The 2021 Ford F-250 is a large full-size pickup truck. It’s the number six pickup truck out of twenty in Consumer Reports rankings of full-size pickups. Its score falls right in the middle of the range – a 53 (the lowest truck scores a 53 and the highest-rated truck scores a 63. Still, the Ford F-250 has a high owner satisfaction rating; a 4/5. So why do people love their Ford F-250s?

The 2021 Ford F-250 has an average road-test score

The 2021 Ford F-250 has an average road test rating of 53. Consumer Reports gives the 2021 Ford F-250 a 4/5 for its acceleration. It can reach 0 to 60 in 8.1 seconds. Its transmission scores a 4/5. Routine and emergency handling receive a 1/5. The Ford F-250’s max avoidance speed is 47 mph.

Braking does not have a high score in the Ford F-250, at a 1/5. The Ford F-250 takes 155 feet to brake from 60 mph on dry pavement and 170 feet on wet pavement. The Ford F-250’s headlights score a 3/5.

Comfort in the 2021 Ford F-250 is only fair. The 2021 Ford F-250 get a score of 2/5 for its ride. It’s only moderately quiet: it scores a 3/5 for its noise. Front seat comfort is a 4/5 and rear seat comfort gets a perfect 5/5. Interior fit and finish get a very good 4/5. However, the trunk and cargo space score a 5/5.

The F-250 doesn’t come standard with a lot of safety equipment, but it is optional

The 2021 Ford F-250 comes standard with a rearview camera, anti-lock brakes, stability control, traction control, and daytime running lights. Forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking for the city and highway, pedestrian detection, and lane departure warning are optional. Blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic warning are also optional, but lane keeping assist isn’t available.

The IIHS hasn’t tested but the NHTSA has. The NHTSA gives the F-250 four stars for overall crash, and five stars for everything else, with two exceptions. Those are rollover. The 2WD rollover rating is four stars, while the 4WD rollover rating is three stars. Rollover ratings tend not to be perfect in lager pickup trucks, so if you’re considering a pickup, you should compare crash-test rtings.

Owner satisfaction in the 2021 Ford F-250 is pretty high

Consumer Reports gives the 2021 Ford F-250 a 3/5 for its predicted reliability. Reliability for the 2019 is a four and the 2020 isn’t rated. Although this predicted reliability rating is just average, it doesn’t seem to impact how owners of the F-250 feel about them. The predicted owner satisfaction score is a 4/5 for the 2021 Ford F-250. The driving experience rating is very good, which is likely why so many people like them. It is an 80, the comfort is a 68, styling is a 78, and value is 41. 75% of Ford F-250 owners would buy their truck again.

The reasons that people like or dislike their vehicles are not always based on tangible things like data. Even though some of the ratings are average, like the road test score, and others are poor, like the brakes, the owner satisfaction rating is still high. This shows that owner satisfaction is likely based on more than just how the truck performs.