2023 Ford Maverick Tremor Quick Spin: Worth It to Rumble Off-Road?

The Ford Maverick compact pickup truck may be one of the hottest commodities on the market even as it enters its second model year. For 2023, Ford gives the Maverick an off-road Tremor Off-Road Package all its own, an upgrade over the off-road-adjacent FX4 Off-Road Package. Previously appearing on the F-150, F-Series Super Duty and Ranger, the Tremor package improves each truck’s off-roading capabilities without going to the extremes of a Raptor in terms of capabilities or appearance. The Maverick Tremor in particular gets a more advanced all-wheel-drive system, a 1-inch increase in ride height, knobbier tires and subtle appearance tweaks. Since it has AWD, the Maverick Tremor is exclusively powered by the optional turbocharged 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine; no hybrid off-roading here. The Maverick Tremor Off-Road Package is available on XLT or Lariat trims for $2,995.

Related: 2023 Ford Maverick Tremor Up Close: Dirtier and Loving It

I drove a Maverick XLT Tremor in the Chicago area; unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to drive it off-road, though readers familiar with driving around Chicago will know I encountered plenty of bumps and obstacles. Given how infrequently most buyers will actually take the Maverick Tremor (or any off-road vehicle) off-road, plus how it’s targeted as a city-friendly truck, it’s still worth asking how the package affects on-road ride quality and handling — and if it’s worth the added cost.

Mostly Enjoyable On-Road

Off-road packages are some of my favorites to drive around the city because off-road suspensions usually handle bumps and potholes especially well, and the Maverick Tremor is no exception. While regular Mavericks have issues with impact harshness, the Tremor’s off-road suspension and Falken Wildpeak A/T tires provide significantly more cushioning for the driver and passengers. The increased ride height also makes for a more confident driver seating position — not by much, of course, but I didn’t feel dwarfed by compact SUVs the way I sometimes do in our long-term Maverick Lariat hybrid.

Handling doesn’t feel especially different from a regular Maverick. The Maverick Tremor is not sports car precise, but it’s not as vague as some compact SUVs I’ve driven and not vaguer than a regular Maverick, which is occasionally a problem with off-road versions of trucks or older pickups. There’s a bit more body roll in the Tremor because of its taller ride height and suspension, but the changes aren’t so drastic that the Tremor wallows from side to side the way an F-150 Raptor with all of its additional suspension travel can.

Driving the Maverick Tremor also confirmed a feeling I’d developed while testing two front-wheel-drive Mavericks: AWD versions launch better from a stop. While FWD Mavericks don’t have a lot of torque steer (when the truck pulls left or right during acceleration), they struggle to handle abrupt power delivery with wheelspin when unloaded in a way that this AWD Maverick doesn’t. A loaded FWD EcoBoost Maverick also had a scary amount of wheel hop during acceleration testing. I don’t think a Maverick Tremor would be the quickest Maverick in the lineup with its added weight and less street-oriented tires, and I’m not even sure an AWD Maverick EcoBoost without any off-road package would be quicker than a FWD one because of the weight, but I enjoyed the cleaner launches.

We’ve called the Maverick Tremor a Bronco Sport Badlands with a bed given it borrows the SUV’s AWD system, but there’s an added bonus: a longer wheelbase. I took the Maverick Tremor down a stretch of rough road that had practically bounced me out of my seat in a Bronco Sport Badlands. I felt all the bumps in the Tremor, but the truck remained composed. I can’t ascribe all of that to the Maverick Tremor’s 16-inch-longer wheelbase, but it certainly helps improve the ride compared to Ford’s other similarly priced off-road offering.

There are three notable issues with driving the Maverick Tremor around town. First, the turbocharged four-cylinder engine is just not a very pleasant-sounding type of engine to my ear, and more affordable vehicles such as the Maverick tend to have less sound deadening than other turbo four-cylinder vehicles. Second, the knobby tires produce more noise and vibrations than the street tires on other Mavericks; again, this isn’t unusual for off-road trims and it’s not as noisy as larger off-road vehicles, but it’s still noticeable. Finally, fuel efficiency is not the Maverick Tremor’s strong suit: Observed fuel economy in city-leaning mixed driving with temps in the high 20s to low 30s hovered in the mid- to high teens. More city driving will lower fuel economy, but when I got in the truck with a nearly full tank, it predicted I had just over 300 miles of driving range. EcoBoost-powered 2022 Mavericks with AWD are rated by the EPA at 22/29/25 mpg city/highway/combined, but the agency hasn’t yet provided 2023 Maverick ratings. Buyers may not be concerned about fuel economy, but after seeing the stellar economy of our FWD hybrid Maverick, numbers like this are disappointing.

Lest you think the Maverick Tremor is just a lift kit, it also gets Tremor-specific upgrades like a heavier-duty transmission cooler, upgraded half-shafts, off-road-specific drive modes for mud, sand and snow, and a new AWD system with a rear differential that can send nearly all the torque to the right or left wheel, or lock the rear wheels, for maximum traction. It also gets revised front styling that significantly improves its approach angle to 30.7 degrees from 21.6. While I didn’t get to take the Maverick Tremor off-roading, it has the tools to be capable. In the same way that the Maverick can do enough “truck” things like towing and hauling for most people, the Maverick Tremor seems likely to handle most off-road situations.

Speaking of truck things, an added consequence of the Maverick Tremor is that its payload capacity is slightly reduced. Ford lists its maximum capacity at 1,200 pounds, down from 1,500 pounds max in other Mavericks; our test vehicle’s maximum capacity, including occupants, was listed at 1,225 pounds. Towing capacity also maxes out at 2,000 pounds, the same as a standard Maverick; while non-Tremor AWD Mavericks can add a towing package that doubles capacity to 4,000, it’s not available with the Tremor Off-Road Package.

Looks the Part

The added ride height is both noticeable and an improvement, and the new fascia adds a small dose of aggression to the Maverick. I also appreciate that the standard Tremor visual upgrades, in the form of orange accents on the grille, unique wheels with orange accents and “Tremor” graphics on the rear fenders, are rather subtle. Our test vehicle came with the $1,495 Tremor Appearance Package, which adds to the Tremor Off-Road Package graphics and, on the Lariat, additional gray exterior accents. I’m firmly in the “skip it” camp; while it costs less than the Maverick’s $1,645 Black Appearance Package, the graphics don’t look good to me and there’s no cost reduction if you add the package to an XLT despite its fewer changes to that trim. But if you like it, go for it, and make your truck look exactly how you want it to look.

Inside, the front seats have unique stitched “Tremor” logos and the drive mode selector button has an orange “Tremor” logo, as well. There are also some new buttons for the AWD system and the differential lock. That’s about it. It’s still very much a Maverick inside, so materials quality is on the cheaper side but it’s still visually interesting. There’s no change to seat comfort front or back, either. I don’t really like the seats for longer drives, but some of our, uh, narrower editors have fewer complaints. The backseat is roomy enough for adults, but beware: It’s not roomy enough for adults and stuff, and without a bed cover, there’s not much secure space to store cargo.

More From Cars.com

• Is the Ford Maverick’s EcoBoost Engine’s Performance Worth Its MPG Penalty?
• Best Car Features for Tailgating in 2022
• 2022 Ford Maverick Real-World Fuel Economy: Extraordinary Achievements
• 6 Months With a 2022 Ford Maverick: Is It Still Our Top Gun?
• Picking a Bed Cover for Our 2022 Ford Maverick Hybrid

Worth the Cost?

The $2,995 it takes to get these off-road upgrades make the Maverick Tremor Off-Road Package feel like a capable truck for the money, and our XLT test vehicle rang in at a reasonable $33,335 including the skippable appearance package. I’m not certain it’s worth the trade-offs, however. If you’re a buyer who drives on rough or unpaved roads constantly, there’s certainly some value in the package, but a regular AWD Maverick or even a FWD one can probably survive the same sort of day-to-day driving, albeit with reduced comfort.

Payload also takes a hit with the Tremor package, and towing is limited despite its AWD EcoBoost powertrain. Those are two of the Maverick’s best qualities, and losing some of that capability isn’t ideal.  And while I think this is the most enjoyable Maverick I’ve driven around the city, it’s not so much better than Cars.com’s long-term Maverick hybrid that I’d be willing to sacrifice that much fuel efficiency.

More variety in a vehicle lineup is almost always a good thing, but while Ford seems set on offering a Maverick for every lifestyle, not every Maverick can meet every need. Buyers should conduct their own cost-benefit analysis to see if the Maverick Tremor is the right Maverick for their needs.

Related Video:

Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.