Ford Expedition reviews

1997 Ford Expedition Walkaround

Expedition presents two familiar views to the world. From the front, it is a near-twin to the Ford F-150 pickup truck. The reason for the resemblance is simple: The Expedition is based on Ford's immensely popular truck--the best-selling vehicle in the country 15 years running--sharing its chassis, drivetrains, suspensions, major interior components and front end body panels. We consider that a benefit, as the F-truck is a handsome, modern design with plenty of rugged hardware underneath.

From the side and rear, the Expedition bears a strong resemblance to the smaller Explorer. No surprise there, since Ford stylists found that the Explorer's looks scored well with both current and potential owners. No panels interchange between, however; the Expedition is larger in every dimension.

It is handsome, with a sloping hoodline and rounded front end that reflect an interest in aerodynamic design--with reductions in wind noise that result--and a move away from the monster truck image presented by previous bluff-fronted designs. The sides and back are shaped more for utility than style, though what are essentially flat panels are given some visual definition by clever use of trim and rounded corners.

The overwhelming impression is one of size, even though the design disguises the Expedition's bulk to some extent. At just over 17 feet in length, this is no wraith. The Suburban is even longer, adding a foot-and-a-half to the total. The Tahoe and Yukon four-doors are a bit shorter. Ford touts the shorter length as making its entry compatible with a standard garage, which the Suburban, they say, is not. Measure before you try to close the garage door.

As an aside to the size issue, we should note that the Tahoe and Yukon are also available as slightly smaller two-doors. Although it was designed to replace the old Bronco, which was two-door only, Ford elected to cede the full-size two-door market to GM.

Expeditions come in two flavors, XLT and Eddie Bauer. Both are available with two-wheel or four-wheel drive, and both carry a substantial load of standard equipment. Differences are confined to paint and trim, and even these distinctions can be blurred further by checking off items from a long list of optional equipment. And there's obviously a lot of price territory between the basic 2wd Expedition XLT and our loaded Eddie Bauer 4x4 tester.