2018 Ford Expedition Review

2018 Ford Expedition 4x4
New school meets old school, and old school prevails.

Ford has been more willing than most of its competitors to infuse its big trucks and SUVs with new-school ideas. It led the industry in shifting pickup trucks and SUVs from V-8 power to downsized, turbocharged V-6s. It reduced the mass of its F-series pickups with the first-ever bodies made from aluminum. It was an early adopter of independent rear suspensions for its big SUVs, a move that improved third-row comfort and ride quality at the same time. How would Ford’s new-school thinking play out in the first all-new Expedition in 11 years?

--Highs
Well-trained transmission, feature-laden cabin, more interior space than some New York City apartments.
--Lows
Priced like it wears a three-pointed star, too much Ford in the interior furnishings, drives XXL.

Now that we’ve put some miles on one, we know: It seems more old school than new. That’s not entirely a bad thing, but it’s not the outcome we were hoping for, especially given how much we like its F-150 pickup cousin—enough to make that model a 10Best Trucks and SUVs winner.

--Something Old, Something New
Ford held to the old-school, big-SUV blueprint by again basing the Expedition on a heavy, truck-type steel frame, but, as with the F-150, the new model has been pushed further toward modernity with an aluminum body. The lighter bodywork has helped slim the top-spec, four-wheel-drive Expedition Platinum by 238 pounds compared with the last-generation Platinum we tested, even as the new truck has grown four inches in length.
The old Expedition already benefited from the third-row space advantage of an independent rear suspension, which allows a flat floor all the way to the rear. And the previous Expedition switched to a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 back in 2015. Both of those features are carried forward, although the V-6 now is based on the latest version of that engine that powers the F-150 and the new Lincoln Navigator. In Expedition Platinum guise it makes 400 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque, improvements of 35 horses and 60 lb-ft over last year’s model. (The XLT and Limited models get the same 375-hp, 470-lb-ft output as in the F-150.) Bolted to the torquey V-6 is another leading-edge component: a new 10-speed automatic co-developed with General Motors. Expeditions with four-wheel drive can tow up to 9200 pounds.

--Greyhound, Look Out
The Expedition aces the primary mission of every big SUV, which is to serve as a bus, with room for a horde of passengers and their cargo. It’s a half-foot longer than a Chevrolet Tahoe, and its voluminous interior offers comfortable seats and stretch-out room for adults in all three rows. That’s something the standard-length Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade—all of which still employ space-sapping solid rear axles—can’t match.
Our Platinum was equipped with optional second-row captain’s chairs, making it a seven-seater; a three-seat, second-row bench is standard on all Expeditions. If that’s not enough space for you there’s a huger, stretchier, long-wheelbase Expedition Max (what used to be called the EL) that is almost as long as the Chevy Suburban/GMC Yukon XL/Cadillac Escalade ESV.
Ford also has taken this opportunity to bring the new Expedition up to date in terms of infotainment, connectivity, and safety systems. Loaded versions like our Platinum test truck offer the latest Sync 3 infotainment system, a pair of USB ports for each row of seats, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a Wi-Fi hotspot that supports up to 10 devices, and more. A full suite of driver aids is available, including front automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control.

--The Numbers Don’t Fib
For all that, however, the Expedition’s new-school thinking doesn’t pay the dividends we anticipated. Despite its aluminum body, the big Ford is still 100 pounds heavier than a comparably equipped 2018 GMC Yukon Denali, although, granted, the Expedition is longer and considerably roomier.
The Expedition’s EcoBoost V-6 powertrain is smooth and powerful, but the truck is virtually no quicker than the 6.2-liter V-8–powered GMC—and the Ford’s promise of improved fuel efficiency may be illusory. The Expedition’s 19-mpg combined EPA figure is 2 mpg better than the Yukon’s, but its 22-mpg highway number is the same. And in our real-world 75-mph highway fuel-economy test, the Denali matched the Platinum’s 20-mpg showing.

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