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With its splendid King Ranch eather interior, the Ford F-250 Crew Cab pickup transported me to the world of the landed gentry, Western style.

If regular pickup trucks are dubbed cowboy Cadillacs, then the F-250 King Ranch could be a cowboy Rolls-Royce. Here’s a gentleman rancher’s work truck for touring his domain or towing a trailer filled with show horses.

Recently launched, the 2008 Super Duty trucks were revamped grille to tailgate, with a new 6.4-liter diesel engine, new chassis and suspension, and bold styling to accentuate their tough-truck mission.

King Ranch is a mighty big cattle spread in southern Texas, a regional tourist mecca and the inspiration for Ford’s most gussied-up pickup trucks. The broad, leather-trimmed console even sports an embossed King Ranch logo, “established 1853.”

This is the kind of Western heritage that Ford evokes for its mighty Super Duty pickups. The F-250 is a do-anything craft that will tow 12,500 pounds behind its stout frame and massive diesel engine, while the passengers in the King Ranch version ride in regal comfort.

Although significantly huge, F-250 is the smallest of three Super Duty trucks, with the F-350 and F-450 designed for the really big jobs. The F-450 can tow 24,000 pounds and handle 6,000 pounds in cargo over its dual back wheels.

The F-250 is the most civilized of the bunch, with reasonably good ride and handling, considering its imposing size and capabilities.

PERFORMANCE: With 350 horsepower and a resounding 650 pound-feet of torque, the 6.4-liter diesel easily handles this three-and-a-half-ton behemoth. The diesel is a $6,895 option but probably well worth it for people with heavy stuff to move. A gasoline V-8 comes standard, and a gas V-10 is offered as an option. The diesel is a noisy beast whose roar and clatter can get annoying in normal driving. On the highway, it’s smoothly competent, but still noisy. On a drive up Interstate 17 to Prescott, F-250 was in its element, shrugging off steep grades and rolling ably along fast segments. Mileage was an unimpressive 15 miles per gallon.

DRIVABILITY: This is not a truck for the casual pickup driver but a heavy workhorse for people who really need a pickup truck. Most of these King Ranch versions, I expect, would be used for towing such things as horse trailers and fifth-wheel luxury campers rather than construction material. This would be hard to beat for a trailer-hauling road trip. As a daily driver, F-250 is a handful, encumbered by its oversized proportions, ponderous cornering and diesel rumble. I found the steering loose and imprecise, which made the truck feel difficult at both high and low speeds. The four-wheel-drive test truck came with an electronic shift-on-the-fly system for engagement.

STYLING: The sculpted hood on this goliath rises five feet off the pavement, and the grille looks like something off a big rig. Everything is big, bold, oversized and tough looking. The bed came with an ingenious bed extender and tailgate-step system.

INTERIOR: The handsome brown-leather interior? looked like something from a high-end luxury car, if not for the trucklike trim and accents. Soft leather seats, a complete lineup of luxury features, a great audio system, GPS mapping, you name it.

BOTTOM LINE: The King Ranch features, diesel engine and other options added $20,000 to the already significant base price for this big boy.

Ford F-250 Super Duty

Vehicle type: Four- or five-passenger, four-door pickup, four-wheel drive. Engine: 6.4-liter turbo diesel V-8, 350 horsepower at 3,000 rpm, 650 pound-feet torque at 2,000 rpm. Transmission: Five-speed automatic. Wheelbase: 156.2 inches. Overall length: 246.2 inches. Curb weight: 6,560 pounds. Towing capacity: 12,500 pounds. EPA rating: NA.

HIGHS: Lush interior, powerful engine, towing capacity. LOWS: Engine noise, vague steering, low fuel mileage.

Pricing

Base price: $37,305. Price as tested: $57,225.

SELECTED OPTIONS -Diesel V-8, $6,895. -King Ranch package, including full-leather interior, dual captain’s chairs, polished 20-inch alloy wheels, $3,650. -Navigation and audio upgrade, $1,875. -Automatic transmission, $1,490. -All-terrain tires, $1,245. -Power moonroof, $995. -Tailgate step, $375. -Limited-slip rear, $300. -Bed extender, $250. -Reverse radar, $245. -Off-road package, $225. -Shipping, $995.