2019 Ford Expedition MAX Platinum 4X4
Class: Large SUV
Miles Driven: 239
Fuel Used: 16.3 gallons
| CG Report Card | |
|---|---|
| Room and Comfort | A |
| Power and Performance | B+ |
| Fit and Finish | A- |
| Fuel Economy | C |
| Value | B- |
| Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus other vehicles in the same class. Value grade is for specific trim level evaluated, and may not reflect Consumer Guide's impressions of the entire model lineup. | |
| Big & Tall Comfort | |
| Big Guy | A |
| Tall Guy | A |
| Big & Tall comfort ratings are for front seats only. "Big" rating based on male tester weighing approximately 350 pounds, "Tall" rating based on 6'6"-tall male tester. | |
| Drivetrain | |
| Engine Specs | 400-hp 3.5L |
| Engine Type | Turbo V6 |
| Transmission | 10-speed automatic |
| Drive Wheels | 4WD |
Real-world fuel economy: 14.6 mpg
Driving mix: 60% city, 40% highway
EPA-estimated fuel economy: 16/21/18 (city/highway/combined)
Fuel type: Regular gasoline
Base price: $79,200 (not including $1295 destination charge)
Options on test car: Heavy-duty towing package ($1570)
Price as tested: $82,065
Quick Hits
The great: Expansive interior room for both passengers and cargo; eager acceleration for a vehicle of this size and weight
The good: Platinum trim level brings high-class interior furnishings; good driving manners for an extra-large SUV
The not so good: Fuel economy; sheer size can make close-quarters maneuvering tricky; steep pricing
More Expedition price and availability information
CG Says:
It’s hard to top the room, comfort, and strength of the Ford Expedition. Those are reasons why this large SUV joins Consumer Guide’s list of “Best Buys” for 2019, a year after undergoing a full redesign.
The Expedition’s redo featured a shift to weight-shaving aluminum-alloy body panels, a new frame of high-strength steel, more horsepower, a new 10-speed automatic transmission, and added technology features. Three trim levels were listed, each in a choice of rear- or 4-wheel drive, and in two body lengths.
As expected, 2019 Expeditions aren’t much different from the 2018 models CG sampled. The previous dual-zone automatic climate control standard in the midlevel Limited and premium-trim Platinum is replaced by a tri-zone system. There’s a new Special Edition Package for the Limited with a 360-degree camera, active park assist, heavy-duty towing package, and more. Entry-level XLTs get new “ActiveX” seating material.
Our latest turn in an Expedition was in a longer-wheelbase MAX version with 4-wheel drive and Platinum gear. A twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 is the only engine in Ford’s big truck-like SUV, but for the Platinum it is tuned to make 400 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque, versus 375 and 470, respectively, in other Expeditions. It moves the gentle giant (base curb weight is around 5800 pounds) with surprising eagerness, even in the standard driving mode. Unfortunately, the expression “pay at the pump” means something different to this Expedition than it does to many other motor vehicles. The EPA rates it at 16 mpg in the city, 21 on the highway, and 18 combined. CG editors logged 237 miles in the test truck, 65 percent of that in city driving, and averaged just 14.5 mpg. (Our ’18 MAX Platinum 4×4 tallied 15.3 mpg with about the same percentage of city miles.)
Regardless of body length, all Expeditions have 3-row seating with room for as many as eight passengers. (Optional middle-row bucket seats that weren’t on this test vehicle reduce capacity to seven.) There’s abundant head- and legroom in the front and middle rows, and three adults should easily fit across the middle seat. Power-folding tip-and-slide seats open access to the third row that can handle three smaller adults—or certainly two grown-ups of “average” build—though with reduced room. Wide doors openings ease entry and exit, and standard running boards (power retractable on Limited and Platinum) help too. Big windows improve driver vision.
Overall length does have a substantial impact on cargo capacity. At 11.9 inches longer than a “base-length” Expedition, a Max holds an additional 16.9 cubic feet of stuff. The 60/40-split third-row seat backs fold via power switches in the left sidewall of the cargo bay. Second-row 40/20/40 seats can also be dropped remotely to form an expansive, flat load floor.
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Platinum interiors are nicely done with heated and ventilated multi-contour front seats with fatigue-reducing “Active Motion” construction, heated middle-row seats, leather upholstery and steering-wheel wrap, and heated steering wheel. Soft-to-the-touch material adorns the dashboard, much of the door panels, and the upper sides of the center console, the last of which has genuine wood accents. Enhanced active noise control engenders a quiet interior. Cabin storage is managed by a two-bay glove box, a cavernous console box with adjustable tray, door pockets, pouches on the backs of the front seats, and 15 cup holders. A large covered space at the front of the console holds device inputs and a standard wireless charger.
Big tachometer and speedometer dials are highly legible. A console dial calls up terrain settings to match surface conditions, and is flanked by buttons to select 2- or 4-wheel drive. The intuitive, easy-to-use Sync3 infotainment system registers on a bright 8-inch color touchscreen. Climate controls have separate dials to regulate temperature, with less-handy repetitive-push buttons to govern other functions.
Other standard equipment in the $80,495 base price (with delivery) consists of brushed-aluminum door-sill scuff plates, a panoramic sunroof, continuously controlled suspension damping, 22-inch polished-aluminum wheels, LED lighting with automatic high-beam headlight control, rain-sensing windshield wipers, enhanced Active Park Assist System, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, lane-keeping alert, driver alert, pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection, and the 360-degree split-view camera. The $82,065 test vehicle’s sole option was the towing package with a heavy-duty radiator, limited-slip differential, and other items that raise towing capacity to 9000 pounds.
The Ford Expedition Max Platinum has hardhat tools and an executive résumé. That’s what works for some SUV shoppers.
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