The Ford Expedition has been somewhat of an underdog in my book considering there are many other body-on-frame large SUVs that tend to steal the spotlight for good and bad reasons. However, in the scheme of all that the latest Expedition offers there’s a welcomed and refreshed theme that others must recognize as the Expedition receives a refresh for the model year bringing new tech and packages to the table.
The 2022 Ford Expedition continues the fourth generation but with a slight refresh to bring more performance, technology, and appearance/performance packages to elevate its standing within the large body-on-frame SUV segment. The refreshed changes are notable in that the Expedition can now stand out in a crowd or better conquer terrain with a new Timberline off-roading package. When equipped like my Expedition Limited Stealth Performance Edition Package test vehicle, the new Expedition receives the proper sporty looks to match its improved performance. With such a package, there’s a lot to take in for the (304A) Stealth Performance Edition Package’s $9,880 add-on such as increased horsepower to match that of the latest Lincoln Navigator at 440 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque. Other add-ons from the package include blacked-out 22-inch aluminum wheels, red-painted brake calipers, dark exterior trim, dual exhaust, sport suspension, surround-view camera system, park assist, and power running boards. As a quick note, there is a Limited Stealth Edition Package (303A) option without the extra performance, which costs a bit less at $4,670 for the package.
The Ford Expedition has always been a rather unique vehicle for its class in the way that it drives smaller than it is. With that, the latest Expedition enjoys 380 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque from its 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged (EcoBoost) V6 engine. However, the Expedition comes in as many as six trim levels each with the option of a long wheelbase Max version except the base XL STX trim. The mid-level trims get 400 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of, while my Expedition Limited Stealth Performance Edition Package test vehicle gets the most powerful version of the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 with 440 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque. A 10-speed automatic transmission does the duty for all trim levels and there’s the option of four-wheel-drive and a welcomed four-high auto setting.
On the road, the Expedition Limited Stealth Performance Edition rides well and feels a bit lighter on its feet than its upmarket Lincoln Navigator platform sibling. Though, the steering rack is slow and maneuvering in parking lots and such it’s a daunting task making so many turns of the heated steering wheel. The big Expedition acts as if it is a barge with a small rudder when you need to steer around objects at low speeds.
Out on the highways and interstates, the Expedition is at home where the ride is mostly supple and compliant. There remains to be an unwanted rear body bounce going over larger undulations and rises in the road, which is something that is rectified in the Lincoln Navigator with it having adaptive dampers. The sport-tuned suspension of the Expedition Stealth Performance Edition Package seems to still retain a softness to the ride quality even though it is said to be a bit firmer than trims without the package.
The EcoBoost V6 engine in its higher output level in my test vehicle is an excellent power mill that doesn’t have any noticeable turbo lag and gets the Expedition up to speed without added drama or loud sounds. In fact, higher speeds tend to come on without you noticing until you glance down at the digital gauge cluster. The Expedition Limited Stealth Performance leaps to 60 mph in a surprising 4.9 seconds. That’s fast for such a large SUV, and it shows when it often catches you off guard because it gets up to speed smoothly and quietly. Overall stability and confidence in the drive is on the middle ground as the body tends to roll a bit at higher speeds when you put it into curves or conduct turns at speed. Such a characteristic is something that the Expedition can’t help because you still have a big body to contend with no matter how sporty of a suspension setup you have. The braking feel is assured, and visibility is good out the front and rear.
The Ford Expedition tends to get consistent numbers for fuel consumption where you can match the EPA estimates of 16 mpg city, 22 mpg highway, and 18 mpg combined if you keep to the speed limits. I found that just north of the speed limit on the interstate the Expedition falls just a little short of its 22-mpg highway figure for a steady 21.2 mpg. Though, minding the throttle in town you’ll easily match or beat the 22-mpg figure if you’re not stopping and going where the surprisingly-not-annoying auto start/stop system attempts to save a few drops of fuel.
The interior of the new Ford Expedition is spacious as you would expect and there’s never the need for additional space even when you’re over 6 feet tall and you must sit in the second or third row of seats. As a 7-passenger setup in my nicely equipped Expedition Limited Stealth Performance test vehicle, there’s a welcomed sporty theme throughout where all seats have accented red stitching along with matching soft-touch and stitched dashboard and door trim surfaces.
Up front, the seats are heated and ventilated with an ample amount of adjustability through either the 10-way power driver’s seat with memory or the 8-way power front passenger seat, both with power lumbar. The second-row seats also have a good amount of adjustability through manual motions but only have seat heating. The 3-passenger-accommodating third-row seats are easily accessed through a clever slant-folding action of the second-row captain’s chairs and may leave just enough space for some car seats to remain in place when moving them to access the third-row.
In terms of technology, Ford brings the highly praised 15.5-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen Sync 4 system from the Mach-E EV to the new Expedition as part of the higher trim levels and my Expedition Limited Stealth Performance test vehicle. The system is a welcomed focal point and means of accessing a plethora of vehicle functions, settings, and entertainment features. The only hiccup I found in the large screen is that using certain apps on your iPhone using Apple CarPlay may slow down and chop up audio playing from your phone. Also, there are seldom slow-to-respond functions through the screen. Otherwise, the system is a nice addition to the Expedition, and it looks at home integrated into the large dashboard and nicely accents the 12.4-inch digital gauge cluster.
There’s a wireless charging pad that can be used along with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which can also be paired via USB connection using either the standard USB or USB-C ports up front. Other notable tech features include the Pro Trailer Backup Assist, power-folding and rising third row-seat backs, and power-fold second-row seats.
Cargo capacity is good and even better in the Expedition Max versions with the longer wheelbase over my standard wheelbase test vehicle. There’s also the expected power hands-free liftgate.
Ford brings the expected active safety features bundled in the Ford Co-Pilot 360 suite (blind-spot monitors, lane-keeping system, automatic emergency braking/forward collision warning, cross-traffic alert) to the Expedition but goes one step further to also add in the handsfree semi-automated BlueCruise system to the Expedition Platinum trim. There’s also the welcomed 360-degree surround-view camera system that’s nicely laid out in the large 15-inch screen with both top-down and rearward views (switchable).
The Ford Expedition remains to be a good bargain for the lower trim models with the base XL STX trim starting at $53,875. However, pricing starts to climb pretty fast when you opt for the top trim levels or having the mid-grade Limited trim that starts at $67,115 equipped with the Stealth Performance Package and a few other options tipping my test vehicle to $83,000, which includes a $1,695 destination and delivery charge. Still, the Expedition remains quite competitive and the addition of new packages and refreshing for the 2022 model year keep this underdog in champion contention.
