When I had the amazing opportunity to test drive a vanilla Ford F-150, and a Ford Maverick Tremor, I did not realize that I would be just getting half of the true experience for each.
The F-150 was an amazing truck, but without the extreme off-road and advanced traversal packages, I was driving the most basic version of the truck, a simmered down shadow of its true potential that I would be blissfully unaware of until my time in Palm Springs.
Likewise, the Maverick Tremor had the ingenious Tremor package, but without the power of the F-150 driving it (and also, since I was testing it in NYC, without the appropriate environment to truly push it to its limit). Little did I know that both of these vehicles would suddenly seem inadequate when I finally had the chance to experience their big brothers.
Thankfully, Ford would completely cover my trip to Palm Springs, California, right in the middle of the desert between LA and San Diego. An oasis in the sand, it would serve as the perfect playground for the beasts I would be driving.
The destination, with the star of the show
In the meanwhile, I checked into the beautiful Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa, a fully decked out resort complete with multiple pools, golf courses, and even a waterpark.
I had an expansive room with two levels and an amazing balcony view of the rest of the resort. I settled in, received my name badge, and then headed out to the Grove area to grab a quick bite to eat and finally see the trucks in person.
Amidst bites of ice-cream (it was creeping into the high 90s), I watched as a representative from the Ford team demonstrated some of the new features that had added to the truck for the 2024 year. First off was the inclusion of the all-new horizontally opening tailgate. While the ability for the tailgate to open down still remained unchanged, Ford recognized the very real dilemma of situations where an obstruction, such as the very common trailer hitch, would prevent the opening of the tailgate.
To combat this, the horizontal hinge was added, and it combined with the regular one would allow for access to the truck bed for 90% of user situations. This one simple change, a Ford rep explained, was something that accounted for an issue that all users silently dealt with but just learned to accept, and so it would be something they didn’t want but desperately needed.
A Ford rep demonstrating the new tailgate
The representatives also showed off the power capabilities, explaining that every device in the vicinity, including every AC unit, freezer, string of lights, and fan were powered directly by a single running truck. They went on to say that all of these devices could be kept alive for more than a week, which was simply astounding. Lastly, they demoed the new Pro Trailer Hitch Assist feature, which completely transforms the ability to blind hitch a truck. Once a mind-numbing difficult task, users can now push a single button, and with an over 60-patent-engineered AI, the truck will automatically align itself to hitch to a trailer. It was like magic.
To top off the new additions to the truck, I got the opportunity to test the revolutionary Blue Cruise feature. I took the truck on the road through the California desert and experienced the feature first hand: on roads that were pre-approved for Blue Cruise, the truck could enter a fully autonomous driving state, in which the passenger would be free to relinquish control of both the wheel and the pedals and simply enjoy the view. There are no required inputs from the driver; the only necessary input was an attention check from a camera embedded above the infotainment system that would make sure that the driver had his or her eyes on the road and weren’t, for example, dozing off. Other than that, I was able to sit in the driver seat and let the vehicle take full control, only dictating the speed that I wanted it to go. I activated the turn signal indicator and the truck smoothly changed lanes when the coast was clear, and it even veered further left within the lane when there was a vehicle that would make me potentially uncomfortable to my right, like an 18-wheeler. It was extremely smart, and very well calibrated to make the drive as seamless as possible.
That night, I got a chance to mingle with some of the other content creators who were attending the event, as well as some Ford reps that also joined us for dinner.
All powered with a truck
We talked about what lay in store for us the next day, and I could only grow more excited: it was a whole day filled with driving multiple trucks with varying packages, each tested with the specific environment it was built for. We would take the F-150 with the Tremor package through a rock crawl; slow and dangerous climbing that would push it to the limits of the terrain. The F-150 with the Raptor package in turn would be taken through flat desert land where it would be able to pick up high speeds for desert running.
After a quick breakfast, we hit the road towards the Mohave Desert. We stopped by a small ranch where the F-150s with the Tremor package were parked, the first vehicle we would be testing. After pairing up with a buddy, we embarked on an hour-long trail run, driving through winding curves and over jagged rocks that occasionally required a team member to direct from outside the truck.
The Tremor functionality handled beautifully, enabling the truck to take difficult hills with ease and keep traction and momentum. We were able to demo several other features, such as Trail Turn Assist, which would help with making extremely tight turns by applying brakes to only the inside wheels, and Hill Descent Control, which maintains a set speed while the truck is descending a hill and brings it to the bottom safely.
Into the wilderness
The greatest realization I had through experiencing all of these features is that although I had originally believed the Tremor to be simply an inferior, cheaper alternative to the Raptor, this was not the case; the Tremor package was in reality a set of features and tuning that was meant for a completely different use case, and that some might be specifically attracted to it based on their needs, even though they might be able to afford the Raptor.
After a lunch break (tacos, yum), we switched to a whole different experience: the F-150 Raptor R in Baja Mode. This mode was meant for rapid traversal through flat land, and we did just that: we drove through a dried up lake, the perfect setting to push the vehicle to its limits. Peeking through the blinding dust, I could feel the truck maintain traction and accelerate with a completely different feel than the Tremor mode.
With this truck, I was able to speed up to 60 mph and hit a ramp to execute a jump clear off the ground, as well as speed up the side of a sand dune while fighting to keep traction and prevent a spin-out. The truck handled each with ease, and I felt like I could push it even further (but I didn’t because I was too scared).
We finished the day with a drive through a course that had been created for the very purpose of seeing what the truck could do. Filled with off-road curves, sharp turns, and fast straights, the course pushed me to my limits as a driver, and I had to make quick judgement calls and be mindful of the weight and handling of the truck to prevent a tip-over. Even so, as I ran through multiple times, I could feel myself getting more comfortable with the handling, and was able to complete the course faster each time. For such a heavy machine, the truck handled it with grace, and I had to admit I was impressed.
Driving the vehicle back to the ranch, I reflected on just how much of a monumental leap the new additions to the trucks are.
Trailblazing
Other companies deliver minute tweaks the their vehicles each year; Ford on the other hand had given entire overhauls of multiple systems in the vehicle that actually addressed issues that customers had, and also those that they didn’t to create a better driving experience overall. This, coupled with the excellent media outreach and amazing experience programs secures Ford as my go-to brand for my next purchase, as they uniquely stand as a company that does not sacrifice quality for sales, continues to deliver technology in their vehicles that stays up-to-date with the latest, and even surpasses in some cases, and builds a great standing relationship with its customers that exemplifies the right way to do business.
I recommend everyone to take a Ford F-150 Raptor R or Ford F-150 Tremor for a spin, and immediately fall in love.
