Have you ever looked at something and something else comes to mind? When I first walked up to the 2001 Ford250 Super Duty Cab the first thing that came to my mind is the Movie starring John Wayne titled “True Grit!” Holy Moly was this truck big! It just sat there and glistened in the sun as if to say, “Make my day!”

The only thing wrong with this monster of a truck was that I had a heck of a time getting into it. Comparing the Ford150 and the Ford 250 in height there was only 4-5 inches difference. Heck, maybe it was the size of the tires that added to it. But I kept having this feeling I ought to have climbing gear to get up into the truck and a bungee cord to get back down. Just about this time while we were at the Ford dealership in Stockton CA when the smell of hotdogs came floating by.

We walked to the front of the dealership and they have a full-blown party going on, without any guests! The radio stations are broadcasting and they were serving free hot dogs and drinks. There are no customers on such a festive day? This is a bright sunny Saturday. The other dealerships in the auto mall are full of customers. Makes me kind of wonder if the treatment we were receiving at this particular car lot wasn’t a normal occurrence and driving potential customers away. I would think it could be a slowing economy but only at the Ford lot?

Another thought came to mind when I started examining this pick up truck was Transformers! You know the ones. The ones I use to stand hours in line for so that I could purchase a Transformer for a Christmas present for my son. Transformers, more than meets the eye! Why had this thought occur to me?

It looked mean and big! It could be changed and manipulated into something bigger and stronger. For only $1,095.00 you could have a turbo diesel. You could choose a turbo diesel with either a 6-speed manual transmission w/ over drive or a 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive. As I mentioned in the Ford150 review we have gotten down right lazy in our old age and just as soon have the automatic transmission. The question is do we really need to blow another thousand dollars for a turbo diesel? Or will the V10 or V8 do? Holy Popsicles is there a lot of choices on this truck!

The truck whispers in my ear buy me you won’t regret it. The pushy salespeople keep pushing saying we’re pain in the necks you really don’t want this big shiny new pickup truck, do you?

Transform this monster a bit further with the 4x4 off-road package and I’m pretty sure it could drive straight up Mt. Shasta without stopping for a breather. The off-road equipment group includes the transfer case and fuel skid plates. If I still lived in Northern Minnesota full time I would consider this option much more seriously. I would no doubt consider the option of the 4x4-snowplow equipment group. A snowplow had many advantages considering the number of times I use to get snow bound.

The suspension system standard is coil springs on the 4x2 and leaf on the 4x4 with 1 3/8” gas shock absorbers in front. In the rear is a leaf spring and 1 3/8” gas shock absorbers. This could be upgraded to a heavy-service suspension package. The truck rode smooth in fact I was rather surprised at the non-truck feeling ride to it. It just isn’t nearly as rough as a ride as the older model trucks. All in all the entire ride was very comfortable. Another wonderful feature about the ride is the view from way up there! It feels so much safer seeing all around. Backing up wasn’t difficult at all with the assist of the black power foldaway mirrors. Since we will be towing with this truck we will choose the option of manual telescoping trailer tow mirrors with power glass. These towing mirrors extend out ever so nicely at their not super ugly like the towing mirrors I have had in the past. There is also an optional reverse sensing system to add additional safety when backing up.

The sliding rear window is an option on the XL and XLT model and standard on the Lariat model. The pickup bed is partition able and stackable with four tie down hooks. The bed has a removable and lockable tailgate. There is also a standard cargo box light.

The instrument panel included a tachometer, voltmeter, coolant temperature, oil pressure, fuel gauge, and trip odometer. There is speed control and tilt steering. Air-conditioning is standard on the XLT and Lariat and an option on the XL. The XLT and Lariat has power windows and power locks. Below the cup holders and ashtray is a hook for a garbage bag. The inside feels big and roomy with lots of handy features like the center storage console and the over head console has a compass and exterior temperature read out and a handy little place to put the garage door opener.

Safety features include second generation driver and front passenger airbags, 4-wheel anti-lock braking system and child seat anchors.

The exterior colors include; bright amber, harvest gold, dark highland green, toreador red, island blue, black, true blue, oxford white, and silver all have either a clear coat metallic or a clear coat. I suppose we would have to finally decide between the harvest gold and true blue. The interior if we pick the gold will be medium parchment leather or if we choose the true blue the blue denim. With the solid tinted glass either color would look awfully nice.

The Ford warranty (limited) is 3-year and 36,000 miles that include the 24-hour emergency roadside assistance program.

With a base price of $30,725 and adding miscellaneous options on will end up costing us around $40,000. This price includes the turbo diesel engine. Of course we have to seriously ponder the distinction package for $715.00, all-righty, I’ll seriously consider that one, not! The estimated miles per gallon is city 13 and highway 19 for the 5.4L V8 engine.



With the bad taste left in our mouth from the cutthroat salespeople at the Stockton auto mall I received an email from an Epinion’s member I have gown to immensely trust. She told me she had two Fords with many miles on them and really loves them. She also told me that not all Ford dealerships are like this. I hope this is true because I would love to find a Ford dealer that we can comfortably work with. We are still considering all our options. The Ford150 was pretty nice but since we can have the V10 in the Ford250 and only a V8 in the Ford 150 the Ford250 might be the way to go. While I still have to carefully consider my spinal problem but it is still easier to climb up into a truck than hunker down into a small car.

We will find another Ford dealership. I refuse to go back to the Stockton Auto Mall. I still want to check out SUVs and vans before making a final decision
Amount Paid (US$): $30,725
Condition: New
Model Year: 1995
Model and Options: Ford250 Super Duty Cab