11 Things You Should Know Before Buying A Ford Expedition (New Or Used)

The Ford Expedition has been a cornerstone of Ford's lineup since its debut in 1997. Though it's relatively young compared to SUVs like the Jeep Wagoneer and Chevy Suburban, it holds its own in the competition for the top spot. This is partly due to its impressive towing capacity and spacious cargo offering.

Clearly, the blue-oval brand has been refining the Expedition to meet buyers' silent but salient needs. A perfect example is Ford introducing MAX trims on the Expedition. These trims offer longer wheelbases that create more leg room than what's standard on other competitors.

That said, there's much more that the Expedition delivers beyond just towing power and extra space. But like every full-size SUV, it also has some weaknesses you should be aware of. So, if you're considering buying one fresh off the lot or exploring used options, here are 11 things you need to know about the Ford Expedition.

Although it isn't ready to hit the roads, the pricing of the 2025 Ford Expedition will start from $61,700, a significant jump from the 2024 Expedition base trim's $55,630 MSRP.

A price jump of this kind in a challenging economy only means one thing: we're getting a refreshed model. And from the interior and exterior shots we've seen, the 2025 Expedition really is living up to its pricing. For one, the redesigned rear features a split liftgate and tailgate combo. The liftgate has 360-degree lighting that's just enough to light up a mini campsite.

Different trims on the 2025 Expedition will feature different Fascia designs. We've seen the new design headlights with daytime running lights that extend all the way underneath the grille of the King Ranch and Platinum trims.

However, these lights will not be available on the all-new Tremor and base trim, called Active. That said, there are still major upgrades to the interior. There are now two huge screens in select trims of the Expedition. One panoramic display features essential driving information, including the speedometer and a 13.2-inch touchscreen display that sits right at the center of the dash for all your infotainment needs. And if you have any additional screens, a digital device holder is fixed behind the headrest.

What anyone looks for in a three-row SUV is space and comfort, but often they're left out, offering cramped seating, or worse, no dedicated cargo space. This isn't the case with the Ford Expedition.

On the 2024 models, almost every trim has MAX variants with a wheelbase nearly a foot longer than the base trim's original length. This means more seating, cargo, and legroom that you can customize to your taste.

Even without the MAX trims, the base Expedition's wheelbase is still longer than competitors like the Toyota Sequoia, Honda Pilot, and Hyundai Palisade. It's not as long as the GMC Yukon and Chevy Tahoe, but that's where the MAX models come in.

The 2025 Ford Expedition does draw some inspiration from its competitors, though. For one, its new power-sliding center console that slides up to 8 inches backward is very similar to the Yukon's sliding center console available on its 2023 models and more.

The blue-oval brand prides itself in the towing capacity of its SUVs, and the Ford Expedition is no exception. 

The 2024 model tows up to 9,300 pounds, and the 2025 edition is expected to tow up to 9,600 pounds, so whether you want to tow your boat, camper, or ATV, you can haul it all. The 2024 Expedition can haul around 1,000 pounds more than the 2024 Chevy Tahoe, 900 pounds more than the 2024 GMC Yukon, and 800 pounds more than the 2024 Nissan Armada. This is all possible thanks to the twin-turbocharged engine under the hood of the Expedition that puts out 440 hp with 510 lb-ft of torque.

Only a few three-row SUVs have more towing capacity than the Expedition, such as the Toyota Sequoia and Jeep Wagoneer. The former tows 220 pounds more than the Expedition, and the latter hauls 700 pounds more than the Expedition. However, if you're really looking a lot of towing capacity, you might be better off looking at trucks made for maximum towing capacity, like the Ford F-150 and Ram 1500.

You can't go wrong buying a new or a pre-owned Ford Expedition, at least the fourth-generation model. Why? It's because the Expedition has an impressive resale value. 

In normal driving conditions, after five years, the value of your Expedition will only drop by 49%. This places it ahead of other SUVs like the Nissan Armada and Cadillac Escalade, which generally would drop by 52% and 51% under the same conditions. But that's not to say the Expedition is the best when put up against the rest of the pack. The GMC Yukon and Toyota Sequoia, to mention a few, do way better with depreciation values at 41% and 34%, respectively. 

Additionally, Ford backs the 2024 Ford Expedition with a 36,000-mile or three-year basic warranty and a 60,000-mile or five-year powertrain warranty. So if you're buying a newer model used, there's a chance some of these warranties roll over to you.

After almost three decades on the roads, the Ford Expedition has stayed true to its roots, with even its 2025 model bearing a resemblance to the first models released in the fall of 1997. The first model of the Expedition was released as a direct competitor to the Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon, which were leading the full-size SUV segment at the time. But it wasn't built from scratch, nor did it have its own unique platform. The 1997 Ford Expedition was built on the same platform as the Ford F-150, which was significantly longer than other full-size SUVs at the time. Hence, the birth of the cargo and passenger room focus for the Expedition. From then on, the blue-oval brand just stuck with the long wheelbase designs and even created extended wheelbase trims such as the XLT MAX.

The Expedition nameplate has come a long way from replacing the two-door Ford Bronco. What started out in two trims, with V8 engines that put out 230 hp with 325 lb-ft of torque, is now available in 10 trims, all with distinct features that appeal to just anyone and everyone.

Ford might have just retained the V8 engines in the Expedition, which give more torque power for towing capacity, but a shift in demand to less fuel-guzzling — but still power-packed — three-row SUVs made way for turbocharged V6 engines. However, there are still very powerful SUVs with V8 engines out there if you're looking.

2024 is a year of variety. With four extended wheelbase trims and six regular wheelbase length trims, the blue-oval brand provided plenty of options to choose from. The 2024 Expedition base trim, the XL STX, starts at $55,630, a fair price for a 5-seater SUV. The top-of-the-line trim, the Platinum MAX, goes for $83,800, which is also pretty comparable when put beside top-of-the-line trims of other three-row SUVs. 

In between the top and bottom trims, we have the XLT, XLT MAX, Limited, Limited MAX, King Ranch, King Ranch MAX, and Platinum trims. Seating for eight starts from the XLT trim, which goes for $59,695. Then, the Limited Edition brings more to the table, with Excursion and Stealth Performance options available.

With the Excursion package, you'll get adventure-ready features such as roof rail crossbars, and the Stealth Performance package gets you a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine and other kits that turn your Expedition into a speedster.

Up next is the Timberline trim, which is the off-road focused Expedition with impressive braking and suspension systems and Zone Lighting technology that lights up at every angle around your Expedition. The King Ranch trim embodies luxury with a 15.5-inch vertical display, heated and ventilated seats, and a 360-degree camera that shows you a bird-eye view of the Expedition, which comes in handy for parking. Then, the Platinum and Platinum MAX uniquely feature suspension road preview technology and Bang & Olufsen sound systems.

Since Ford's off-road trims in other segments have been selling well, it's bringing the four-wheel drive powerhouse Tremor trim to the Expedition. This isn't the first lineup that'll have a tremor trim. The Ford F-150, Ranger, and Maverick nameplates all have their Tremor versions, and one thing they all have in common is toughness. These trims have durable tires, top-grade suspension systems, and more to withstand rough terrain and conditions.

That said, the Tremor trim will replace the Expedition's Timberline trim, which has been on the roads since 2021. By the looks of it, it will feature significant upgrades from the Timberline and bits from other vehicles in the Ford lineup to bolster its off-road performance.

To protect its front end from rocks and other obstacles you may encounter in the backcountry, it will have a front bash plate that's identical to the one on the Ford Raptor, and it's getting the wheels from the F-150 Tremor for better handling.

Who says you can't eat your cake and have it? Having a three-row family hauler doesn't mean you can't go fast like a sports car (Okay, maybe not quite as fast). To tap into extra performance on the Expedition, you have to go for the 2022 Ford Expedition Limited trim equipped with the Stealth Performance Package — different from the Stealth package. This will set you back an additional $9,880 on top of the $67,055 the Limited edition costs.

So what exactly does the Stealth Performance Package — or Equipment Group 300A, as you may know it — bring to the table? Sport-tuned suspensions, a twin-turbocharged V6 engine, dual exhausts, 22-inch wheels, and not-so-stealthy red brake calipers. All these and more set the three-row SUV to a total output of 440 hp with 510 lb-ft of torque, with an impressive 0 to 60 mph time of 4.9 seconds. So you're getting an all-in-one family hauler and a drag-strip-ready machine in the 2022 Ford Expedition Limited edition equipped with the Stealth Performance option. And don't think you're getting cut out of towing capacity with this SUV; it tows up to 9,000 pounds.

Generally, the size of three-row SUVs make them not particularly crashproof or among the safest vehicles out there, so it takes a lot for them to perform well in safety evaluations. And the Ford Expedition doesn't do too well in that regard. In a set of crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) on the Expedition alongside the Chevy Tahoe and Jeep Wagoneer, the Expedition put up the lowest safety performance. In one test, a whole pillar of the car peeled away due to the impact of the crash, leaving the occupant area of the driver and passenger sides exposed. 

However, it wasn't only the Expedition that came up short. The Chevy Tahoe had poor headlight performance and failed its nighttime tests woefully. The Jeep Wagoneer actually put impressive stats up on the board, coming up just short of earning a Top Safety Pick+. That said, the Expedition did do well in some other tests, particularly concerning pedestrian avoidance.

Sadly, it seems the blue-oval brand is much more interested in building new electric vehicles to fit market demands than leaning toward an electric Expedition. In a 2023 press conference, Ford Chief of EV and digital systems Doug Field said, "We could've converted an Expedition into an EV, but it wouldn't have made for a very good EV and it wouldn't have made for a very good Expedition."

For one, the Expedition is popular with people who love to go the distance with the family, towing along their camper or boats, so adding a big battery pack to this build might just ruin its purpose.

However, a hybrid option of the Expedition might just be feasible. Ford's EV sales have been going well, so there are indications that it plans to have a hybrid drivetrain for all its nameplates by the end of the decade. Coupled with the fact that the F-150 has a 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost engine under its hood — like the Expedition — and a 35.0-kilowatt electric drivetrain to go with it, it might just be easy to build something similar for a hybrid Expedition. This will also put an end to the Expedition's poor fuel economy.

While full-size SUVs are generally gas guzzlers because of their size and towing capacity, the fuel economy of the Ford Expedition is above average when you put it up against the rest of the pack. It delivers 16 mpg and 22 mpg in the city and highway respectively for an 18 mpg combined city/highway EPA rating.

To put things into perspective, we'll go over the fuel ratings of some other full-size SUVs. The Chevy Tahoe does 18 mpg on open roads and 15 mpg in the city to deliver a combined 16 city/highway mpg rating. Meanwhile, the Jeep Wagoneer does 16 in the city and 23 on highways for a 19 combined city/highway mpg rating. So, the Expedition might not be one of the SUVs with exceptional gas mileage, but it strikes a good balance for those who prioritize space, power, and towing capacity over fuel efficiency.