The Ford Expedition is a machine that belongs in a different time. In today’s world of rising fuel economy, weight reduction and unibody crossovers, the Expedition stands like the last of the dinosaurs. It is one of the largest production vehicles you can buy, and under the skin you will find the body-on-frame bones of a Ford pickup truck. The only think that makes this machine feel even remotely modern is the turbocharged EcoBoost V6 under the hood. Is this one concession enough to make the Expedition feel fresh and relevant in today’s rapidly changing car market? I spent a week trying to find out.
Gallery: 2015 Ford Expedition Platinum 4×2
Visually, the Expedition looks as old its underpinnings. The truck features the same generally square face that it’s had for years, with the only modern touches being the revised grille, headlights and small LED foglamps. The rest of the truck has seen various nips and tucks over the years, but it looks very similar to the Expedition that was on sale a decade ago. This particular model does have a few extra visual flares to set it out from the crowd like the 22-inch alloy wheels, chrome grille, and the power-deploying running boards.
Inside things have seen a lot more improvements in the last few years with a higher focus on entertainment and technology. The cabin on this Platinum trim is loaded with just about every single luxury you can order including multi-zone climate control, MyFord Touch with Sync, heated and cooled front seats, lots of leather, powerfold third row seats, and a premium Sony stereo system. Of course, no modern luxury SUV would be complete without a power sunroof or navigation.
While it is filled with lots of luxury headlines and equipment, the 2015 Expedition is far from a true luxury competitor that can be held against names like Lexus, BMW, Infiniti or Audi. The majority of the problem in the luxury department relate to the Expedition’s platform and age. The Expedition is built on Ford’s truck platform, and it uses some truck pieces for the interior. The passenger side dash for example is just a big gross slab of black plastic that looks like it was pulled straight from an F-250 work truck. The Expedition is also an aging product, and it lacks some of the more modern design touches found in luxury SUVs, but that should all change when a new model arrives.
As for passenger comfort, it is hard to beat the Expedition. The seats are large and comfortable, and the Expedition’s cabin is one of the largest in the industry. I’m actually pretty sure the Expedition is larger than my college dorm room. The first two rows of seats are incredibly spacious, and even the far rear seats are decent, but headroom is a bit of premium that far back.
The exterior and interior both show age, but under the hood this Expedition is anything but ancient. Rather than a huge and thirsty V8 engine, Ford has stuffed this Expedition with a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine. With 365 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque, this turbocharged engine can outperform a lot of V8 equipped family haulers. The engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, and particular truck is RWD only, but a 4×4 model is available.
The little turbo-six pulls strong and feels more powerful than it is thanks to its flat and thick torque curve. Any time you nail the accelerator you get a surge of power. Being a truck underneath, the Expeditoin does feel a lot like a truck to drive, but out car came with the fancy Continuous Control Suspension that is supposed to make it much nicer to drive. To be honest, I couldn’t really tell that any electronic witchcraft was happening, but this was not exactly a machine I wanted to flog on a back road. Highway manners were surprisingly decent, with less road noise than I expected entering the cabin.
When it comes to practicality, it can be hard to find fault with the Expedition. Fold down all the back seats and you have a small cargo van’s worth of space, and with a tow rating of 14,900 pounds on this particular model, it will out-tow most full-size trucks. Loading cargo can be a bit difficult though due to the truck’s high ride height.
Price-wise, it’s hard to place the Expedition. This truck will cost you about $60,000 to have equipped like this one. There are a lot of great luxury SUVs you can buy for that price that are much nicer to be in, and much better looking. But none of those other SUVS have this much space, or this much capability. It is hard to argue with a tow rating of more than seven tons. So you have to decide how you want to spend your money; ability or luxury.
In the end, I would probably fall on the luxury side of the scale and end up with a German marque of some sort, but I can see why Ford has sold so many of these things over the years. Having a decent level of luxury, an unrivaled amount of space, and then enough power to tow a yacht behind you can be a very enticing offering. If you are the proud parent of a huge family, and you like to take trips to the lake with a boat, this is about the best thing on the market for you. If you really just want an SUV with some luxury equipment in it, so you can ferry your 2.5 kids to school, there are better options.
