Now more than ever before, car manufacturers are appealing to customers who truly desire to engage in overlanding or off-roading (or at least appear to be doing so), offering various trim levels across a range of vehicles from hatchbacks and minivans to pickups and large SUVs that are specifically designed to excel in rough terrain. Reintroduced as an option with the current fourteenth-generation Ford F-150 in 2020, the F-150 Tremor opens up overlanding to a wider audience, and the new 2024 model boasts even more advanced off-road features.
After a lengthy morning driving on challenging trails across Southern California, traversing from the desert to the mountains around Big Bear, the Tremor demonstrates itself as the perfect truck for the job — particularly if a full-size truck is what you are seeking. Throughout the day, the Tremor never seems to reach its limits, a surprising revelation for me as someone with limited off-roading experience, which made the experience stress-free.
Full disclosure: Ford invited me to Palm Springs to test drive the updated F-150 Tremor and F-150 Raptor R, which included driving on rocky trails, desert freeways, baja courses, and even a dry lake bed. I stayed at a hotel occupied mostly by golfers and drove to and from the event myself. The weather was unbearably hot.
Featured on the 2024 Tremor is Ford’s powerful 5.0-liter V8 engine, generating an impressive 400 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque. However, the Tremor I’m testing is equipped with the optional twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6, which justifies the $90 upcharge. The EcoBoost V6 also delivers 400 hp but produces 500 lb-ft of torque, peaking at 3,100 rpm compared to 4,250 rpm in the V8. The power delivery is robust and seamless, with the 10-speed automatic transmission shifting smoothly. While Ford does not provide performance figures for the F-150, a 2021 Tremor EcoBoost model tested by Car and Driver reached 60 mph in 5.3 seconds, an impressive feat for a pickup truck.
Both the V8 and EcoBoost engines achieve the same fuel economy, with a combined rating of 19 mpg, 16 mpg in the city, and 24 mpg on the highway. It is unfortunate that the PowerBoost hybrid is not an option for the Tremor, as the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 engine offers 30 hp and 70 lb-ft more than the non-hybrid EcoBoost, with a 4 mpg and 6 mpg improvement in combined and city fuel economy, respectively.<
