2021 Ford Ranger Tremor Offers Great Value as Raptor Alternative

The new Ranger Tremor is packed with features and upgrades that make its modest price tag well worth it.

For whatever reason, Ford continues to deny its North American customers the privilege of buying a Ranger Raptor, though slight that could possibly end when the next-gen model debuts in the next few years. However, to whet our appetites for a more hardcore, off-road variant of the mid-size pickup, we do now have the option of purchasing the all-new 2021 Ford Ranger Tremor. And as it turns out, the Tremor is a pretty darn capable package, too.

At least, that’s what The Fast Lane Truck found out when they got their hands on one recently for a proper walkaround. To start, TFLT goes over all of the goodies that make the Ranger Tremor better than the average Ranger. They include its 32-inch Continental General Grabber A/TX all-terrain tires, which are wrapped around new 17-inch Magnetic-painted wheels.

To make room for those larger tires, the Ranger Tremor has been lifted roughly 0.8 inches. It wears Fox 2.0 shocks underneath, much like a Raptor, with piggyback reservoirs in the rear. Suspension travel has increased as a result, by 20 millimeters in the front and 30 in the rear. That’s aided by a multi-leaf rear spring setup and reduced anti-roll bar stiffness, the latter of which help minimize disruption over rough terrain.

Those parts also make the Ranger Tremor about a half-inch wider than a regular Ranger, so Ford gave it some fender flares to cover the wider track. Up front, there’s a large skid plate, tow hooks, red accents in the Magnetic grille, and an aggressive, bulging hood. Down the sides, the Tremor features hoop-style steps for running boards and Tremor graphics on the bedsides, though an optional Tremor graphics package is available, too.

Inside, the Ranger Tremor has embroidered seats, six auxiliary switches for additional off-road lighting and other goodies, as well as buttons for the truck’s locking rear differential and Terrain Management System off-road modes including Trail Control, which is basically cruise control for slow-speed off-roading.

Unfortunately, TFLT (and the rest of the automotive media world) is under a strict driving impressions embargo until February 10, so they can’t share any additional thoughts just yet. However, they do note that the Ranger Tremor is an overall excellent value for the money.

“The Tremor package is about a $4,200 option,” our host notes. “It’s available on both the Lariat or even the more basic XLT, and that’s probably one of the coolest parts about the package. The truck you see behind me comes in at $48,000, which in the world of top dog mid-size off-road trucks really isn’t all that bad when you consider a Gladiator Rubicon can go well into the $60,000 range.”

We’ll have to reserve final judgment until we can drive (and talk) about the Ranger Tremor, of course. But at least on paper, it sure looks like one heck of a value.

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Brett Foote

Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.

He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.