2020 Ford Expedition Road Test and Review

20expeditionfrontbeauty1sessions ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Jumbo truck-based sport-utility sales made up less than 3 percent of the overall new-vehicle market last year. But for buyers looking for something that can handle up to eight passengers and their gear and the ability to tow a big travel trailer, boat or some horses, possibly over rough terrain requiring four-wheel drive, there really isn’t anything else suitable for the task.

The 2020 Ford Expedition is on a short list of full-size SUVs with the goods to deliver in this space. Competitors include the sales-leading Chevrolet Tahoe, plus the Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon, GMC Yukon XL, Nissan Armada, and Toyota Sequoia. The 2020 Expedition is available in standard- and long-wheelbase versions, the latter dubbed the Expedition Max. The Max competes with the Suburban and Yukon XL. Including the $1,395 destination charge, the 2020 Expedition lineup includes the base XLT at $54,205, the well-contented Limited at $64,740, the just-added King Ranch trim for $74,290, and the range-topping Platinum at $75,330. Moving up to the extended-wheelbase Max or upgrading from two-wheel to four-wheel drive each add about $3,000 more, depending on the trim level.

Twin-Turbo Smoothness and Flexibility

For 2020, Expedition XLT, Limited, and King Ranch are powered by a 375-horsepower 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 with an impressive 470 lb-ft of torque starting at a leisurely 2,250 rpm. The Platinum gets a 400-hp/480 lb-ft version of this engine. This twin-turbo V6 is exceptionally smooth in operation and offers a deep well of torque over a wide engine speed range for excellent throttle response. It's an elegant solution for a mainstream-brand product, one usually reserved for pricier luxury offerings.

Gear-changing duties are handled by a 10-speed automatic transmission with an extra-wide ratio spread with a super low first gear for quick acceleration from rest and several tall overdrive gears for relaxed, low-rpm highway cruising. Taking the place of the traditional shift lever is a rotary shift dial. Thanks to the use of aluminum and other weight-reducing measures, the 10-speed transmission, and a stop-start system that shuts off the engine at idle, the Expedition’s EPA fuel-economy estimates are among the segment’s best — 17 mpg city/24 mpg highway/20 mpg combined for the 2WD standard-wheelbase version. The Expedition’s maximum tow rating is 9,300 pounds. To that end, an integrated trailer brake controller and Pro Trailer Backup Assist are available.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Expedition Headquarters

Inside, the Expedition offers ample accommodations. Climbing into the cabin is facilitated by power-actuated running boards, standard on uplevel trims, that lower into position when a door is opened and retract flush with the body when the door is shut. The Expedition’s interior has its share of hard-plastic trim, but overall cabin fitments are on the premium side. There’s plenty of stretch-out space and room to stash odds and ends.

The front seats are comfortable as you’d expect and reasonably supportive — you actually sink into the big front buckets. Both driver and front passenger seats are power-operated and lumbar-adjustable. The Limited and King Ranch add heating and ventilation, and Platinum models get active-motion massaging functionality, excellent for long stints behind the wheel. Seat coverings are synthetic Active-X material in the XLT and leather hides for higher trims. Thoughtful touches include tri-zone automatic climate control, power-adjustable pedals, push-button start, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, dual gloveboxes, and an available panoramic vista roof, standard on the Platinum. The new King Ranch trim brings Texas-style Del Rio leather trim to the seats, door panels, and console, Ziricote wood veneer, and unique stitching and King Ranch Running W logos on all three seat rows.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Connectivity

Looking a bit small and old-school compared to newer designs in the RAM 1500 pickup and even Ford’s own Explorer, the Expedition’s infotainment system centers around an 8-inch capacitive touchscreen. But expanded standard technology now includes the SYNC3 voice recognition, entertainment, and communication system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, Applink, and 911 Assist features. An optional embedded navigation system adds SiriusXM Traffic and Travel Link. The touchscreen has a tip and slide feature that reveals hidden storage behind it. A wireless device charger is also available.

FordPass Connect, now also standard in all Expedition trims, brings 4G LTE in-vehicle Wi-Fi for up to 10 mobile devices as well as remote start, lock/unlock, vehicle-locating, and vehicle-status capabilities. Standard fare in the XLT is a six-speaker AM/FM/MP3 stereo with SiriusXM satellite radio. Limited and higher trims gain a premium Bang & Olufsen stereo with 12 speakers and HD radio.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Second-Row Seating

For the roomy second row, the Expedition offers a choice of dual captain’s chairs for individual comfort rivaling the front seats or a 40/20/40 split, reclining three-passenger bench, both of which slide fore and aft to accommodate various passenger/cargo-carrying needs.

Included as standard are LATCH child safety seat anchors for all second- and third-row seat positions. Optional headrest-mounted dual-screen rear entertainment with wireless headphones is available as well. Switches located just inside the cargo liftback door allow users to lower the second- and third-row seats remotely.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Third-Row Seating

Compared to the Chevrolet Tahoe, the standard-wheelbase Expedition is half a foot longer and has 6.5 inches more wheelbase. The big beneficiary here is third-row legroom, a long-running disappointment in the current Tahoe.

There’s almost a foot and half more of it than in the Tahoe thanks to the wheelbase stretch, but it’s also boosted by second-row seats that can slide fore and aft up to 5 inches. Ingress and egress to the three-across third-row bench are aided by a slide and tip-forward second-row seat feature — which, by the way, can be accomplished even with a child safety seat still latched securely in place.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Cargo Considerations

With all seats up, the Expedition can stow up to 20.9 cubic feet of cargo (improving to 36 cubic feet in the Max version). Stowage space increases to a 63.6 cubic feet (79.6 in the Max) behind the second-row seats. And with all three rows folded, the 2020 Expedition can tote 104.6 cubic feet of cargo; the Max version up to 121.5 cubic feet.

Uplevel trims are available with a hands-free liftgate that opens with a foot wave under the bumper. All Expeditions feature liftgate glass that can be opened separately, which is great for dropping items in the back without opening the whole liftgate in tight garages and parking spaces.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Driving Dynamics

On the road, the 2020 Expedition offers stable and secure handling. Tires range from 18s on the XLT and 20s for the Limited to 22-inchers on the King Ranch and Platinum. Independent rear suspension gives the Expedition an edge over the live-axle setup in the Tahoe and Suburban on rough and uneven pavement. Body roll in corners isn’t excessive, and the gas-charged shocks deliver decent control of vertical ride motions. A continuously controlled damping system that adjusts the shocks to varying road surfaces in real-time is optional on Limited and higher trims. Body roll in corners is reasonably kept in check. The electric-boosted rack-and-pinion steering effort is reasonably precise and well-weighted. Stopping power from the large-capacity four-wheel disc brakes inspires confidence.

The Expedition includes Ford’s Terrain Management System that’s driver-adjustable via a console rotary knob. In 2WD models, choices include Normal (for daily use), Sport (for performance driving), Eco (when you’re not in a hurry), Tow/Haul (for trailering), and Snow/Wet. Four-wheel-drive models replace Snow/Wet with Mud/Rut, Sand, and Grass/Gravel/Snow modes. The off-road-oriented FX4 package adds 18-in all-terrain rubber, off-road shocks, an electronic limited-slip differential, two-speed automatic 4WD, skid plates, and fixed running boards.

Photo by Ron Sessions

More Standard Safety Tech

Expanded this year in the Expedition is an extensive roster of standard safety tech. Ford Co-Pilot360 includes systems for automatic high-beam control, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic monitoring, lane-departure warnings, lane-keeping assist, driver alertness, pre-collision alert with pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking, and a self-cleaning backup camera.

The Limited trim adds rain-sensing wipers, while the King Ranch gains a 360-degree camera that gives an overhead view of the SUV and its immediate surroundings and the Platinum adds inflatable second-row seatbelts as well as adaptive cruise control with stop and go. Advanced active park assist that can steer the big SUV into a perpendicular or parallel parking spot is also available on upper trims. All Expeditions are equipped with a standard sonar rear parking sensor, with Limited and higher trims including one for the front as well. In testing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the 2020 Expedition achieved a perfect five-star overall crash rating.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Ford's Big Cargo- and People-Hauler

America is a big place, and Ford’s full-size Expedition has the goods to take you and a lot of your stuff there in high-riding comfort. Its 9,300-lb maximum towing rating means it can trailer the kind of loads usually reserved for full-size pickup trucks, even as it offers all of the conveniences of a luxury sedan and room for seven or eight passengers under one roof. For 2020, Ford sweetens the Expedition’s standard equipment tally to include a long list of multimedia and safety tech.

Photo by Ron Sessions