2020 Ford Expedition Review: Still Fighting

The auto trade is little greater than a fist battle, with each model making an attempt to knock out its rivals. Somewhat than throwing haymakers, although, these firms launch newer, smarter, extra dynamic merchandise. And with each blow that lands, you may be certain the competitors is winding up for its personal counterattack.

That is the place we be a part of Ford and Chevrolet. After the Blue Oval launched its well-received and long-overdue reinvention of the three-row Ford Expedition in 2018, it loved just a few years with a staggered Chevrolet. Late final 12 months, although, the brand new Tahoe and Suburban SUVs arrived, and with them, superior expertise and much better driving dynamics.

Whereas Chevy has landed a hammer blow towards Ford, Dearborn is able to strike again with a facelifted Expedition. However every week behind the wheel reveals that the present mannequin continues to be an honest instance of the truck-based, three-row breed. The roomy cabin, honest value, and twin-turbocharged powertrain make it a sensible choice, age be damned.

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The Expedition will not see a redesign for just a few years, so the following replace can be a facelift that is prone to riff on the present mannequin’s clear (however bland) exterior. That is largely okay. As car designs go, there’s little to offend right here.

The Expedition neatly merges the F-150’s chiseled styling – it shares its fundamental platform and aluminum building with the favored pickup – with the smoother traces of Ford’s crossover vary. Meaning C-clamp-shaped operating lights flanking an oblong, cheese-grater-style grille in entrance, whereas the taillights are the obvious offspring of an F-Sequence and an Explorer. In profile, crossover traces dominate the aluminum physique, with a traditional beltline and not one of the chamfering discovered across the F-150’s greenhouse. The outfitted Black Accent package deal’s gloss-black wheels and black parts within the fascia do little for the Expedition’s look.

The inside design feels notably antiquated, particularly with a redesigned F-150 hitting the market. The steering wheel design, switchgear, and the general structure of the controls on the sprint is solidly last-generation Ford, whereas the gathering of plastics options shapes that look sturdy but additionally deeply uninteresting. The Expedition’s cabin advantages from some enjoyable detailing on King Ranch, Restricted, and Platinum trims, however our everyman XLT mannequin, with its easy stitching and boring silver accents, is a textbook case of perform over type.

Even years after it debuted and regardless of the arrival of newer competitors, the Expedition nonetheless has the roomiest third-row seat bench in the marketplace, providing 36.1 inches of legroom (greater than you may discover at the back of most compact sedans). Pair that with wonderful headroom and strong shoulder area, and the Expedition’s final row actually may play host to a few adults on a brief jaunt. That is doubly true whenever you slide the second-row ahead, increasing complete leg area to an epic 40.9 inches.

Room in the remainder of the Expedition is equally enough. The second row is a superb place to whereas away a day on the highway, particularly with the obtainable and extremely beneficial captain’s chairs. Go on the seven-seat structure and the second row options 40/20/40 cut up seating with a reclining again, so it is nonetheless a lot comfortable. Legroom sits at 41.5 inches, which is simply half an inch behind the newer Chevy Tahoe.

However let’s discuss in regards to the entrance seats, which is the place our points lie. The chairs themselves are flat and fairly uncomfortable. It looks like the large Expedition’s entrance buckets got here from a smaller product. They’re oddly constricting with out feeling supportive. The entrance row is fairly tight, too, with a small pedal field that reminds us of previous Ford crossovers, just like the Flex and Explorer. And normally, our Expedition XLT tester’s fake leather-based upholstery feels low-cost and plasticky – it is the very best cause to step as much as the Restricted.

Regardless of its age, the Expedition reveals a strong deal with on tire and wind noise, whereas the experience is satisfactory when you think about the truck-based roots. That stated, the introduction of the brand new Tahoe ought to depart Ford nervous.

Any buyer that is skilled the subtle air springs and magnetic dampers within the range-topping Chevy will discover the Ford’s grasp of physique motions, particularly over small bumps, disappointing. The Expedition is not almost so remoted, with secondary physique motions following bumps that the air-sprung Tahoe would shrug proper off. The excellent news for the Ford is that it is nearer in experience high quality to non-air-suspended Chevys, which make up the majority of Tahoe/Suburban gross sales.

The Expedition can handle numerous junk in its trunk, with 19.3 cubic toes of area when the third row’s up, 57.5 when it is down, and 104.6 cubes when house owners stow each the second and third row. These lag behind the brand new Tahoe, although, which lastly adopts an unbiased rear suspension and beneficial properties carrying capability due to it. The redesigned Chevy has a 25.5-cubic-foot minimal, 72.6 cubes with the third-row folded, and a max of 122.9 – that final determine bests even the extended-length Expedition Max and its 121.5 cubic toes of area.

Nowhere are we extra trying ahead to a refresh than within the Expedition’s expertise suite. The usual 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system and the accompanying Sync 3 software program have been superb in 2018 and are nonetheless okay in the present day, however 2021 Ford F-150 Redesign Revealed With Hybrid Model, Intelligent Options will mark an enormous improve for the Expedition. Because it stands, this setup is on the low finish of aggressive, besting what you may discover within the historic Toyota Sequoia and placing up an honest, however shedding, battle towards the redesigned Tahoe. Nonetheless, should you’re a glutton for display screen dimension, the show appears to be like positively tiny within the Expedition’s huge cabin.

The Expedition enhances its Sync 3 infotainment suite with obtainable 4G LTE Wi-Fi connectivity. Two USB-A slots per row is appropriate, however we’re hopeful the brand new mannequin will add extra, together with USB-C connectivity. By way of practical choices, Ford’s nifty ProTrailer Backup Help and a 360-degree digital camera system can be found on the mid-range XLT, though each have been lacking from our tester.

In contrast to the Tahoe, which asks house owners to select from one in all three engines, the Expedition is simply obtainable with a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6. Each instance boasts 375 horsepower, 470 pound-feet of torque, and a 10-speed computerized transmission. That places the large Ford squarely between the Tahoe’s 5.3-liter and 6.2-liter V8s by way of output. The Expedition beats each, although, with its ultra-accessible torque, which house owners can name upon from simply 2,250 rpm.

Acceleration from a standstill begins with a touch of turbo lag earlier than the three.5-liter involves life – the surge of torque makes getting on top of things a breeze. The ten-speed computerized, in the meantime, manages all of it with ease, clicking off upshifts which are clean however removed from leisurely. Dig into the throttle whereas rolling, even at increased speeds, and each engine and gearbox reply readily. As has been the case for years, there’s so much to love about Ford’s EcoBoost/10-speed mixture.

Whereas Ford charges our tester at 6,500 kilos for typical towing, including the elective Heavy Responsibility Tow package deal will increase that determine to a segment-leading 9,300 kilos (9,200 if, like this instance, you go for four-wheel drive). For comparability, the Nissan Armada is the closest competitor, maxing out 8,500 kilos, whereas the Tahoe manages as much as 8,400, and the Sequoia sits at 7,500. However the Expedition’s reliance on an possibility pack to achieve its max towing is disappointing – even with out choices, the Tahoe can handle at the least 1,100 kilos extra.

Neither the Expedition nor any of its rivals are particularly agile. The Ford makes its pilot aware of the 5,623 kilos of weight and 17.5 toes of SUV within the corners, the place heavy physique roll, squat, and dive are available. The steering is mild and missing in suggestions, however the weighting makes the Expedition manageable in locations like parking heaps. In reality, regardless of its dimension, good visibility makes it simple to select the corners of this massive factor. It is actually extra tolerable in that regard than the Tahoe.

The Expedition has an enough security suite for a car that debuted in 2018, however Ford’s determination to restrict fascinating options to an possibility pack on this XLT trim is disappointing. That stated, each XLT options commonplace computerized emergency braking with pedestrian detection, computerized excessive beams, lane-keeping help, and blind-spot monitoring. The $1,100 Co-Pilot 360 Help pack provides full-speed adaptive cruise management.

The Expedition loses factors for the XLT trim’s awful halogen projector headlights. In contrast to GM, which presents LED headlights on the amount Tahoe LT, Ford solely presents superior headlights on the King Ranch and Platinum. At the very least computerized excessive beams are commonplace, although, and the sightlines in all instructions are wonderful.

Amongst gas-powered rivals, the Expedition and its twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 are essentially the most environment friendly pairing within the class, returning an EPA-estimated 17 miles per gallon metropolis, 22 freeway, and 19 mixed on 87-octane gas. That falls only a hair wanting our 21-mpg-combined goal for three-row, truck-based SUVs. The Ford would usually earn a degree for best, however the brand new Tahoe and its 3.0-liter diesel earn that distinction.

The quantity Chevy and its 5.3-liter V8 lag behind the twin-turbo Ford – search for 16 metropolis, 20 freeway, and 18 mixed. The traditional Sequoia and refreshed Armada, in the meantime, return 13/17/14 and 13/18/15, respectively.

Costs for the 2020 Expedition begin at $49,995 (the bottom within the class), however the XLT featured right here calls for $52,810 for two-wheel drive or $55,860 for four-wheel drive – these costs do not embrace the $1,695 vacation spot or $645 acquisition expenses. Our tester provides the ritziest of the three primary tools packages, the $3,685 202A pack (heated and ventilated entrance seats, an influence liftgate, and heated steering wheel, in addition to the ability entrance seats and leatherette upholstery from the 201A pack.

The $1,895 Black Accent package deal is expensive, nevertheless it consists of the second-row captain’s chairs (a $595 possibility) and a navigation perform for the Sync 3 infotainment (solely obtainable in any other case as a part of the $1,100 Co-Pilot 360 Help package deal) along with the blacked-out wheels and accents, so it is an okay worth. Out the door, our as-tested value was $63,780.

Regardless of the way you slice it, the Expedition nonetheless undercuts the Tahoe. The bottom Tahoe LS might retail for $50,295 in two-wheel-drive, 5.3-liter V8 type, however good luck discovering this fleet-favorite exterior your native Enterprise Hire-A-Automotive. The Tahoe LT, in the meantime, begins at $55,095, with four-wheel drive including $3,000 to that value. As for a rival to our tester’s Black Accent package deal, plan on spending $58,395 for a Tahoe RST (with the identical $3,000 premium for four-wheel drive).

Nissan’s new Armada is extra according to our Expedition XLT – an Armada SV begins at $52,500 with four-wheel drive including $3,000 to the value. Toyota reveals effectively, with its aged Sequoia SR5 beginning at $50,100 and the TRD Sport mannequin ringing up at $52,815. Like the remainder of the section, Toyota costs four-wheel-drive competitively, at round $3,200.

The underside line? On the XLT trim, the Expedition stays an honest worth, with aggressive tools and enough functionality. We would advise towards climbing the trim ladder, although, at the least with out testing the Tahoe Excessive Nation and its air suspension.