Ford F 250 XLT

The number gives the class, not the size of the engine. The F-250 marks the entry to the range and is also its volume leader: for buyers needing more than a half-ton but not the dual rear wheels or higher ratings of an F-350 or F-450. Upwards the range runs to the F-750.

Manufacturing separates the classes too. The F-250 through F-550 are assembled at the Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville; the heavy F-650 and F-750 at the Blue Diamond plant in Mexico. Comparing two vehicles, do not assume an F-750 is simply a larger F-250 — these are different vehicle concepts under one name.

The engine that defines the range is the 6.7-litre Power Stroke diesel. In standard form it produces 475 hp and 1,050 lb-ft of torque; the High-Output version 500 hp and 1,200 lb-ft. For payload context: an F-150 tops out near 2,440 lb, an F-250 carries more than 4,200 lb.

Under European registration logic, vehicles of this gross weight (3,502 to 11,990 kg) fall into class N2 (3.5 to 12 t); their commercial use requires, depending on weight, a category C1 or C driving licence, plus a tachograph, driving and rest times and, in many European countries, a distance-based toll. As straight pick-ups and cab-chassis without a fifth-wheel coupling, they remain rigid vehicles, not tractor units.