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2011
Ford F-450

Starts at:
$49,045
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New 2011 Ford F-450
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Available trims

See the differences side-by-side to compare trims.
  • 4WD Crew Cab 172" XL
    Starts at
    $49,045
    5
    Seat capacity
    Turbocharged Diesel V8
    Engine
    Four Wheel Drive
    Drivetrain
    5,130 lbs
    Payload Capacity
    N/A
    Towing Capacity
    See all specs
  • 4WD Crew Cab 172" XLT
    Starts at
    $54,400
    5
    Seat capacity
    Turbocharged Diesel V8
    Engine
    Four Wheel Drive
    Drivetrain
    5,130 lbs
    Payload Capacity
    N/A
    Towing Capacity
    See all specs
  • 4WD Crew Cab 172" Lariat
    Starts at
    $58,090
    6
    Seat capacity
    Turbocharged Diesel V8
    Engine
    Four Wheel Drive
    Drivetrain
    5,130 lbs
    Payload Capacity
    N/A
    Towing Capacity
    See all specs
  • 4WD Crew Cab 172" King Ranch
    Starts at
    $63,070
    5
    Seat capacity
    Turbocharged Diesel V8
    Engine
    Four Wheel Drive
    Drivetrain
    5,130 lbs
    Payload Capacity
    N/A
    Towing Capacity
    See all specs

Photo & video gallery

2011 Ford F-450 2011 Ford F-450 2011 Ford F-450 2011 Ford F-450 2011 Ford F-450 2011 Ford F-450 2011 Ford F-450 2011 Ford F-450 2011 Ford F-450 2011 Ford F-450 2011 Ford F-450 2011 Ford F-450 2011 Ford F-450 2011 Ford F-450 2011 Ford F-450 2011 Ford F-450

Notable features

Updated exterior styling
All-new 6.7-liter Power Stroke diesel V-8 and 6.2-liter V-8 gas engines
17-inch wheels now standard on F-450 pickup

The good & the bad

The good

Jaw-dropping levels of diesel torque available at highway speed and at low RPMs
Six-speed automatic transmission is available for both gas and diesel engines
Best driver information system among all full-size trucks
Excellent fuel economy from the diesel
Hill descent control and electronic locking rear differential in FX4 off-road model

The bad

The only way you can tell it's the new Super Duty is to see it head on
The rest of the truck looks old
New 6.2-liter V-8 gasoline engine doesn't feel as powerful as the old 6.8-liter V-10
Needs better brake feel and power to handle big increases in towing and hauling
F-450 pickup has been downgraded in payload capacity and shares most frame hardware with F-350

Expert 2011 Ford F-450 review

our expert's take
Our expert's take
By Scott Burgess
Full article
our expert's take


Flipping through the channels late at night, you may have come across that show: The one with huge men in tights tossing 55-gallon drums full of rocks, towing DC9s with their braided back-hair and waddling through an open field playing ultimate Frisbee with manhole covers.

You want to, but you can’t look away, even as they chalk up their thighs to prevent their polyester bodysuits from a frictional meltdown.

The World’s Strongest Man Competition may have a new contestant: The 2011 Ford Super Duty. It’s a super-duty freak.

If this truck was a person, Congress would have inquiries into performance-enhancing drugs. Its strength is obscene, its power nearly absolute.

During some quick testing of the Super Duty at an Arizona rock pit — heavy duty trucks live in pits — I pulled an 86,000-pound front end loader, crawled over boulders and then drove back to the hotel with 1,000 pounds in the bed and four people in the cab and managed to top 23 miles per gallon.

I became Herculean, all the while blasting the air conditioning and sipping a protein shake. (OK, it was a Diet Coke — I don’t need my thighs rubbing together.)

The redesigned F-Series Super Duty includes more flavors than Baskin Robbins, with variations of the F-250, F-350 and F-450 pickups. They were pretty good before, but now they come with improved powertrains, including Ford’s all new 6.7-liter V-8 diesel engine.

Instead of having some other diesel company produce the engine, Ford took on the job itself — creating a Picasso out of a power plant with a compact graphite and aluminum block.

Seriously, the diesel engine is quiet and smooth and cranks out Magnús Ver Magnússon kind of muscle: 390 horsepower and 735 pound-feet of torque.

Instead of simply putting lots of sound-dampening material around the engine to deaden those clacking injectors, Ford tightened the engine’s configuration, moved pieces around and made it lighter, quieter and more powerful.

It’s even designed to burn B20 biodiesel, if only someone would sell B20 biodiesel.

When you tow with this engine, and nearly everyone who buys a Super Duty tows, you’ll quickly forget there’s 12,000 pounds behind you. (The most it can pull is 24,400 pounds.) That’s about 600 more pounds than even Lithuanian great Zydrunas Savickas could carry during the farmers walk through the Power Pit.

Heavy loads, no big deal

But the truck only gets better from there. For gas burners, and those who want to avoid the $7,835 diesel premium, there’s a 6.2-liter V-8 gasoline engine that can still pull up to 22,500 pounds with its 385 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque.

With either truck, you’ll end up with the TorqShift six-speed transmission — and you want to end up with that; it’s the real gem to this entire setup.

Silky smooth, it adapts and adjusts to the driver and the weight. Pulling a 10,000-pound trailer up a steep hill for a couple of miles is child’s play. It can handle all of the low-end torque of the diesel and still go on the gas-engine version. (There are some changes to the transmission for the gas model, but it’s basically the same.) The transmission also allows for exhaust braking — a great feature for long downhill runs while towing, though I wish I could have heard it. It will downshift when you need it and keep you from burning up your brakes.

Add to that a programmable transmission that allows the driver to limit the top gear and manually shift gears with a selector button on the steering column mounted shifter, and you’ve got everything a trailer hauler needs. Ford has also added a hill start assist that gives a driver stopped on a hill a few seconds to move his foot from the brake to the accelerator without the vehicle rolling backwards. (There is also a hill descent control that lets the Super Duty head off-road and roll down boulders without touching the accelerator or brake.)

All told, the Super Duty engineers and designers were no dumbbells. They carried their weight and then some.

Some of the other features include the trailer sway control and a brake trailer control, mounted on the dash on the right side of the steering wheel. That’s the place most people can reach easily in a hurry; and if you’re reaching for it, you’re probably in a hurry.

For those who want to haul a fifth wheel, Ford will now offer a factory installed gooseneck substructure that is covered under the warranty. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, it’s OK, but if you do, you know how cool that really is. The system is nearly invisible until you need to use it. It’s genius.

Room to stretch out

Then there’s inside the cabin. Ford took the super-comfortable seats from its new F-150 and used those in the Super Duty. There are changes throughout, including an optional 4.5-inch LCD screen mounted between the speedometer and the tachometer. It seems to know everything but your birthday. It uses easy-to-understand categories that even Jon Pall Sigmarsson could click through easily if he wasn’t dead. Ford has even included a trailer hookup checklist for novice haulers.

The only thing missing was a second glove box, a feature other pickups offer and a great place to keep a gun — as long as it is registered and you possess a concealed weapons permit (state laws do apply). There is, however, lockable storage under the second-row seat, a feature hunters will greatly appreciate. And there are lots of cubbies and storage features throughout. Ford also added second-row ventilation — it’s good to keep the air moving in these trucks at the end of the day.

There’s plenty of space inside the cabin, which can easily fit the top five strongest men in the world. The interior feels both plush and down to business. It’s a work ethic kind of vehicle that simply won’t quit.

And it looks like at the end of the day, it heads to the gym to work out and blow off some steam. It’s rippled with power — with lots of lines drawing your eye around the vehicle and the clamshell hood suggesting that there’s so much power under there that designers didn’t have a choice but to try to find a little more space. (In fact, that’s true.)

The 2011 Super Duty is a powerful tool, and for many customers, the most expensive tool in box — hitting $40,000 easily. But it’s like the winner of the World’s Strongest Man Competition. He is rarely the one who can simply lift the most. He’s the one who can do well in all of the challenges. These pickups won’t shy away from any work, they relish it.

And that’s worth staying up late and watching.

sburgess@detnews.com (313) 223-3217

Report card

Overall:****

Exterior: Excellent. Bold and expressive. This truck looks like it means business and it does.

Interior: Excellent. Comfortable, complete and very sophisticated. It lets hard workers rest between job sites.

Performance: Excellent. Can tow anything attached to it and still provide a smooth quiet ride. Excellent road manners fully loaded or with an empty bed.

Pros: Will let you do more work in less time.

Cons: Will let you do more work in less time.

Grading Scale

**** Excellent *** Good ** Fair * Poor

2011 Ford F-450 review: Our expert's take
By Scott Burgess


Flipping through the channels late at night, you may have come across that show: The one with huge men in tights tossing 55-gallon drums full of rocks, towing DC9s with their braided back-hair and waddling through an open field playing ultimate Frisbee with manhole covers.

You want to, but you can’t look away, even as they chalk up their thighs to prevent their polyester bodysuits from a frictional meltdown.

The World’s Strongest Man Competition may have a new contestant: The 2011 Ford Super Duty. It’s a super-duty freak.

If this truck was a person, Congress would have inquiries into performance-enhancing drugs. Its strength is obscene, its power nearly absolute.

During some quick testing of the Super Duty at an Arizona rock pit — heavy duty trucks live in pits — I pulled an 86,000-pound front end loader, crawled over boulders and then drove back to the hotel with 1,000 pounds in the bed and four people in the cab and managed to top 23 miles per gallon.

I became Herculean, all the while blasting the air conditioning and sipping a protein shake. (OK, it was a Diet Coke — I don’t need my thighs rubbing together.)

The redesigned F-Series Super Duty includes more flavors than Baskin Robbins, with variations of the F-250, F-350 and F-450 pickups. They were pretty good before, but now they come with improved powertrains, including Ford’s all new 6.7-liter V-8 diesel engine.

Instead of having some other diesel company produce the engine, Ford took on the job itself — creating a Picasso out of a power plant with a compact graphite and aluminum block.

Seriously, the diesel engine is quiet and smooth and cranks out Magnús Ver Magnússon kind of muscle: 390 horsepower and 735 pound-feet of torque.

Instead of simply putting lots of sound-dampening material around the engine to deaden those clacking injectors, Ford tightened the engine’s configuration, moved pieces around and made it lighter, quieter and more powerful.

It’s even designed to burn B20 biodiesel, if only someone would sell B20 biodiesel.

When you tow with this engine, and nearly everyone who buys a Super Duty tows, you’ll quickly forget there’s 12,000 pounds behind you. (The most it can pull is 24,400 pounds.) That’s about 600 more pounds than even Lithuanian great Zydrunas Savickas could carry during the farmers walk through the Power Pit.

Heavy loads, no big deal

But the truck only gets better from there. For gas burners, and those who want to avoid the $7,835 diesel premium, there’s a 6.2-liter V-8 gasoline engine that can still pull up to 22,500 pounds with its 385 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque.

With either truck, you’ll end up with the TorqShift six-speed transmission — and you want to end up with that; it’s the real gem to this entire setup.

Silky smooth, it adapts and adjusts to the driver and the weight. Pulling a 10,000-pound trailer up a steep hill for a couple of miles is child’s play. It can handle all of the low-end torque of the diesel and still go on the gas-engine version. (There are some changes to the transmission for the gas model, but it’s basically the same.) The transmission also allows for exhaust braking — a great feature for long downhill runs while towing, though I wish I could have heard it. It will downshift when you need it and keep you from burning up your brakes.

Add to that a programmable transmission that allows the driver to limit the top gear and manually shift gears with a selector button on the steering column mounted shifter, and you’ve got everything a trailer hauler needs. Ford has also added a hill start assist that gives a driver stopped on a hill a few seconds to move his foot from the brake to the accelerator without the vehicle rolling backwards. (There is also a hill descent control that lets the Super Duty head off-road and roll down boulders without touching the accelerator or brake.)

All told, the Super Duty engineers and designers were no dumbbells. They carried their weight and then some.

Some of the other features include the trailer sway control and a brake trailer control, mounted on the dash on the right side of the steering wheel. That’s the place most people can reach easily in a hurry; and if you’re reaching for it, you’re probably in a hurry.

For those who want to haul a fifth wheel, Ford will now offer a factory installed gooseneck substructure that is covered under the warranty. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, it’s OK, but if you do, you know how cool that really is. The system is nearly invisible until you need to use it. It’s genius.

Room to stretch out

Then there’s inside the cabin. Ford took the super-comfortable seats from its new F-150 and used those in the Super Duty. There are changes throughout, including an optional 4.5-inch LCD screen mounted between the speedometer and the tachometer. It seems to know everything but your birthday. It uses easy-to-understand categories that even Jon Pall Sigmarsson could click through easily if he wasn’t dead. Ford has even included a trailer hookup checklist for novice haulers.

The only thing missing was a second glove box, a feature other pickups offer and a great place to keep a gun — as long as it is registered and you possess a concealed weapons permit (state laws do apply). There is, however, lockable storage under the second-row seat, a feature hunters will greatly appreciate. And there are lots of cubbies and storage features throughout. Ford also added second-row ventilation — it’s good to keep the air moving in these trucks at the end of the day.

There’s plenty of space inside the cabin, which can easily fit the top five strongest men in the world. The interior feels both plush and down to business. It’s a work ethic kind of vehicle that simply won’t quit.

And it looks like at the end of the day, it heads to the gym to work out and blow off some steam. It’s rippled with power — with lots of lines drawing your eye around the vehicle and the clamshell hood suggesting that there’s so much power under there that designers didn’t have a choice but to try to find a little more space. (In fact, that’s true.)

The 2011 Super Duty is a powerful tool, and for many customers, the most expensive tool in box — hitting $40,000 easily. But it’s like the winner of the World’s Strongest Man Competition. He is rarely the one who can simply lift the most. He’s the one who can do well in all of the challenges. These pickups won’t shy away from any work, they relish it.

And that’s worth staying up late and watching.

sburgess@detnews.com (313) 223-3217

Report card

Overall:****

Exterior: Excellent. Bold and expressive. This truck looks like it means business and it does.

Interior: Excellent. Comfortable, complete and very sophisticated. It lets hard workers rest between job sites.

Performance: Excellent. Can tow anything attached to it and still provide a smooth quiet ride. Excellent road manners fully loaded or with an empty bed.

Pros: Will let you do more work in less time.

Cons: Will let you do more work in less time.

Grading Scale

**** Excellent *** Good ** Fair * Poor

Factory warranties

New car program benefits

Basic
3 years / 36,000 miles
Corrosion
5 years
Powertrain
5 years / 60,000 miles
Roadside Assistance
5 years / 60,000 miles

Certified Pre-Owned program benefits

Age / mileage
Fords and many non-Ford vehicles up to 10 years old with less than 150,000 miles
Basic
90-Day / 4,000-Mile (whichever comes first) Comprehensive Limited Warranty
Dealer certification
139-point inspection

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Consumer reviews

4.9 / 5
Based on 7 reviews
Write a review
Comfort 4.9
Interior 5.0
Performance 4.7
Value 4.4
Exterior 5.0
Reliability 4.6

Most recent

  • Quick Lane Wows

    yes I have the 2011 F450 Guinee pig, as I call it. I have really had min. issues. One time the pressure box for the Turbo blew the ring off at the connection portion of it? Still don't know why, Bad mold? Turbo issue? They fixed it for fee, Now mind you my Truck is low miles owned straight from Factory. I currently have about 76000 miles on it. Not to long ago the engine light came on, I pulled over and looked under the hood. Everything was full, and engine light did not flash what was wrong nor looking at the computer part of the gages told me what was up. I figured I have an extended warranty my husband said drive it home. Drove it up to Ford. They ran their code on it. and the heating element for the DEF tank, was going out. It hadn't completely gone out. But going. That is 1000.00 fix thankfully my extended warranty covered it. with a 100 dollar deductible, July 5 I took it into Ford Quick Lane. had the oil and all the filters changed. I drove it up to Woodland Ca and back. Thankfully what happened yesterday didn't happen on the 10 hour turn around. I had to go get something Big so I pulled my truck up to wash it off. Turned off the hose. I could hear something running like a cow peeing of a flat Rock. I looked and about then it died. as a safety Code went off. I popped the hood, turned on the key aux and fuel was spraying out of the Fuel filter. and the cap seal portion. spraying is an under statement. It was coming out like a high pressure Hose with no end. Dumped a tank a fuel in a matter of seconds. Had it towed up to Ford. and They tried to give this spill of we had to order a part, and we will have to take off the manifold to get to a hose which is ran under the manifold. Ya they have plastic manifolds. Big Job as they said. I said well my truck better not have any issues after this. You guys messing with things under my hood. Oh it will be fine! No Fine isn't good enough. I want the engine compartment Degreased as well as the undercarriage. I better not have any issues with wiring components, Or any other damage due to the diesel spraying all over! So will see. I have not had but three things happen on this truck. Since 2011
    • Purchased a New car
    • Used for Having fun
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 4.0
    1 person out of 1 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • Great ride

    Have a F450 V10 Triton Class C and it fulfills all that I need for self-contained living. I travel across country yearly and it is an extremely stable, economical and reliable performer.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Having fun
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
    1 person out of 1 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • This is the most reliable truck that I ever owned.

    This truck has surpassed all my expectations and more. It performs like new and it handles like a dream car. The ride is fantastic and as for work I couldn't ask for better. Maintenance has been very low cost do to it's dependability.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Transporting family
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
    4 people out of 4 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • Almost there...

    Excellent all around review however Ford failed greatly in the Exhaust braking department. I highly recommend Ford Engineers riding in 1 of their competitors trucks and feeling the difference in the exhaust brake systems. A button to activate the system at the drivers discretion is also the way to go vs. Ford's integrated system. Sorry boy's Im trading for the newly designed 2013 Ram 3500. .....
    • Purchased a New car
    • Used for Towing
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 4.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 4.0
    1 person out of 3 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • F450

    Too many good things to say about this truck to mention all, however Ford is still severly lacking in there exhaust brake system.
    • Purchased a New car
    • Used for Towing
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 4.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 4.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
    0 people out of 0 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • The Best Never Rest

    Monster of a truck. Best I have ever driven. More power than I will ever need. Blew the doors off a Duramax already. Dodge is next. Don't hesitate, buy this truck or any Ford for that matter.
    • Purchased a New car
    • Used for Having fun
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
    0 people out of 0 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • 2010 F450

    I have purchased a 2011 F 450 Lariet with all the goodies. It is a pulling beast. I have several heavy duty trucks and I pull trailers loaded with farm tractors, livestock, hay and my 32 ft 5th wheel and the F450 has no problems. Stable and plenty of pulling power. Good stopping capibility and that is key for me with large loads. This super duty has a very smooth ride, much better than my older 3500 dully. The truck was a little pricey but time and continued performace will determine if the price was justified. I recommend the F450 if you haul and want some comfort.
    • Purchased a New car
    • Used for Towing
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 3.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 4.0
    0 people out of 0 found this review helpful. Did you?
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FAQ

What trim levels are available for the 2011 Ford F-450?

The 2011 Ford F-450 is available in 4 trim levels:

  • King Ranch (1 style)
  • Lariat (1 style)
  • XL (1 style)
  • XLT (1 style)

What are some similar vehicles and competitors of the 2011 Ford F-450?

The 2011 Ford F-450 compares to and/or competes against the following vehicles:

Is the 2011 Ford F-450 reliable?

The 2011 Ford F-450 has an average reliability rating of 4.6 out of 5 according to cars.com consumers. Find real-world reliability insights within consumer reviews from 2011 Ford F-450 owners.

Is the 2011 Ford F-450 a good Truck?

Below are the cars.com consumers ratings for the 2011 Ford F-450. 100.0% of drivers recommend this vehicle.

4.9 / 5
Based on 7 reviews
  • Comfort: 4.9
  • Interior: 5.0
  • Performance: 4.7
  • Value: 4.4
  • Exterior: 5.0
  • Reliability: 4.6

Ford F-450 history

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