Ford Expedition Limited Stealth

Ford seems to be pushing the Expedition up market. That makes sense because manufacturers want to increase their profit margins. The Expedition first came out in 1997 and was basically a Ford F150 without a bed. The Expedition replaced the old Ford Bronco, which was not selling well, and it was deemed that the name needed to be changed. Not long after the introduction of the first Expedition, more luxurious versions started appearing although they are a big departure from today’s Expedition.

The second generation Expedition came out in 2003 and was a much better looking vehicle and featured an independent rear suspension to improve the ride and handling. Only four years later, a new Expedition arrived with more room and many improvements. The third generation truck had a long lifespan lasting through the 2017 model year.

The current generation Expedition started life in 2018 and is a much more modern vehicle with a long list of improvements. It’s much better looking and it uses a lot of lightweight materials to trim weight. Since 2018, the Expedition has received many small improvements and we were lucky enough to be able to drive a Limited version with four-wheel drive.

The Expedition has evolved into a vehicle that can do it all. It is a roomy family vehicle, a heavy duty truck, a luxury vehicle, and an off-road monster all in one, and in the new Stealth version, it also tries to be a sports car.

The Limited is a strange animal because it is so luxurious that it feels more like a Lincoln than a Ford. It has tons of standard features such as Active Noise Control, heated leather steering wheel, LED lighting, rain-sensing wipers, wireless phone charging, built-in wifi, and so much more. Our model also had a special red paint job with blacked out trim that made it look sexy and expensive. Many passers by thought it was a new Range Rover.

The interior of the Expedition is amazingly comfortable. The power 10-way driver seat and eight-way passenger seat are trimmed with soft leather and hold you in perfectly, even on the longest trips. In fact, this is an ideal vehicle for a long road trip with the family. It eats up the miles in supreme quiet and comfort. The thick acoustic glass and the triple door seals really seal the interior against noise and the active noise canceling further helps to keep things quiet. The Bang and Olufsen 12-speaker stereo provides concert-hall-like sound and can help erase those long miles.

Our car had the optional heavy-duty tow package, which is good for 9,200 pounds of towing capacity. Couple that serious tow capacity with the 105 cubic feet of storage space behind the front seats and you can see that this is one machine that can do it all. The terrain management system has automatic presets that adjusts everything for the driver. Just tell the machine if you are driving on snow, mud, rocks or whatever, and the Ford takes care of everything. This is a car that can spoil you, and that is exactly what the luxury car buyer today demands.

Under the hood of the Limited is a 400 horsepower 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6. The direct-injected V6, assembled at Ford’s famous Cleveland engine facility, produces 510 pound-feet of torque and accelerates the 5,800 pound Expedition with ease, running from zero to 60 in just over 5 seconds, which was sports car territory not that long ago. Best of all, it requires only 87 octane fuel for that kind of performance. The new Stealth package provides even more and will give you 440 horsepower, which was awesome to experience.

The only downside of the Expedition is that it is not cheap. With a starting price of $67,345, our truck with the Stealth package and a few other options came out to $83,000. That is a lot of money, but when you consider the competition, the Expedition is actually a bargain. A new Range Rover starts out at about $30,000 more and offers less unless you opt for the higher line trim levels.

We really enjoyed our time with the Expedition. It was fun and comfortable and extremely capable. It is a vehicle that spoils you and makes you feel special no matter where you go — and that is exactly what a luxury vehicle is supposed to do.

Specifications