Why Fly When the New Expedition has a 538-Mile Range?
Lightweight construction, 3.5-liter V6, and new 10-speed automatic transmission help Expedition get superb fuel economy figures.
For 2018, Ford redesigned the Expedition for the first time in 10 years, bringing with it a new look, more interior features, and a revised powertrain. While the automaker revealed all of the juicy details behind the full-size SUV at this year’s Chicago Auto Show, Ford kept quiet on what kind of fuel figures consumers could expect from the full-size SUV. The automaker recently changed that, and the figures are even better than we expected.
While full-size SUVs aren’t exactly known for being able to sip fuel, all of the changes that were made to the Expedition allow the SUV to claim best-in-class fuel economy figures. According to the automaker, the new Expedition, which features a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine and a 10-speed automatic transmission, is capable of getting 17 miles per gallon in the city and 24 mpg on the highway. That comes out to a combined rating of 20 mpg.
Those figures are for the rear-wheel-drive Expedition. Opting for four-wheel drive brings the numbers down to 22 mpg on the highway and a combined rating of 19 mpg. The four-wheel-drive Expedition’s 17 mpg in the city rating is the same as the two-wheel-drive variant.
Not exactly Toyota Prius numbers, right? But when comparing apples to apples, the Expedition is above the competition. The Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe have a combined rating of 19 mpg, while the Nissan Armada and Toyota Sequoia are further behind with combined ratings of 16 and 15 mpg respectively.
With the Expedition’s large fuel tank, Ford claims the SUV’s capable of traveling up to 538 miles on a single tank, making it one heck of a vessel for family road trips. “The all-new Expedition fits eight people comfortably and can carry all of their luggage, while keeping everyone connected and entertained,” said Todd Hoevener, Ford Expedition chief engineer. “It’s really the ultimate road trip vehicle.”
To stop children and those with short attentions spans from constantly asking, “are we there yet?” the Expedition is packed with loads of goodies. The massive SUV has an available 4G modem with Wi-Fi hotspot that can handle up to 10 different devices at one time, an optional Sling Media-powered vehicle entertainment system, USB charge ports for every one of the SUV’s rows, and an available 12-speaker B&O Play audio system by Harman.
Despite being more fuel efficient and packed with high-end features, the Expedition can still get the job done when it comes to towing, as Ford claims the SUV can haul up to 9,300 pounds. It sounds like Ford really has created a better alternative to flying.
The Expedition starts at $52,390 and should reach dealerships in time for holiday road trips.