Ford Expedition (1997)
This vehicle is totally unreal.
We have to start out by saying that we are in the minority on theExpedition. This car has won practically every single award it could--Carand Drivel, Road and Breakdown Lane, and so on down the line. The magazinesloved it because it's new, it's different, and it's humongous. Everyoneloved it. Except us.
What do we think of it?
We think the Expedition is the Cadillac Fleetwood of sport utility vehicles,in all kinds of ways. It is cushy and comfortable, and squishy and soft.It soaks up bumps and handles huge craters incredibly well. Most of all,though, the Expedition is huge. Get this: it has 17-inch wheels. You don'twant to be anywhere near this car if you have to drive into a city. If youlive in an urban environment and have to deal with things like parkingspaces, sharp turns, or even worse--parking garages--stay as far away fromthis vehicle as you can. If you live out in the boonies, or if you live inthe suburbs and don't drive into the city very often, then you can consider it.
This vehicle has a tremendous capacity to carry people. We drove this carinto Harvard Square one evening, and we comfortably fit eight people in it.Once we got to the parking garage, however, we discovered that it would notfit! It was too high. It fit in the next parking garage we went to, butonly after a tremendous amount of hassle backing the thing into anormal-sized spot. What a pain in the butt!
Mechanically, we have to praise it. It was a wonderfully smooth engine andtransmission. It's much more comfortable than you'd ever expect a big truckto be. If you need a huge vehicle for camping, towing and similar chores,this is the vehicle for you. The direct competitors are the Tahoe and theChevy Suburban, if you're shopping around. This is a much nicer vehiclethan the Suburban, however. It is nicely made, and it felt strong andrugged. But, c'mon--nothing should have 17-inch wheels unless it has theGross Vehicle Weight printed on the side in big letters and a DOT permit!
This is a guy's vehicle--big and powerful. Several women--including our ownCatherine Patooty Ray--commented that it didn't feel "cozy." Of course itdoesn't feel cozy. The Expedition is cavernous! The only way it'll feelcozy is if you're male and weigh more than 280 pounds. Also, a word ofwarning to you single guys: based on two important criteria, the Expeditionis not a babe magnet:
Criterion #1: Women appeared to be intimidated by it.
Criterion #2: Several truck drivers walked over and told us that *we*looked good in it!
View cars.com model report on this vehicle.