Ford Got This One Right!

Ford did it right with the Expedition. Both of my younger brothers bought one and after riding inthem I followed suit. I'm not a big fan of domestic cars from a reliability standpoint being a Honda/Toyota connesiour. But, being 6ft2in with all the height this is the first vehicle I've ever owned that I actually fit into. My old 4Runner was built like a tank but I had less than an inch of headroom and the ride was jarring, and space for the family minimal. I'm hoping the legacy of Ford truck reliability will spill over into the Expy SUV line. There really is no peer competitor for an SUV this size in the import category, save the Seqioua which is a pretty spendy. My Eddie Bauer Expy has all of Sequoia Limited's ammenities and then some--for much less.

Expedition is the perfect blend of "everthing in a vehicle" you need. I bought the 02 model used with only 7,000 miles on it so it is essentially new with the first year of depreciation taken out of it.

REALIABILITY: Too soon to tell. For now I'll give it high marks based on friends and family having no issues over the last few years.

SEAT COMFORT: Awesome. I've driven every SUV out there (except Excursion) and Expedition takes the cake here. Suburu Outback, Pathinder/Exterra, etc just too small for my size. Great, and the heated seat feature is a must here in arctic North Dakota. Memory options are nice for my wife and I trade off driving it a lot. Power driver's seat will move to any position imaginable. 2nd seat is very roomy--I call it "business class." I no longer have to ask passengers if I need to move the seat up for them or apologize for the crammed fit. Third row seat (coach--ha) is a bit tight but not bad for short trips. The stow-forward option for the 3rd seat is an excellent concept too. Five guys can ride to the golf course in comfort with the clubs all in the back. It is nice to take people places without having to cram into a vehicle and saves having to take 2 or 3 cars to an event.

QUALITY AND CRAFTSMANSHIP: Everything seems to fit together and work well. Nothing annoying yet. Air suspension motor makes it's presence known more than I wish but not bothersome enough to whine about.

HANDLING: Beautiful ride and easy to drive. My wife is only 5ft so she was intimidated at first. After a few days it is a snap for her and she got used too it easy. It is a 747, a bit challenging to park, but not after you get the hang of it. Does not have the "tippy" feeling I got from the 4Runner or Explorer. Seems very agile for a big rig. very "safe feeling". Excellerates well with 5.4L Triton V8. Lots of guts--another feature I have not had in previous trucks. I plan to buy a bigger boat and need the muscle to tow what I have planned. North Dakota gets pretty treachorous in the winter. This is the perfect antidote.

OTHER LIKES: The Ford Mach audio system is unreal. Truck transfrom into a concert hall with seven speakers, DSP modes and speed volume that autmatically maintains volume levels based on speed and wind/road noise. I highly recommend the Eddie Bauer package. Bank loan officer told me that EBs do better on resale value compared to XLT. Also, EB gives you all the ammenities and really not much more in terms of cost than a dressed-up XLT. My gas mileage really hasn't been all bad--about 15 or so. Heck, my Accord only gets 22. Cheaper to insure than my old 4Runner too. Actually, the USAA guy told me it is one of the least expensive SUVs to ensure based on lower repair costs, safety and buyer profile.

WISHES:
I wish it had the rear seat DVD system. I may buy an aftermarket one. My son would really enjoy this. Oh, one word of advice--read the manual carefully or have you dealer go through the vehicle with you. Lot of gadgets so you will have some homework to do in order to figure it out!