Nothing exceeds like excess, right? In the land of interstate monotony and king-sized parking spots, the full-size SUV reigns supreme as the ultimate form of big-ass American family transportation. With no shortage of competition, the 2025 Ford Expedition is here, and instead of bashing you over the head with more screens than a franchise of Buffalo Wild Wings, it’s aiming to be genuinely useful.
It’s an unusually active time in the world of full-size body-on-frame SUVs, especially considering the messaging of the automotive landscape right now. With even the new BMW M5 being a plug-in hybrid, you’d expect automakers’ product planning departments to be going with plug-in power all over the place. Instead, over the past few years, Jeep has launched a full-size SUV that looks like a mock castle, Toyota started shipping an all-new third-generation Sequoia with a grille larger than Montauk, and over the past year, Chevrolet and GMC have updated their full-size SUVs; even Nissan has a new Armada on the way.
So, if the full-size SUV wars are here to stay, let’s see what Ford is bringing to the table. Over the past few years, the Expedition, once a pioneer in the segment for offering independent rear suspension as early as 2003, hasn’t had quite the appeal of the Chevrolet Tahoe or GMC Yukon. However, the new one promises to be different, because it’s actually surprisingly clever.
Up front, the new Expedition puts on a better face than the model it replaces. Simplifying the grille, along with the silhouettes of the grille and headlights, gives the new Expedition a more resolved, handsome look than the old model’s two-bars-of-trim-spearing-each-headlight-and-going-nowhere-in-particular look.
While the available light bar in the lower grille isn’t to everyone’s tastes, the new Expedition has a front end that looks styled by humans, whereas the old one…didn’t. However, the best exterior part of the Expedition is found around the back. No, I’m not talking about the odd two-tone tailgate paint treatment some models are getting, but I am talking about cargo access.
See, Ford has pulled a leaf out of Range Rover’s playbook and given the Expedition one of the greatest features an SUV can have — a split tailgate. The top three-quarters of the cargo hatch swings up while the bottom quarter folds down.
Not only should this reduce the total swing space of the liftgate, it should also make loading heavy cargo without scratching the bumper easier, prevent cargo from rolling out if you’re parked uphill, and with a 500-pound weight capacity, give you somewhere to sit. Well done, Ford. Equally well-done, something called the Cargo Tailgate Manager is available; it functions as either a seat backrest or a table for the fold-down part of the tailgate. Now that’s useful.
Lots Of Power, Even More Torque
As for what’s under the hood of the 2025 Ford Expedition, you’ll find a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 in two different output levels: a lot, and even more. Standard on most trims is a version that kicks out 400 horsepower and 480 lb.-ft. of torque. If that’s not enough for you, standard on the Tremor trim and optional on the Platinum trim is a version of that motor making 440 horsepower and 510 lb.-ft. of torque. No wonder this thing’s rated to tow up to 7,000 pounds with a standard hitch and receiver setup, and up to 9,000 pounds with a weight-distributing hitch. As for the rest of the powertrain, all trims come standard with a 10-speed automatic transmission, while a choice of rear-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive is available on all but the Tremor trim.
The Tremor Gets A Locker And Plenty Of Ground Clearance
That’s because the Tremor is a little bit different than your standard Expedition. It wants to head at least somewhat into the wilderness, so this off-roady trim gains standard four-wheel-drive with a locking rear differential, 275/70R18 General Grabber all-terrain tires, skid plates, extra lighting, 10.6 inches of ground clearance, and some nifty electronic assists. It’s got Trail Turn Assist, which will lock an inside rear wheel and have the vehicle pivot around it on a loose surface, and Trail 1-Pedal, which lets drivers modulate off-road speed using just the throttle pedal, both downloaded from other Ford off-roaders. Nice.
A Gloriously Weird Cabin
However, the most notable part of the 2025 Ford Expedition is the interior, because man, is it ever gloriously weird for the segment. You’d expect the interior of a big, rugged SUV to be full of angles and hard corners and maybe even bricks, right? Not here, because the Expedition features what can almost be described as a cylindrical dashboard. It’s pleasantly soft-looking, and a whole world away from the F-Series pickup truck-like dashboard in the old Expedition. Less utilitarian, more inviting.
It’s a similar deal with the new steering wheel, an unusual squircle that, at first, seems very low. However, part of that’s an illusion because Ford has put a massive 24-inch digital instrument cluster right up near the windshield, so you don’t even need a head up display that’ll simply wash out once you don polarized sunglasses. It’s a neat idea, and although it’s not new in the automotive kingdom, it’s still something I’d be interested in trying out in practice on the road [Ed Note: The dual-screen setup in the Lincoln Nautilus is legitimately useful, and since that’s a Ford brand, I bet this will be cool, too. -DT].
Speaking of the steering wheel, that trapezoidal black bump on the top of the steering column is part of the driver monitoring system for Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free driving assistance system, which aims to make long highway slogs a little less fatiguing.
Speaking of tech, switching back to a landscape-style infotainment screen makes the center stack look less claustrophobic, and it ought to work well with how people actually use Apple CarPlay and Android auto in cars. Moving the rotary shifter and volume knob to a Lincoln Navigator-style plinth beneath the screen is also a good move, because not only does it make the cabin look more upscale, it frees up room in the console for additional storage.
While we’re on the subject of storage, the new Expedition does a few things that simply make sense, and make you wonder why they aren’t commonplace across the segment. First off, the third-row seat has a pass-through so you can run skis down the length of the vehicle while still hauling a boatload of people. Secondly, since kids and adults alike are now glued to their mobile devices, the back of each front seat features a smartphone and tablet holder, so second-row riders can watch something hands-free while they devour some road trip food.
The 2025 Ford Expedition isn’t revolutionary. It doesn’t have the slow-breathing V8s of a Chevrolet Tahoe, the hybrid power of the Toyota Sequoia, or the sheer number of gadgets the Jeep Wagoneer and new Nissan Armada boast. However, by making some novel design decisions, Ford has created something intriguing, and worth consideration all on its own. While pricing hasn’t been announced yet, expect more details from Ford closer to the new Expedition going on sale in the Spring. My best guess? We might know more on Oct. 24, when order books are slated to open.
(Photo credits: Ford)
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The pass through is missing in a lot of new vehicles. 60/40 is useful but adding a ski/lumber/hickey stick pass through is something I weighed heavily when I bought my last car. The first day I had my Model Y Performance I picked up an 8 or 10′ piece of engineered wood and it will be useful if I end up heading north to ski with it instead of the gas powered 3 row. Those are somewhat infrequent needs whereas having the passthrough, in case of the Model Y, the entire middle seat, is used 4-5 days a week for me for about the entire 6-7 month hockey season. So much better than having a stick dangling above a rear seat and with the middle folded I still retain the 2 outboard rear seat which is better than having to squeeze into a middle and side seat.
Nevermind what the steering wheel looks like: I would think the oval shaped steering wheel would be dangerous because as the steering wheel spins when the tires re-center themselves, and the steering wheel glides just below your hand, the wheel will move away from your hand because the wheel is not a circle. It is perhaps a minor point but I don’t know why these companies can’t just leave things alone.
Dang it Toyota! Ford brings back the split gate right as you drop it. Angry.
Also, why did they only hire tiny models for this photoshoot. Seriously, either this thing is 8 feet tall or these ladies are short.
That is one, nice Chevy….
Slothface squircle wheel 2024. Good job Ford.
Well, does the new 2025 Expedition have amber-colour turn signal indicators in the taillamps?
Why are those people camping in a tent? Shouldn’t they be using this thing to tow a house?
Style-wise, this looks entirely like it was designed to push buyers into the handsomer (and also-refreshed) Navigator. I especially object to that steering wheel, which looks like something on a child’s toy and wholly inappropriate for a large, ladder-frame SUV.
What an ugly behemoth of a pedestrian crusher. There are school busses smaller than this bloated monstrosity.
As an owner of both a school bus and an expedition max, I can assure you it’s significantly smaller than the school bus
That said, there is a need for vehicles this size for some families. Not just a want. Minivans, as much as I love them, don’t fill our needs. And there are literally 0 small 3 row vehicles that have 6 seats and a trunk as much as I’d like one. I really wanted the fiskar pear to happen
It makes all of the people look like small children. “I can sit on the tailgate if I have a winch to pull me up there!”
Apparently, you never sit in school drop-off lines. This thing will be right at home with Yukons, Wagoneers, Grand Highlanders, Sequoias, and heavy-duty pickups lined up every morning and afternoon at my kids’ school. My Mach-E isn’t a small car, but it’s dwarfed in most of the lineup.
I love that the caption of the woman sitting on the tailgate looking at her iPad says Amazon Prime membership or Prime Video fees may apply lol
Only thing missing is a plug in hybrid version.
You mean diesel. The only reason the expedition was ever cool in the first place was the 7.3
You’re thinking of the Excursion, the Expedition has never had a diesel, let alone the old 7.3.
Correct. Ex-something or other.
Though, I mean, a 7.3 Expedition would be baller!
Someone needs to do this…
That was the Excursion. Completely different vehicle.
*better
Does a modern diesel ever make financial sense in consumer trucks these days?
I’m not talking about having an old analog diesel for the simplicity and reliability, but for brand new trucks like this that might haul a boat or a travel trailer on weekends but isn’t seeing anything like a hotshot oilfield truck pulling a 20k lb gooseneck 100k miles a year for example.
Diesel is well over $1/gal more expensive in my area, and this Expedition gets slightly better MPG than the 6.7L diesel in the F-250 for example (though I’m sure it’s worse than the diesel when towing a sizeable load). Mileage being mostly equal, but the diesel being more expensive to buy, fill, and service (DEF for example), does it really make any sense for an Expedition?
Nothing against diesels, I just see people wishing every SUV under the sun came with them, which I don’t understand when diesel has become quite expensive in the US.
“You mean diesel”
Nope… I mean Ford using a variation or the exact same hybrid powertrain used in other models like the F150.
In the past, I might have said diesel. But the cost and complexity of diesel meeting modern emissions standards means a gas-electric hybrid is a far better bet.
I can only assume that tiny little binnacle is merely for warning lights? Regardless, that’s the thing in the interior that bugs me the most.
I’m not the target demographic and I very rarely sell these overpriced barges, so…whatever.
Maybe, when you are seated in the actual drivers seat, those two screens don’t appear overlapped? But seriously, from every other angle, the drivers screen and the center screen appear to overlap each other. That looks really bad to me.
I was wondering why there was so much seeming deadspace, why the dash didn’t feel right. Someone pointed out this is the Lincoln dashboard designed for that 4 ft screen. If they are correct, that makes sense. This feels a bit like a retrofit.
And from a functionality perspective, that screen behind/above the steering wheel seems to do nothing more than impede forward visibility even more (and distract the driver).
I’m not a fan. And apparently pedestrians be damned.
I’m surprised the PowerBoost isn’t an option, though maybe it will be later.
No PowerBoost is the biggest miss. Better MPG and way better for camping/towing.
I love the 3.5L V6. I know it’s not a hybrid, but you’ll get 18-20 MPG out of this huge honker and the HP to move it. The inside is super spacious. I was looking at one…until I saw that even a 100K used model in the outgoing version was STILL pulling $40-45K…on a GOOD DAY…
…and don’t @ me on the water pump/timing chain half engine out business. I know.
north-south mounted 3.5 engines don’t have an internal water pump. It’s next to the alternator and driven by the same pulley
More of a reason to buy one. Engine itself is solid as a rock. I didn’t think of the transverse vs longitudinal mounting, so appreciated!
If this had real gauges instead of that hideous screen, this would be a good $45,000 vehicle. These car companies are getting out hand by charging upwards of $100,000 for an SUV.
Eh, you can’t tell anything about a gauge cluster, screen or otherwise, without actually sitting behind the wheel. I’ve driven plenty of cars with analog gauges hidden behind the steering wheel you can’t see without bobbing your head, and I’ve driven plenty of cars with dash screens that have the worst UI decisions ever, or have zero configurability.
On the other hand, I’ve driven cars like the GTI (and a lot of other VW Group cars) that give you radical levels of control over the dash screen: changing gauges from analog to digital, reordering gauge data to wherever you want it, making the whole cluster look like a 1980s GTI, etc. When automakers have fun with gauge displays and let users tweak them to their preferences, screens are great.
Personally, I like having basic navigation instructions pop up on the dash cluster when my turn is coming up for example.
Can you guys ask the Bishop why car companies are so bad at making characterful and unique front ends these days?
These LED strip shapes look like GMC stuff.
If they are all going to do SO MUCH OLED DRL why do they all have the same boring look and shape?
Its funny to me that as these full size SUVs more and more become honest about being just people haulers they start to resemble slightly lifted minivans more than trucks, like its convergent evolution at work. Not a fan of that interior though, piano black on the steering wheel?
Still looks like what you buy if you don’t quite have the scratch for the similar GM offering. I say this knowing nothing about how they compare on price.
They are pretty close right now. I think if you include the Yukon Denali, the Expedition Platinum is a bit cheaper.
The Yukon is worth however much more it costs.
I have never really understood why the Expedition has always been the “also ran” of the full size SUV segment in comparison to the GM options. Especially with the 2nd gen having IRS as early as 2003 and GM was using a stick rear axle up until the current generation. Maybe it is because the 3 valve 5.4 also debuted with the 2nd gen and people just avoided it. Ford also seemed to let them get a little long in the tooth with the third gen, maybe that was because they were so behind in sales it wasn’t worth the money.
But especially with the full redesign in 2018, it was leaps and bounds better than the GM offering but it still just could not match them in sales.
I may be a bit biased as having grown up in multiple different Expeditions my Dad has had though…
I’ve driven both over the years and wonder the same thing. Its perfectly cromulent.
I believe you meant to say, “corpulent.”
I’ve driven neither but damn that’s a fun word.
Not to mention the Tahoe has always been more cramped than the SWB Expedition, to the point the 3rd row is almost useless. The LWB versions are very comparable, though.
That’s the independent rear
Not a fan of big SUVs as a rule; minivans usually do the trick. However, tailgates are good and split tailgates are awesome, so I’m kinda torn here.
This tows A LOT more than a minivan. For some families, that’s a big deal. Also, most minivans don’t have low range or a locker.
Agreed. I did say “usually do the trick”. I feel those are edge cases and most use cases are handled by a minivan.
Really depends on use case. We had a ‘12 odyssey we loved and a ‘19 max fx4 that is even better. With 4 kids, dogs and regularly towing, the expedition fits our needs a lot better and only gets 2-3mpg less in normal day to day use. The big kicker for us is the trunk size without needing to put down any seats and being able to tow 9000lbs instead of 5000lbs, both expedition and odyssey having tow packages.
But when we had 3 kids, the odyssey was a better option.