks.:
Well, I own the smallest Ford and I’m arguing for this so, I get off on a technicality.
Maybe you’re right about the ceiling, but that’s brand agnostic. It doesn’t matter who breaks the ceiling, once the novelty of the $102,000 stock one-ton has worn off, it is on.
Ford is missing an opportunity here by not piling on one more extravagance of some sort — say, full leather dash and door panels — and breaking the $100,000 MSRP barrier. I’m certain that large parts of its audience for this truck would adore the bragging rights that came from a $100k MSRP.
No, no, no. Not “one more extravagance.”
Look at the most recent Mercedes interiors. Look at what Bentley, Porsche and Rolls Royce are doing with S/CUVs. Obviously, these brands are targeting buyers with different aesthetic priorities, but I’m assuming someone who wants to spend all the money on a huge, loud statement of American luxury can tell the difference. Carefully-coordinated colors executed in mediocre materials on cheap bones aren’t fooling many people.
Now look at this truck. It’s nice, but those seats don’t really look like anything I’m excited to sit in. Nice little piece of wood on the door, I guess, but if I looked up close and saw a printed CMYK pattern I’d freak. The fact that I expect it to be printed plastic means they need to try harder.
They’re clearly not meant to disrupt German luxury sales, and it’s a whole different type of douchbaggery. Farmers, contractors, etc, claim luxo pickups are their “office”, they’re in them all damn day, so why not get the very best??
But something’s gotta set apart the boss’ truck from the vinyl/rubber clad and steel wheel “basic” trucks the hourly dudes drive. And of course there’s no need to switch to a different ride when the work is done, and it’s time to “clean up” and continue the showin’ off!
Plus there’s no need for crying over minor/medium dents. They add “character”
Need more of these, — with more manual transmissions( MT) options!
10-speed Eaton Fuller, anyone?
I mean let’s get real and go whole hog!
BTW: Love my Ram 2500 Diesel with MT. Yeah, I’m a truck guy. You can keep you puny sedans…(^_^)..
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Ford will sell every single one they make. In the words of Fry: “Shut up and take my money!”
Anybody remember the International XT “pickup”? An senior executive in our firm bought one when they were introduced. The man was worshipped like a God amongst the locals. I can’t emphasize enough how much trucks like these are coveted by certain segments.
Ford dresses it in leather and suede and it will give you a massage.
Maybe they should call it the F250 Fetish edition?
Bravo job well done! From Maximum Brougham to Maximum Platinum!