Ford offers us a pair of extreme off-road machines in the F-150 Raptor and F-150 Tremor. How do these two trucks stack up together?
If you think of these two Ford trucks like you do the sauce you find at your local chicken wing restaurant, you can understand the differences right away. The Raptor is currently, the spiciest sauce you can get on the wings. If you eat from the Raptor menu, you might enter a contest for the most and hottest that can be eaten just so you can win a prize such as a t-shirt.
On the other hand, the Tremor is more like that in-between sauce. Its just spicy enough to make things interesting when you visit the toilet the next day, but not enough to make things uncomfortable while you’re dining. You’ll enjoy the little bit of kick, you might need more to drink than normal, but no one is bringing you a t-shirt or putting your picture on the flaming wall of fame because you chose the Tremor menu.
Now that we have the chicken wing and sauce analogy out of the way, let’s get down to business.
What is the Ford F-150 Raptor?
If you’re looking for the truck against which all other off-road trucks are measured, the Raptor is that truck. This is the reason Ram created the TRX and the Chevy has the Silverado ZR2. The Raptor rides on massive 37-inch tires, it had advanced Fox shocks, and it can easily rumble over any tough terrain. This truck was made to run across the desert in a hurry and take everything at full-tilt. When you want to go hardcore during your off-road adventures, the Raptor is the truck you want to drive.
The Tremor is No Slouch
Just because the F-150 Tremor isn’t as spicy as the Raptor, doesn’t mean it’s an incapable truck. The Tremor is a fully-capable, 4WD, off-road-ready truck that has everything you need for a fun time in the wilderness. This new variant of the F-150 arrived last year and it can climb some hill, pull others out of trouble, and take you to the depths of the wilderness. When you want a truck that has strong power and plenty to offer for some of-road fun, the F-150 Tremor is an excellent option and one that you’re sure to love driving.
Side By Side Differences Appear
Putting the Raptor and Tremor versions of the F-150 together shows us just how different these two Ford trucks can be. The Raptor brings it bulging bodywork, massive tires, lifted body, block lettering in the grille, and a healthy dose if hard plastic body cladding. Looking to the Tremor, we see a truck with a capable feeling to it, front tow hooks, a central grille stripe to make it stand out, and a face that fits right in the Ford lineup. Where the Raptor stands out and screams “look at me” the Tremor quietly goes about its business and shows you what it can do.
Soon, The Tremor Will be Third in Line
A new V8-powred Raptor R is on the horizon. This beast will sit above the Raptor in the Ford lineup. This pushes the Tremor down a notch, but don’t think that’s going to be a problem. The Tremor offers you the dedicated off-road items you want including locking differentials, trail-focused technology, and 33-inch General Grabber tires. You’ll have a hard time finding a hill you can’t climb or a stream you can’t cross with the Tremor version of the F-150.
The Tremor isn’t just an off-road equipped version of the regular Ford F-150 either. This truck has suspension upgrades to give it a lifted right height. You’ll find upgraded springs and shocks to handle the tough rides on the trails. The front knuckles and upper control arms are upgraded to give the lift you desire. The Tremor stands up tall and its only 1.4 inches shorter than the Raptor with the 37-inch tires. If you have the standard 35-inch tires on the Raptor, that difference in height is only one-half inch, which means the Tremor is ready to tackle every off-road challenge.
The Raptor Offers More Ground Clearance
If you’re looking for the most ground clearance you can have between the F-150 Raptor and Tremor, you want to go with the Raptor. Although the top of the cab in the Tremor sits almost as tall as the Raptor, the clearance is much different. The F-150 Raptor clears 13.1 inches under the floor of the truck. This is 3.5 inches higher than what you’ll find in the Tremor. You’ll also have a wider diving track with the Raptor, which is 4.8-inches wider in the rear and 5.8-inches wider in the front compared to its off-road sibling.
Both Trucks Have Awesome Power
One of the most impressive qualities of the F-150 Raptor is the amount of power that comes out of the V6 engine for this truck. The Ford 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine is situated under the hood of both models of the F-150 to give you plenty of power. The Raptor is tuned to 50 more horsepower than the Tremor, which reaches 400 ponies galloping under the hood. These two trucks also share the front locking Torsen differential and a few other items, making them true off-road siblings that can play hard together on the trails.
Similar, Not the Same
If you though the Ford F-150 Raptor and F-150 Tremor trucks were the same, you don’t think that now. The Raptor is the more hardcore off-road truck, but the Tremor has everything you need for a lot of fun on the trails. Incidentally, if you’re looking for the better truck for towing, the Tremor does have the Raptor beat with a towing capacity of 10,900 pounds compared to the 8,200 pounds for the Raptor.
Will you choose either the F-150 Raptor or Tremor to be the Ford truck you love to drive? Both are extremely capable and can easily handle everything you throw at them.
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