Ford wants to continue as a leading player with Expedition because about 90 percent of full-size SUV owners use them for driving vacations, 40 percent tow something, and most carry three or more people behind the front seats.
Competitive Advantages
These surprisingly nice-driving new Expeditions should do an excellent job of matching up against GM's new-for-2007 big SUVs largely due to some important competitive advantages. Among the most important is price. Ford dropped the average price across the '07 Expedition's model line an average of $4,300.
More compelling competitive advantages include the Expedition's second- and third-row seats. The second row is a 40/20/40 bench that folds flat to the floor to optimize cargo space and third-row access, and the Centerslide middle section moves forward almost 11 inches for easy access to a young child, for example. The optional alternative is a pair of captain's chairs. The available 60/40 third-row bench also folds flat to the floor, either manually or with a segment-exclusive optional Powerfold™ feature that hides them away at the touch of a button. By contrast, the new Tahoe and Yukon middle-row folds forward against the front seats, and the third row must be removed and stored to get a flat load floor. This is a huge advantage, and those way-back seats on Expedition also have best-in-class legroom.
Other advantages include a 6-speed automatic transmission, available heated and cooled front seats and a higher rated towing capacity of 9,200 lbs. vs. the Tahoe's 8,200 lbs. The new Expedition also boasts standard Safety Canopy™ System side air curtains, and its standard AdvanceTrac® with RSC® (Roll Stability Control) features a vehicle roll motion sensor to detect and help prevent an impending rollover, while Chevy's StabiliTrak does not.
Design and Propulsion
The Expedition's bold new looks pay homage to F-150 pickups inside and out, which is a good thing. It starts with a prominent grille, new dual-beam headlamps and integrated, wraparound side marker lights, all capped by a raised "powerdome" hood, and it extends down the sides past large, round wheel lips and flush lower-body cladding to an updated rear hatch, bumper and taillamp design.
Inside is a new F-150-inspired interior with noticeably better comfort and materials and quality fits and finishes. The seats are improved throughout for increased comfort on long trips, and the driver's seat adjustment travel is 20 mm longer to comfortably accommodate drivers ranging from 4 feet, 11 inches to 6 feet, 4 inches tall. The Eddie Bauer series comes in two different environments: camel with greystone accented seats, and black, with camel inserts in the seats. They also bring 2-tone exterior trim and added features including premium 340-watt MP3-capable audio with an in-dash 6- CD changer, dual power front seats (10-way for the driver, 6-way for the passenger) and an upgraded climate system that can warm the cabin and defrost the windows in two-thirds the time of the previous system. The long list of available options also includes a new power liftgate, DVD-based navigation, family entertainment DVD, SIRIUS Satellite Radio, and heated-and-cooled front seats.
The 2007 Expedition is powered by a 300-hp SOHC, 24-valve 5.4-liter Triton V-8 that delivers a smooth and muscular 300 hp and 365 lb.-ft. of torque. That compares to the GM trucks' standard 295-hp 4.8-liter V-8 and optional 320-hp 5.3-liter V-8-the latter of which tops the Ford in peak power, but (at 340 lb.-ft.) not in all-important torque. And while the Ford is an overhead-cam engine with efficiency enhancing variable cam timing, the GM pushrod V-8 offers fuel-saving Active Fuel Management and (with 4WD)
Flex-Fuel E85 capability.
Meanwhile, the Ford's standard 6-speed automatic transmission is more efficient than the Chevy's wide-ratio 4-speed automatic. Four-wheel-drive models have 2-speed transfer cases with optional electronic shift-on- the-fly capability, controlled by a dash-mounted rotary knob. In low range, it shifts the engine's electronic throttle control to a special off-road calibration for more precise torque management in the worst conditions, such as a sandy hill-climb or a slippery uphill towing challenge.
All-New Chassis
This new Expedition boasts an all-new structure and front and rear suspensions engineered to F-Series tough-truck durability standards. The frame is 10 percent stiffer in torsional rigidity, and the drive shafts pass through portholes in its lateral rails to lower the center of gravity for better handling. The new generation five- link independent rear suspension improves on the original introduced in 2003, monotube shocks at all four corners enable more precise tuning and improved ride, and a new variable-boost steering pump reduces low-speed effort while improving higher- speed feel and feedback.
You couldn't go wrong with this much-improved Expedition at the top of your shopping list. |
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