Ford Expedition reviews

2004 Ford Expedition Interior Features

The Ford Expedition has an attractive interior. An Eddie Bauer Expedition is a very pleasant place to be with handsome leather trim that's warm and friendly. The seats are comfortable. The interior is dressed up with a metallic satin finish used on the rings that surround the vents and door handles. Shapes are round, and controls are hefty for an easy grip.

Storage space is generous. The roomy pockets in all four doors have space for a 20-ounce water bottle. The front center console available in some versions of the Expedition can fit a small laptop computer. The console has a slot to hold pens and a Palm Pilot or other PDAs. The lighter colors used for the upholstery give it a lighter, more car-like air.

The interior features a number of clever and useful innovations. The available power-operated third-row seats fold flat with the press of a button. The third-row seat is split 60-40 into two seats. Push a button on the wall of the cargo area, and one side powers down. Hold down the other button, and the other side powers down. The power-down buttons are convenient. The third row disappears into the floor, leaving a perfectly flat cargo area. It is a beautiful piece of engineering to watch as the seat folds down and the flaps to cover the gap between the cargo floor and hinged seats gracefully flop into place.

When folded down, the cargo floor is perfectly flat, in contrast to some Expedition competitors who say the floor folds flat but actually slant. The flat floor combined with the flaps that cover the gap where the seats hinge make it easy to slide objects in and out. Another nice feature is the window in the liftgate that pops open so you can lift groceries out without having them tumble out of the vehicle and down a sloped driveway.

The power third-row seat proved invaluable during a variety of typical weekend chores. We changed the Expedition repeatedly from a people hauler to a cargo hauler and back again with just a simple push of the button. First, we loaded it with a day bed and other furniture for delivery to our summer cottage. After dumping that off, a pack of teenagers piled in to go to a punk rock concert. The third row is comfortable enough for a couple of full-size adults. The next day we picked up a high-backed wicker chair from the furniture store. The third-row headrests can be pushed down flush with the seatbacks, greatly improving rearward visibility when no one is seated back there.

The second-row bench seat splits roughly into thirds. The middle section can be moved forward 11 inches, almost abutting it to the back of the front center console. That gives front-seat parents easier access to a small child or a child in a safety seat. The small center seatback can also be folded down and used as a work surface for the two people in back. The two outboard second-row seats fold easily forward for access to the third-row seat.

The Expedition can be outfitted with enough safety equipment to create a cocoon inside in case of an accident. Dual-stage front airbags are standard. An optional side airbag canopy is designed to protect first- and second-row passengers in a side-impact crash or in a rollover. The Eddie Bauer model we drove came standard with power-adjustable pedals, a feature we short women greatly appreciate to keep us a safe distance from the airbag.

Interior features are easy to program. Tired of fighting the locks? You can turn off the auto-locking feature. You can set whether the seat automatically moves back when you shut off the ignition. You can decide whether you want the right mirror to automatically tilt down when reverse is selected.

The optional navigation system has a nice bright screen. It works well, but like all navigation systems, takes some time to master.