- Tremor replaces the Timberline trim in Ford’s off-road SUV lineup.
- Standard upgrades include all-wheel drive (AWD), a raised suspension, improved approach and departure angles, skid plates, and all-terrain tires.
- The 2026 Tremor costs $51,210, so it’s $6,735 more than Active with AWD.
What is the Ford Explorer Tremor? This was the question a relative posed on a 3.5-hour road trip through the Rocky Mountains. The short answer is it’s the new off-road trim of the Explorer 3-row SUV.
It’s still a road-friendly SUV should you stay on the beaten track. My passenger hadn’t planned on off-roading, which was good. We didn’t have time to navigate Mount Princeton, Mount Antero, or Mount Shavano, which were just some of Colorado’s majestic 14ers beyond our windows. However, we were able to assess just how road-friendly this off-road trim was over about 400 miles of paved roads.
Tremor Replaces the Timberline
While we drove above the timberline at certain passes, Ford passed on the Explorer Timberline after the 2024 model year. For 2026, the Tremor effectively migrates as a trim package from Ford’s trucks into both the Explorer and the Expedition full-size SUV.
What Tremor Has That Explorer Doesn’t
Unlike many cosmetic off-road trims offered by rivals that may be derided as “soft-roaders,” which could have applied to the Explorer Timberline as well, the Explorer Tremor has mechanical upgrades to help climb where the pavement ends.
- 18-inch black alloy wheels wrapped in Bridgestone Dueler all-terrain tires
- Twin auxiliary lights in the grille
- Twin front recovery tow hooks
- Front and rear skid plates
- Revised front and rear
- Standard all-wheel drive (AWD)
- Torsen limited-slip rear differential
- Ground clearance raised one inch to 8.7 inches, which adds an inch to total vehicle height
- Approach and departure angles improve to 24.1 degrees (from 19.1 on standard Explorer) and 23.7 degrees (from 21.5 degrees), respectively
Tremor Builds Off the Active Trim
This is where it gets confusing. Technically, the Tremor builds off the base Active trim, but it comes with AWD, which is a $2,000 option on the $42,475 Active. (All listed vehicle prices include the destination fee.)
Ford uses Equipment Groups in addition to trims, but essentially the creature comforts on the Tremor are the same as the base model, with cloth seats, heated front seats that have power adjustments for the driver, twin 12.3-inch screens, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and at least two USB-C ports for each row of seats.
The 2026 Tremor costs $51,210, so it’s $6,735 more than Active with AWD.
Our test model had Equipment Group 800A, which bumps it from the base 300-horsepower 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-4 to the 385-hp 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6. Add another $7,200 for those upgrades. The tester also had the $11,850 Ultimate Package to bring the grand total to $64,405. Oof.
Even loaded with massaging seats, BlueCruise limited hands-free driving tech, and power-folding rear seats that made our trip even easier, there was still no wireless phone charger option.
How the Explorer Tremor Drives
Skip the Ultimate but keep the V6. It’s a potent remedy for 3-row doldrums, with a nominal turbo lag from a start but gobs of power everywhere in the range, as long as you stay active with the paddle shifters on the 10-speed automatic. Passing moves around semis on single-lane mountain roads gave us no pause and even if you want to avoid shifting, just put in Sport mode for the twitchiest responses.
Even with the all-terrain tires, the ride was comfy and surprisingly quiet. Some of this was due to the active noise cancellation and acoustic glass on the windshield and front windows. It handled with more squish, which is expected with AT tires, so if you’re looking for more on-road specific performance, check out the ST.
Off-Roading in the Tremor
We climbed an access road to a trailhead but most any SUV would’ve been fine on that dirt road. The increased approach and departure angles, as well as the extra inch of ground clearance, gave us the confidence to dip into a bit of a culvert and up the other side without scrapes. We wanted to see what was around the bend, but that was the end of our trail.
My passenger never noticed that the Explorer Tremor was an off-road package. That’s the beauty of it. It’s well-behaved on roads, yet capable enough to get wild.
