Runs Up That Hill
The ground doesn’t quite tremor in its wake, as it may with the grunt of an approaching raptor, but cottage roads take heed, this is the bane of your existence. Canadians love pickup trucks – especially the Ford F-150. Fuel prices be damned – if it’s big and bedded, we’ve gotta have it, even though most of us don’t actually need it. The pickup is basically a Canadian staple by now – as is the yearly trip (or trips) to the cottage. That means rougher dirt paths, small town roads in various states of condition, and a whole lot of hauling. But this is a sizeable unit. It’s not exactly fit to be a secondary vehicle. Many of us don’t have the budget or the space to store two cars. One is challenging enough at the best of times, so let’s see how this shakes up our garage conventions.
It is our opinion that tight city streets have little need for massive pickup trucks such as the F-150. Yet they grow in number every day. Compared to a typical F-150, the Tremor starts is list of changes with tweaked suspension. Ford’s fitted it with ‘Tremor’ branded monotube shocks in the front, twin tube shocks in the back, and re-worked upper control arms and front hub knuckles. Don’t worry if none of that makes sense. Just know it’ll handle uneven ground, off-road events and non-asphalt surfaces better than its sibling. That’s also due in part to some chunky 33-inch rubber. It’s no Raptor, mind you, but for most of our needs, it more than delivers. Bonus points arrive in its on-road application of these goodies. We found it made for a comfier ride on the streets and highway. Awful Toronto roads felt smoother than we’ve ever experienced and road noise was actually very tolerable on the highway, despite this appearing to be a brick on wheels.
The Tremor doesn’t live up to its name in the sense of how smoothly it drives. But where you do feel some uncomfortable shaking is in its transmission. Ford’s 10-speed automatic is incredibly versatile, finding use across its range. But in slower traffic it often struggled to quickly and smoothly find gears, leading to some unpleasant jerkiness at times – especially with the start/stop system. But mash the throttle and the Tremor feels much more rapid than its size suggests. The 10-speed is paired up with a 400hp 500 lb-ft 3.5L Ecoboost V6 engine. The numbers don’t lie, and neither does the feeling it gives – this engine is no slouch, but it’s hardly a bully either. Precision and tact hardly seems like the ethos for a pickup, but the way the Tremor delivers that power is weirdly luxurious. It’s smooth, gradual and not jarring – until the transmission jerks you back to the ground that is. Unless of course the fuel price does that first. We never make an effort to drive conservatively, nor do we drive like jerks (at least we don’t think we do). We try to drive like a normal human being. And after a week of doing so, we got a rather ghastly 15.1 L/100km, through a mix of city, highway and country driving.
If the big goldenrod logo on the bed didn’t identify this trim level, and you somehow missed the colour-matched tow-hooks and grille stripe, stepping inside certainly will drive the message home. This colour scheme is a subtle, and welcome addition to the truck, giving it an oddly austere luxurious appeal. The cabin is laden with features, safety tech and passenger comfort. Off road wannabes and enthusiasts alike will appreciate the easy access to features like one-pedal driving and a 360-degree camera, the Bronco’s trail turn assistance, power sockets in the bed, and the rest of us will enjoy additions like wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, a wireless charging pad, heated and cooled front seats and exterior bed lighting. Granted, some of those are optional extras – part of the $16,570 Tremor High Equipment Group. That also throws in goodies like heated rear seats, a crispy 8-speaker B&O sound system, and power adjusting pedals for vertically challenged people like me – plus some very plush Tremor-branded leather seats for the driver and front passenger.
The Tremor does start at a very reasonable $63,145 in Canada. Options and accessories can quickly drive up that cost, however. But if off-road capability is a must, and the Raptor is simply too thirsty or too pricey for your blood, the Tremor isn’t a compromise. You’re not the King of the Hammers. It’ll suit your needs, save you some cash, and keep your speeding tickets to a minimum.
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