Before we jump into the truck stuff, we paused the intro to talk about something that’s hitting close to home: the Kerrville floods. We’ve camped and overlanded in that area, and we’ve even sent our own kids to camps like those. It’s devastating, and while we’re making donations ourselves, we also pointed you to legit boots-on-the-ground groups like Texans on Mission and the Salvation Army if you’re able to help. Then we get into what I think is one of the most ideal Super Duty specs Ford will sell you in 2025: a 2025 F-250 XLT crew cab 4x4 with the base 6.7L Power Stroke and the heavy-duty 10-speed. We grabbed this one from Shottenkirk in Granbury because OEM press fleets love showing Platinum/King Ranch trims, but most of us are shopping value—and this XLT is that sweet spot. We walk around the truck, talk pricing and options like the $10K diesel, the cheap-but-worth-it FX4 skid plates, the locking rear axle, and why I actually like the bed step (yes, Ford stole it from GM). We also hit the stuff I don’t love—like still getting halogen headlights at this price point—and why the solid front axle is still a big reason people buy these over the IFS GM trucks.