This will be our fourth Expedition

We had one of the first Ford Expeditions out to hit the road in late 96 and we would have everyone come up to us and ask us “how we liked it." We are on the 2-year lease program and we would just hand it in for another one. I am a tiny woman and at first look, I was scared to drive it, but as soon as you get behind the wheel of it, it makes you feel like you are on top of the world. The first one did not have running boards on it and we had to purchase them from the dealer. The first one also had the extended bench seat on the driver’s side and since my husband is a big man, this gave him more room. The 2000 model we are now trading in for the 2002 did not have the extended bench seat on the driver’s side and this made a big difference in the comfort when he would drive. It has the center console for the CD player. One of the great features the first one did not have but the others did was the front and rear comfort controls. We remember in the first one that if it was winter we would get hot trying to pump the heat back to our kids and when it was time for A/C, we would Freeze trying to do the same thing. The 98 models came out with this, this way the people in the back can control the temp. with their own climate controls on the ceiling above their heads. All of our Expeditions have been white. Ever since we were in our last accident, we have had white as our color. Most people do not know that a color of a car is important. A silver car will blend into the road.

One real positive thing is that you can see 3- 4 cars in front of you and this makes a big help in sudden stops. When you see the car 5 places ahead of yours and they slam on their brakes, you have time to stop at a regular pace instead of slamming on your brakes and nearly rear ending someone.

Another big plus is its room. We built our own home when we had the first expedition and it came in real handy. I remember a couple times were we went and picked up the supplies instead of paying shipping costs. Another plus is that the Expedition has a rear door that lifts up and the other models have rear doors that open out, thus giving you more room when they lift up than open out because you are restricted that way.

In all three so far we have noticed that the ride is still bumpy, even when traveling on a highway. My husband has had two back surgeries in the early 90’s and he can really feel the bumps in the road.

One big thing we have problems with in all three is trying to get into the “parking garages”, even though it may say you have the room, don’t always believe that. We got stuck inside one and had to lower the tire pressure to back out of the garage. We go into the city a lot for tests for my husband, we just found out last Christmas that he has a brain tumor and we are in the city at least a couple times a month.

The Expedition eats up the snow. We live in the northeast and we get a couple of good snowstorms every year. Most of the time during a snow storm we keep it in “all wheel drive” until the snow starts to get deeper and we need that extra boost and put it in “4 wheel drive high”- which you can not go over 35mph. When you have it in “4 wheel drive low”- you are not supposed to go over 10mph.

Well, you can see that we do like it, the pros out do the cons in our situation, but you have to ask yourselves these things before you consider getting into an Expedition:

1. Do I have enough money to fill this animal with gas?
2. Do I want to lease or buy it?
3. Is the price of it going to put me in the poor house?

I hope this helps you out in your search for your SUV!