Those needing a stylish heavy hauler or a useful piece of fancy farm equipment might want to check out the 2010 Ford F-250 Super Duty full-size pickup. With available four-wheel drive (4WD), three cab configurations, two bed lengths, three engine choices, and a plethora of axle ratios, this truck’ll carry a full crew through the backwoods, along with all their tools and a load of equipment, while looking good in the process. Four trim levels - the base XL, midlevel XLT, new-for-2010 Cabela, and top-shelf Lariat - provide cabin ambiance for all tastes, while either a gas-friendly-ish manual transmission or silky-smooth automatic will get the most out of the selected powerplant. XLs and XLTs are available in all cab configurations - the three-passenger Regular Cab, six-passenger SuperCab, or six-passenger Crew Cab - while the Lariat comes only in five-passenger SuperCab and Crew Cab variations, and the Cabela only with the five-passenger Crew Cab. Regular Cab 250 Super Dutys are all equipped with the 8-foot long bed (LB), while SuperCab and Crew Cab trims can be delivered with either the long bed or the 6.75-foot standard bed (SB). Though far from kicking the behind of either Dodge’s Ram 2500 or Chevy’s 2500 HD, the F-250 does offer one durable and capable pickup that’s rumored to be in line for some serious improvements next year.

The standard powerplant for all 2010 F-250 Super Duty trims is a comparatively lazy 5.4-liter variable-valve-timed V8 that combines with a six-speed manual transmission in the lower trims and a five-speed automatic in the higher trim levels. This pairing nets 300 hp and 365 lb-ft of torque which is decent, but not neck-snapping. All trims, however, are also available with the 6.8-liter Triton V10, which, when mated with its standard five-speed automatic, puts out 362 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque. Finally, a 350-hp, 6.4-liter turbodiesel V8, also with the five-speed automatic transmission standard, pounds down 650 lb-ft of torque, good enough to haul some 12,500 pounds of trailer when properly equipped, and is also available in all trim levels. EPA estimates are unavailable for any of these big engines, but rest assured, they’re not pretty.

Touted as the worker, not a poseur, the 2010 F-250 is pretty much bare bones appearance- and comfort-wise, at least in the lower trims. The base XL Regular Cab gets standard 17-inch painted steel wheels, a trailer hitch and wiring, vinyl upholstery, air conditioning, and an AM/FM stereo with two speakers, while SuperCab and Crew Cab versions come with a rear split-folding bench seat. Moving up to the XLT, standard amenities and equipment include cloth upholstery, power windows, door locks, and heated mirrors, cruise control, tilt-wheel steering, floor mats (front and rear in SuperCab and Crew Cabs), and a single-CD player with four speakers. The notch-above, five-passenger Cabela, available only in the Crew Cab configuration, features 18-inch alloy wheels, skid plates, power-adjustable front bucket seats, simulated alloy dash and door trim, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and Sirius satellite radio. Finally, the high-end Lariat SuperCab or Crew Cab is delivered with standard leather upholstery, heated front bucket seats, dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth technology, and a USB connection.

Many of the standard amenities for the higher F-250 Super Duty trims are available as options in the lower trims, while an off-road package, spray-in bedliner, power sunroof, rearview camera, rear-seat entertainment system, power-adjustable pedals, premium sound components, and Ford's well-regarded SYNC system with navigation, weather, and real-time traffic updates are all offered with higher trim levels. Finally, for those trims used exclusively as work vehicles, a dash-mounted computer with wireless mouse and printer, as well as Ford’s ToolLink technology, using radio-controlled chips to track tools taken from the bed, are also offered as available options.

Basic safety features for the 2010 F-250 Super Duty are just that – basic. Four-wheel ABS and a post-collision safety system are standard in all trims, with XLTs getting a standard anti-theft alarm (optional on the XL), Cabelas lighting it up with standard front fog/driving lights and dusk-sensing headlights, and Lariats adding standard rear parking sensors. The optional SYNC system adds such features as Vehicle Collision Notification and Airbag Deployment Notification for qualifying trims, while traction and stability control are optional for all trims.

Owners of the 2009 F-250 Super Duty are unanimous in grousing about mileage with its various truck-size engines, however, most concede that fuel efficiency is not the reason they own one of these full-size beasts. Funky button and control placement raises owner hackles, as does a lack of cabin storage cubbies, while the 5.4-liter V8 is consistently disparaged as not up to many of the jobs demanded of it. But owners are vociferous in their praise of the F-250 Super Duty’s looks, cabin comfort, quiet ride, rear-seat pull-out tool deck, and its torque-heavy V8 turbodiesel, as well as the available SYNC system. All in all, the ’09 F-250 Super Duty proves itself a hit with virtually all owners, and the best is yet to come.