DriveTech

If you want to drive a truck with attitude, then you need to look at the monster Heller Ford has put together in the Escondido Auto Park. This truck has nothing on the original "Big Foot" monster truck except that it can be driven on the streets in total comfort.

OK, it bounces a little, but that's what comes from lifting a stock truck. Still, this lifted truck doesn't ride like the ones of yesterday. Other than the occasional bounce, this truck really rides well and the driver has the feeling of total control -unlike the old lifts.

This truck started out as a stock 2006 Ford F250 Super Duty 4X4 crew cab XLT wide body styleside with a 6.0-liter V8 Power Stroke Turbo diesel and a torque shift five-speed automatic transmission. That's a mouthful, but does it perform. This truck can haul, tow or pull just about anything out there.

Since it's a diesel, you're probably thinking that it must be really noisy and smelly - but not with today's diesel technology. You can still hear the diesel when it's idling but that's part of the magic of owning a lifted truck. On the open road, you hardly hear it. Plus, Ford has done wonders with soundproofing the cabin area.

My test truck had a black exterior with a medium flint (gray) cloth interior. There's minimal chrome except on the massive chrome grill. It also has full-length running boards to help front and rear occupants get into the truck. This is already a pretty high truck to get into, but lifted it can be a real challenge. Ford provides a few things to grab onto, such as the steering wheel or grab bar - but those are really out of reach unless you're six-foot plus.

Once you're inside the view is great, but be careful because you could easily run over that little Toyota MR2 that cuts in front of you. But stopping is a snap with the tire and wheel package Heller Ford installed with the lift. The Pro Comp Xterrain 37X13/50R18 LT off-road tires are mounted on a set of beautiful alloy wheels that look as if they've been polished.

The Fabtech lift looks really good, with custom trailing arms, double shocks with an elongated coil spring up front and a single shock system in the rear, which gives this Super Duty a level ride. There are a lot of lifted trucks out there with their noses in the air, causing grief out on the roads with their blinding headlights. When you see a truck with the nose higher than the rear, it's because the lift isn't done correctly, no matter what the driver says.

The rest of the truck is pretty stock, but you get a great package when you choose the F250 Super Duty. The '06 Ford F250 doesn't look like the '06 F150. That's because the F250 and F350 will get the facelift later on in the year

I like the look of this F250. Heller also added a Gibson exhaust tip and a billet grill to round out the conversion, but you still get a lot of Ford amenities that make this a great work or play truck. The truck has factory-tinted windows on the rear doors and back glass. The sliding rear window is also tinted, the seats adjust electronically and the pedals adjust if you feel the need.

On this truck, the shifter is on the steering column. It has bucket seats and a hefty center console for all your stuff. The dash is pretty plain but functional, with a great sound system consisting of an AM/FM/six-CD in-dash changer, cruise control, intermittent wipers and one of the best features in my book - RV-style mirrors with a small convex mirror on the bottom that can be manually adjusted and large mirrors on top that are adjusted electrically. Since this is a crew cab, the back seats are very comfortable and you can even flip and fold them 60/40.

There isn't a lot of safety testing on this size of a truck but you do get airbags up front, ABS brakes and adjustable seat belts. I have seen the crash test results and this truck can take on a frontal impact that really impressed me.

When I pick up a vehicle, I like to nose around the sales staff to find someone outstanding. I found a gem at Heller Ford - Assistant Sales Manager Robert L. Petty (no relation to NASCAR's Richard Petty). Most assistant sales managers stay in their air-conditioned offices working deals, but not Petty. He was outside with his sales staff, assisting customers and me.

Heller Ford has always been tops in customer satisfaction, as it hires the cream of the crop. This even includes new hires such as Renee Unland, who worked at Sav-On Drugs and now is applying her warm customer skills to help the car buying community. I can tell she will be very successful.

Stop by Heller Ford in the Escondido Auto Park and check out the full line of lifted and customized trucks. And remember, the dealerships also services what it sells