Ford F-250 Trim Levels Explained

Are you considering buying a new Ford F-250 and wanted to know the features that you could get from each trim? Or perhaps you have recently purchased a Ford F-250 and wanted to know how your truck stacks up against the other trims? We sifted through all the data on the different Ford F-250 trims from the release of the second generation in 2008 up to the present fourth-generation iteration to bring you a detailed answer.

All the trims of the Ford F-250 have the same engine options. Thus, they have the same horsepower and torque output. The only two instances that a Ford F-250 had a different engine option was in 2010 (when the 6.4-liter Turbo V8 Diesel engine was the only engine available for Ford F-250 Harley-Davidson) and in 2018 (when Ford F-250 Limited was released with an engine unique to it).

However, despite having similar engine options across all trims, there are other features that make each Ford F-250 trim different from each other. We will talk about these other features in detail in the succeeding sections. Read on!

Ford-F250 Super Duty display at a dealership, Ford F-250 Trim Levels Explained

Ford F-250 Second Generation Trim Levels

The interior of the F-Series Super Duty lineup trucks, where the Ford F-250 belongs, was redesigned for the second generation. A new steering wheel, center dash bezel, instrument cluster, interior door panels, and seat trims were installed as part of the new features of the new generation of Super Duty trucks.

2008 Ford F-250

A parked red 2008 Ford F250 truck

There were six different trims in 2008. All trims have access to three engine options:

  • the 5.4-liter V8 gasoline engine,
  • the 6.4-liter turbo diesel engine,
  • and the 6.8L SOHC 30-Valve SMFI Triton V10 engine.

The base 5.4-liter V8 gasoline engine can produce 300 HP at 5,000 rpm and 365 lb-ft of torque at 3,750 rpm. Additionally, all trims can be equipped with a 5-speed automatic transmission and a 4WD drivetrain.

Ford F-250 XL, XLT, Lariat, and FX4 had the option to install a 6-speed manual transmission. Including the aforementioned trims -excluding FX4- and the Ford F-250 King Ranch all had the option for RWD, as well.

All trims have access to two tank capacities—30.5 gallons or 38 gallons.

Seating & Cab Options

Ford F-250 XL, Ford F-250 XLT, Ford F-250 Lariat, and Ford F-250 FX4 can be equipped with the 6-seater SuperCab or the 6-seater crew cab.

Moreover, Ford F-250 XL and Ford F-250 XLT are the only trims that can be equipped with a 3-seater regular cab.

Ford F-250 King Ranch and Ford F-250 Harley-Davidson, on the other hand, have access to only the 4-seater crew cab.

2009 and 2010 F-250

All trims offered the same engine options in 2009. Additionally, Ford added a seventh trim to its Ford F-250 lineup in 2009—the Ford F-250 Cabelas.

Ford F-250 XL, XLT, Lariat, and FX4 can be installed with a 6-speed manual transmission or a 5-speed automatic transmission. The rest of the other trims have access to only the 5-speed automatic transmission.

Ford F-250 XL, XLT, Lariat, and King Ranch can be installed with an RWD or a 4WD drivetrain. The remaining three trims can only be installed with a 4WD drivetrain.

Ford F250 King Ranch Edition

Seating & Cab Options

Ford F-250 XL, Ford F-250 XLT, and Ford F-250 King Ranch have access to three passenger cab types—the 3-seater regular cab, the 6-seater SuperCab, and the 6-seater crew cab. This is a change for Ford F-250 King Ranch from the previous year.

Ford F-250 Lariat had access to the two 6-seater cabs.

Ford F-250 Harley-Davidson had access only to the 4-seater version of the crew cab, while Ford F-250 Cabelas can only be installed with the 5-seater version of the crew cab.

2010 Updates

2009 was the last model year for the Ford F-250 FX4. It was no longer continued for 2010 and so on.

Only the Ford F-250 XL and the Ford F-250 XLT continued to offer two transmission options in 2010. The rest only came with the 5-speed automatic transmission.

The Ford F-250 Harley-Davidson offered only the 6.4-liter Turbo V8 diesel engine in 2010. It is a new engine that only this trim had access to. It produced 350 HP at 3,000 rpm and a total of 650 lbf-ft of torque at 3,750 rpm.

All trims retained their passenger options from the previous year except for the Ford F-250 King Ranch that started to offer only the 5-seater option of the crew cab.

2011 and 2012 Third-genration F-250

Ford dropped two more trims when it launched the third generation in 2011, leaving only four trims for 2011 and 2012.

All trims received a new set of available engines for the third generation—the 6.2-liter V8 Flex-fuel engine and the 6.7-liter Turbo Diesel engine. The 6.2-liter V8 Flex-fuel engine can produce 385 HP at 5,500 rpm and 405 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm.

Additionally, Ford dropped the manual transmission option on all its trims then gave them access to RWD and 4WD drivetrain options.

Traction control became standard across all trims, while the tank size was standardized at 35 gallons for all trims and cabs.

Seating & Cab Options

Ford F-250 display at a dealership in snow

Ford F-250 XL, Ford F-250 XLT, and Ford F-250 King Ranch had access to the passenger cabs that they had in the previous year. Ford F-250 Lariat, on the other hand, now offers the 5-seater SuperCab or the 5-seater crew cab.

New Third-generation Features

The third generation also made traction control a standard feature on all trims of the Ford F-250.

All trims also gained access to Bluetooth connectivity, starting with the third generation. It is available as an optional feature for the Ford F-250 XL.

2013 Platinum

A new trim was added in 2013—the Ford F-250 Platinum. It came with the same set of engine options and transmission. However, unlike the other trims, it is only available in a 4WD drivetrain.

The Ford F-250 Platinum came equipped with a 5-seater crew cab.

2014 changes until 2016

The 6.2-liter V8 Flex-fuel engine was dropped in 2014. It was replaced with a 6.2-liter V8 gasoline engine that produced 385 HP at 5500 rpm and 405 lbf-ft of torque at 4500 rpm.

There were no changes to the features and configurations of the trims since they adapted the new engine until the end of the third generation in 2016.

2017 Fourth-generation F-250

Ford unveiled the new generation of the 2017 Super Duty line at the 2015 State Fair of Texas. The frame of the fourth generation is made from 95% high-strength steel, while the body is made from high-strength military-grade aluminum.

The fourth-generation trims featured improved versions of the same set of engines. The 6.2-liter V8 gasoline engine can produce 385 HP at 5,750 rpm and 430 lb-ft of torque at 3,800 rpm.

The trims were given two new fuel tanks, reducing the regular 35-gallon tank from the previous generation to 34 gallons. A much larger fuel tank (48 gallons) was installed as a standard component of the 8-foot crew cab option.

All trims now had access to a backup camera (optional for Ford F-250 XL) and rear parking aid (optional for Ford F-250 XL and Ford F-250 XLT) features.

2018 Limited and 2019

Ford released a new trim for the Ford F-250 in 2018, bringing the total trims to six.

The Ford F-250 Limited came with a 6.7-liter Turbo V8 diesel engine that produced 450 HP at 2,800 rpm and 935 lb-ft of torque at 1,800 rpm.

The Ford F-250 Limited came with a 5-seater crew cab, 6-speed automatic transmission, and 4WD drivetrain.

New Fourth-generation Features

All trims gained access to navigation features in 2018—optional for Ford F-250 XL, Ford F-250 XLT, and Ford F-250 Lariat. The backup camera also became a standard feature for all trims.

There were no changes to any of the configurations and features of the trims in 2019.

2020 F-250 Engine Upgrades

A new engine was added to Ford F-250 in 2020. Ford F-250 XL, XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum received the new 7.3-liter Twincharged gasoline engine as part of their repertoire of engine options.

The Ford F-250 Limited retained its single-engine offering, but it was upgraded for 2020. The 6.7-liter Turbo V8 Diesel engine now produced 475 HP at 2,600 and 1,050 lb-ft of torque at 1,600 rpm—a considerable improvement from its older version.

With the upgrade to its engine, the Ford F-250 Limited also received an upgrade to its transmission. It was equipped with a 10-speed automatic transmission. This marked the first time that a Ford F-250 trim had this transmission.

The rear parking aid became a standard feature across all trims in 2020. Additionally, Bluetooth connectivity, steering wheel audio controls, and remote engine start became standard features on all trims in 2020.

2021 F-250 Engine Update

The 6.2-liter V8 gasoline engine was discontinued in 2021. It was replaced with a more powerful version of the 6.2-liter V8 Flex-fuel engine. All trims except Ford F-250 Limited offered the new engine as an option.

All other features of the different trims were carried over to 2021.

2022 Ford F-250

Ford F250 Super Duty display at a dealership

The Ford F-250 XLT started to offer an optional power passenger’s seat in 2022.

The 2022 Ford F-250 XL value package included steering wheel-mounted cruise control, chrome front bumper, chrome rear step bumper, bright chrome hub covers, and center ornaments.

On the other hand, the Ford F-250 XLT included a 2022 value package. It included halogen fog lamps, an 8-way power driver’s seat, auto-lock/auto-unlock, SecuriCode, and reverse sensing system.

New 2022 Feature

The Ford F-250 Limited had an optional Snow Plow package that made it more suitable for winter tasks. The Snow Plow (also available for the Ford F-250 Platinum) served as a base add-on where other inter-changeable Sno-Way snowplows can be attached.

Conclusion

The Ford F-250 had several trims that enjoyed the benefit of having the same engine options. However, the way the other features were mixed and matched gave each trim a uniqueness that catered to the range of jobs that they were built for.

There are a number of available optional add-ons that expanded the capability and functionality of the Ford F-250, which make it a truly Super Duty truck.

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