daily driving a 2026 ford f 450 dually 5 pros 2 cons Ford's Super Duty lineup of trucks is meant primarily for one thing: work. These are the specialized tools of the passenger vehicle landscape. Designed to haul, tow, plow, carry, traverse, and power their way through tasks lesser pickups would be bending their frames just thinking about. The biggest member of Ford's Super Duty lineup for the 2026 model year is the F-450 Dually 4X4. With six tires, a two-speed transfer case, and a 176-inch wheelbase, this truck is about as big as it gets before stepping into full-blown commercial trucks. 2026 Ford F-450 Dually: All the Details 2026 Ford F-450 Dually: All the Details View Gallery 35 photos The F-450 is plenty capable for a passenger vehicle. It can tow well over 30,000 pounds when properly equipped, its payload rating is greater than many vehicle's tow ratings, and it can power through some rather nasty dirt trails. If it's a dedicated hardcore hauler one is after, the F-450 fits the bill. But what about those that only need a F-450's capabilities part of the time. Can this brute also be used for daily life? Or is it just a specialized tool that needs to remain parked when not at work? To find out, we spent a week in a completely unloaded 2026 Ford F-450 Dually and drove it around one of the busiest cities in North America. Below are five reasons it does work as a commuter, and two reasons it does not. PRO: Maneuverable daily driving a 2026 ford f 450 dually 5 pros 2 cons One of the biggest advantages of the F-450 over the F-350 has to do with the front suspension. The F-450 has a wider front track measuring 74.8-inches compared to the setup in the F-350 that measures 69.1-inches. This allows the 2026 Ford F-450 to turn from curb to curb in 50.4 feet compared to the smaller truck's 57.8 feet. This may not sound like much of an advantage, but a nearly 13% improvement in turning radius makes all the difference on the road. The F-450 is so willing to change directions, and at low speeds, the extra angle of the front tires makes it far more maneuverable in tighter parking lots. Whether parking in my suburban driveway, navigating my son's school drop-off lot, or tip-toeing through a narrow lane way, the truck never felt as large as it actually is. PRO: Ultimate Truck Guy/Gal daily driving a 2026 ford f 450 dually 5 pros 2 cons Everyone loves a truck guy/gal, right? That one member of a friend group who owns a truck and is constantly being called upon by their mates to help move this, tow that, or haul away whatever. Well, with the F-450, you will be the ultimate truck gal/guy. No job is too small for this behemoth. CON: Now Bounce 2027 Mercedes-Benz VLE: All the Details daily driving a 2026 ford f 450 dually 5 pros 2 cons The 2026 Ford F-450's chassis and suspension are designed to remain composed while under a lot of weight and stress. They are stiffly sprung and heavy duty. This means when the truck is unloaded, there isn't much absorption in the suspension. Driving down the road, any sort of pavement crack, expansion joint, or mild pothole will have the F-450 jiggling and the solid rear axle bouncing as it hunts for traction. If you plan to do a lot of solo driving unloaded, get your kidneys and spine ready for the ride. PRO: Torque of the Town daily driving a 2026 ford f 450 dually 5 pros 2 cons My tester had the smaller output diesel engine which is a bit of oxymoron. Although there is a version of the 6.7-liter turbocharged diesel V8 available in the F-450 that makes 500 hp and 1,200 lb-ft of torque, the truck I drove still delivered 475 hp and 1,050 lb-ft of torque. With just me and the truck to haul around, power is abundant. I couldn't believe how effortlessly the F-450 wanted to accelerate up to speeds and maintain them. In fact, it could easily stray into arrest-me-now speeds if a driver is not careful, despite its weight, brick-wall aerodynamics, and six wheels. PRO: Highway Cruiser daily driving a 2026 ford f 450 dually 5 pros 2 cons On top of the exceptional forward thrust mentioned above, the F-450 is surprisingly docile at freeway speeds. With its hardcore working roots, and stiffly sprung suspension, it wouldn't be a surprise if the truck was a bit unruly to maintain in a straight line at 70 mph. But that is truly not the case. Twice I spent 2+ hours at freeway speeds driving across the city and didn't find the F-450 any more difficult to maneuver than a smaller truck, like a F-150. Even in stop-and-go rush hour traffic it was perfectly controllable. CON: Big Truck, Small World daily driving a 2026 ford f 450 dually 5 pros 2 cons Although the truck is surprisingly agile and controllable, it's still over 22 feet long and extra-wide. It will fit in a regular parking spot width wise with mere inches to spare. But it will not fit lengthwise. Plus, despite a decent turning radius, there's still a lot of truck to manipulate in tighter parking structures. Then there's the truck's height as well. Plenty of parking garages, both above and below ground, will be a no-fly zone for this beast. PRO: Stadium Seating daily driving a 2026 ford f 450 dually 5 pros 2 cons With a big truck, comes a big interior. The F-450 XLT I tested had the front bench so six folks can fit inside: three up front and three in the rear. Headroom and legroom is beyond generous and the truck is wide. Three abreast isn't terrible either. That stated, four folks is the perfect amount to occupy the F-450 for those long distance jaunts. 2026 Toyota bZ Woodland: All the Details
+61 others
