I continue to be fascinated by pickup trucks. Well, not quite enough to buy one, but it is a drastically different segment of the automotive world. While the average crossover has some things in common with a sedan from the same automaker, the truck stands alone (except in cases where it shares component with an SUV I guess). This truck I’ve been driving for the last stands wherever the hell it wants. The 2021 Ford F-250 SRW Crew Cab Diesel with both the Tremor and Lariat packages is massively intimidating to pedestrians and other drivers. Including other truck drivers. It was also a hell of a lot of fun. Let’s get at it.

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F-250 Overview

There is nothing simple about configuring a truck. While most of the vehicles I review have a handful of combinations, the average Ford truck has dozens, if not more. Pick your style, pick your bed length, pick cab style, you want regular or dually? Dang, it’s too early for this. I’m like 90% sure this is the right one.

I’d list out the features, but damn it’s longer than a CVS receipt. Here, just read through this.

Our test truck was stacked with options, the 6.7L Power Stroke diesel engine alone is almost $10,500. Power running boards (which are amazing) are almost $1,000. Towing package is $2,785, bedliner tacks on $595, and the Lariat Ultimate Package (cool name) is almost $3,500. The Tremor off-road package is close to $4,000 but nets you some discounts on the Lariat and Towing packages.

You get all that? All told your total MSRP is $75,625 for this Kentucky-built F-250. That’s a lot of scratch, let’s find out if it’s worth it. Spoiler alert, yes. Yes it is.

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Exterior

The F-250 with the Tremor package is a monster. It makes a big truck bigger. My neighbor had a year-or-two old F-250 FX4 and came down to just stare at the Tremor. He noted that it came out right after he purchased his truck, and he would have waited if he had known. Even though I’m currently car shopping (again) I assured him this one wasn’t mine.

To say it’s beefy is an understatement. A regular F-250 is beefy, this thing takes up part of a city block visually. I’ll get into what that was like to drive for a week, but just understand that it takes concentration. But, (most) people really liked it. Like the last (red) F-250 Tremor I tested, it gets attention. I mean, typically from dudes, so there’s that. Ladies, gents, if that’s your goal, the Tremor will create a line young and old men asking about it. Let’s check out the inside.

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Interior

However big it is on the outside, it feels just as large on the inside. I’ve had some evenings end like that, know what I mean!?! (Come on, you’re better than this – Ed.) The interior volume is massive, there is room for five people and the rear passengers can stretch out. My biggest question was, would this feel like a near-$80,000 vehicle? It really does, it’s massively comfortable and has a ton of features. My daughter even said at one point “there may be too much room back here”, and she’s tall. It feels more like you’re riding on it, than in it. (Second warning in the same paragraph! – Ed.)

There are also some cool features. Check out this trick cupholder! Only need two cupholders and prefer some open space to store your stuff? Slide it to the right. Want FOUR cupholders up front, slide that sucker to the left. Simple, but useful.

Everything just works, it manages to be utilitarian and luxurious. The only criticisms I found were around the infotainment and phone charging. If you’re in Apple CarPlay you can’t really get out. There is no “home” button, you’re either in or out. I was having issues streaming music, so I wanted to switch over to the radio. That was easier said than done, I ended up just unplugging my phone. Also, the wireless charger (hey neat charging emoji) isn’t that great, but none of them are right now. It’s in a great spot but it kept separating every time I hit a bump, which is often in the Tremor. 

The back seating configurationi is really cool as well, if you run out of room in the bed, you can quickly pop the rear seats up revealing storage across the floor.

Driving

The only issue with driving a vehicle this big, you have to plan your life around it. My youngest has hockey practice is at the top of an 8-story garage. I looked on Parkopedia, and quickly found that the garage was too short to enter. Seven foot max, we’re at like seven-three on the Tremor. Gotta park on the street. Meeting downtown? Yep, park on the street. At least it’s super easy to park…

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The height is great while you’re out on the road, it’s fun to ride so much higher over every other vehicle, even full-size trucks. The ZO6 Corvette in front of me was almost invisible. Reaching the ATM was a bit of a pain though. Plus, it sticks out of EVERY parking spot, as shown above.

The first day I took the Tremor out on the school run, people didn’t pull all the way around the circle far enough (as usual) during pick up. So I navigated the Tremor around a couple of people who don’t know the process and waited. My little dude popped out for pickup, I had to wave him down (dropped him off in a different press loaner #PressLife) and we started to depart. While I was backing up, people behind me started honking. I gestured with “I can see you!”, after all I have several cameras showing me the F-250’s whereabouts. I guess it was the image of a massive truck rolling toward them that invited the honking.

Out on the street it rode much like a boat. At slow speed you feel the waves…er bumps, but when you get up on a plane, it sort of flattens out the bumps for a smoother ride. The turbodiesel has a bit of turbo lag, off the line there isn’t much happening. But, in the mid and high range it get really moves. The F-250 Tremor is electronically limited to 96 miles an hour…probably.

It’s not just long and tall, it’s super wide (that’s what she said) (I’ll let that one slide, nice – Ed.) The mirrors are massive, which is good for visibility. However, at night every light behind you is directed at your eyeballs. At least they are adjustable in and out, and they will fold for parking or narrow roads.

The trick pop-out running boards are fantastic.

Summary

The truck market is nuts, the fact that trucks this expensive exist isn’t surprising though. I have some friends looking for trucks, one in particular made me take him for a ride so he could check it out. The mix of a very capable diesel engine in a super duty size truck with the higher ground clearance and chunky off-road bits is supremely fun. I imagine they will sell a lot of these!