Ford Crowns Self Winner in Fuel Tank Capacity War, Might Need Competition Therapy

Ford Motor Company clearly wasn’t secure in knowing that its new 3.5-liter Ecoboost engine will give the F-150 the most V6 power in its class, or that the 2017 Super Duty will have the most torque in its class. And never mind that a looming diesel variant of the F-150 will likely get the best fuel economy in its class.

Ford wanted the gold medal in the fuel tank capacity race, and it just won by a mile. Actually, many miles.

The automaker recently announced that long-box Crew Cab versions of its new Super Duty will receive a 48-gallon fuel tank, by far the biggest of any heavy-duty pickup. As the model most likely to be found towing a trailer, that means many, many more miles before the bathroom break. (Which is a problem, as the 2017 Super Duty also wins the cupholder competition.)

48 gallons. That’s a lot. In contrast, the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 2500 HD twins have a 36 gallon tank, while the Ram 2500 and 3500 come with a 31 gallon tank (though diesel 3500 models have an option for an extra 5.5 gallons. Put another way, the Super Duty’s fuel tank can hold the equivalent of 512 beers.

Ford claims the capacity is 22 percent greater than past Super Duty diesel models and 37 percent greater than gas models. As part of the model’s revamp — which now includes the fuel system — the automaker changed the design of the separator filter and fuel filter to increase change intervals and reduce maintenance costs.

With Ford moving up from a Grande to Venti fuel tank, expect fewer Super Duty pickups blocking two pumps at your local station. When they show up this fall, expect an owner to shell out an average of $105 for a fill-up (going by today’s national gas price average).

Now, about Ford’s insanely competitive nature when it comes to its trucks. Not everything’s a race, you know.*

*Oh, we forgot another competition won by Ford — the full-size pickup sales race. Maybe this is why the company stays on top.

[Image: Ford Motor Company]