CAR REVIEW – 2015 Ford Expedition

I was provided with a week long test drive of the Ford Expedition featured in this post. This post has not been monetarily compensated. Please note that, as always, any personal opinions reflected in this post are my own.

I had a 1998 Ford Expedition. I got it for a great price in about 2001. It served me well, and I have no doubt it would still be on the road today had my now 19 year old son not killed it in the Target parking lot a bit over a year ago. As such, I was very excited to receive the opportunity to drive the brand new 2015 Ford Expedition. I was super curious to see what kind of changes had been made to the truck in 13 years.
My 98 Expedition drove like, well, it drove like a truck. It was big and bulky, and to me it seemed a bit top heavy. Even with it’s big V-8 it took a little bit to get up to speed. I am pleased to say that the 2015 Ford Expedition was nothing like my 98.
The 2015 Ford Expedition has a 119 inch wheelbase and is available in four trim packages – XLT, Limited, King Ranch, and Platinum. Each of the four also has an extra-long 131 inch wheelbase option available as well.

The gas guzzling V-8 engine has been replaced by a new 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine. The engine is a 365 horsepower, 6-speed automatic engine. It is the only engine available. I didn’t connect our trailer as we had a lot of snow here, but was pleased to learn that the Expedition has a tow-rating of up to 9,200 pounds, making it “best in class”.
The Expedition’s ride was very smooth, nothing like the rough and bumpy “truck ride” that I expected. Handling was pretty speedy and quite responsive. The truck had no lack of get up and go, proving itself to be quite capable at takeoff as well as in the amount of time it took to increase speed. My 98 had been a bit on the noisy side, so I was very pleased to find that the new 2015 was quiet inside.

Getting into the Expedition is easy, as the vehicle has power running boards that automatically retract when one of he four doors aren’t open.

The back of the Expedition is equipped with a power liftgate. I love this, for those times when you’re juggling things and just don’t have enough arms and hands. It also had a trailer towing package.

Speaking of towing. There are built-in trailering apps that you can access right from the steering wheel. They, along with other important information, is displayed in gauges and crisp, bright computer screens. And, the brake controller was right in the dash, not far from the steering wheel. This was a welcome change from the spot I’d had to have mine installed in down at knee level back in the day. There is a leveling system available, which is really helpful as well.

Once seated you’ll notice the screen and controls over in the center console. I love this screen. I love that it has four quadrants that allow you to quickly see and access navigation, telephone, entertainment and climate. The entertainment system. Well I can say that as usual, Ford did not disappoint me here. I have always found the sound in Ford vehicles to be amazing and once again I was a happy girl. The phone center allows you to drive safely by enabling hands-free calling and even texting. Certain tasks can also be carried out by voice command, which is great when you want to find something while keeping full attention on the road. When backing up the rear view camera system takes over the screen, making backing up effortless and ensuring safety. And speaking of safety, the mirrors have built-in blind spot monitoring, a system where a light goes off on your mirrors to let you know someone or something is there.

I had some mixed feelings on the interior’s design. I absolutely loved the colors. The color scheme made me think of nice things – chocolate, coffee, horses, chocolate, chocolate, coffee, and chocolate. Part of the interior consisted of a thick black plastic, that to me it looked a bit “commercial”. It wasn’t the absolute ugliest thing I’ve ever seen but I felt it was a tad out of place with the rest of the look of the interior. It was particularly noticeable on the passenger side dash and on the front doors.
Speaking of the front doors. The driver’s side front door is where the one thing I really didn’t like was. There is a cup holder down near the bottom of the door. It stuck out further then the rest of the pocket in the door, and I kept knocking my ankle against it. I had to fight to remember to sit in a slightly different position that I normally do in order to avoid it happening.


Speaking of seats. The leather seats were very comfortable, with the driver’s and passenger’s seats having heat and air available. The model I drove could seat eight people. In my old Expedition the rear seat was quite cramped. The 2015 model also had the third seat. It seemed to have quite a bit more leg room then I recall my old one as having. I loved that the third row seat could be folded (and unfolded) at the push of a button. Behind the third row there is a cargo area. It isn’t as big as a trunk by any means, but I would say it’s sufficient to carry groceries, or a couple of small carry-on size bags.
I really enjoyed my week with the 2015 Ford Expedition. It’s made leaps in terms of advancements and improvements when compared to the 98 I used to have. It would be a great vehicle for families, people that would like to pull a trailer, and even as a company vehicle.
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