The 2021 Ford Expedition still remains a strong contender in the full-size three-row SUV class. It’s comfortable, competent and capable of carrying up to eight passengers and their gear, with a fully independent suspension and a V6 engine. The Expedition Max adds length and capacity, stretching out its tail by nearly a foot.
Design
The base Expedition trim has two rows and seats five people on cloth upholstery, with an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat. Every other trim has three rows that seat up to seven or eight passengers depending on if they opt for captain’s chairs or a bench seat in the second row. Its interior is full of luxury and plush seats but also has some plastic trimmings. The Expedition features comfortable seating, with enough room to seat adults in the third row with plenty of legroom. The exterior features a wide, expressive grille that frames its headlights and is trimmed with metallic accents. The standard Expedition wheel-base features 104.6 cubic feet of maximum cargo space and the Expedition Max’s longer wheelbase will give you 121.4 feet of total cargo room. Standard features include leather-wrapped steering wheel with cruise and audio control, power-folding third-row seats, cargo bin, and tri-zone auto climate control. Each trim adds more features including a heating steering wheel, power tilt and telescoping steering column with memory and rear auxiliary climate controls. Additional luxury features in the King Ranch and Platinum trims include heated and ventilated 10-way power driver and passenger captain’s chairs, power lumbar and power recline driver and passenger captain’s chairs, Del Rio leather seating, leather door-trim accents, premium wrapped leather steering wheel and leather door-trim accents. The Expedition frames a wide, expressive grille with its headlights, banded with chrome, and scoped in with a blue oval in the middle. Trims include the XLT, Limited, King Ranch, and Platinum.
Power and Pricing
All trims come with a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 turbocharged engine with 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque, except the Platinum will give you 400 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque. They come with a ten-speed automatic transmission and either rear- or four-wheel-drive on all trims. All models can tow up to a maximum of 9,300 pounds and have fuel economy of 17/23 mpg city and highway with rear-wheel drive and 17/21 mpg city and highway with all-wheel drive. The entry-level two-row Expedition has a starting price of $49,995 and the base three-row Expedition starts at $52,810. It ranges in price to $73,775 for the range-topping Platinum. The Expedition Max has a maximum towing capacity of 9,000 pounds, with an estimated 16/21 mpg city and highway. It carries a base starting price of $55,410 and ranges to a starting price of $76,375 for the Platinum Max.
Safety and Technology
The Expedition comes standard with Ford Co-Pilot360 technology and an advanced SYNC 3 Enhanced Voice Recognition Communications and Entertainment. It features the latest driver-assistance technology with its standard Ford Co-Pilot 360 that includes pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking, blind spot information system with cross-traffic alert, auto high-beam headlamps, lane keep assist, and a rear-view camera. Standard technology features include the SYNC 3 infotainment system with an 8.0-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, voice recognition, satellite radio, Wi-Fi hotspot, and four USB ports. A navigation system, wireless device charging, third-row USB ports, HD radio, and premium 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system is available.
Conclusion
The 2021 Ford Expedition delivers nearly all of what you would want in a large SUV. It’s comfortable, classy cabin and capable performance with its V6 engine and powerful towing capacity helps rank it high in the large SUV class. If you want extra cargo room, then you might opt for the Expedition Max.