Ford's Expedition: Bigger, Better, but Behind the Times

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The Expedition seems larger than most New York City studio apartments, mine included. There's a whopping 108.3 cubic feet behind the first row of seating. The front seats are the most comfortable chairs this side of a La-Z-Boy. And even at $795, the second row captain's chairs are steep but more than worth it.

Ford's gas mileage estimates for the Expedition—between 14 and 19 miles per gallon— are beyond optimistic. In mixed highway and city driving, I averaged a lousy 10.4 miles per gallon. No wonder the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, which produces annual lists of the most environmentally friendly cars, rated the Expedition's engine one of the meanest to the environment for the 2007 model year.

If still a thirsty brute, the Expedition is safer these days. Seat-mounted side airbags are standard, as is the three-row safety canopy system, which pads occupants in the case of a rollover.

Ford's effective AdvanceTrac system is built in, to keep the vehicle on all fours. Still, you've got to wonder about a class of vehicle so prone to rollovers that this much technology is required to keep occupants safe.

Buy It or Bag It?

Ford's online promo for the new Expedition features a video of a jovial, affable park ranger and a duo of families that are, according to Roger the ranger, "rather outdoorsy." This pitch, however, is sadly out of touch with today's zeitgeist, as is this truck. "Outdoorsy" families would do better to look to the Ford Escape, Freestyle, or Edge—especially if they care about the environments they're visiting.

That said, the real purpose of owning a big SUV like the Expedition is the fact that it's got so much seating. Like the Chevy Suburban, this is a car designed for a large family. Got more than three kids? Good luck squeezing them all into a Prius. And while there are a bunch of excellent midsize SUVs—such as the recently reviewed BMW X5 and Acura MDX—now offering a third row of seating, when that row is in use the cargo area all but disappears.

Sure, you can lash all your luggage to the roof, but that's a pain. Many parents may prefer to opt for a less fuel-efficient vehicle if it means they can stow all their stuff in the back.

What Ford really needs to do is design a big SUV that burns less gas. If they could come up with a hybrid version of the Expedition—or something equally fuel-efficient—they would make a lot of people happy indeed. Their shareholders included.

But until such a vehicle exists, consumers looking to buy an Expedition or something equally large face a Hobson's Choice. Many people who didn't need an SUV the Expedition's size have bought elsewhere. Those who cannot make do with a smaller car must consign themselves to paying higher fuel bills, and, most likely, to lower resale values. At least if they do drive home in an Expedition, they can take no small comfort in the fact that it's the best SUV Ford has ever built.

Click here to see more of the 2007 Ford Expedition.

Matt Vella is a reporter for BusinessWeek.com in New York.