KBB Samples The 2026 Ford F-250 Super Duty Platinum 

Once upon a time, the idea of a veritable luxury-grade pickup truck – let alone a luxury-grade heavy-duty pickup truck – seemed as natural a pairing as oil and water. Alas, times have changed, and customers looking to have it all – so long as “it all” entails the ultimate in luxury and physical capability – can do so with the likes of the 2026 Ford F-250 Super Duty Platinum. Kelly Blue Book (KBB) wanted to see how that utility and luxury coexist, and we summarize their findings in this Stivers Ford of Montgomery blog. 

From the outside, there are subtle signs of this truck’s status, but inside is where utility and luxury compete. According to KBB, “luxury vehicle designers use leather and soft-touch materials with artistic flair, while truck designers focus on tough, utilitarian elements.” In the F-250 Platinum, utility shapes the dash. While not as crucial in Alabama, the dash is designed so everything can be operated with work gloves – ideal if you’re busy working out in the field. Buttons and knobs are large and can control most functions available on the center screen.  

But many of the surfaces are covered in leather, available in some very rich colors. The vinyl bench from years past, which made you tighten your grip on the wheel to keep from sliding away in a hard left turn, gives way to soft leather buckets with side bolsters that keep you in place. In addition, they are heated for part of the year and ventilated for another. You have cameras showing all that is around you to keep the exterior from getting that well-worn look of little dents and scrapes. Your crew or any other adults will appreciate the 46.3 inches of rear legroom and plenty of headroom, so they can keep their soft or hard hats on if they choose. If the conversation dies down, everyone can bask in the 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system.  

Under the hood of KBB’s test truck is the optional 6.7-liter PowerStroke turbodiesel, which provides effortless power regardless of the load and returns 18 mpg on the highway and 14 in town. One of the biggest challenges for a luxury truck is to ride well both loaded with crew and cargo and when empty. KBB verified that it rides well when empty but didn’t have the opportunity to load it down with more than 500 pounds of its 4,000-pound payload to see how it felt. Editors suspect Ford has that figured out as well. They also found “Wind and road noise were surprisingly low for a full-size truck.” 

On the utility side of things, like all 4×4 Super Duty models, it sits high. There are available steps built into bumper corners and in front of the rear fenders for cargo bed access, but KBB found the most convenience in the drop-down step that extends from the lowered tailgate and includes a grab handle right where you need it but later disappears into the tailgate so as not to conflict with you load, which is an issue on GM’s grab handle for the same purpose. 

KBB editors end by noting that the available FX4 off-road package can add a third area where the F-250 can overachieve, with all-terrain tires, an electronic locking differential, and off-road-tuned shock absorbers. Since all this costs just $600, KBB asks, “Why not?” 

Of course, cost is the underlying issue here. A base XL Super Duty has a starting MSRP of $52,985 while the Platinum starts at $81,760. You could think of that as adding over 54% to the price. There is no shortage of vehicles these days that cost over $80K but compared to one that helps you do what you do, rewards you for doing it well, and can take you anywhere to do it, most of those $80K+ vehicles make a lot less sense. See if you agree by visiting Stivers Ford of Montgomery and test-driving an F-250 Super Duty Platinum or any of equally capable stablemates.