F-150 Tremor Supercrew is less extreme than Raptor, offers more value

The 2023 Ford F-150 Tremor is a very capable daily driver pickup for anyone who wants on-road comfort with plenty of off-road capability. I tested the Tremor Supercrew variant and like most of the F-150s I have reviewed, it’s got everything a full-size pickup owner dreams of.

While the F-150 Tremor is the younger, slightly less in-your-face sibling of the Raptor, it takes the standard award-winning pickup and adds higher ground clearance, upgraded suspension, skid plate, steel running boards, and plenty of gear to prepare it for the dirt trails.

Coming in more than $16,000 cheaper than the Raptor, the Tremor is more than an FX4-equipped F-150, which is just an off-road package. Tremor is more mainstream in its appeal (though the Raptor gets all the attention), as it forgoes much of the Raptor’s elevated upgrades and manages to keep the price reasonable.

Exterior

The F-150 Raptor Supercrew looks every bit the part of a beefy off-road pickup that will go anywhere you point it. My tester featured 18-inch dark matte-finished alloy rims and 33-inch all-terrain rubber. This is a great combo for off-road capability paired with a comfortable on-road ride.

There’s been a lot of comments about the profile of the Tremor and how the stance looks off with the front end dipping a bit. I see it, but don’t agree it is necessarily a negative. Having logged plenty of off-road time, it sure the heck doesn’t impact the view inside or the performance.

My tester featured a cool dual-exhaust design and the raised tailgate level is made a lot easier with the power liftgate feature. Overall, the F-150 is a handsome pickup, and the added off-road exterior elements like skid plates, tubular step-ups, or tow hooks makes it look even better.

Performance

Featuring selectable driving modes including Deep Snow/Sand, Mud/Rut, and Rock Crawl settings, the powerplant and transmission combo is critical for the Tremor. My tester featured the standard 400-horsepower 5.0-liter V8. This is the first year you can opt to put a V8 into your Tremor. Ford still offers the 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbocharged V6, which matches the V8′s 400 hp, but offers 90 more pound-feet of torque than the V8.

I found the Tremor to be an absolute gem on the road with the 5.0-L V8 getting the 145-inch wheelbase up to 60 mph in just 5.3 seconds. The unmistakable growl of a V8 felt particularly enjoyable and the overall ride is comfortable. The Tremor’s suspension is tuned for stiffness, as opposed to the softness in the Raptor. While there is the expected road noise from the knobby all-terrain tires, I did not find it offensive.

Ford equips the Tremor with trail control, a slow-speed cruise control for off-road trails. My tester featured one-pedal drive mode for the trail, as well as trail turn assist, which over-drives the outside rear wheel and brakes or under-drives the inside rear wheel to tighten the truck’s overall turning radius. This is especially helpful when your turning circle is compromised by four-wheel drive, and even more so when you have a longer vehicle like the F-150.

Cabin

Visibility is great for the front passengers sitting high above the road. The Tremor was basically the same interior as the average F-150, featuring black cloth seats with leather accents and contrast stitching. The cool Tremor logos are stitched into the large and comfortable front seats.

In the center stack, Ford’s 12-inch infotainment screen is the centerpiece for the navigation, climate, audio, and off-road controls for trail turn assist and much more.

You can get the F-150 in three trim packages: low, mid and high. My tester had the mid-package, which included heated seats, navigation, etc. The high-package will throw in such goodies as ventilated leather seats, a 12-inch digital instrument cluster, a B&O sound system with up to 18 speakers, a 360-degree camera system, rain-sensing wipers, adaptive headlights, and Co-Pilot360 Assist 2.0 with BlueCruise and Active Park Assist. You can also opt for a Hi-Lock transfer case, and a 2-speed automatic AWD system with mechanical locking 4WD.

I hear it all the time, ‘why do pickups cost so much these days?’ Well, I see it as being a price point reflecting the demand and capability of the vehicles more than greed by the manufacturers. You can still get in a full-size pickup for less than $40,000, but if you want to be the least bit pampered, or comfortable on and off the road, it’s going to be reflected in the cost.

My tester started at $61,110 and featured $11,035 in options, which brought it to $72,145 before destination/delivery. Given the capability, style, and reliability of the F-150, the Tremor is worth every bit you pay to elevate your pickup.

John Stein is a freelance journalist based in Chicago. He has more than 25 years of experience driving, testing, and writing about the automotive industry, its latest innovations, and vehicles.