Two months ago, we bought a V8 Ford F-150 Tremor. But was it a good idea?
We cycle dozens of vehicles through the TFL fleet each and every year, and one of our most recent purchases was Ford’s immensely popular F-150. Specifically, after having two Raptors and a Raptor R, we’re spending some more time with the 5.0-liter V8 Tremor off-road model. Now, we did have some time with the updated F-150 Tremor last year, but this time we’re putting it through a wider range of tests.
So far, we’ve taken our new F-150 to Moab, subjected it to the transmission roasting TFL Toaster towing test, and used it to rescue our stricken Subaru Forester after Kase hydrolocked the engine during our No Pain, No Gain series over on our TFLoffroad channel. Over the course of two months and 3,000 miles, it’s time for an update on what we love and what’s annoying about the F-150 Tremor day-to-day.
Firmly in the “love” column, we have that 5.0-liter Coyote V8 engine. Sure, the 3.5-liter EcoBoost technically offers up way more torque than the V8 Tremor. On paper, we’re looking at 400 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque (to the EcoBoost’s 400 hp/500 lb-ft), but the V8 has an appealing ace up its sleeve: the sound.
Regardless of which engine you choose, though, the Tremor also offers up solid off-road capability by way of its General Grabber ATX tires and off-road tuned suspension. It may not be as hardcore a setup as the Raptor, but it also doesn’t cost as much as a Raptor, with our F-150 Tremor running just over $62,000 out the door (to the Raptor’s $80K price tag). Despite the all-terrain tires, the Tremor has a perfectly comfortable ride, and I can speak from personal experience here taking last year’s truck on a 1,000-mile road trip from Palm Springs, California to our home base in Colorado.
Rounding out the plus points are the comfortable seats, the updated 12-inch infotainment screens with a bank of real buttons to control the high-level media and climate features, and the available 2.0-kW Pro Power Onboard inverter.
On the down size, Tommy and Roman go into the pain points in the video below. Those low points include no standard 4-Auto setting (you have to get the $11,710 “Tremor High” package, which negates the value proposition against the Raptor), as well as a slow-closing power tailgate. If you’re looking for a luxurious interior, the F-150 Tremor may also disappoint by way of cheap-feeling plastic on the dashboard and with some of the switchgear. And finally, for a truck costing more than $60,000, we didn’t get wheel arch liners or a bedliner as standard equipment (you can pay Ford for that…but we ended up going to our local Line-X shop instead).
Of course, the 2025 Ford F-150 Tremor isn’t the only option on the market if you want an off-road truck spec’ed out from the factory. In this sort of class, you could also get a Ram 1500 Rebel, a Chevy Silverado 1500 Trail Boss or a GMC Sierra AT4. Is the Tremor the best of the bunch? Check out our update video below and let us know your thoughts:
