Ford offers some serious off-roaders in its Tremor line---the F-250 Tremor is a fearsome beast, the Ranger Tremor is a credible competitor to Toyota Tacoma TRDs .
But now, Ford's smallest pickup---the Maverick, in its second year on the market, is available in Tremor trim, too. And I'm sure many of you are wondering if this is where Ford loses the thread and this becomes purely an appearance package.
The answer is no.
The Maverick Tremor has one inch more of ground clearance than the standard Maverick. Because of the tidy overall package, it's hard, even in pictures, to accurately illustrate---but the Maverick Tremor has 9.4 inches of ground clearance. And ground clearance is gateway one to off-roading credentials. If you don't have it, you're not going anywhere to test the rest.
Maverick Tremors come standard with the 2.0-liter Ecoboost engine that's optional in other Mavericks. That brings 250 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque, 0-60 sprints in 6.5 seconds and an EPA-estimated combined city/highway fuel economy estimate of 21 miles per gallon. Other Tremor-specific gear includes a new-to-Maverick all-wheel drive system with a twin-clutch rear drive unit with differential lock that can divert virtually all rear axle torque to either wheel. There are also five selectable drive modes, plus Trail Control, which Ford describes as "like cruise control for off-roading". You set a speed, and the vehicle maintains it, allowing you to focus on steering through (or around) obstacles. The Maverick Tremor is also treated to Falken Wildpeak tires, unique shocks and springs, upgraded half-shafts and a heavy-duty transmission cooler. What this doesn't do is make the Maverick unpleasant to drive on pavement. It's every bit as smooth as the Ford Maverick Lariat Hybrid I tested last spring, with the welcome bonus of 59 extra horsepower, and an eight-speed automatic transmission instead of a CVT.
You can get the Tremor one of three ways on Maverick XLT and Lariat models---an appearance package for $1,495, the Tremor Off-Road package, with the hardware discussed above, for $2,995, or both together for $4,490. Our tester, a Maverick Lariat, had both. So the base price of what you see here is $33,940 including destination.
In terms of extra-cost options, Equipment Group 500A (LED headlamps with signature lighting, a 6.5″ LED instrument cluster screen, Intelligent Access with push-button start, an 8-way power driver’s seat, noise-reducing windshield, power sliding rear window, ambient lighting, dual-zone automatic temperature control) added $2,220. Splash guards were an additional $180. The Ford Co-Pilot 360 active safety system was $650, a spray-in bedliner $495 and---according to the window sticker---it cost $20 to have the 4G Wi-Fi hotspot removed.
That brings the as-tested price for the 2023 Ford Maverick Lariat Tremor AWD to $37,505.
And that fills a nice price and product gap for Ford...coming in more than ten grand below the as-tested price of the Ranger Tremor I reviewed a year and a half ago. If you're looking for a machine to conquer the Rubicon Trail, the Maverick Tremor isn't it. But if light off-roading in a truck that's also practical and livable as a daily driver is something you want, this should absolutely be on your list.
