Ford Expedition review

It’s the Ford Expedition, the full-sized family SUV fully equipped to take the whole brood wherever they need to go - football practice, the mall, the middle of the woods…

Wait, the middle of what now?

Oh yeah, along with a number of tip-to-tail updates, the latest-gen Expedition is blessed with its own Tremor version, which if you’ve been keeping up, is Ford’s branch of off-road ready vehicles. Along with a higher-output engine, the Expedition Tremor has more ground clearance, a glut of rugged suspension hardware, grippy tires and clad in rock-bashing armor throughout its undercarriage. 

So a three-row seven-passenger SUV that off-roads?

Yup, ready for all sorts of safaris, suburban or otherwise. 

What are the details?

Full-on aluminum body on a high-strength steel frame, fitted with a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 that belts out 400hp and 480 lb ft of torque, with the Tremor version cranking that higher to 440hp and 510 lb ft. Though rear-drive is standard, all models offer four-wheel drive and are fed through a 10-speed automatic transmission. 

Neat. What are the other non-Tremor things worth noting?

There’s the full redesign, for starters. Apart from updated looks, the exterior boasts a split-gate rear door that’s part truck tailgate, part hatchback. This offers up some flexibility in terms of how you access rear cargo as well as how both are used when parked. The reinforced tailgate and included utility tray turns the Expedition’s backside into a seat or serving station, with “linger longer” LED lights on the inside of the door.

Meanwhile, the front row is treated to a 24in panoramic digital display for the driver and a sliding center console to open up a secure storage compartment.

This is starting to sound a lot like the Lincoln Navigator.

Indeed, they share the same platform, engine and a number of other components, and though there’s lots of comparisons to make, we’re happy to report they provide distinct experiences.

Overall, the Expedition punches in its weight class, attempting to be a top performer in its family SUV segment, which we daresay it does successfully. The Lincoln, on the other hand, is competing in a higher-stakes luxury class and therefore doesn’t fare as well against the competition.

Driving both nearly back-to-back, we left more satisfied with the Expedition’s way of doing things. Its suspension feels more comfortable than the one on the so-called luxury vehicle. The interior is more intuitively laid out and the materials in the top trims suit the utility vehicle well. In short, because it’s not trying so hard to be premium, the Expedition ends up being more successful in presenting itself as a top-quality product.

Can the Expedition Tremor really off-road?

We were pleasantly surprised with what this version of the Expedition was capable of executing when the rubber met the mud. By now, Ford’s got its terrain software dialed in extremely well, so when paired with the more rugged Raptor-sourced hardware, it turns the family hauler into a very capable overlanding machine. In short, yes, the Tremor Expedition is more than just an appearance package. Significantly so.

How about on the road?

Surprisingly smooth. For a vehicle its size, the Expedition is easy to handle. It can still get in its own way sometimes and visibility remains an inherent issue, but most gripes are mitigated by sharp, direct controls and the tools on hand to help provide a better sense of the vehicle’s positioning. The oblong steering wheel takes some getting used to, but it’s hardly a dealbreaker. Also, it’s equipped with the latest version of Blue Cruise that patches out some of the weaker aspects of the previous version, namely the spotty eye-tracking and alert frequency.

Ford’s experience in the SUV segment is on full display with its all-new Expedition. It’s taken what is essentially an aluminum box on top of a heavy-duty truck chassis and refined it into a vehicle with as much inherent versatility as its F-150 workhorse pickup truck.

A practical cabin packed with a number of well thought-out touches is equipped to satisfy the demands of any on-the-go family. Wherever it takes you, the Expedition is prepared to act as the tentpole of your basecamp once you get there. Given its new off-road capabilities, “wherever” hits much harder than it used to with this SUV. 

Combined with its towing capability, the Expedition is more equipped than ever to live up to the promises of its badge.