Just by reputation, there is little doubt why the Ford Expedition has become the default choice of government officials, celebrities and the rich elite living in North Forbes. It looks dignified, it is spacious, almost unstoppable and it requires a small oil field to run.
That said, it hasn’t distracted would-be buyers in trying out a piece of Philippine road elitism, and because of this, the Expedition has become a best-seller, with more than 2,000 vehicles sold to date in the Philippines. However, for the rest of us who don’t rely on chauffeurs and use peso bills to wipe our asses, the Ford Expedition has turned itself from a desirable vehicle to something that’s as useful as a white elephant—clearly; not the vehicle for everyone.
In terms of looks, the Expedition is cleanly and neatly designed, in a truck sort of way. Although not as handsome as the BMW X5 for instance, the curving sides of the Expedition look well integrated throughout showing the right amount of balance and poise that don’t make the this Ford too tall or fat—but still retaining a sense of bulk—something it can effectively use to bully its way through Philippine roads. There are strips of chrome here and there, effectively highlighting the Expedition’s luxury-oriented nature without going overboard. Critics would argue that it shares the F-series’ front-end, though there’s nothing generally wrong with it since this line of Ford pick-ups is just as handsome. Panel gaps are truck-like, so expect to be able to insert some hidden stashes of food and drink somewhere between the bumper and the hood.
Inside, it is typical Ford truck fare with large, pre-school sized buttons and G.I. Joe-like plastic materials. Everything is in logical order, especially if one’s familiar with the F-series or Club Wagon’s layout. Although generally not that impressive inside, the Expedition still has some saving graces that are worth mentioning such as the massively comfortable front and middle seats with high-quality fabric material. Moreover, some genuinely excellent quality materials such as the steering wheel, which feel as if they’ve been lifted straight from a Lincoln rather than a Ford.
Speaking of seats, the 10-seater configuration of the Expedition is clearly forced to meet with the Philippine regulation. Though the first two rows of seats are truly spacious and fit for kings, the rearmost side-facing benches will be uncomfortable even for pet slaves. In fact, aside from seating in a very awkward position (having your knees perpendicular 90 degrees to the floor), only Mini-mes will find the headroom to have ample enough to breathe properly.
Besides the last row people, the six other people riding the Expedition will find it generally compliant and comfortable through any kind of city terrain. The elevated chassis and the soft-sprung suspension system helped in containing the bumps and unevenness, that’s a common occurrence on Philippine roads. The ultra-thick padding beneath the vehicle also helped in decreasing the NVH levels making the Expedition one of the most quiet, if not the most silent SUV available in the Philippines.
In addition to the great work with the body and suspension, the gasoline-engine equipped Expedition is noticeably smoother and quieter than similarly sized rivals such as the Isuzu Trooper and Mitsubishi Pajero. Though Green Peace would surely disagree, if you can afford it, the LEV (Low Emissions Vehicle)-compliant 4.6-liter Triton V8 is a great on-road companion to have. Mated to the 4-speed automatic transmission, the Expedition carries its huge 2358 kilogram curb weight perfectly well through traffic with little hesitation. Though all 232 bhp of power and 395 Nm of torque look great on paper, in real life it merely feels adequate rather than outrageous. Power is relatively evenly distributed throughout, but the results from the automatic transmission are rather confused. Sometimes power is delivered quickly, sometimes none at all. In the end, it just takes more pressure on the gasoline pedal to do it right.
With a compliant ride and smooth engine, what’s not to like about the Ford Expedition then? Of course, because of the soft-sprung suspension system and truck-based ladder-on-frame chassis, the Expedition handles as bad as the Titanic on a foggy night. Though perfectly safe on a straight line, the towering 1991 mm of the car shifts the center of gravity dangerously up—making this Ford one unstable SUV. In fact, upon bringing the Expedition out of the Ford Alabang parking lot, it wanted to do a simulated Elk-avoidance test when all it needed to do was to join the traffic after a sharp turn from the parking lot.
Besides the handling, the Expedition carries the same faults as any truck-based SUV: vague steering, huge amounts of understeer, tremendous body roll and so forth. Of course, for the typical Mang Pedro who’d end up driving the Expedition as a means of livelihood, these faults are easily lived with—especially when we consider that the alternative is driving a Hyundai Starex. However, if you plan to drive it yourself, and your other car is a Honda Accord, the Expedition takes a long time of getting used to. The way this vehicle delivers its feedback is different, the way it handles through corners and how to catch it properly in times of emergency are also different. In short, living with an Expedition is a wholly different experience.
The sheer size and reputation of the Expedition make it the perfect tool to slice—smash through Philippine traffic. The Expedition brings out an aura of “this car is damned more expensive than your life” enables it to stand clear of any traffic—as if it has an invisible 5-meter radius force field. More than being just a traffic rhino, the reputation of the car as being the choice of the Philippine elite make it the perfect tool to escape the cops, especially after being guilty of minor traffic violations.
However, at the same time, the bulk of the Expedition also makes it difficult to live with, especially if parking is a premium. In fact, during the course of the short three-day drive, it was more than difficult—it was impossible to bring it out of at least one sticky situation. In one of them, it seemed that intuitive knowledge helped more than rear visibility as it took a seasoned Expedition owner to bring out ours in a parking lot maneuver snafu. In the end, despite the lifeless steering, he continued on to say, “hey pal, your front left-hand tire is too soft.”
Wow—the great guru of the Expedition! The tire was too soft?! I couldn’t even feel if this car was going over the curb or the road and this guy says that the tire was too soft from just a short parking lot maneuver? Well, with this exception, everyone else will find the Expedition’s driving experience much less to be desired.
Besides the dangerous rollover and handling booboos of the Expedition, the enormous bulk puts a heavy toll on the brakes. Though equipped with four-disc brakes with ABS, the Expedition’s brake feel is as soggy as day old bread left in the rain. The Confidence level of pushing this car to its limits is probably the same as the morale level of Napoleon’s troops as they charged into Waterloo.
I’m no Napoleon or Custard for that matter, but I know for a fact that if you slot in a Mustang 4.6-liter V8 into the bonnet of a 2-ton SUV, you’d expect Ford to do something to make it even handle as half as good as the American muscle car. However, it ends up that the added bulk of the Expedition’s body leaves it with much more difficulty in maneuverability than the surprise, surprise, the F150 SuperCrew.
Lastly, the greatest difficulty with leaving with an Expedition is that it requires the deep pockets of a Saudi national to power it. During the course of our test, the 4.6-liter V8 gave out approximately 4.5 kilometers per liter. Although not as bad as the Club Wagon’s figure, it doesn’t go well with the trends. With gasoline prices rising, maintaining the Expedition is one task that’s not easy.
What’s more, the Expedition is due for a complete makeover by the end of this year, so buying this model may moot, unless you want to try to strike a great bargain with the loads of stuff they are putting in for free such as the LCD-screen / VCD player combo, leather interior, wood paneling and revised exterior details.
Is the P 1,720,000 ticket price worth purchasing to get a piece of Philippine elitism? The bottom line is—no. If this is their idea of elitism, they can shove it up their behinds. The Expedition is a vehicle that’s a great performer with lots of great faults. Although it has great and plush ride, a comfortable interior and powerful engine; it is outweighed by the fact that the third row is unusable, it handles like a tractor on ice and it costs a bundle to maintain. The Expedition is a toy for the rich and the famous—and with the faults I just mentioned, it is clear why they will stay that way.
motioncars.com would like to thank
Ford Motors Philippines for providing us the Ford Expedition XLT for this road test.
By Ulysses Ang | Photos By Ulysses Ang and Jason Ang
Originally Published in April / May 2002 Issue
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