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SUVs rose to dominance based on their utility, rugged nature and brawny looks, but demands for efficiency diminished the breed in favor of car-based crossovers featuring more streamlined bodywork at the expense of off-road ability and hauling prowess. But fear not -- whether you're a Western Wannabe or the Real McCoy, Ford still has a rig parked squarely in your corner.
The 2015 Ford Expedition EL is that rig, and although rooted firmly in 2002 -- the year the current generation first set sail -- it still has much to recommend it. A new powertrain for 2015, combined with updated technology and a subtle facelift should be enough to keep this model on the shopping lists of those who need a hardworking, body-on-frame truck.
Compared to the Blue Oval's all-singing, all-dancing aluminum-intensive F-150 pickup, the steel-bodied Expedition's first impression is that of yester-tech. This, despite a number of key updates and the surprising fact that you won't find a V-8 engine under hood. The 2015 Expedition is powered exclusively by Ford's impressive 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6 -- the very same powerplant nestled between the tin fenders of many new F-150s. Yet even though the 365-horsepower, 420-pound-feet of torque six-cylinder is bang up-to-date, the Expedition lacks some of the F-Series' available creature comforts and much of its advanced safety tech.
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Climb aboard
That doesn't mean the Louisville-built Expedition is without merit. For one thing, no other SUV on the market matches its massive cabin. All three rows of seating are genuinely usable by average-size adults. Even with the way-backs in use, there's still room for cargo, particularly in this extended-wheelbase EL model. And because of the independent rear suspension (itself something of a novelty in this category), packaging is exceptional, with true fold-flat seating and low load-in height. Maximum cargo space is a voluminous 130.8 cubic feet, and even with a butt parked in every one of those eight seats, there's still nearly 43 cubic feet of cargo space behind the EL's third row. I loaded a week's worth of beach vacation clutter into the Expedition, including a 9-foot surfboard, fishing poles and a pair of cornhole game boards, and was still able to pack the cargo area casually, without resorting to luggage Jenga.
With 8.3 inches of ground clearance, getting into the cabin takes some effort, but thanks to this model's power retractable running boards, clambering aboard is easier than you'd think. Plonk down in the King Ranch's Western-trimmed heated and cooled dining-chair-height seats, and you're greeted by a mix of new and old. Outward visibility is predictably commanding, but looking around at the interior is somewhat less inspiring. Much of the dashboard is rendered from disappointingly hard materials, leavened by vertical stanchions of silvered plastic and, in the case of the King Ranch, some of the least-convincing wood applique I've seen since the death of console televisions.
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On the plus side of the ledger, a pair of crisp 4.2-inch TFT displays bookend the instrument binnacle's conventional analog speedometer, providing information related to engine speed, navigation, towing, music selection and trip data (distance, fuel economy, and so on). Updated steering wheel controls mean that you needn't paw around the center console to change what's on these displays, and switchgear for the dual-zone HVAC is intuitive, though some of the buttons are surprisingly small for work-gloved hands.
Most infotainment-related functions fall to the eight-inch display screen in the heart of the dashboard, which is supervised by one of the last iterations of MyFordTouch you're likely to see in showrooms. That's just as well, because the touchscreen-based system is often frustratingly slow to boot up and respond to inputs. The navigation function itself is fairly intuitive, but the maps and related graphics are rather basic. Ford promises that its new Sync 3 infotainment architecture will be in all models by the end of 2016, and we're hoping this more sophisticated system will be considerably more quick-witted. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also said to be in the near-term works.
Downsized, but not down on power
It may seem odd that such a traditional, titanic beast no longer comes with eight cylinders, but buyers won't miss it. Running on regular 87 octane and paired with a 3.73 rear axle ratio, this V-6 has brawn to spare. It exhibits almost zero turbo lag and eagerly displays its wall-to-wall power. Aggressive throttle programming at tip-in makes for surprisingly quick stoplight getaways (but can also take some getting used to). This EcoBoost, aided by acoustically laminated side glass of our King Ranch model, makes the Expedition surprisingly quiet.
Ford's Expedition is imposing, particularly in EL length. Chris Paukert/CNET SUVs rose to dominance based on their
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