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2003 Ford Expedition

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#1 ·
For such a big brute, it sports surprising manners


By BOB GRITZINGER "AutoWeek"


Expedition’s newfound road manners belie its cavernous interior, with three rows of seating and an expanse of cockpit space accented by Audi-like vent control rings.
When the original Ford Expedition hit the market back in 1997, the F-150-based sport/utility vehicle pushed the limits of everyday driveability. While the mammoth F-250-based Excursion subsequently put the Expedition into perspective, Expedition remained a top-heavy, unwieldy beast to pilot in even the best of conditions, let alone on slick roads where many a fair- weather ute driver discovered the unpleasant side of Ford’s “no boundaries” experience. Much of that changes with the 2003 Expedition (and its sibling Lincoln Navigator), the second generation of Ford’s full-sized utility. A 70 percent stiffer frame, a 40 percent more rigid body structure, independent rear suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, bigger brakes, stability control and enhanced safety equipment go a long way toward making us forget the Expedition is still a full-size truck.

Make no mistake, at 5689 pounds for a 4x4 equipped with a 5.4-liter V8, the Expedi-tion remains a monster of a machine. Not only is it more than 300 pounds heavier than a comparable ’02 model (due primarily to added suspension weight), it’s an inch longer and taller and has nearly a half an inch higher minimum ground clearance (now 8.9 inches). Inside, space is nearly identical for three rows of reconfigurable seating, but the area is much more usable thanks to the independent rear suspension that allows the third row to fold flat into the floor. A power folding third row is available on Eddie Bauer models.

For anyone who remembers driving the original Expedition, the 2003 version is a suburban delight by comparison—and a tribute to global product chief Richard Parry-Jones’ demand that Ford vehicles communicate their driving feel within the first 164 feet of driving. From the first tight parking-lot turn to the first tromp on the brake pedal (with brake assist that automatically boosts braking pressure in emergency stops), it’s clear this sport/ute is far more responsive than its predecessor. On the highway, the steering builds on that first impression by offering a solid on-center feel with little of the sluggishness found in the previous model. The new independent rear sus-pension and lightweight suspension control arms (six of eight are aluminum), combined with a variety of bushing and shock improvements, make the big rig 50 percent more stable than its predecessor, Ford says. Frankly, the Expedition drove as though it had Explorer dimensions, keeping firmly planted as we hurtled down twisty rain-slick mountain roads.

Where would any self- respecting off-roader be without a good 4wd system? Ford claims an industry first here, offering AdvanceTrac stability/traction control that works even with the ControlTrac 4wd transfer case locked. The net effect, Ford says, is that even if three wheels lose grip, the system can direct power to the fourth wheel to give the vehicle a chance to dig its way out of trouble. While Ford will offer a beefed-up FX4 package for serious off-roaders later this year, we’re told budget-conscious buyers would be well served by a two-wheel-drive Expedition fitted with AdvanceTrac.

Powertrains are unchanged for 2003. Expedition sticks with a base 4.6-liter sohc V8, good for 232 hp at 4750 rpm and 291 lb-ft of torque at 3450 rpm, and the optional 5.4-liter sohc V8 that produces 260 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque at 2500 rpm.

A four-speed automatic transmission is the only offering.

The ’03 Expedition hits the market by late spring at nearly the same price as the ’02 mod-el, ranging from $31,295 (no price increase) for the base 4x2 4.6-liter V8 XLT Value series to $41,935 (a $110 increase) for the top-of-the-line Eddie Bauer-trimmed 5.4-liter V8 4x4. Ford expects most buyers will pick the 5.4-liter V8 4x4 XLT Popular series listing at $37,235.

2003 Ford Expedition
Eight-passenger sport/utility vehicle
260 hp @ 4500 rpm, 350 lb-ft @ 2500 rpm
5.4-liter V8, four-speed automatic
Four-wheel drive
Estimated mpg: 13 city/ 17 highway (preliminary)
Base price $39,535, as tested $41,420
Or you could buy: Toyota Sequoia LTD ($43,055) GMC Yukon XL ($38,998) Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited ($35,695)
 

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#2 ·
New Car Review: 2003 Ford Expedition

2003 Ford Expedition XLT
Base price: $39,535
Price as tested: $41,420
EPA mileage: 13 city/ 17 highway


By Des ToupsThe flabbiest of the big sport-utilities has spent some time in the gym
for 2003, and if the new Ford Expedition isn’t exactly buff, it’s certainly
bulked-up, tighter and wearing nicer clothes.
As it did with the Explorer, Ford pulled out the stops for this crucial
makeover, and for the same reason: It had to. Supremely competent redesigns
of Chevrolet’s Suburbans and Tahoes and a new entry from Toyota, the
Sequoia, made the original Expedition feel like the middle-age softie it
was. The interior of that first-edition Expedition came straight from the
industrial-grade F-150 pickup, and its handling could be kindly described
as imprecise.
For 2003, an independent rear suspension and its accompanying room and
handling advantages, an attractive, carlike interior and gadgets galore put
the big Ford on at the front of the pack among big wagons. It’s not as
smooth as the Toyota or the Chevrolets, but it handles roads and people
better than both.
That new suspension allows each rear wheel to accommodate bumps
separately, keeping tires in contact with the pavement. Steering is now
precise rack-and-pinion, rather than the vague yet nervous recirculating
ball system of yore. The track -- the distance between wheels -- is an inch
wider. The frame is stiffer, the springs and bushings retuned.
The result is a quantum leap in handling. Compared with its predecessor,
and with its big-ute rivals, the Expedition feels almost crisp. Tackle an
exit ramp at 40 mph. Instead of wallowing on its suspension as the driver
saws back and forth on the wheel, trying to guess which way the front tires
are pointing, the new Expedition leans far less and takes a confident line.
An optional Advance Trac system steps on the brakes if maneuvers get too
enthusiastic.
There’s a canyon down the road whose switchbacks, climbs and banked turns
are a perfect handling test. One hairpin turn that was frightening at 15
mph in an older Expedition felt downright comfortable at 25 mph in the
2003; going faster than that provoked the Advance Trac stability control
system, which cuts in abruptly but settles the commotion quickly. Never did
the Expedition feel loose or sloppy, its defining traits until now. The
brakes -- beefy discs at every corner, with electronic assist to help in
panic stops -- faded not one whit in several passes down the canyon.
The other big benefit of the suspension redesign is the third seat, which
folds into the rear load floor. Other big SUVs have a solid axle that
requires more clearance; their third seats must be removed to get them out
of the way. There’s more room for passengers in just about every direction
than in the Tahoe or Sequoia, too. Adults can sit in the third row of the
Expedition like … adults, without their knees against the seatback. The
crowning touch, at least if you believe Ford advertising, is an optional
power-fold feature that lowers the seat at the touch of a button, while you
and your friends watch in awe.
Outer seats in the middle row easily fold and tumble forward to allow easy
access to the third row. The middle part of the second seat has a neat
touch: It slides forward to just behind the front seats, so parents
Seating Possibilities
(hopefully, not the one who’s driving) can tend a strapped-in toddler
without pulling a muscle. There are rear earphone jacks with separate audio
controls (meaning adults can listen to the radio while kids listen to
Barney). There’s an available rear-seat video system to pacify the kids on
long trips. There’s a pop-down convex mirror just above the rearview, too,
that lets a driver keep an eye on the rear seat once the movie is over.
Kid-friendly is the buzzword.
Adults needn’t feel cheated. The new interior, at last unique to this
$40,000 wagon, is well laid-out and attractive, a black surround for the
instruments contrasting with lighter interior colors. It looks good and
mostly feels good, too, though the quality of interior plastics remains a
step below the Toyota. The most eye-catching part of the new dashboard is
its four round, aluminum-finished air-conditioning vents -- but twisting
them to adjust airflow betrays their cheap feel. Same disappointment with
the ventilation controls, which spin freely, without the silicon-damped
precision one finds in European or Japanese marques.
Ford didn’t stint on the toys up front. Power-adjustable gas and brake
pedals are standard, rising to meet the feet of shorter drivers. Front
seats are power-adjustable for height, with seat warmers and coolers
optional. Buttons on the steering wheel control the radio; a CD navigation
system is optional.
Headrests on the front captain’s chairs are tall and wide, blocking
over-the-shoulder views, but side mirrors that are downright huge, a
two-foot tighter turning circle and an optional rear-parking assist -- it
beeps as you approach an obstacle -- make parking this huge beast
relatively easy.
Powering the upmarket editions of the Expedition is a carryover
260-horsepower 5.4-liter V-8, which churns out a stellar 330 foot-pounds of
torque, the muscle that actually moves the truck. While Ford is confident
enough of the engine’s abilities to rate its towing capacity at 8,650
pounds -- a ton more than the Sequoia can handle -- there's too much truck
here and too little engine. The redesign added more than 500 pounds to the
Expedition’s already hefty curb weight, exacerbating the problem. The
smaller 4.6-liter V-8 in lesser models is probably fine for flatlanders,
but anyone who tows or lives in a hilly area will want the bigger engine.
Even with the 5.4-liter, a drive into the mountains is accompanied by the
desperate shifting of a transmission trying to keep the engine in its power
band.
Drivers will find the Toyota V-8 much smoother and the GM V-8s more energetic.
Fuel economy isn’t a real concern for buyers of these big>SUVs, but the
redesign added between 1 and 2 mpg to the Expedition’s EPA ratings,
depending on the model. We averaged 16 mpg in town, admittedly with a light
foot -- but that’s probably as good as any of these 2.5-ton leviathans can
manage.
Safety is a far bigger issue in this class, and Ford assures shoppers that
the Expedition will continue its predecessor’s five-star crash ratings. A
bagful of safety features unavailable on its competitors -- a side-curtain
airbag for rollovers, the adjustable pedals, stability control and parking
assist -- plus 5,600 pounds of mass (that’s two Honda Civics) ensures
nothing if not confidence of crashworthiness.
Excepting its mild shortage of grunt and a certain cheapness to some of
the interior fittings, the Expedition does what big trucks are supposed to
do better than its rivals. It carries up to 8 people in more comfort, with
more room, in a cocoon lined with airbags (including an exclusive
side-curtain airbag for rollovers). It does so while minimizing the
inherent disadvantages of a vehicle this large, handling more like a car
and feeling more maneuverable in town, at a price thousands less than a
comparably equipped Toyota or Chevrolet.
 
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