Review: 2019 Ford Expedition V6 4Wd Express Max
Signing off on the exam drive agreement, I waved the Ford driver goodbye together with I nonchalantly opened my gate to allow this week’s wheels in—a 2019 Expedition Max inwards a stunning shade of blue. With the Ranger Raptor plumbing equipment inwards snuggly, I figured this behemoth could fit. Oh, how I was wrong. Almost kissing the garage wall, I looked dorsum to meet a sizeable chunk of donkey nonetheless sticking out. Oh boy, I thought. This is going to live an interesting week.
Having no driver, no family, or no posse (just 10,000 Facebook haters), admittedly, I’m non just the Expedition’s target market. But for this week, I had to pose on a unlike hat, together with uncovering out if the 2019 version of Ford’s largest SUV remains on request or has it choke passé.
When the nameplate origin striking the Philippine marketplace inwards 1996 or so, many saw it every bit the ride of the rich together with famous. People inwards exclusive villages together with politicians rapidly ditched their Pajeros for this big, honking ‘Murican SUV. In the years that followed though, the zeitgeist moved, together with this was despite Ford trying out all sorts of things similar adding independent parent suspension, adding length, together with ditching the V8 for a turbocharged V6. While it wasn’t clear when it stopped existence shape leader, the fact of the thing is it was left on the side of the road.
Amidst clamors for improve environmental functioning together with improved fuel efficiency, Ford decided that the Expedition wasn’t cook to hang upwardly its boots just yet. Instead of offering just a few distinct advantages, engineers dug deep. Aside from the independent parent pause together with boosted V6 engine, this fourth-generation model debuts a lightweight aluminum body. In short, this was the large SUV they should receive got built all along.
More than just getting the basic technology scientific discipline right, the Expedition straightaway looks the purpose too. It’s ane of the best interpretations of Ford’s truck styling language. The blueprint is simple, yet inwards person, imposing inwards equal measure. The slab-sidedness of the blueprint is due to the novel aluminum skin, but regardless, the overall lawsuit is attractive.
Open the door together with motorized stair boards flip downwards to greet you. Inside, the changes are fifty-fifty to a greater extent than dramatic; a body of body of water of alter compared to the quondam Expedition’s combination of awkward textures together with nasty plastics. The blueprint nonetheless won’t move past times for a luxe SUV, but at to the lowest degree it’s handsome. Poke around long plenty together with difficult plastics are nonetheless present, but at to the lowest degree they all contend to blend into the background. The local spec model has lots going on—silver-colored plastic amongst darker soft-dash covering, ash forest veneer, together with cream-colored upholstery. Without a doubt, it’s busy, but much nicer than inwards the past. Is it worth the P 4.2-million cost tag? Maybe non yet.
Perched high inwards the driver’s topographic point (even at its lowest setting), piloting the Expedition is both an practise inwards frustration together with delight. Frustration because it’s difficult to uncovering suitable parking for a vehicle that takes upwardly to a greater extent than infinite than the Philippine criterion (12.88 sq-m versus 12.5 sq-m), but delightful because y'all tin give the sack only groovy your agency through traffic using aught to a greater extent than than its girth together with the threat of having armed bodyguards inwards tow.
After some days of adjusting to its size, the Expedition is genuinely slowly plenty to drive. Sacrifices must live made (you can’t move past times through some tight, secondary roads for one), but overall it drives smaller than it is. Moreover, typical large, body-on-frame SUVs tend to wallow similar a boat. However, this ane doesn’t, together with that’s without needing whatsoever variety of fancy stabilizer bars or active pause tech. Down to clever tuning together with a lighter body, it hustles without falling on its face. It’s difficult to uncovering a driving rhythm, but ane time y'all do, it rewards past times existence virtually fun to drive.
Under the massive hood, the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 is largely unchanged from the previous model. Still, its 375 horsepower, 637 Nm of torque outputs feels just every bit satisfying every bit a V8 making similar power. There’s line everywhere inwards the rev range, real piddling lag, together with fifty-fifty sounds great. Paired to this engine is Ford’s newfangled 10-speed automatic. Shared amongst the Mustang together with Ranger Raptor, together with Everest (obviously the tuning varies), its application hither fairs improve amongst smooth, imperceptible shifts. There’s a flake of hesitation at times, but to a greater extent than oftentimes than non there’s aught odd at all. And given the typical Expedition possessor who’d value comfort inwards a higher identify all else, that’s high praise. On the other hand, using a rotary selector for the PRND positioned adjacent to the four-wheel drive knob is the worst ergonomic move, ever.
On the discipline of fuel economic scheme though, the Expedition remains every bit thirsty every bit before. While Ford’s done their homework on newspaper amongst the lighter body, smaller boosted engine, together with to a greater extent than ratios inwards its gearbox, the cease outcome is nonetheless 3.75 km/L—a figure fifty-fifty lower than the previous V8 engine inwards similar traffic conditions.
In this genre, it used to live plenty only to live large together with rugged. But then, all of a abrupt large wasn’t enough. As refinement together with comfort became just every bit of import to SUV buyers, the Expedition lost its step. However, amongst the latest version, it seems to receive got works life its stride ane time more. It may non receive got the same grade of gravitas it ane time had, but at to the lowest degree for those who’re looking for a traditional large SUV, the Expedition ticks all the correct boxes—for every bit long every bit it tin give the sack check inwards your garage together with y'all don’t hear the fuel bills.
2019 Ford Expedition V6 4WD Limited Max | |
| Ownership | 2019 Ford Expedition V6 4WD Limited Max (Bench Seats) |
| Year Introduced | 2018 |
| Vehicle Classification | Luxury SUV |
| Warranty | 3 years / 100,000 kilometers |
| The Basic | |
| Body Type | 5-door SUV |
| Seating | 8 |
| Engine / Drive | F/4WD, Terrain Management System |
| Under the Hood | |
| Displacement (liters) | 3.5 |
| Aspiration | Turbocharged |
| Fuel Delivery | Direct Injection |
| Layout / # of Cylinders | V6 |
| BHP @ rpm | 375 @ 3,500 |
| Nm @ rpm | 637 @ 3,500 |
| Fuel / Min. Octane | Gasoline / 91 |
| Transmission | 10 AT |
| Cruise Control | Yes |
| Fuel Economy @ Ave. Speed | 3.75 km/L @ xvi km/h |
| Dimensions together with Weights | |
| Length (mm) | 5,636 |
| Width (mm) | 2,123 |
| Height (mm) | 1,940 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 3,343 |
| Curb Weight (kg) | 2,581 |
| Suspension together with Tires | |
| Front Suspension | Independent, Double Wishbone |
| Rear Suspension | Independent, Multi-link |
| Front Brakes | Vented Disc |
| Rear Brakes | Disc |
| Tires | Toyo Open Country H/T D 275/55 R twenty H (f & r) |
| Wheels | Alloy |
| Safety Features | |
| Airbags | 6 |
| Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS) | Yes, amongst EBD |
| Traction / Stability Control | Yes |
| Parking Sensors | Front together with Rear, amongst Reverse Camera |
| Front Seatbelts | 3-pt ELR amongst pre-tensioner x 2 |
| Rear Seatbelts | 3-pt ELR x three (2nd row), 3-pt ELR x three (3rd row) |
| ISOFIX Child Seat Anchor | Yes |
| Other Safety Features | Blind Spot Indicators w/ Cross Traffic Alert Tire Pressure Monitoring System Hill Start Assist Hill Descent Control |
| Exterior Features | |
| Headlights | Halogen |
| Fog Lamps | Yes, Front |
| Auto Lights | Yes |
| Rain-sensing Wipers | Yes |
| Interior Features | |
| Steering Wheel Adjust | Tilt/Telescopic, Electric Adjust |
| Steering Wheel Material | Leather |
| Seating Adjustment (driver) | Electric, 8-way, heated/vented |
| Seating Adjustment (front passenger) | Electric, 6-way, heated/vented |
| Seating Surface | Leather |
| Folding Rear Seat | Yes, 60/40 (2nd row), Yes, 50/50, Electric (3rd row) |
| On-Board Computer | Yes |
| Convenience Features | |
| Power Steering | Yes |
| Power Door Locks | Yes |
| Power Windows | Yes |
| Power Mirrors | Yes, amongst Fold |
| Proximity Key | Yes |
| Climate Control | Dual Zone (front), Single Zone (rear) |
| Audio System | Stereo Aux USB Bluetooth GPS Apple CarPlay Android Auto |
| # of Speakers | 12, B&O Play past times Harman |
| Steering Controls | Yes |