2025 Ford F-150 Tremor Review: So Good It Sells You the Cheaper One

The Ford F-150 Tremor is the point just below the Raptor: a 400 hp 3.5L EcoBoost, a factory lift on 33-inch tires, a two-speed transfer case, and, in the 402A trim I drove, a window sticker over $80,000. Ford gives you the option at this price bracket to either go luxury with the Platinum, or outdoorsy with the Tremor, both of which are trucks packed with tech and features. After a week with it, my verdict is a strange one. This is a genuinely excellent truck, and its best trick is convincing you to buy a cheaper F-150 instead.

F-150 Tremor Spec Strip

Spec	Figure
As-tested price	Over $80,940
Powertrain	3.5L EcoBoost twin-turbo V6
Output	400 hp / 500 lb-ft
Transmission	10-speed automatic
EPA	17 city / 22 highway
Tires	33-inch all-terrains
Seating	5 (SuperCrew)

Where does the Tremor fit, and why the EcoBoost?

The Tremor is Ford’s camping/trail ready alternative to the Raptor: built for low-speed off-roading rather than desert running, with the hardware to back it, a two-speed transfer case, a Torsen front limited-slip differential, skid plates, and the lift. The 402A package layers Lariat-level equipment on top, including the Bang and Olufsen system…for a measly $10,865 dollars.

The engine choice is the easy part. The 5.0L Coyote V8 makes the same 400 horsepower and the two engines sit a few hundred dollars apart at most on the order sheet, but the EcoBoost counters with 500 lb-ft of torque against the V8’s 410. Torque is what tows and torque is what passes on the highway, so unless you need the V8 soundtrack, the turbo six is the pick. It is important to note here though, the Powerboost is NOT available for the Tremor. Tremor is gas only, your only poisin is whether you want boost.

Context worth knowing: the F series trucks wear the best-seller crown year after year, that F-Series number includes Super Duty sales too. Either way, a week behind the wheel makes the sales chart easy to believe.

How does the F-150 Tremor drive?

The 3.5 EcoBoost has oodles of torque, and mated to the 10-speed it is really quick. The transmission stays right in the powerband, which is exactly what you want with a turbo, and just like the F-250 Platinum I reviewed, the tuning is great and it does not hunt for gears. That remains a crazy thing to say about a 10-speed, and Ford keeps saying it. the transmission and engine work really well here.

The steering is very artificial. This has been true of every F-150 I have driven: there is simply no feel to it. Around town that is almost a feature, the truck is easy to place in tight parking spots, and maneuver your Starbucks drivethrough, but off-road it means you are reading the trail with the butt meter instead of your hands, because nothing comes back through the wheel.

The rest of the manners are strong. The brakes are confident, road noise is minimal for something wearing off-road kit, and the suspension is so supple that, combined with the tall tire sidewalls, the ride is supremely comfortable. Available BlueCruise handles hands-free highway duty and takes real strain out of a long drive. It is not as good as GM’s Super Cruise or Tesla FSD, but it earns its keep.

How is the F-150 Tremor’s interior?

The head-up display comes straight from the Super Duty and is the best in the business: clear, colorful, and carrying everything you could want. The steering wheel uses real buttons, no capacitive panels. The center screen is huge, bright, vibrant, snappy, and integrated into the dash instead of bolted on like a monolith, a jab the Ram interior earns. Buttons and knobs sit exactly where they should, the trailer brake and trailer assist controls are right where your hand goes, and the onboard power is genuinely useful for job sites and trail days alike. The digital cluster is beautiful too; I love the blue hue.

One detractor though, and it comes with a caveat. My press truck was a 2025 with 15,000 hard media-fleet miles, and the fold-down gear selector, the party trick that lets the console become a flat work surface, had gone rickety. My two-year-old sat up front pressing the button and watching the shifter fold down and rise back up, over and over, and thought it was the funniest thing in the truck. He is not wrong. But every cycle was loud and shaky, like it needed tightening. File it under wear item to check on a used one.

How practical is the F-150 for a family?

Much like the F-250, there is WAY too much room in the back, my god. I could sit on the floor in front of the installed car seat and be comfortable. That translates to a car seat fitting with zero drama, a passenger riding in front of it with tons of room to spare, and rear heated seats, cupholders, and power outlets making the back a legitimate place for a partner supervising a little one.

The bed, and this is no surprise, is where the F-150 earns its usefulness. The multifunction tailgate opens as a split door, the liftgate powers both up and down quickly, including from the key, and there is a step under the bumper you kick out with your foot. It is purely mechanical, unlike the powered unit in the Tundra that can fail, and it puts you exactly where you need to be. I was loading end tables with this thing all week, no problem.

The one L: the kick-out step only works when the split door is open, not with the tailgate down. I understand it would be hard to serve both without two steps, but it is an L all the same.

The take: the best ad for a cheaper F-150

My son loved this truck, not 4Runner levels of love, that bar remains uncleared, but it won him over, and it won me over on everything the F-150 does well: the size, the power, the tech, the sheer competence.

And that is exactly the problem with this specific one. At over $80,000, the Tremor 402A sits in the area code of a lot of seriously good machines, and a week of driving it reminded me that I did not need most of the bells and whistles doing the sitting. The XLT and Lariat are the volume sellers for a reason. They carry the same fundamental goodness, the same engine is available, and they cost thousands less. The Tremor is a great truck whose greatest achievement is making the case for the cheaper ones. Buy those.

Verdict Scorecard

FAQ

Is the F-150 Tremor a cheaper Raptor?
Not exactly. The Tremor is built for low-speed technical off-roading with a two-speed transfer case and a Torsen front limited-slip, while the Raptor is a high-speed desert truck. Think trail boss, not Baja runner.

Should I get the EcoBoost or the V8 in the F-150 Tremor?
The EcoBoost. Both make 400 horsepower and sit a few hundred dollars apart at most, but the twin-turbo V6 makes 500 lb-ft against the V8’s 410, which means better towing and better highway passing.

Is the F-150 Tremor good for car seats?
Exceptional. The SuperCrew rear seat is so large an adult can sit on the floor in front of an installed seat, and rear heat, cupholders, and power outlets make it a real place for a supervising parent.

Does the F-150 tailgate step work with the tailgate down?
No. The mechanical kick-out step under the bumper only deploys when the split swing door is open, not with the full tailgate dropped.

Is the F-150 Tremor worth over $80,000?
It is a great truck, but at that price it competes with serious machinery, and most of what makes the F-150 great lives in the XLT and Lariat for thousands less. Those volume trims are the ones to buy.

I’m MoneyShift. If it has wheels and a story, it ends up here. Follow along for all things car news.