– Detroit, Michigan

Heavy duty trucks are indispensable tools when you need to tow or haul extremely heavy things. At six-and-a-half feet tall, and more than 20 feet long, vehicles like this Ford F-250 Super Duty are not, however, wieldy in the same way as a Fusion or an Explorer. So there’s a mild bifurcation of logic when it comes to the high-zoot, King Ranch edition of the F-250, which is then a kind of specialized tool that has been optimized – with massaging seats, a fancy stereo, and oodles of luxury items – for daily comfort.

Of course the seemingly irrational King Ranch Super Duty is anything but, and anything but alone in the mighty American pickup truck market. Truck buyers appreciate big, strong haulers, and competitor truck trims like the Chevy Silverado High Country, GMC Sierra Denali, and the Ram Laramie prove out that there’s an appetite for plush, high-dollar derivatives.

Pros

She’s a big, beautiful lady. I’m a midwestern boy, and there’s a part of me that has always and will always love the look of a bigass pickup. This new Super Duty hits all of the Pavlovian points for those, like me, who grew up appreciating a square-jawed working machine. Ford’s front fascia design seems to eschew even the idea of cutting down on aerodynamic drag, in favor of, I don’t know... intimidating the very air away from one’s forward path? The blocky styling and upright stance are appealing, especially when daubed with chrome and bold lighting elements.

King of the ranch and e...