The Ford Ranger Tremor has been spending some extended time with the AutoTrader team. After some more mileage has been added in various conditions, we give additional feedback on how it performs.
Related: Ford Ranger Tremor (2024) Review
But before we dive in, remember that you can sell your car quickly and easily on our website here. You can also search for new or used Ford Ranger models on AutoTrader here.
Ford continues sales success
Before our long-term update on the Ford Tremor, news recently hit the editor's desk that Ford is continuing on its local success and that the Ranger is still leading in the double cab segment. Ford sold 8 274 vehicles in the first quarter of 2025, which means that, when compared to the same period in 2024, the sales of Ford products have increased 9.4%.
Ford Ranger sales alone accounted for 6 205 units during the first quarter of 2025. It remains the segment leader with a 31.7% market share in the double-cab bakkie segment. The Ford Ranger also represents 11.2% of total industry exports in the first quarter of 2025 and 34.5% of light commercial vehicle exports.
Styling
What many will consider a styling feature, the little steps incorporated into the rear bumper, really come in handy. Over the last stint in the Ranger, especially with the raised suspension of the Tremor, these steps have helped get into the load bay to reach some items that were positioned deeper.
Furthermore, the sculpted tailgate might look large and sturdy, and it is. However, Ford has incorporated EasyLift tech, a torsion bar that assists in lifting the tailgate. What does this mean? While the tailgate is large and sturdy, it is nice and light and requires minimal effort to open and close.
The Drive
One area in which the Ranger and even the Ranger Tremor with its upgraded suspension shines is the ride comfort. Unlike some bakkies on the market, the Ranger Tremor doesn't have "bakkie bounce". That is when the rear suspension is stiff, and the primary and secondary ride on the rear suspension gives the impression that the rear of the vehicle is bouncing when not under load. Instead, with the Ranger Tremor, the car provides a very compliant SUV-like drive.
Performance
But when it comes to the drive, it is not all about the suspension. The Ford Ranger Tremor has a variety of driving modes that adjust various vehicle characteristics to best suit a particular driving condition. This includes but isn't limited to the throttle response and gear changes.
A characteristic that potential and current owners need to note is that when you are set in ECO mode to reduce your fuel consumption as much as possible, while the Ranger Tremor might not feel hurried under acceleration in this mode, it still gathers speed rather quickly. Drivers should keep an eye on their speed.
Space and Comfort
Over the past long weekends, the Ranger Tremor didn't just prove how much space it had in the load bay, but also on the interior. With a lot of luggage, a child seat installed at the rear, and there was still ample leg and shoulder room for both front occupants.
The rubberised flooring also meant that the mud from the shoes from the fishing trip didn't concern us as we could easily clean the floors without any residue or staining.
However, a small rattle in the area of the passenger B-pillar has developed. While not very loud and easily drowned out by some music or a podcast on the sound system, it remains noticeable. We will ask about this in the upcoming service, which we will report on in the next update.
Safety
During the long weekends, we could properly test the ISOfix. If you are unfamiliar with ISOfix, glance at this article, What is ISOfix and how does it work?, to find out more. The Ford Ranger Tremor has ISOfix anchor points on both rear seats, and over a long weekend, we very easily installed a child restraint seat.
We also spent time with Ford's expert drivers, who showcased Ford's Pro Trailer Backup Assist technology and trailer sway mitigation. It was an eye-opening event, and you can find out more about our experience here: Get to grips with Ford's Pro Trailer Backup Assist.
Fuel Consumption
With a mix of open road driving and some urban driving as well as the daily commute between Pretoria and Johannesburg, we got the average down to 10.2 L/100 km. On the other hand, Chad took it upon himself to hypermile the Ford Ranger Tremor during his commutes to work and back and over about a week, managed to bring the average fuel consumption down to 8.8 L/100 km.
Price
The Ford Ranger 2.0 BiTurbo Tremor, at the time of writing this article, is priced at R 1 008 000. This includes a 4-year / 120 000 km warranty.
The Verdict
The Ford Ranger Tremor continues to impress. It effortlessly becomes part of your lifestyle, and very quickly you notice the small details, such as the rubberised floors and compliant drive over uneven roads and potholes, if and when you find yourself in another car. We have a few additional challenges planned for the next few weeks and are keen to report on how they perform. Please keep your eyes on our pages to follow the journey.
