The Ford F-250 got a full redesign back in 2023, adding a number of options, including an updated 6.7L Power Stroke High Output turbo-diesel V8 that produces an otherworldly 500 hp and 1,200 lb-ft of torque, an amount of power formerly only available with heavy aftermarket modification, certainly not from a stock truck with a warranty found at your local Ford dealer. This power resulted in (whether intentionally or not) a ridiculous 0-60 mph time of 5.5 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 14.1 seconds, numbers that are usually associated with hot hatches or sports cars, certainly not a three-quarter-ton diesel pickup.
Ford’s Real Dark Horse
The 2024 Ford F-250 has received some light updates and trim changes. These include Flex Fuel Capability for the base 6.8L gasoline V8, standard navigation for the XLT and higher trim levels, and available bed scales for the XL and XLT trims. In other words, not too much has changed since the F-250’s 2023 redesign. So, rather than concentrating on those couple of options, I figured it would be much more entertaining to focus on something a little more unorthodox: What sporty cars is the 2024 F-250 Power Stroke High Output quicker than from zero to 60 mph?
Why, you might ask, would anyone care how fast their heavy-duty pickup truck can accelerate to 60 mph? I mean, trucks like this are intended to be used to haul cargo and tow loads, so people shouldn’t really be concerned with their acceleration, right? Well, I would agree that acceleration times by themselves are not directly useful when it comes to doing “truck stuff” like hauling loads, towing, or off-roading. However, it’s still incredible when something that weighs 8,100 lbs can go from 0-60 mph in the same amount of time as a Nissan 350Z, especially with a diesel engine.
The 2024 F-250 really shouldn’t be this quick, which makes it a bit of a dark horse (no pun intended) in the game of acceleration, beating out things that a heavy-duty pickup truck has no business performing better than. So, enough with the justification, let’s line up a few worthy “competitors” and see just what sort of vehicles the F-250 is able to outrun to 60 mph. After all, immediately after the second car hit the road, people wondered if it was faster than the first. Let’s see what sort of chops the quickest factory diesel truck ever tested has got.
#1 – 2024 Honda Civic Si
The Honda Civic Si is a longtime enthusiast favorite for a daily driver that can still put down some respectable times on the track. The 2024 model comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission and a 1.5L turbocharged inline-four that puts out 200 hp. It also has a balanced chassis that rotates surprisingly well for a front-wheel drive layout at this price point. Overall, it is a very honest sports sedan with a ton of history and refinement behind it. However, with a 0-60 mph time of 6.6 seconds, the 2024 F-250 Power Stroke High Output easily beats the sporty Civic to 60 mph without a hitch (or probably with one too).
#2 – 2024 Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ
This pair of rockstar twins from Japan shook the cheap sportscar world to its core back in 2022 when they received their redesign. The formerly lethargic Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ acquired a larger engine that pumps out a healthy 228 hp, which may not sound like much, but in a car that weighs a measly 2,881 lbs, it’s plenty. This made it a serious contender amongst enthusiasts. Extremely balanced and playful driving dynamics paired with enough power to keep it going made for a winning formula. But alas, all this was not enough for the twins to outrun the raging bull that is the 2024 Ford F-250 Power Stroke High Output. Paired with the automatic transmission, the GR86 hits 60 mph in 6.1 seconds––an entire 0.6 seconds behind Ford’s behemoth. The manual transmission variant of the GR86 can hit 60 mph in 5.3 seconds, barely spared from the F-250’s onslaught by a mere 0.2 seconds.
#3 – 2023 Mazda MX-5 Miata
The noble Mazda Miata is the long-standing king of affordable fun and the almighty humbler of dentist-driven Porsches. With its extremely light 2,345 lb curb weight, the Miata has always been the answer for fun in the corners. But back in 2019, it was given a bigger 2.0L power plant producing 181 hp that allowed it to hit 60 mph in a very respectable 5.7 seconds, making it plenty of fun on the straights as well. But while you may not see an F-250 tearing it up at your local autocross, all that is still not enough for the Miata to win in an all-out sprint to 60 mph against the beastly F-250 Power Stroke High Output, missing the mark by 0.2 seconds.
#4 – 2024 Tesla Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive
The 2024 model year has brought us the next iteration of the Tesla Model 3. While the top Long Range AWD trim provides the bonkers numbers that we usually associate with Tesla cars, the base Rear-Wheel Drive trim boasts a more reasonable (but still quick) 5.8 second 0-60 mph time thanks to its 257 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque. With its 5.5 second 0-60 mph time, the F-250 Power Stroke High Output is even able to edge out Tesla’s newest entry-level EV.
#5 – 2024 Lexus RC 350 F Sport AWD
So we’ve gone from lukewarm sports sedans to lightweight sports cars that are best known for their cornering ability all the way to an entry-level EV––nothing too intense, so it may not be all that surprising that the F-250 is able to beat them in a sprint to 60 mph. But what about a 311 hp coupe from Lexus that is a part of the brand’s F Sport lineup? Surely it can beat Ford’s three-quarter-ton freight train? Certainly, a 3.5L V6 paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission should produce a 0-60 mph time that can edge out a heavy-duty pickup truck, right? Wrong. The RC 350, while a titan of build quality and reliability, has lax gearing and a somewhat porky curb weight of 3,891 lbs. These contribute to a 0-60 mph time of 5.6 seconds, just slightly slower than Ford’s diesel burner.
But Why?
Is it really that important for your heavy-duty pickup truck to be able to accelerate faster than some award-winning sports cars? Probably not. But is it really, really cool that it can do that? Absolutely, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. The F-250 Power Stroke High Output really is Ford’s other “dark horse” in the game of acceleration and can put a smile on your face when you floor the accelerator in a way that used to be reserved for sports cars. Sometimes, it’s the really silly things about vehicles that make them great. In a segment that is a bit lacking in personality, the 2024 Ford F-250 Power Stroke High Output is able to bring something to the table that the others can’t.
