Now more than ever before, automakers are catering to customers that genuinely want to go overlanding or off-roading (or at least look like they do), introducing trim levels of everything from hatchbacks and minivans to pickups and large SUVs that are designed to be better in the rough stuff. Reintroduced as a trim level with the current fourteenth-generation Ford F-150 in 2020, the F-150 Tremor makes overlanding much more accessible to the average customer, and the new 2024 model has even more serious off-road gear than before.
During a long morning of driving on a variety of pretty tough trails through Southern California, going from one part of the desert to another by way of the mountains around Big Bear, the Tremor proves itself the ideal truck for the job — at least, if a full-size truck is what you want or need. There’s not a moment in the day where the Tremor seems to get near its capability limits, which I was not expecting, and as someone who doesn’t have a ton of off-roading experience it was never stressful.
Full disclosure: Ford invited me to Palm Springs to drive the facelifted F-150 Tremor and F-150 Raptor R, with the day including driving on rocky trails, desert freeways, baja courses and even a dry lake bed. I was put up in a hotel that was nice but full of golfers, and I drove myself to and from the event. It was too hot outside.
Standard on the 2024 Tremor is Ford’s naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8, which makes a stout 400 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque, but the Tremor I’m driving has the optional twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6, which seems well worth the $90 upcharge (that’s not a typo). The EcoBoost also puts out 400 hp, but it has 500 lb-ft of torque with the peak coming in at 3,100 rpm, versus 4,250 rpm in the V8. Its power delivery is strong and smooth, and the 10-speed automatic doesn’t hunt for gears too much. Ford doesn’t provide performance figures for the F-150, but in Car and Driver’s testing a 2021 Tremor EcoBoost hit 60 mph in 5.3 seconds, quite quick for a pickup.
Fuel economy for the V8 and EcoBoost are identical, at 19 mpg combined, 16 mpg city and 24 mpg highway. It’s a shame the PowerBoost hybrid isn’t available on the Tremor; that 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 has 30 hp and 70 lb-ft more than the non-hybrid EcoBoost, and its combined and city fuel economy figures are 4 mpg and 6 mpg better, respectively.
The Tremor comes with 33-inch General Grabber all-terrain tires, and its stance is one inch wider than a normal F-150’s. An electronically locking rear differential can be toggled in 2WD, 4WD Low and 4WD High, and there are also Tremor-specific control arms, front knuckles, shocks and springs. The Tremor’s approach, departure and breakover angles are all a couple degrees better than a standard 4WD F-150, and it has a shorter rear overhang and more ground clearance.
To really get the most out of the Tremor you need to select the $11,710 402A Equipment Group, which nets you a 360-degree camera system with off-road views, a Torsen diff at the front axle, a hi-lock transfer case, and two-speed automatic AWD with mechanically locking 4WD. Also included in the 402A package are the Bed Utility, Mobile Office and Tow/Haul packages, the 2-kW Pro Power Onboard setup, a 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, a head-up display, heated and ventilated leather-trimmed seats, a heated steering wheel, LED taillights, and a bunch of other niceties.
Our convoy of Tremors hops onto a trail outside of Pioneertown, which is a desert town that looks and feels just as you’d expect from the name. Ford says our route for the day is a typical use case for the Tremor, the kind of off-roading that customers would be comfortable doing with their own trucks. Over the course of a few hours we go all the way up and over a mountain to Big Bear Lake, reaching an elevation higher than 7,000 feet before driving down a twisty road to Johnson Valley.
Switching into the Off-Road drive mode adjusts the powertrain and chassis tuning for off-road operation and automatically turns on the rear locker, though our guides have us turn it off. In Off-Road mode the configurable gauge cluster presents a wealth of information like tire pressure, pitch and roll angles, elevation and more, plus it has its own special design with different graphics and lots of animated dirt.
The huge head-up display also shows off-road-specific information, which is very helpful. When you go into Off-Road mode the front camera automatically turns on and takes up the center display, and unlike with some other brands like Toyota, it doesn’t turn off at a certain speed. There are some other good views like one that shows you just above the front wheels and multiple 360 setups, but the camera quality itself is pretty bad.
The steering is too numb and overboosted for my tastes, but it doesn’t get jerked around by ruts or obstacles and the Tremor is easier to place than I expect. It has enough suspension articulation that even on some of the tougher sections of the trail I rarely have tires in the air, and there are only a couple of moments where I scrape the undercarriage — and usually it’s because of me, not the truck. The cabin is surprisingly quiet even at speed on dirt roads, and the shocks do a great job at reducing juddering and vibrations while doing quickly on washboard surfaces. There’s a couple super tight sections where Ford has spotters just so we don’t accidentally smack a corner on a big rock, but otherwise the trails are a breeze to navigate in such a big vehicle.
In the row above the large central screen is the button for Trail Control, which acts as an off-road cruise control that is set using the same steering wheel buttons as normal cruise control. Like other similar systems, it’s especially useful when navigating tricky rocky sections of a trail where the driver really needs to focus on steering inputs. Turning on Trail Control also enables a one-pedal drive feature that works similarly to what you get in an electric car. It will automatically apply and hold the brakes when the driver lets off the accelerator, and it works pretty well though its operation is much less smooth than one-pedal in an EV.
The Tremor also has Trail Turn Assist, which you must tap through multiple screen menus to toggle on or off. Below 10 mph with the steering wheel at full lock this feature will lock the inside rear wheel to give the truck a tighter turning radius. While it’s genuinely useful off-road, it doesn’t work very well in loose surfaces as it needs something for the tires to hook up to, and the system makes some unsettling creaking noises and sends shudders through the whole truck when it’s working.
When we finally return to pavement, the Tremor feels like basically any other F-150. Its softer suspension setup and thick sidewalls give it a pretty nice ride, and aside from a bit more tire noise the cabin is hushed at freeway speeds. The Tremor is available with Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free Level 2 driver-assist system, which makes the post-trail drive even more relaxing. BlueCruise can now accomplish lane changes when prompted, and it has better lane centering that will move over in the lane to give a wider berth for semi trucks and other large vehicles.
One of the 2024 F-150’s coolest new features is the Pro Access Tailgate, which comes as part of a Bed Utility package on the Tremor. In addition to opening like a normal pickup tailgate, it has a 37-inch-wide center section that swings out like a door and a widened step in the bumper (plus an available pop-out under-bumper step). The center door has stops at 37, 70 and 100 degrees, with the 37-degree opening being just shy of a trailer jack. It’s a genuinely clever and useful feature, making it way easier to load things in the bed or access the multitude of power outlets — after our trail drive, Ford’s engineers use air compressors tied down in the bed to reinflate all of the trucks’ tires. The tailgate can be electronically opened, too, and the 2024 F-150’s bed has new storage boxes at the wheel wells and ribs in the sides that are perfect for using wood beams as dividers.
Ford’s styling updates for the 2024 F-150 look good no matter the trim level, but the Tremor is probably the coolest-looking variant, Raptor aside. Its “coast-to-coast” front end treatment is like a raccoon’s face mask, with black trim seamlessly surrounding the grille and headlights and an orange center bar that apes the redesigned headlights’ turn signals. A new modular front bumper shared with the Raptor is optional and has mounting points for a winch, light bars, a brush guard or other accessories. The Tremor also gets a handful of other orange accents, unique wheels and running boards, but sadly its color palette is totally greyscale save for a dark blue.
On the inside of the Tremor you get denim-look material on parts of the door cards and dash, lots of orange accents and Tremor badges, and some other unique accents, but overall it’s the same F-150 cabin we know and love. You can get a dual-panel panoramic sunroof, which is a pretty cool option for such a rugged truck. Every 2024 F-150 comes standard with a 12-inch gauge cluster and a 12-inch central touchscreen running Ford’s Sync 4 system. The screens look great, especially the highly customizable driver display, but the system has some frustrating elements to it — Apple CarPlay and Android Auto require a wired connection, for instance, and some actions require a button press when you assume that a swipe could accomplish it.
The 2024 F-150 Tremor starts at $66,145 including $1,995 for destination, $19,065 more than a base F-150 XL with the SuperCrew body and 5.5-foot bed (the only configuration for the Tremor) and the V8. The basically loaded Tremor I’m driving is $82,135, but with other Ford-installed options like a tonneau box, trailer TPMS and fancier bed setups it could reach close to $90k. You can’t get a V6-powered Raptor for under $80k, and to get its equipment level to match a Tremor, a Raptor would be even closer to six figures.
I think the Tremor starts making the most sense when you consider how many F-150 customers are modifying their trucks to perform better off-road — or at least look like they do. Just look at all of the people that take a decently equipped F-150, let’s say an XLT with an MSRP of around $60,000 including the FX4 Off-Road package, and fit it with thousands of dollars worth of new wheels and tires, lifted suspension, beefy bumpers and other aftermarket parts. Instead, those buyers can go for a Tremor that has even greater capability and the security of a factory warranty and engineering. It’s a great package that will make sense for a lot of people.
