Towing
Just as the IRS made the fold-flat third-row seat possible, the hydroformed frame and heavy-duty IRS proves quite beneficial for towing and payload strength. Because of the reinforced rearend pieces and the stiffened frame, Ford Expeditions now have a maximum towing capacity of 8900 lb--up more than 500 lb from last year. Likewise, gross vehicle weight and payload are up as well. Interestingly, cargo capacity remains the same at 110.7 cu ft of useable space behind the front-row seats. This is identical to the previous Expedition cargo capacity, but now there's a third-row-seat option. Something once heavy and awkward to install or store is now invisible. Also worth noting, Ford has given the '03 Expedition the largest brakes of any SUV around, including its own Excursion: 13.0-in. vented discs in front and massive 13.5-in. discs in back.
Finals
With many impressive additional parts and pieces, the new Expedition looks hugely improved over the last model, and it seems to perform well (see sidebar). Ford had high hopes for the Explorer when it went through its transformation, and even with the trouble in the past 18 months, it was still the largest-selling SUV sold in the U.S.--by a wide margin. We're guessing Ford is expecting more things from its bigger brother. With the Escape, Explorer, and Expedition running on IRS technology, it's clear it wants to be the "ride & handling" kings on the SUV side of the market. We'll see. There's more to life than pavement and darting to the mall. We'll obviously know more when we get some weight behind it (and in it) and see how it responds. Stay tuned. TT
Smooth ride,
sporty handling,
and full-size utility
Precise handling isn't what we expect in a 5686-lb truck, even if it did get an all-new independent rear suspension. But Ford chassis engineers insist that it's a nice thing to discover on a curvy mountain road or freeway-lane change that's forced unexpectedly. We spent a day driving the all-new Expedition on- and off-road and came away impressed that Ford not only drove handling precision into its from-scratch chassis, but also eliminated much of the shake and shudder typical of full-frame vehicles on wavy road surfaces. Indeed, we're hoping some of this engineered plushness finds its way over into the too-taut '02 Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer. Hydraulic mounts for the 4.6 and 5.4L SOHC V-8s smooth the power pulses and better isolate these engines from the frame and body. Transmission calibration work has also polished the shifts to Town Car quality levels. All these tweaks dial up the premium ambience in Ford's big new sport/utility. Inside, the driver side dash has a cockpit feel with white lettering on all the black-on-black controls. The seat cushions are significantly more comfortable with enough handy lateral support for bending a corner. Even the master cylinder's been fine-tuned for nice precise metering of the brake pedal for smoother stops. The one let-down inside is the plain-Jane face of the instrument cluster, which would definitely be more at home in a stripped-down F-150 work truck, and we'd prefer a hint more steering boost at cruise speeds.--Jack Keebler