Expedition EL's Benefits Loom Large

By Larry Printz

The Virginian-Pilot

The battle between blue states and red states, the chasm between the very rich and the very poor, the nasty exchanges between Rosie O'Donnell and Donald Trump: Our country is increasingly polarized. Heck, we can't even decide if a beer is less filling or tastes great.

In many ways, the Ford Expedition EL SUV mirrors this cultural tug of war.

The EL is the stretched version of the Ford Expedition. At 221.3 inches, it's the same size as a long-wheelbase Lincoln Town Car, the longest passenger car sold in America.

To move all this around, Ford equips the Expedition with a 300- horsepower 5.4-liter V8. Fuel consumption is 14 mpg in mixed driving around Hampton Roads. The EL isn't rated by EPA because it weighs more than 8,500 pounds. The shorter Expedition is rated at a depressing 14 mpg city, 20 mpg highway. City mileage hovered at an OPEC-friendly 12 mpg, while highway mileage came close to 16 mpg.

Tree huggers might object, but buyers of this vehicle know what they're facing at the pump. They require the space and towing capacity and this vehicle measures up.

The EL tows 9,000 pounds with rear-wheel-drive, and 8,750 pounds with four-wheel-drive.

While there might be disagreement over whether such a vehicle is needed, there are some things that are easy to agree on.

The 2007 Expedition's new styling, front and rear, and its new instrument panel, are rugged and handsome, similar to the Ford Escape and F-150. The new instrument panel is easy to understand and operate. Assembly quality is very good.

Also beyond argument: performance is impressive considering the vehicle's prodigious weight.

The single-overhead-cam engine packs quite a bit of punch thanks to the new six-speed automatic transmission. It's very responsive, maybe too much so.

The EL has an expansive cabin with three rows of seats. If you have two people fighting, just stash them in different rows. Heck, the cabin seems spacious enough to put them in different zip-codes.

Both the comfortable second row captain's chairs and the third row bench seat fold, the second row manually, the third row at the touch of a button. Additionally, rear seat headrests fold out of the way to ease visibility, a thoughtful touch.

While in those seats, you'll find this Expedition smothers bumps easily. You will still notice them, just not feel them. Ride motions are admirably controlled.

Although braking was particularly impressive for such a large vehicle, with short stops and little nosedive, maneuvering this mastodon is another matter.

Just try backing out of a parking space. It's challenging, usually calling for multiple small maneuvers before extricating the vehicle from its spot.

This vehicle's extreme size pays dividends when it comes to hauling cargo. I bought some barstools and was able to toss them in the back without folding the second row.

Safety equipment includes four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, traction control, roll stability control and three-row side curtain air-bags.

Base prices for the new Expedition range from $29,995 to $40,745, while the Expedition EL ranges from $33,655 to $42,575 before options.

Some will find those prices expensive, while others will find them reasonable.

Who's right? I won't say. I don't want to start another argument.

(c) 2007 Virginian - Pilot. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.