Ford is in a good position right now. Chevrolet’s body-on-frame SUVs are aging and won’t see a full redesign until around 2020. The Blue Oval will strike right into the heart of one of GM’s most dominant segments with the 2018 Expedition.
Our sister site, Ford Authority, recently received time behind the wheel in the 2018 Expedition a Limited model and off-road oriented FX4 variant. Our esteemed colleague’s final thoughts? Chevrolet should be nervous.
Like many programs, Ford brought comparison vehicles, including the Chevrolet Tahoe with a 5.3L EcoTec3 V8. While the 2018 Expedition had a 6,500-pound Airstream trailer hooked up behind it, the Tahoe present hauled a lighter 5,500-pound trailer. Per our own Aaron Brzozowski:
Without the aid of forced induction, and with four fewer gears to propel it along, the difference was quite dramatic. Even on level ground, the Tahoe had much more trouble getting out of its own way; uphill, the SUV’s arduous struggle was on full display, the transmission downshifting multiple times, the V8 howling all the while.
Mind you, we still believe the Tahoe is a solid SUV. It does a lot of things right, but Ford has pulled out every trick to try and steal away GM’s market share it holds so tightly.
Comments
Suburban=much more beautiful suv for city folk who want a luxury machine with truck capacity. If you are really looking to be king on the hill, there is something called the Yukon Denali which blows away the expedition. To do a truly head to head comparison need to pick the right challenger. This was an attempt to bash Chevrolet. while we are at it, lets pit the 2018 Eco boost against 5.3 even though the 5.0 is the 5.3 challenger and rate everything but gas consumption. Even the 6.2 Chevy LTZ matches the Eco boost when it comes to real life towing mileage
is anyone else here seeing this? It must just be me, this new Expedition looks so much like another vehicle i have seen that has been on the market for 4 years. Ford is copying the Chevy Tahoe.
Thats the only thing Chevy needs to be worried about. I cant believe no one is seeing this.
All GM needs to do is make the 6.2 a option on everything.
Ford did pull out all the stops though. They even made the Expedition look like a Tahoe, for the first time in history. Ford design studio is full of trace paper designers.
Looks like the Tahoe has a 6 speed transmission. The new 10 speed is standard on the 6.2’s offered in the GMC Denali and Cadillac Escalade.
All others will be 10 speeds within a year.
I believe GM Will start building the all new 2020 models by the first quarter of 2019.
Ford will be thrilled to make better margins with their new models. No more deep discounts in order to move outdated product. Less discounting by Ford will actually help GM’s margins as well.
Chevrolet should indeed be nervous! Just as Cadillac is wisely taking initiative to prevent its Escalade from succumbing to the superior Navigator! Ford has made the Expedition competitive with the best in segment on every level! And most reviews are praising its handling, power, interior volume, quality, and capability! If Ford advertises and markets these things right, GM will have a problem on their hands!!! Yes GM is leading the market in full-sized SUV sales, and by a relatively wide margin, but that’s no excuse for them to just sit on their laurels and continue to let the competition outclass them!!! So GM, get going on the next gen rigs!!!
ford is down on luxury on Cadillac, down in power under GMC and down in fuel consumption in all three. The new Lincoln looks tacky. Ultimately only the market will tell, but GM doesn’t need to worry much.
How exactly is Ford down on luxury? Their full-sized SUVs have virtually every option GM’s SUVs have! And while the HP of the Ecoboost in the Expedition is down compared to the Yukon, it’s virtually just as fast and capable thanks to the greater torque and those turbo boosters! And looks are subjectively, so what you view as tacky or elegant is your opinion. I happen to like the looks of the new Navigator, minus the tail lights.
We’ll just have to wait and see how Ford’s marketing department can spread the word about their new rigs!
Shoddy build quality is how they are down on luxury. Ford vehicles are always 10 footers and wreak of cost cutting.
I for one don’t want a proven to be problematic ecoboost either. They need to offer the 5.0 (or do they?)
Shoddy build quality? Well, GM’s rigs certainly aren’t being praised for build quality either! There’s no shortage of LT and tranny issues lining the web! So how are they not guilty of the very same cost-cutting measures you’re accusing Ford of?!
I agree that Ford should be offering the 5.0 for the Expo, but I can live with the Ecoboost if it’s capable, as it’s proving to be!
Go sit in a f150. It’s plastic paradise. Haven’t sat in a expedition yet, but I’ve yet to find a Ford that impresses me in the last 20 years.
well if options is all we car about, then dodge is the most luxurious. They have loads of features and they are all in plastic. The things that i really love about Chevy’s and do consider luxury is things like seat quality, throttle feel, road vibration and noise control. I dont care if you have a wuss backing utility or “man step” Chevys just ride nicer consistently. The sole exception to the ride quality is that GM’s come standard with on off road shocks and Fords are road optimized for road handling. That does help the fords rides quality. As for torque, the ecoboost now gets 10ftlbs or a 2% increase over the 6.2, but 12% power drop in the power band. When it comes down to it, its power that counts, and torque is nice as it make power more accessible. Chevy should have a response sooner than 2020. The new Silverado is right around the corner and the suburban is essentially a Silverado with a royalty class tonneau cover. They cant make one without the other. My guess is a preview in Q3 of 2018 and release of the “2020” models in early 2019 at the latest, but i have been wrong before
You’re right about the fuel consumption, Ford’s Ecoboost engines don’t deliver stellar fuel economy compared to GM’s powerplants. But they are delivering in just about every other conceivable metric! Motor Trend’s first drive review, much like Ford Authority’s, highlight how course and incapable the 5.3L is compared to what’s in the Ford while carrying a lighter load! If Ford markets the Expedition right, it’ll give GM trouble!
Maybe if GM had a diesel in the Large SUV class, fuel economy, torque and towing wouldn’t be a problem now would it? Honestly I don’t think the 2.8L baby Duramax (with a slight tune) would be a bad idea for at the very least the Escalade and the higher end GMC’s. Even if just temporary, it would be better than doing nothing.
That’s not not a bad idea! I’d be open to a solid diesel option for fuel economy sake.
Good to hear that Motortrends staff finally made it back from Tokyo. Hopefully everyone is O.K.
Did they happen to mention which Japanese Automaker paid for the trip this time?
Cadillac Escalade with the agricultural solid axle was just rated one of the 10 worst vehicles on the market by Consumer Report.
Yes, Consumer Reports rated All Cadillacs poorly because their writers are too stupid to work CUE. Found it fustrating
The rest of the automotive press did have problems at first, but figured It out instantly when Mercedes switched from knobs to buttons for c their radio controls.
Reliability isn’t Cue. Plenty of electronic issues combine to make it on the list of the worst of the worst. 100 grand to be on the sh!t list.
The 2017 GM SUVs squashed the Ford in every category and now a all new Ford, for the first time in 20 years is competitive and you say GM is resting on their laurels? All I see is the base Expedition engine has more power than the base GM SUV engine. Yukon and Escalade have a superior choice though. I guess the Tahoe is not the ideal choice for drag racers.
The Escalade is an icon, but the Navigator is a Lincoln, a tarted up Ford.
Relax!
This is not the first time we have seen thus situation.
First off brand loyalty here is strong.
Second the New GM models are not far out. The truck will be first and the SUV are shortly behind them.
We have heard the doom and gloom before but in the end GM owns this segment each time.
Also this segment has not been growing. The smaller CUV is what is glow hot in growth.
I am more worried that GM retains the Nox and Traverse owners as that is were the profits and volume.
Hi-fi Don ‘t forget the 2018 Tahoe RS 6.2 425 hp 465 TQ
Absolutely not.
I don’t think they have anything to be worried about. GM has always had this market and most likely always will.
Always is a long time. Didn’t they go bankrupt a few years back from being the largest company in the world in the 50’s to a small company today.
I wouldn’t say they are a small company, still bigger than Ford. Ford was in the same situation they just got lucky they needed money first so they got a loan. There wasn’t enough to go around when GM needed it a year later, so they got a loan from the government.
The thing with GM truck V8s dated back to the early 2000s, or maybe even earlier, is a tune does wonders and truly wakes them up. It’s sad that GM ships them from factory like that
Chevrolet did reveal the 2018 Chevrolet Silverado Performance Concept which features a Supercharged 5.3L V8 which makes 450 horsepower as this engine in the 2018 Chevrolet Tahoe would be the best of both worlds, performance without sacrifice of fuel economy; further, Chevy could probably have the supercharged 5.3L V8 in production by Spring 2018.
A lot of people are putting their faith in the long-term reliability of these Eco boost engines. I’m not one of them. I’ve had two GM trucks since 1989 (K-Blazer and a Yukon). Two V-8 engines. Nearly 600,000 miles. When I hear those kinds of stories about the smaller, boosted Ford engines, I’ll be a believer.
I tow a 6000lb boat with my 2015 Yukon Denali and it’s amazing. It’s as fast as my 5.3 Suburban unloaded and my Suburban has been tuned with long tube headers. Love these lopsided comparisons. My Son-in-Laws F150 5.4L died and he borrowed my old Suburban and he admitted the Suburban towed better. When he borrowed my Denali to tow his 6000lb boat he couldn’t believe it, compared to his F150. I agree that there is a lot that should be better in the GM product . Most of it is stupid little things that don’t cost extra to do, just takes someone with brains to do it. They need someone in charge of that line that actually cares about it and pays attention to the details. After working at the Tech Center for a number of years you wonder how some of these companies stay in business. Many of the creature comforts of my wife’s 2009 Cadillac STS are better executed than my 2015 Denali, no excuse for that. I had so many software issues with drive ability on my Denali when I got it I could have returned it under the lemon law. I finally gave up on the dealership/GM and put my laptop on it and fixed them myself. Then of coarse there are the common issues like the air conditioning going out after just 2 years due to a defective condenser, too many of these happening to be random. My air on my 03 Suburban with 333,000 miles still works like new, proof that it can be done. The GM SUV has good bones just needs a few tweaks and it could be amazing. Still trying to find a way to reprogram the body control ECU to see if I can get it to work as well as my wife’s old Caddy.
We did read that GM’s next generation full sized SUVs will have some form of an independent rear suspension. This should allow for more floor space in the third row and better stow space for flat floor folded seats.
It will be interesting to see the final design for this new independent rear suspension. I do know many still prefer the live axle setup, for it’s beat to death durability and load abilities.
I think the new rear setup design will be all new, and be something different as compared to the current Ford design.