2025 Ford Expedition Tremor First Drive Review: Family Adventure

If you listen to Ford, it created the full-size SUV with the Expedition almost 30 years ago.

It’s a dubious claim: the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, the Expo’s evergreen competitors (and segment sales leaders) have been doing the whole one-truck-to-rule-them-all thing for a lot longer. Nonetheless, as the flagship SUV of the Blue Oval lineup, the 2025 Ford Expedition has a lot riding on its broad shoulders. Not only is it a major money-maker for Ford, the brand says the latest Expo is more family-friendly, easier to live with and, with the addition of a Tremor trim, more capable off the tarmac.

And those claims? Based on this initial get-to-know-you meeting with the ’25 lineup in Ontario’s cottage country, Ford has nailed ‘em all.

Call this a very substantial refresh instead of an entirely new generation. The Expo’s external measurements are all essentially the same as before, in both regular-length wheelbase and extended Max form. Under the skin, Ford engineers have redesigned the front half of the frame, adjusting mounting points and adding softer mounts to improve ride quality.

A sole engine remains on the menu, the tried-and-true EcoBoost V6. It comes in two states of tune: the standard setup makes 400 horsepower and 480 peak pound-feet of torque, while the high output option bumps those figures to 480 and 510, respectively. The latter EcoBoost is standard in the new Tremor, which is only available in the short (“short”) wheelbase shape. While I briefly drove a Platinum during the event, the rest of my time was spent behind the wheel of this new addition, which also benefits from upgrades like 10.6 inches of ground clearance, two-speed transfer case, locking rear differential, and 18-inch wheels shod in General Grabber A/T tires.

Cabin changes are much more dramatic, with a big focus on tech care of a graduated pair of screens.

All this comes wrapped in an updated exterior look that, to these eyes anyway, looks fresh. The front fascia features a new headlight design that better aligns the Expo with the rest of the truck family, while giving it its own personality. The light bar wrapping below the grille gives the Expo a “chin” of sorts, though it avoids the over-the-top aggression found on the Chevy/GMC twins. There’s no hiding this is a big ol’ box on wheels, but Ford uses a few choice character lines in the bodywork and black-out pillars aft of the windshield to pull some of that visual weight out. Around back is where the Expo gets controversial, with a blacked-out upper section to emphasize the switch to a split tailgate. More on that in a bit.

The Tremor does ratchet up the ruggedness a bit. In addition to blacked-out badging and roof rails, it has a chopped front bumper for better approach angles, replete with Electric Spice accents and matching tow hooks. A pair of high-intensity lights are built into the grille bar as well—these aren’t meant for road use, mind you. Underneath, there are standard steel bash plates protecting the front axle, transfer case, and gas tank. Tremor buyers also get the trim-exclusive Wild Green paint seen here.

(I want to take a quick detour to say that the King Ranch’s bronzed-up two-tone wheels shown above look incredible.)

The Tremor only coming with the high-output engine is as much a branding exercise as anything. This is a vehicle knocking on the door of 6,000 pounds: the extra power won’t be too noticeable, but it is welcome all the same. The Expo gets up and goes as quick as one should reasonably need something this size to. There’s even a bit of V8-like rumble to it when it’s working—when idling, the EcoBoost has an almost diesel-like grumble. Ford has improved the responses of its 10-speed automatic; as in the refreshed ’25 Explorer, there’s no gear-hunting or indecision like in older examples.

What likely matters more to buyers is that the 2025 Expedition can tow up to 9,600 pounds when properly equipped—trim-dependant, of course.

Buyers also don’t expect stellar fuel economy. That’s good, because the Expedition doesn’t post high scores. With 4WD, which is standard on all but the base Active in America, and standard on everything in Canada, we’re talking just 15 mpg city and 22 mpg highway, with a combined 18 mpg rating. Canadian figures are 15.4, 10.7, and 13.3 L/100 km, respectively. The Tremor does worse still, though neither the EPA or NRCAN break out just how much.

Look, this is a big vehicle. The standard model is a hair under 210 inches (5,334 millimeters) in length, rides on a 122.5-inch (3,112-mm) wheelbase, and is as wide as a road vehicle can be without needing additional lights. It drives as you’d expect: large and reasonably in charge. There’s some mental gymnastics necessary to get past piloting something so huge with a wheel so tiny, but look past that and the Expo has consistent weighting to its helm. The brakes are also sharp and predictable, much better than the Chevrolet Tahoe or Nissan Armada we drove recently.

Ford also put us through a custom-built off-road course to showcase the Tremor’s talents. This wasn’t a barely-trying trail to flatter the Expo: there were areas where not only did the skid plates come in handy, we were encouraged to test ‘em. Here the 10.6 inches of ground clearance prove useful, and switching between drive modes or 4HI and 4LO produce noticeable results. Over uneven, gravelly yumps, the Tremor initially struggles to find purchase in its default setting. Activate the rear locker and it clambers through like an oversized Bronco. Tight turns are where the Trail Turn Assist shines, braking the inside wheel to effectively shrink the turning circle.

There’s also an off-road one-pedal drive feature which automatically applies the brakes when the driver isn’t on the throttle. This is helpful when picking lines through rocks is crucial, letting the driver focus on small inputs—further helped by the available off-road camera views, which helpfully include lines to signal tire tracks. On the other side, Trail Control acts like off-road cruise control, keeping a steady speed as the Tremor makes its way over downed trees or down steep hills.

It’s likely too big to truly mix it with dedicated off-roaders, but given the space, the Expedition Tremor is plainly very capable off the tarmac.

With its plump AT tires and raised suspension, the Tremor is the best-riding trim in the ’25 Expedition fleet. Sure, there’s more road noise from those 33s, but that’s an acceptable trade-off. A quick go in a Platinum on its mega 24-inch wheels reveals a harsher ride, not to mention a busier feel from the squircle steering wheel. Ford’s refusal to add an air suspension to the Expedition’s repertoire does limit the breadth of its ride/handling capabilities, not to mention the ease of ingress and egress.

Boy oh boy is it comfy inside, though. The front seats are just squishy enough, and the Platinum adds in a highly adjustable massage function. Second-row space is similarly massive, a huge panoramic glass roof helping the feeling of space. Buyers have the choice of two- or three-seat second rows. The way-back easily fits two adults, or three kids. Ford has switched up the third row with a useful 40/20/40 split, enabling owners to easily stow larger items like fishing rods or skis.

That split tailgate isn’t just a stylistic choice. Not only does it keep loose items from making a break for it, the lower section is good for 500 pounds, so it works as a bench at base camp. An available cargo shelf doubles the available surface area, and can also double as a backrest when flipped around.

The cabin sees the most dramatic transformation, moving the Expedition away from the F-150 and embracing a look all its own. Okay, the sunken-shelf dashboard design is clearly related to the one found in the also-redone Lincoln Navigator, but the proletariat Expo ditches the full-width screen for a 24.0-inch setup. With so much empty space on the passenger side, I foresee many co-pilots using the curved surface to hold road trip detritus. The rejigged center console moves the shift dial up closer to the center touchscreen, unlocking an abundance of storage space including the wireless charger. The black textured trim of the Tremor is appropriately outdoorsy, as well. It’s an altogether more elegant and quality-feeling cabin than the equivalent Z71 over in Bow Tie Town.

Fit and finish is also quite good. The exception is the (power-operated) sliding center console. While the idea is clever, enabling front-seat passengers to send things motoring back to the middle row, the console itself wiggles with even a light prod.

With over three feet of screen real estate, the Expedition’s infotainment approach can take some time to learn. Likely the most contentious feature isn’t the screens themselves, but the contextual buttons on the steering wheel. These operate everything from the (usefully) power-adjustable steering wheel and pedals to BlueCruise. It’s one of those features that has a steep learning curve, but living with a vehicle will undoubtedly flatten it. Remember when touchscreen phones seemed daunting?

The idea here is one we’ve seen elsewhere (cough, Toyota, cough): a deep-set screen eliminates the need for a head-up display. The big screen does a good job here: it keeps pertinent info like dials and (native) navigation closer to the driver’s line of sight, and there’s a middle section that is customizable. I do think the experience needs to be streamlined, however: there’s a lot of times where the navigation is mirrored on the 13.2-inch screen, for example. Also, while Ford hasn’t ditched Apple CarPlay or Android Auto like its cross-town rivals, don’t expect your phone’s navigation to show up on the big screen. It’s all about encouraging the user to stick with the native setup—and keep that Connectivity plan active. I say that, but Ford has very nicely skipped including second-row entertainment screens. Instead, there are simple holders, because let’s be real: the kids already have tablets to bring.

BlueCruise 1.4 works well here, keeping the big SUV in the middle of its lane during most situations, but moving closer to one side should it encounter an even larger vehicle. The setup won’t pull off lane changes on its own, but a light tap of the stalk will see it move over—provided it’s safe to do so, of course. We found BlueCruise activation spotty on the highway portions of the drive, with the green light staying on even through construction zones, but other times dropping off for a few seconds. If you’re a hand talker like me, remember not to block the sensors that ensure a driver is still paying attention to the road ahead.

Expedition shoppers are far more likely to tow regularly. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the myriad assists Ford includes for these purposes, from Pro Trailer Hitch Assist to navigation that takes your trailer measurements into account. The point of the Expedition is to make life easier.

All this capability will cost. The 2025 Ford Expedition lineup starts with the Active, at $64,515 ($84,815 CAD) including destination. Adding 4WD is an additional $3,000. Want the added foot of length and cargo carrying capacity of the Max? Another $3,000 ($3,500 CAD). The Platinum ($76,945 / $98,745 CAD) is next, though it can end up as the priciest model when checking the Ultimate Package ($13,570 / $14,945 CAD). This Tremor begins at $83,545 ($107,165 CAD), while the fancy-pants King Ranch rocks up for an additional $2,625 ($3,070 CAD).

Crucially, Ford will allow buyers to make a one-time purchase for both the BlueCruise and Connectivity packages, instead of monthly or yearly subscriptions.