Our Thoughts Exactly: 2025 Ford Expedition Tremor

The big news last year at Ford was the arrival of a new fifth generation Expedition. This is an important vehicle for families that the Blue Oval needed to get it right, 

The first question must be addressed: What can it do better than any of its competitors?

That is open question and can lead to many answers. That can range from improved powertrains and chassis components to making better use of passenger space and cargo access. You can make life better by creating a simpler and easier-to-use second row seat for third row access. 

Or, in the case of the 2025 Expedition, the Split Gate out back. 

Ford did not stop there, as it also introduced a new trim level to meet the demand of families looking to take the alternative route to their destination. The one that does not appear on most mapping software. 

This is why we have the 2025 Expedition Tremor in to work with. Not to seek out those roads, but to see if the ruggedized SUV trend fits with Ford’s largest offering.  

Looking back some thirty years of production, every generation of this large SUV is rooted in the body-on-frame platform laid down by the F-150 pickup truck. A lot of work was made to make it more amenable to carry up to eight passengers, along with plenty of cargo. It is worth mentioning that Ford has been working on this platform towards improving upon ride quality and stability throughout these years.

At the same, Ford also created a new design language that shares nothing with its pickup truck sibling. In this new Expedition, you can see where the effort has been out into overdrive. The front end is distinctive, while following Ford’s design tenets. The exterior lines are cleaner, devoid of visual trick while keeping it handsome and attractive for families.

The biggest attraction to the outside of the 2025 Expedition is the Split Gate. We we experienced this on the 2026 Lincoln Navigator we recently reviewed, we found it to be very useful in many different ways. The lower gate is strong enough for tailgate duty, while making things easier to load and unload overall. If you use the fob or the release(s) on the tailgate, it works to raise the upper section first before using the lower one. Very clever indeed!

This 2025 model is also the first time Ford applied its off-road ready Tremor trim to the Expedition. This ruggedized trim level adds 18-inch dark finished alloy wheels with 33-inch all-terrain tires. It raises the ground clearance to 10.6 inches. A set of steel sidesteps help in entry and exit from the passenger area. You will find plenty of Electric Spice – a sort-of lighter bronze/copper/gold color – trimmings throughout the exterior from the air intakes to the rear liftgate badging and on the wheels. 

Where Ford dove into distinguishing the new Expedition from both the previous generation and the F-150 sibling is its instrument panel. Between a 24-inch forward-mounted instrument cluster and information screen, along with a 13.2-inch center touchscreen display, the Ford Digital Experience has been reshaped into a modern cockpit. It takes some getting used to, but it works quite well. 

Buy the way, you will notice that every time your flick on the turn signal, a screen appears on each side of the instrument cluster showing you the lane beside you. Looks like Ford has adapted a very safe technology from some manufacturers who shall not be named in this review.

The steering wheel is best described as a rounded rectangle. It looks like something out of 1960 – yes, that is a compliment. To figure out which controls to use, just touch or finger swiupe the button on each side and their functions will appear on the instrument cluster screen. Again, it takes some getting used to, but it works just fine. 

Most controls are on or near the center stack, including the rotary transmission shifter. The center console has a power slide function that moves it forward or away from the center stack. Again, the Electric Spice trim shows up in various places throughout the cabin.

Our test vehicle has an eight-passenger seating configuration, Both the second- and third row offer a 40/20/40 split, enabling all sorts of cargo configurations. Seat comfort is quite good with these large front chairs. You can almost get away with up to eight adults inside, since the space is useful. 

About the cargo space, the 2025 Expedition measures up to 22.9 cubic feet with all three rows up. The challenge is to fit the rollator to the point that it does not scratch or dent ther cargo area. Doing so means folding down the third row, opening up the space to a maximum of 69.9 cubic feet. With both rows down, the absolute maximum cargo space is stretched to 108.5 cubic feet. 

Powering the 2025 Expedition Tremor is the High Output version of the EcoBoost twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6. That means you have 440 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque at your right foot’s command. A 10-speed automatic transmission, sending power to all four wheels. You can choose your adventure by utilizing the Terrain Management System and the Tremor’s exclusive Rock Crawl mode. You also have the ability to tow up to 9,300 pounds with an additional trailering package. 

You do feel the extra performance over the standard 400-horsepower version of the same engine. It is linear without the extra drama. It has to be that way, since it is carrying 5,668 pounds down the road. Highway cruising is fine, which can be enhanced with the hands-free Blue Cruise driver assistance technology with the appropriate subscription. 

As for fuel economy, we managed an average of 16.1 MPG.

Normal 2025 (and 2026) Expeditions ride very smooth. While the Tremor’s raised ride height and dampers match the smoothness of the rest of the lineup, you can hear its all-terrain tires coming through the cabin. Again, you’ll get used to it after a while. It becomes pleasant on smoother surfaces. The handling was on the softer side overall, especially through the turns. 

One complaint we had was with the steering. It takes more than the usual number of turns at the wheel to do so. That makes tighter maneuvers and sharper turns quite a challenge. Onn the positive side, on-center feel was on point. The brakes were good, yielding solid stops in normal and panic situations. The pedal feel was also pretty good. 

You do have a choice of two lengths/wheelbase – regular and the long-wheelbase MAX. There are four main trim levels to choose from, however the Tremor is exclusive to the regular wheelbase/length model. Pricing starts at $62,700. Our 2025 Ford Expedition Tremor test vehicle came with a sticker price of $86,695. The 2026 model should be slightly higher by $350. 

Before anyone acquiesces the large SUV segment to that company with its new headquarters on Woodward Avenue, we encourage you to at least take a look at the 2025/2026 Expedition. You might find something in this SUV you would like. 

The tough thing for consumers to is overcome its differences over its capabilities, accommodations, and performance. The Tremor trim has a lot of charm and instills the want of adventure. Even if the adventure is a road trip out of state.

When you have choices, it’s easy to get it wrong. You might even make the right choice in the end. A good look at the 2025/2026 Ford Expedition is worth considering. If this is the right combination for yoy and your family – go for it! 

DISCLAIMER: Vehicle provided by Ford Motor Company – our opinions are of our own

All photos by George Torline and Randy Stern