It’s a cool time for four-wheelin’ fans when just about every new truck and SUV gets a dedicated off-road trim. Of course, some are more soft-roaders than anything, but a handful get it just right. I’ve made that argument for the Ford F-150 Tremor alongside my fellow scribes here, and now that the 2025 Expedition gets a Tremor variant, I’m doubling down. Even if Ford made an Expedition Raptor, I’d rather have one of these specifically for what it doesn’t have.
The rig you’re looking at packs the essentials—chunky 33-inch General Grabber all-terrains, a suspension lift to manage 10.6 inches of ground clearance, a rear locker, and 4LO. Folks who have only watched trucks tackle trails on YouTube would be amazed at what you can do with that combination. When your only goal is to get up and over whatever’s in front of you, these fundamentals will get you far.
Ah, and don’t forget the frame-mounted tow hooks. Those are important too… just in case.
Call me old-school but I don’t think every 4×4 needs a widebody and active suspension. I mean, sure, it’s cool when you can run flat through huge washouts in a truck that holds the whole family, but is that the best idea in the first place? Probably not. Instead, imagine the joy you can find in taking your people to a special scenic view without making them puke along the way. Anybody with kids knows that’s a constant threat—assuming they’re like mine. Anyway.
I’d even be OK if this thing didn’t make 440 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque. I guess it’s all about how you use it. There’s zero chance Ford will toss a V8 in this model like it did with the F-150 Tremor, which is probably a good thing because I’d be a lot more tempted than I am already.
You can argue that the interior doesn’t need to be so nice, and I’d probably agree with you. But don’t discount the functionality. When every seat can be folded independently, allowing you to seat eight or six with a fly fishing rod in between, it’s handy. Then there’s the split tailgate that can serve as an outdoor food prep station or just another seat around camp. It holds 500 pounds, which is good news if you’re 6’5″ and 285 pounds like me.
Even though traditionalists will lament the amenities, I won’t throw a fit over extra cupholders and power outlets. I’m curious to see what Apple CarPlay looks like on the pano-infotainment combo display—OnX Offroad and other navigation apps are so handy when you’re 30 miles from nowhere. It’s more of a modern command center than a barebones backwoods brawler, as it should be for the MSRP it’s likely to wear.
In short, the Expedition Tremor is almost everything a full-size off-roader can be without becoming grotesquely over the top. It’s certainly more serious than the old Timberline model, but I’m glad Ford stopped where it did here. Maybe I’d be happier with a V8 and a front locker, but let’s be real—I’m not taking my kids on any trail that crazy. If I were a wealthier man, this rig would suit me just fine.
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