A specific configuration of the 2017 Ford F-250 has earned top marks in the federal government's crash test—five stars overall, an achievement matched by no other heavy-duty full-size pickup truck.
The award applies only to the F-250 Crew Cab 4x2. The four-wheel drive version of the truck nets four stars overall due to a lower rating for its rollover resistance. That's not unusual, however, as four-wheel drive trucks, SUVs, and crossovers are almost always rated lower than their rear- and front-wheel drive counterparts.
MORE: Read our Ford F-250 preview
Rollover resistance is a calculated score rather than one actually measured like the frontal and side impact crash tests. On the actual crash tests, both the rear- and the four-wheel drive versions of the 2017 F-250 Crew Cab scored five stars. For rollover, the rear-drive variant came in with four stars and the four-by-four checked in at just three stars.
No heavy-duty pickup has been tested by the NHTSA's insurance-funded complement (or rival, depending on your perspective), the IIHS. The only other heavy-duty pickup currently rated by the NHTSA is the 2017 Ram 2500, which comes in at four stars overall.
DON'T MISS: The complete roundup of Top Safety Pick recipients
Heavy-duty pickups also aren't subjected to fuel economy reporting to the federal government's EPA since their weight classifies them as commercial vehicles.
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