For the first time, Ford is introducing an off-road oriented Ford Expedition Tremor. Popularized across its pick-up trucks, the Tremor line is essentially a “Raptor lite.” In the real world, that means an Expedition with factory-installed off-road equipment for enhanced capability without compromising everyday usability.
To better understand why this Expedition exists, it’s important to remember that the Ford Expedition has been around for nearly 30 years. And since 1997 it has essentially fulfilled two core needs: full-size, truck-grade capability and family-friendly capacity.
The Expedition currently competes in a space where American manufacturers excel: premium, full-size family haulers. This category includes vehicles like the Chevy Tahoe/Suburban, GMC Yukon, Jeep Wagoneer and the San Antonio-built Toyota Sequoia.
Pros
- Classic design combined with robust technology
- Powerful engine and great towing capacity
- Legitimate off-road chops without sacrifice of daily drivability and family-focused design
Cons
- Steering wheel is too small
- Pricey trim package
- Potential popularity may lead to prohibitive dealer markups
Where We Tested
Ford invited a group of journalists to test the Expedition Tremor inside of Indiana’s beautiful 3,500-acre Interlake State Recreation Area. The park offers plenty of muddy, rutted off-road trails, enabling us to tackle terrain 99% of SUVs will likely never touch.
Some 48 hours later, here are five things I came away loving and one thing I didn’t.
1. The Tremor’s off-road upgrades are the real deal
Some of the Ford Expedition Tremor’s key off-road elements include a skid plate borrowed from the F-150 Raptor, an electronic locking rear-differential, 33-inch General Grabber all-terrain tires, low-range, Raptor-derived side steps, 10.6 inches of ground clearance and a suite of off-road driving modes.
One key feature I loved was the Expedition Tremor’s Trail Turn Assist. We tested this on a tight set of sidewinding downhill rutted paths and the tight turning radius made the Expedition feel downright small. It works by braking the inside wheel for pivoting in ultra tight corners.
Approach, departure and breakover angles are 21.1°, 23.5° and 19.3° respectively, which translate to more confident off-road prowess.
I love to camp so one of my favorite features is the built-in zone lighting: the Expedition Tremor has adjustable LED light strips in the roof rails and under the chassis, which can illuminate the area around the vehicle in four separate zones. Jurassic Park vibes indeed.
2. A tailgate worthy of tail wagging
The Expedition is 210 inches long and the Expedition Max version is a leviathan 222 inches. And while the dimensions remain the same as its predecessor, Ford has created 13% more cargo room behind the third row.
One of my favorite new features of the Expedition lineup is the introduction of a split tailgate design, a first in this segment. The rear hatch now has two parts: the upper section lifts up like a normal SUV liftgate, while the lower half drops down like a pickup truck tailgate – replete with a 500 lb capacity. We got to test that first hand in two moments: packing up our gear and, perhaps more serendipitously, playing with a batch of puppies, one of which my driving partner ended up adopting (she’s on the left above).
Under the rear cargo area is a unique multi-use element that can turn into an internal storage shelf or a tailgate table or latch in to turn the rear tailgate into a bench seat. I’ve seen a bench seat function as an available option in Range Rovers and it’s a welcome addition to the Expedition. It instantly makes the rear a place to congregate. Just add a Dometic fridge or Yeti Cooler and you’ve got an outdoor living room.
Ford went to considerable effort to add this feature to the Expedition Tremor, including retooling the Kentucky Truck Plant where the Expedition is manufactured, which we got to see first-hand.
3. A big powertrain suitable for big terrain
Despite lack of hybridization, Ford’s powertrain lineup for the Expedition is excellent. Ford equips every 2025 Expedition Tremor with the high-output EcoBoost engine that touts a hearty 440 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque.
The power plant makes the big Expedition surprisingly quick, only needing 5.5 seconds to go from zero to 60 mph. On and off-road that makes for a more confident experience pulling up hills and over ruts with a raft of people and cargo or hauling trailers.
The Tremor can tow up to 9,600 lbs — and up to 7,000 lbs without the use of a cumbersome weight-distribution hitch.
To be clear, the 4×4 Expedition Tremor does not sip fuel — the roughly 27-gallon tank means you’ll be in line at Costco Gas roughly every 400 miles pumping premium. For now, I think the fuel trade-off is worth it.
4. The Tremor devours the trails and the miles
The BFGoodrich award-winning trail that we traversed, which included relatively easy sections alongside more technical terrain, provided ample opportunities to test the Tremor.
It tackled trails with aplomb and ease. And while you can’t defy physics or ground clearance, the Expedition impressed me for a full-size SUV thanks to its low cowl, huge windows and dashboard design, which translate to fantastic visibility.
The interior 360° cameras and well-tuned software make off-roading a civilized affair. I could feel the electronic locking differential (rear-only) doing its job in articulated sections, and the traction control maintained forward momentum on steep climbs and deeper mud ruts.
On the road, Ford’s generally excellent BlueCruise soaks up the highway miles with drama-free, hands-free driving. Version 1.4 is especially deft at handling the kind of long curves found on highways that typically vex less sophisticated lane departure systems, and lane changing assist worked flawlessly the dozen or so times I used it on the several hours of highway driving to and from Interlake.
5. Thankful for traditional design
I think Ford’s full-size vehicle design is exactly what it needs to be. Square-ish, great wheel stance and lots of upright angles. I would prefer for the Expedition Tremor to have a bit more wheel offset, but I’m assuming the mud tires and articulation require the wheels to be inset to where they are.
Some might complain that the Expedition Tremor’s design feels too safe, but my stance is that on vehicles this large a dearth of design is usually the better choice. The grill is a bit overcooked, but the rear and profile of the Expedition are immediately recognizable.
The stoic design may not mean leapfrogging its competition in aesthetics, but my sense is that the Expedition will age more handsomely than some of its competition. I applaud the conservatism.
The thing I didn’t love: A mismatched steering wheel
Steering wheels are where we connect with a vehicle and as with an F1 car, they’re increasingly responsible for myriad vehicle controls. It’s a critical touchpoint. The new Expedition’s “squircle” steering wheel works in its more road-focused variants, but it feels mismatched in the Tremor. And it’s a shame, because Ford has plenty of great steering wheels including the one in its direct sibling, the F-150 Tremor.
Ford has a perfectly good reason for this avant-garde wheel, and I can’t blame them for trying. The squatter wheel allows for improved forward visibility and uninterrupted sight of its massive 24-inch curved display mounted high up on the dashboard. This screen negates the need for a HUD and better pairs with the excellent hands-free BlueCruise technology. On my long highway drive it made complete sense.
Ford’s desire to push the technology quotient is admirable — and make no mistake, the Expedition is packed to the gills with tech that I’ve hardly touched on in this review. But the diminutive steering wheel detracts from the Tremor’s otherwise excellent off-road driving setup. I can only proffer a layman’s solution by suggesting Ford bring one of its full-size truck steering wheels into the Tremor and implementing software that moves the gauges outside of the view of the wheel.
