A family looking for a
large go-anywhere vehicle that is comfortable, kid friendly and rugged.
Comparable cars in this class:
Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Toyota Sequoia
Every January, thousands of automotive
journalists from all over the world descend upon Detroit for their traditional gathering at the North
American International Automobile Show. Here, a few days prior to the
official opening of the event to the public, anxious vehicle manufacturers treat
members of the press to a sneak preview, giving them a first look at the latest
and greatest that the automotive world has to offer. The experience is
both exhilarating and exhausting.
This year, I decided to drive from New York to Detroit and the vehicle I
chose for the trip was the 2003 Ford Expedition. A Ford seemed like an
especially appropriate choice for 2003, since this year marks the one hundredth
birthday of the Ford Motor Company. Founder, Henry Ford, is credited with
developing the techniques of mass production that made owning a motorized
vehicle affordable for the average working stiff and is responsible, in no small
measure, for putting America on wheels.
As
I approached the Detroit area, my decision to take a vehicle with an American
nameplate was validated. As I
neared
the Motor Capital, Toyotas, Hondas and Volkswagens
became scarcer than baby-boomers at a rap concert. By the time I had
reached Detroit proper, I noted that more than 90% of the vehicles around me
wore American name tags.
I also took note of another peculiarity of the Michigan roadways: standard 18 wheelers
were joined by trucks with 40 wheels or more. Apparently the state allows trucks
that use their highways to carry much heavier
loads than in other states, but the catch is that there is a relatively low limitation on the
amount of weight per axle they can carry. More
wheels allow truck owners to carry larger loads; while the weight distribution
across all those axles has the effect of
reducing the wear and tear on the road surface. It makes sense.
Since this was a marathon trip of 14 hours straight with stops only for meal and
restroom breaks, the comfort of the driver's
seat and the accessibility of cup holders for that endless supply of coffee,
became a priority. This was another reason why the big Expedition was a
good choice.
The front seats on the Expedition
were
roomy and comfortable, 6-way powered,
with a manual recliner and a manual lumbar support activated by turning a large
dial. The lumbar knob was hard to reach while driving and is only two way,
in and out, but it was in a good position for me, so I just left it where it was. The front seats
were both heated and air conditioned. Obviously
we didn't try the seat cooling on our way to Detroit in the middle of January,
but it's nice to know they are available when needed. I have tried them on
other Ford products during summer months and found them to be a blessing on those hot,
sticky August days.
The gas and brake pedals are power adjustable for reach, which effectively
eliminates the need for a telescoping steering column. Small drivers can
move the pedals closer so that they do not have to sit too close to the air bag
equipped steering
wheel. One thing that I didn't like was the absence of a dead
pedal for my left foot. Most modern vehicles have a place to rest your
left foot that is on the same plane with the pedals, but I guess when you have
adjustable pedals, it's hard to determine where to position that foot rest.
Here's an idea Ford, how about connecting a dead pedal to the mechanism
that adjusts the gas and brake pedals? This will allow you to have a new
feature to talk about when everyone else has copied the adjustable pedal idea.
The top of
the dash in front of the driver is done in matt black to reduce reflections in
the windshield and works well, proving that good ideas that cost nothing to
implement are sometimes as effective as all that expensive computerized stuff.
Our
Expedition was the top of the line Eddie Bauer Edition and came fully loaded with lots of bells and whistles for use on this
long trip. Things to like are the Navigation system with true radio
station buttons for the integrated sound system. The steering wheel
controls were well placed so that they were not easily bumped during parking
maneuvers.
With all the fancy options, I was disappointed that there wasn't a cassette
deck included with the otherwise excellent sound system. When I go on a
long trip like this, I like to listen to "Books on Tape" to pass the time,
especially when driving through the mountain passes that make up most of the
length of Pennsylvania where radio station choices are largely non-existent.
Sure, there are books on CD these days, but the selection is not nearly as
extensive as the ones on tape.
The instrument cluster has 4 gauges besides the speedometer and tachometer.
The extra two gauges are a voltmeter and oil pressure gauge. They aren't very
informative however. Both the voltmeter and oil pressure gauges just show L and H,
while the temperature gauge reads C and H and the fuel shows E and F.
With the exception of the fuel gauge, all the readings stay in the center of the range which is considered normal.
The center console contained a large glove box between the front seats as
well as a good sized bin
at the front of the console with a pair of cup holders in between, just the
ticket for marathon driving. This center compartment housed a 6-disc CD changer, but it didn't take up much
space. There was still enough room for my camera, thermos, snacks and...
oh yes, my gloves.
The second row seat is both roomy and comfortable and is split in three
sections with the center section able to slide all the way up against the front
seat to allow tending a child in a child seat. The Expedition has an airy
interior with good visibility all around. Seating capacity is up to 9 people if
you choose the split bench front seats. There are several other interior
configurations. The one we had with the front Captain's Chairs seated 8.
The Expedition is equipped with LATCH child
seat attachment points. There is also an available rear entertainment system
with a flip-down screen that is capable of playing DVD movies or connecting to
those electronic baby-sitters like X-Box and Game boy. The system is also
blessed with rear headphone jacks for added peace and quiet.
The weather for this trip was nasty. The first half of the trip had me
driving through a snow storm that put about 6 inches down before I was able to
get passed it half way through Pennsylvania. The big Ford handled the
elements quite well and gave me first hand experience on how well the AdvanceTrac Electronic Stability Enhancement System worked.
AdvanceTrac is a computerized system to assist
with both stability and
traction. The system will detect that the vehicle is loosing traction in a
number of scenarios. Let's say that you are driving down a road and take a
turn too fast. You are steering the car into the turn, but it
continues to go straight. This condition is called "understeer".
AdvanceTrac will detect this situation and immediately apply the brake on the
inside-rear wheel and reduce engine power in order to coax the car to follow the
driver's intended course. In many cases, this all happens before the
driver even realizes that he's in trouble. The system also handles oversteer conditions where the car tries to spin out.
It does this by applying the outside
front brake and reducing power in order to bring it back into line.
AdvanceTrac also assists the 4-wheel drive system by directing power to the
wheels that have the most traction. It can detect the difference between an icy
surface where it is best to reduce power to retain traction, and heavy snow or
gravel where it might be better to keep the power applied so you don't get bogged
down. All-in-all, this is a very capable system that I can tell you first
hand, (and the snow plow drivers that I passed along the way will affirm) works
well in the real world.
The good handling on the Expedition was not only due to sophisticated
computer software, they got the hardware right as well.
Ford engineers starting with a new hydroformed frame
that is stiffer than before and provides a solid platform for the new 4
wheel independent suspension system. Couple that with a new rack and
pinion steering system for improved steering feel and larger brakes and you are
left with a full-sized SUV that is a major improvement over the old model.
The end result is a vehicle that has the heart of a truck and the soul of a
luxury car. (This is the same platform used for the upscale Lincoln
Navigator) This is a quiet, smooth riding vehicle that hides the fact
that it is a rugged truck-based SUV until it is called upon to do "truck" stuff,
like towing an 8,900 lb. trailer for instance.
Directional stability could use improvement and some wind noise gets through
at around 80 mph, but none of this is objectionable. At highway speeds
over 70, the windshield wipers tend to "sail" and miss the left corner of
windshield, but not enough to cause a real problem. All-in-all, this trip
would have been considerably delayed had I been driving a lesser vehicle.
Using a nav system is like asking the car for
directions and blindly following it to your destination. Up until now,
I've been testing navigation systems in areas that I'm familiar with, but on
a cross country trip like this, you come to rely on that screen to keep you from
getting lost. The system got me to where I needed to go, calling out turns
and warning me to go straight when it might have been easy to inadvertently find
oneself on an exit ramp. When I decided to take a 100 mile detour to visit
my son (who lives near Lansing, MI), I simply plugged in his address and it took
me right to his door with a voice saying "You have arrived at your destination".
What did we ever do without these wonders?
As you might expect, not everything was hunky dory. For one thing, Ford
has not yet upgraded their system to use DVD discs. Instead, you need a
separate CD for each section of the US and one CD for Canada, 10 discs in all
for full
coverage. This means that as you pass through zones, you have to switch
CDs in order to display any road that is not part of the Interstate system. This is
not an issue for the vast majority of people who rarely venture out of their
region, but if you often drive cross-country, this is a minor inconvenience.
Whenever I am
in Detroit, I try to include a visit to the Henry Ford Museum. If you are
at all interested in how we evolved into this technological society, this museum
is not to be missed. Formerly known as "Henry's Attic" this
sprawling museum complex, the largest in America, celebrates the ingenuity and
resourcefulness of the American mind and what it is capable of. While some
of the museum is devoted to automobiles, there are many diverse sections. There
is a section on
railroads with the worlds largest steam locomotive buried in one corner of the
vast main building. You appreciate just how huge this engine is only after you walk up
to it and realize that it is as tall as a two story building. Other
exhibits range from the history of electric power plants (with several humongous
examples) to kitchen appliances
of the past 100 years to typewriters. There is even a section of the Model
T assembly line that started it all.
The automotive world has come a long way in the past hundred years
thanks
to visionaries like Henry Ford who pioneered many of the conveniences
that we now take for granted. Our Ford Expedition is a prime example of
just how far we have come.
Thanks Henry.
Feedback
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here to send us your comments
The highway stability of the new Expedition is a vast
improvement over the previous model, but it needs a bit more sway control
for it to match the handling control of the Chevy Tahoe
How does the
Expedition fit your
driving style?
Conservative driversThis is a big vehicle and
feels it. Visibility is good to the front and sides. Parking could be a
chore for drivers who are not used to a vehicle of this size. The ride is
comfortable
Sporty driverswill be slowed down with
this one. Handling on good roads is better than last year's model, but
it still feels its size. Off road it's a different story. That's
where the Expedition is in its element.
Fast drivers
will want to look elsewhere for on-road fun and excitement. The Expedition
is not meant for thrashing around corners and blasting along straight-aways.
This is a truck, albeit a quiet, comfortable one.
Notice: The information on this site is
not intended as a substitute for the advice of a professional who is
qualified to examine, diagnose and repair your vehicle.
As
I approached the Detroit area, my decision to take a vehicle with an American
nameplate was validated. As I
neared
the Motor Capital, Toyotas, Hondas and Volkswagens
became scarcer than baby-boomers at a rap concert. By the time I had
reached Detroit proper, I noted that more than 90% of the vehicles around me
wore American name tags.
The front seats on the Expedition
were
roomy and comfortable, 6-way powered,
with a manual recliner and a manual lumbar support activated by turning a large
dial. The lumbar knob was hard to reach while driving and is only two way,
in and out, but it was in a good position for me, so I just left it where it was. The front seats
were both heated and air conditioned. Obviously
we didn't try the seat cooling on our way to Detroit in the middle of January,
but it's nice to know they are available when needed. I have tried them on
other Ford products during summer months and found them to be a blessing on those hot,
sticky August days.
Our
Expedition was the top of the line Eddie Bauer Edition and came fully loaded with lots of bells and whistles for use on this
long trip. Things to like are the Navigation system with true radio
station buttons for the integrated sound system. The steering wheel
controls were well placed so that they were not easily bumped during parking
maneuvers.
The second row seat is both roomy and comfortable and is split in three
sections with the center section able to slide all the way up against the front
seat to allow tending a child in a child seat. The Expedition has an airy
interior with good visibility all around. Seating capacity is up to 9 people if
you choose the split bench front seats. There are several other interior
configurations. The one we had with the front Captain's Chairs seated 8.
AdvanceTrac also assists the 4-wheel drive system by directing power to the
wheels that have the most traction. It can detect the difference between an icy
surface where it is best to reduce power to retain traction, and heavy snow or
gravel where it might be better to keep the power applied so you don't get bogged
down. All-in-all, this is a very capable system that I can tell you first
hand, (and the snow plow drivers that I passed along the way will affirm) works
well in the real world.
Using a nav system is like asking the car for
directions and blindly following it to your destination. Up until now,
I've been testing navigation systems in areas that I'm familiar with, but on
a cross country trip like this, you come to rely on that screen to keep you from
getting lost. The system got me to where I needed to go, calling out turns
and warning me to go straight when it might have been easy to inadvertently find
oneself on an exit ramp. When I decided to take a 100 mile detour to visit
my son (who lives near Lansing, MI), I simply plugged in his address and it took
me right to his door with a voice saying "You have arrived at your destination".
What did we ever do without these wonders?
Whenever I am
in Detroit, I try to include a visit to the Henry Ford Museum. If you are
at all interested in how we evolved into this technological society, this museum
is not to be missed. Formerly known as "Henry's Attic" this
sprawling museum complex, the largest in America, celebrates the ingenuity and
resourcefulness of the American mind and what it is capable of. While some
of the museum is devoted to automobiles, there are many diverse sections. There
is a section on
railroads with the worlds largest steam locomotive buried in one corner of the
vast main building. You appreciate just how huge this engine is only after you walk up
to it and realize that it is as tall as a two story building. Other
exhibits range from the history of electric power plants (with several humongous
examples) to kitchen appliances
of the past 100 years to typewriters. There is even a section of the Model
T assembly line that started it all.
