Motortrend TOTY: Tremor off-road capability sucks

[Trämör]

Found this 2021 Tremor review surprising. And also quite critical. People keep complaining about the GM and Ford interiors being outdated. I agree on the GM one. I think the Ford one isn’t outdated but rather decidedly balancing the need for newer tech with the tried-and-true haptic elements. It’s honestly just dumb to call the RAMs interior consistently “modern” for the only reason that it has a 12-inch tablet-sized screen. Other than that, the RAM interior is about as dated as all others. It’s JUST the screen. Everything else you can find in the Ford too. Plus even myself as an avid employee of, participant in and fanatic of new technology, I do think the current gen and upcoming gen Fords have enough Tech in the cabin. There’s no benefit in my view at this point to move more haptics into the screen experience and away from buttons (extreme example being Tesla). The interiors of today, across all manufacturers, are as efficient as can be. Sure, the systems UX can improve, but that’s not what testers are complaining about.

2021 Ford F-250 Tremor and F-350 Limited Pros and Cons Review

Ford took its toughest pickup trucks in for a thorough overhaul. Can the heavy-duty Ford Super Duty take the Golden Calipers again?

www.motortrend.com

 

[Mach'er]

I think they think that everything needs to be a Baja race truck in order to be considered off-road capable.

My Tremor is not my old Raptor. That much is true. But different skill sets doesn't mean it doesn't have skills. It really seems they only wanna blast fast and go "whooo hooo!"

 

[Wrangler98]

Found this 2021 Tremor review surprising. And also quite critical. People keep complaining about the GM and Ford interiors being outdated. I agree on the GM one. I think the Ford one isn’t outdated but rather decidedly balancing the need for newer tech with the tried-and-true haptic elements. It’s honestly just dumb to call the RAMs interior consistently “modern” for the only reason that it has a 12-inch tablet-sized screen. Other than that, the RAM interior is about as dated as all others. It’s JUST the screen. Everything else you can find in the Ford too. Plus even myself as an avid employee of, participant in and fanatic of new technology, I do think the current gen and upcoming gen Fords have enough Tech in the cabin. There’s no benefit in my view at this point to move more haptics into the screen experience and away from buttons (extreme example being Tesla). The interiors of today, across all manufacturers, are as efficient as can be. Sure, the systems UX can improve, but that’s not what testers are complaining about.

2021 Ford F-250 Tremor and F-350 Limited Pros and Cons Review

Ford took its toughest pickup trucks in for a thorough overhaul. Can the heavy-duty Ford Super Duty take the Golden Calipers again?

www.motortrend.com

I’m a fan of knobs over flat screen controls anyways, don’t have to take my eyes off the road to adjust the climate control

 

[RaptorTremor]

I hate motortrend. All they tested was trails more fit for a raptor. Its like saying a raptor sucks at offroading when all they tested it in was mud and rocks where it isn't designed to be. I have taken my tremor on trails similar to what they tested on and it wasn't too bad at upwards of 45 mph. Of course the tremor can go places like this but it wasn't the intention of ford to have it be a fun experience to bomb down a dirt road.

 

[PapaRaptor]

Motortrend = Fake News.

MOGA= Make off-roading great again Buy a Tremor

 

[Trämör]

I hate motortrend. All they tested was trails more fit for a raptor. Its like saying a raptor sucks at offroading when all they tested it in was mud and rocks where it isn't designed to be. I have taken my tremor on trails similar to what they tested on and it wasn't too bad at upwards of 45 mph. Of course the tremor can go places like this but it wasn't the intention of ford to have it be a fun experience to bomb down a dirt road.

AND they are comparing banans with apples. Because they're comparing it to the Power Wagon and that's hardly an HD truck.

 

[RaptorTremor]

AND they are comparing banans with apples. Because they're comparing it to the Power Wagon and that's hardly an HD truck.

Correct, the power wagon is extremely sacrificed while a tremor can do 90% of the same things while also doing way more work.

 

[spmpop75]

The point Motortrend misses is the Tremor is more designed to go off road with a load (tuck camper or trailer) and would probably handle better doing so. PW cant do that, at all.

 

[JC_Tremor]

Motor Trend panders to the audience, their testing is just what their readers want to see. I want to say their criteria is in opposition. They claim the Tremor has impressive payload but then is bumpy when offroading which is against their criteria...Like someone said above, they want a baja truck? Their criteria seems a bit strange.

They claim the Dodge has an amazing interior why, because of a screen? Are they attempting to push manufacturers in that direction because they want that? I for one do not, I likely wouldn't buy the Tremor if it had that. My wife's Volvo already has it and I rather dislike it. It can be slow, gets dirty with finger prints and I find it annoying as it is not instantaneous at times when I have time to look at it.

Buttons and knobs are so much more direct and positive feeling. I don't want a cell phone screen for A/C.

They never even addressed any of the new features the Tremor has...that's a joke of a review.

 

[SVT4X4]

For some people it is the largest screen that wins, but not for me. I like knobs for certain features and screen for other.

 

[Mach'er]

For some people it is the largest screen that wins, but not for me. I like knobs for certain features and screen for other.

I like knobs and buttons I can use without taking off my work gloves. Doing maintenance on a mile of two-track and trails means getting in and out of the cab a lot.

 

[ICT Tremor]

The Tremor gives up off-road capability so that it can town and haul like an actual HD truck.

The Power Wagon gives up essentially all ability to tow and haul like an actual HD truck, for off-road capability.

Choose the red pill or blue pill, but not both. It's a zero sum decision.

The Tremor fits the bill PERFECTLY for someone who wants an HD truck with an off-road bias, but still needs to... you know... like, tow or haul something like an HD truck.

 

[RaptorTremor]

The Tremor gives up off-road capability so that it can town and haul like an actual HD truck.

The Power Wagon gives up essentially all ability to tow and haul like an actual HD truck, for off-road capability.

Choose the red pill or blue pill, but not both. It's a zero sum decision.

The Tremor fits the bill PERFECTLY for someone who wants an HD truck with an off-road bias, but still needs to... you know... like, tow or haul something like an HD truck.

The ram doesn't much sense at all, a raptor will do just as much work and be better offroad. I'd say the tremor is a perfect compromise, especially with some mods.

 

[Wrangler98]

Like we need a 12 inch screen right in our faces when we are trying to drive at night. And the power wagon drivetrain, engine combo is old news. Install a 10 spd and a hellcat engine and I might look at it. But I’d still take an aluminum body that will never rust and a 6.7 anyday!

 

[Sludgemonkey44]

Ford F-250 Tremor: tough as nails and surprisingly usable — DriveTribe

Normally known for being utilitarian, this versatile truck takes you anywhere in comfort. Posted on DriveTribe by Kurt Bradley. Heavy duty pickups get a hard time for being all work and no play. Driving dynamics comparable to a Sherman tank with interior comfort levels rivaling those of prison...

apple.news

Here is another review that’s a little more favorable.

 

[richtor]

They said the ride sucked. Did they mention one thing the Tremor did not do off road the others could?

These are the same people that voted ridgeline truck of the year. Haha

 

[Apparition]

They didn’t even get the horsepower correct

 

[Marley]

The PW while very capable, might as well be a 1500 series truck.
It's actually an insult to the 6.4 Hemi to be shoved into a truck with minimal payload and towing capacity.

The Tremor works first and plays later.

Motor trend is getting incentives to speak in tounge.

 

[abqbw]

They made a false assumption when they said they downgraded the Tremor because it’s not the best for intended function “off-roading”. The Tremor is designed to be a heavy duty truck with decent off-road capabilities. And Ford nailed it. After 10,000 miles hauling my slide-in pop-up camper all across the inter-mountain west on and off road in my 100% stock Tremor I think Ford absolutely nailed the balance between the two largely mutually exclusive functions of load hauling and off road capabilities. There really isn’t a truck like the Tremor.

 

[Apparition]

They made a false assumption when they said they downgraded the Tremor because it’s not the best for intended function “off-roading”. The Tremor is designed to be a heavy duty truck with decent off-road capabilities. And Ford nailed it. After 10,000 miles hauling my slide-in pop-up camper all across the inter-mountain west on and off road in my 100% stock Tremor I think Ford absolutely nailed the balance between the two largely mutually exclusive functions of load hauling and off road capabilities. There really isn’t a truck like the Tremor.

It’s really dependent on the definition of off-road, the Tremor will never be a Raptor in the desert nor will it compete with my LJ on the rocks. But IMO it’s a phenomenal platform for a basecamp if trailering other toys or for overlanding being able to adequately store enough supplies for literally weeks at a time.