Topic: 2024 Ford Expedition King Ranch

[Blueprint]

As a snobby car-kid who grew up in the '70s - educated by Car and Driver - I just despised the 'Murican land barges that wallowed around. My Dad never had one, immediate family neither, except for one aunt with a full-pontoon Monte-Carlo. Today of course we're nostalgic about these things as they remind us of simpler times (and of how good modern cars are  ). But the land yacht genes survived over the decades in the full-size SUVs, and these rigs have gotten better and better over the years.

I like getting these big BOF rigs to review as they are quite removed from the plethora of crossovers and offer some personality. I wanted this one for the family vacation, as I've only driven them in my urban mixed cycle so far and always get terrible fuel economy numbers. But the one-week availability meant a Plan B, which became a visit to relatives in Gatineau. Climb aboard, the autmated steps have deployed.

https://www.autohebdo.net/editorial/20240613/ford-expedition-king-ranch-2024-essai-routier/

[Blueprint]

Design

We never see these in the GMA, so despite being on the market since 2018, it still looks fresh to my eyes. The nose job from the mid-cycle refresh modernized the overall appearance, and this all-aluminium suit still looks crisp - got many compliments on how good it looked (nobody knew what it was though), and that ruby red paint sure helped. Wheels on this King Ranch - 22 inchers - look good and not too blingy. To my eyes, it still looks like an overscaled older Explorer with that razor-straight window ledge.

[Blueprint]

Interior

King Ranch is the 4th step in a 5 trim line-up and lands you in luxury tax territory (base msrp : $103k, as-tested: $111k). As the name implies, there's plenty of cowhide inside, marked with steer tatoos, making you feel like, well, the king of the ranch. Rembering the bench-seat 'burbans of my youth, I can't unsee the wasted width up front with the bucket seats. At least the pool-table sized console has plenty of elbow room for front passengers - not territorial dispute here. The width also means the touchscreen is way too far away, hard to use and with small menus to add insult to injury. Room the 2nd and 3rd rows in minivan-challengingly good, as long as one does not have luggage - there's hardly any trunk with the rearmost seats up. Need the 3rd row? Get an XL version for the full minivan practicality.

[Blueprint]

Power

About time I get to drive Ford's famed Eb 3.6 V6. Power varies at 3 levels depending on trims, and here we have 400 hp on tap. It sounds like a V8, and feels like a V8, until you reach a passing zone and you're reminded of the 5700 lbs you have to move. The 10-speed auto co-developed with GM does a fine job, and it's fun to see that there's a gear indicator in the dash to show you where it's at - I was skeptical, but it kept to 10th on the highway, even through hilly terrain. 0-100 km/h is in the 6 seconds range. It will pull 9,200 lbs and delivered 11.9 l/100 km on the Gatineau trip, 13.2 overall with my usual urban driving added to the mix - call me impressed, this is as good as what the Sequoia Hybrid delivered. Easy to see why this drivetrain is so popular with Ford truck buyers.

[Blueprint]

Driving

Imagine driving your living room from your Laz-y-Boy, and you'd be close. The Eb responds very well to your right foot, and the steering is as vague as a boat's but is not bothered by bumps and crevisses - the worse the road is, the better the driving gets. As I remember from my childhood, these big BOF SUV's are very well adapted to rural driving, not giving a damn if the roads are rutted or not. Still, harmonic vibrations from the frame are there, but point this thing like a coach down an infinite highway and enjoy.

[Blueprint]

Value

Here's where it hurts. With 24.7% depreciation after only 3 years, your 6 figure "investment" will fly in the wind at an amazing pace. Yes, this is a nice truck and it's not too bad on gas. But does it feel built like a 6-figure vehicle? Nope. The high-level trims flirt with German pricing, making the value equation doubtful, but more basic trims - still well-equipped - are segment-competitive (XLT is $80k). The reason to get a vehicle like this comes down to towing, or regularly driving over very bad terrain.

[Blueprint]

Final thoughts

Driving the Expedition out of the city made me realize why these rigs are so popular down south and in rural areas. You get the ruggedness of a truck, the creature comforts of a luxury car and the fuel economy of a car-based crossover. If you don't need the 3rd row up, you can make sense out of it, but please get a 2nd row bench to make use of all that width. And stick to a more basic trim or you'll just be padding somebody's bottom line.

[PJungnitsch]

The Eb responds very well to your right foot, and the steering is as vague as a boat's but is not bothered by bumps and crevisses - the worse the road is, the better the driving gets. As I remember from my childhood, these big BOF SUV's are very well adapted to rural driving, not giving a damn if the roads are rutted or not.

The other thing is in the winter they cope very well with unplowed and/or drifted roads. For farmers double cab pickups perform the same function, with the added benefits they can write off a good chunk of the price as a business expense as well as run cheaper 'purple' gas

[Blueprint]

The Eb responds very well to your right foot, and the steering is as vague as a boat's but is not bothered by bumps and crevisses - the worse the road is, the better the driving gets. As I remember from my childhood, these big BOF SUV's are very well adapted to rural driving, not giving a damn if the roads are rutted or not.

The other thing is in the winter they cope very well with unplowed and/or drifted roads. For farmers double cab pickups perform the same function, with the added benefits they can write off a good chunk of the price as a business expense as well as run cheaper 'purple' gas

Exactly - under rural conditions, this makes a lot more sense than, say, a Highlander.

[Fobroader]

What German vehicle comes close to the Expedition for $100k?? For hauling around kids especially in winter conditions or a lot of gravel roads, this, the Tahoe/Yukon, and Sequoia are still kings.