2020 F-250 Tremor

Exterior Design

Interior Design

Safety & Technology

Driving Impressions

Performance

"Beast can't describe this truck."

The F-Series has been America's best-selling truck for over 40 years now and has been the best-selling vehicle for over 20, so when it comes to redesigning the F-Series, it's the biggest deal in the automotive industry. But for 2020, Ford has refreshed the Super Duty to keep it ahead of the rivals that have been recently redesigned and have caught up to the boundaries that Ford has pushed far ahead of.

Trim Levels

The trim levels and pricing listed only apply to Tremor package-equipped F-250 and F-350 SRW with 6.75-foot bed, 4x4, and 7.3L V8 engine.

F-250 XLT

MSRP $53,390

F-250 LARIAT

MSRP $59,730

F-250 King Ranch

MSRP $68,310

F-250 Platinum

MSRP $73,510

F-350 XLT

MSRP $54,580

F-350 LARIAT

MSRP $60,915

F-350 King Ranch

MSRP $69,495

F-350 Platinum

MSRP $74,690

Exterior Design

The Super Duty lineup gets a refresh for 2020, with new headlights, a new grille, as well as a new bumper to round out updates on the front end.

The Tremor package gives the Super Duty an impressive 31.65-degree approach angle, as well as 10.8 inches of ground clearance, and the ability to ford 33 inches of water. That's 3 more inches of depth than a Jeep Wrangler. On the LARIAT trim we tested, there's full LED headlights and LED fog lights, lower models will come with halogens, which is okay since it keeps the costs low for fleet vehicles, but I'd like to see when Ford makes LEDs standard on their F-Series trucks.

There is one minimal change to the side of the Super Duty, and that is the model plaque. The vent becomes functional to provide cooling for the three monsters under the hood. The Tremor package adds special matte-black 18-inch rims that add a more rebelish flair to an otherwise lukewarm truck. A "TREMOR" badge also rounds out some identification of the F-250 and F-350s equipped with the Tremor package. You can get a regular cab, extended cab, and crew cab along with 6.75 and 8-foot bed lengths.

Out back, Ford made minimal changes to the Super Duty. The taillights I noticed were slightly larger, and the blind spot sensor cutout is also larger.

SUPER DUTY is now engraved on the tailgate, just like the refreshed F-150s. I don't see much different than that out back. If you get the LED headlights, you'll get the LED taillamps along with the integrated blind spot sensor.

Interior Design

The Super Duty's interior is classic Ford. Functional and organized. That's no different in the Super Duty.

What surprised me was that the upper part of the dash is soft touch, and even the small panel behind the "fake" wood trim. There's a lot of storage opportunities in the Super Duty, including an upper glove box that the F-150 doesn't have, and a cavernous center console. The cab and cab design are exactly the same as the F-150, which I find cool, and that contributes to cheaper production costs.

There is a column-mounted shifter or a center tunnel shifter on the Super Duties, but the one we tested was in the configuration pictured to the right (but in less luxurious spec).

The front seats are very comfortable, but they only have two-way lumbar. For me, the lumbar is in an okay position, but I would like for it to be adjustable to a higher position.

Jump into the rear of the SuperCrew and you'll be greeted with excellent levels of leg room. Surprisingly, I noticed a shortage of head room in the Super Duty. Not sure if the panoramic sunroof comes into the cab, or it goes out. One thing that I observed... on the LARIAT trim we tested, the rear half of the front door was soft-touch, but the same portion on the rear door was not! FORD! COME ON! Otherwise,

Safety & Technology

The Super Duty's chassis is similar to the construction of the smaller F-150s, so safety is expected to be good.

For 2020, the F-250 is the first full-size heavy-duty pickup to get Automatic Emergency Braking. Our LARIAT trim tested had Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking, BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) with Trailer Coverage and Cross-Traffic Alert, Lane-Keeping Alert, and the Quad-Beam LED Headlamps, Taillamps, and Fog Lamps. On many F-250s, a lot of those features come standard, or as very minimal options, in particular the Pre-Collision Assist only costs $115 on the base XL trim. That's pretty cheap for that kind of technology.

Driving Impressions

Our LARIAT Tremor tester had the brand-new third-generation 6.7L Power Stroke turbodiesel V8 paired to a new 10-speed automatic transmission.

NO DOUBT THIS TRUCK HAS GOT THE POWER FOR TOWING.

With a best-in-class 475 horsepower and an unbelievable 1,050 lb/ft of torque, the F-250 is mightier than Ford says it is. The new Power Stroke V8 is a total monster.

Turn traction control off and floor it, and you'll get a modest second of wheelspin, then gain some grip, and more tire shredding for another few seconds. This truck is insane! Ford doesn't do like Ram does with their Cummins, making 850 lb/ft and 1,000 lb/ft outputs available, they just make 1,050 lb/ft of torque standard on all 6.7L Power Stroke engines.

The Tremor package offers up a different type of suspension, with a small lift to give you up to 10.8 inches of ground clearance, as well as a lower front air dam. Surprisingly, the truck feels high, but doesn't drive high.

The F-250 rode adequately for having an offroad suspension, steering was well weighted, but lazy, which is expected for trucks, but in a weird observation, even though the F-250 we tested was a monstrous 250 inches long, it drove smaller than it looked, similar to a Raptor.

Performance

The refreshed 2020 Super Duty comes with two brand new engines.

The base engine is a 6.2L V8 with Flex-Fuel Capability and makes a standard 385 horsepower and 430 lb/ft of torque. It's also the only Super Duty to come with a 6-speed automatic transmission.

Ford introduced a new pushrod V8 that displaces 7.3 liters nicknamed "Godzilla", and it makes a best-in-class 430 horsepower and 475 lb/ft of torque, and is hooked up to the new TorqShift® 10-speed SelectShift transmission.

Ford also made the big announcement of the third-generation 6.7L Power Stroke turbodiesel V8 in the 2020 Super Duty. It features a new 36,000-psi fuel injection system, upgraded internals for that upgraded fuel injection system, a new turbocharger with less inertia, a variable displacement oil pump, and so much more. It now has 475 horsepower and 1,050 lb/ft of torque. That's crazy considering that Ford has got the most horsepower of any diesel engine in their HD trucks and now leads the torque climb. Also, in the right configuration, the Super Duty can tow up to 37,000 pounds, 2,000 more than before.

Maximum Towing (pounds)

Maximum Torque (lb/ft)

37,000

35,500

35,100

1,050

1,000

910

Performance Figures

6.7L Power Stroke turbodiesel V8

Horsepower (hp @ RPM)

475 @ N/A

Torque (lb/ft @ RPM)

1,050 @ 1600

Transmission(s)

10-speed automatic

Drivetrain

4x4

EPA Fuel Economy (city/hwy)*

not rated

0-60 Time

7.5 - 8.0 seconds

1/4-mile (sec @ mph)

n/a

* - estimated

Final Verdict & REVIEWS Score

2020 F-250 Tremor

"Beast can't describe this truck."

Trim Levels

F-250 XLT

MSRP $53,390

F-250 LARIAT

MSRP $59,730

F-250 King Ranch

MSRP $68,310

F-250 Platinum

MSRP $73,510

F-350 XLT

MSRP $54,580

F-350 LARIAT

MSRP $60,915

F-350 King Ranch

MSRP $69,495

F-350 Platinum

MSRP $74,690

Exterior Design

Interior Design

Safety & Technology

Driving Impressions

Performance

37,000

35,500

35,100

1,050

1,000

910

Performance Figures

475 @ N/A

1,050 @ 1600

10-speed automatic

4x4

not rated

7.5 - 8.0 seconds

n/a

Final Verdict & REVIEWS Score

Ford's heavy duty truck stands at the top, and the Tremor package further pushes the Super Duty ahead.

70/85 | Accumulated Score

07 | Reliability

08 | Ergonomics

06 | Value

10 | Innovation

09 | Electronics

08 | Wow factor

10 | Safety

58/70 | Subtotal Score

12/15 | Subjective Category

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