Ford Explorer Tremor (US) review: the family SUV that goes out of bounds

Did you just pull us over?

It may seem like we’re impersonating Johnny Law, but this is no police interceptor, it’s the Ford Explorer Tremor, a new version of the popular mid-sized SUV ready to take you off the beaten path. You’re not too far off the mark, though.

Do tell.

Simply speaking, the Explorer Tremor is a granola-ed version of the Explorer ST, the sportiest trim of the family hauler, with the high-output 400hp 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 EcoBoost engine and the hardware that goes with it, such as more substantial brake discs. The Tremor treatment includes the suspension being jacked up by an inch and change, fitted with 18-inch wheels shod in all-terrain rubber, skid plates and the inclusion of a limited-slip diff, a feature exclusive to this version of the Explorer.

All told, it’s not too dissimilar to the utility interceptor used by law enforcement, as evidenced by the integrated LED lights in the grille, which are almost a whole-cloth lift from the cop car. Further ‘Tremorizing’ includes a smattering of ‘electric spice’, the signature orange accent color for the Tremor family of vehicles. These aren’t just for looks, either. The accents highlight key elements like the tow hooks and the part of the wheel housing the tire valve stem, so they can be easily spotted in a pinch.

This is starting to sound like the Explorer’s Timberline trim.

It’s pretty much a replacement for that, yes. With the Tremor becoming the in-house line of rugged vehicle variants, this move does make sense in terms of organizing. It sure helps us keep track of it all.

While we’re at it, some other details to keep in mind are that the Tremor comes with the aforementioned V6 EcoBoost, but it does have the smaller 2.3-liter EcoBoost if you so choose. Why would you? It’s slightly more fuel efficient, netting drivers 23mpg combined rather than the 22mpg offered by the V6. My, what a savings.

What’s it like inside?

The electric spice flows rather considerably throughout the interior, highlighting the black interior, the only available scheme for the Tremor’s cabin. With the captain’s seats in the second row and a fold-down third, the Explorer Tremor seats six in relative comfort, leaving 16.3 cu ft (462 liters) of cargo space, or up to 46 cu ft (1,303 liters) with the back row folded. If you’re loading up with more gear than people, there’s 85.3 cu ft (2,415 liters) of space to utilize.

Up front is standard Ford fare, with a limited number of hard buttons and knobs, relegating most convenience functions to the 13.2in touchscreen. Behind the wheel is a substantial digital display that can be customized as well as show navigational directions, so long as you’re utilizing the native system.

Sounds techy. How’s it all work?

There’s plenty of easy to use tools here. To start, the Ford interface makes good use of the screen’s space thanks to multiple, configurable windows. Most apps and tools remain buried in the main ‘app’ page, however. Still, integrated Google maps is nifty, as is access to most Google Play apps if that’s your go-to digital ecosystem. Copilot 360 assist 2.0 is standard in the Tremor, which also means you get a full suite of 360-degree cameras to play with, on or off the road.

On the way to adventures, drivers can utilize the latest version of Blue Cruise, Ford’s hands-free driving assist program. This latest version finally adds automatic lane changes, though we couldn’t get it to engage during our time with it. So long as we’re nitpicking, the cabin of the Tremor has a number of places for phones to sit though none of them offer wireless charging.

The Explorer has some fairly powerful seat massagers, which truly help ease the long highway hauls… they’re also unusually loud, requiring us to bump up the tunes on the 14-speaker B&O sound system in an effort to drown them out.

Aren’t you precious.

We’re allowed to be passenger princesses in-between overlanding excursions if we so choose.

Can it actually off-road?

It can, so long as you don’t get overly ambitious. Compared to the standard Explorer, the Tremor’s got 8.7 inches of clearance, along with 23.5 and 23.7 degrees of approach and departure angles while the standard car manages just 19.7 and 21.5 degrees, respectively. Rest assured, the Explorer Tremor can tackle some seriously rough terrain far better than the other models, but it won’t come close to what more dedicated off-roaders can do, even within the Tremor family. The unibody SUV extra clearance helps, but the limits of its suspension travel keeps it from surmounting significant obstacles.

Indeed, even the full-sized Expedition Tremor was able to be smoother on the catch when the large SUV dropped down on its wheels. You’ll be thankful for the standard skid plates, is what we’re saying.

The Tremor’s dedicated off-road drive mode is dialed in to provide maximum grip when needed for rock crawls or sand patches, and activating it keeps the front camera on the whole time, with guide lines to help make sure you don’t put a wheel wrong. This and the full array of cameras are incredibly handy out in the rough, and the fact that it’s not deactivated after a certain speed puts it ahead of other cars which have similar systems. We’re looking at you, Toyota 4Runner.

What about on the pavement?

The extra grunt of the V6 goes a long way into making this version of the Explorer more nimble than expected, particularly helped when sport mode is engaged to make full use of the power at hand. As such, the Explorer Tremor is quick to get up to speed on the low end, as well as during highway overtakes. The closer you get up to the SUV’s upper limits, however, the engine quickly becomes exasperated, which is likely why Ford has digitally gated the top speed at 113mph, keeping it within its most effective range.

All told, the Explorer Tremor understands its assignment as an adventure vehicle that can easily transition back and forth from moderate off-roading to standard road driving.

What’s the final takeaway?

If you were waiting for a more rugged version of the Explorer – and you slept on the Timberline – this is your moment. The Explorer Tremor takes all the best bits from the sporty ST and puts them to use with its off-road hardware and software to make it a go-almost-anywhere family adventure vehicle. Indeed, at $48,465, its starting price makes it a good deal more affordable than the sporty range-topper, though added packages easily boost the final price to around $64,000.

Ultimately, the Ford Explorer Tremor is impressive enough for what it brings to the table, but it lacks that ‘wow’ factor. As a slightly more off-road-capable Explorer, it does little more than what’s expected of it. If you spend enough time tending to a large property or frequent places just out of the bounds of civilization, the Explorer Tremor’s got you covered while also functioning as a daily utility workhorse without compromise.