General Motors and the Chevrolet brand have had the full-size SUV segment locked down for a long time, but Ford has arrived to contest the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban with the 2018 Ford Expedition.
Ford hasn’t just dropped another full-size SUV, though. It’s also introduced the Expedition FX4, its Suburban Z71 rival. The Expedition FX4 includes three areas of improvement: drivetrain, suspension, wheels and tires and protection, according to Ford Authority.
The Expedition FX4 includes an electronic limited-slip rear differential and a 3.73:1 ratio to help maintain traction in off-road situations. Off-road dampers, thicker wheels and all-terrain tires and skid plates are all present to help the Expedition earn its FX4 badge.
The recently-revealed Expedition also out-muscles the Suburban with its tow ratings. The Expedition can tow up to 9,300 pounds, a whopping 3,000 more than the Chevrolet Suburban.
Does the Expedition FX4 have what it takes to challenge Chevrolet’s Suburban Z71? We’ll soon find out; the SUV will launch this coming fall.
Comments
Wouldn’t it be to the Tahoe instead of the suburban?
Yes, the Ford Expedition is the approximate size of the Chevy TAHOE.
The Ford Excursion, which is no longer made, was the same size as the Chevy Suburban.
Ford makes NOTHING the size of the Chevy Suburban.
The Expedition XL is Suburban size.
there’s used to be the Expedition EL but now it’s Expedition Max
Ford just needs to get this off the do not buy list floating on the web.
Do not buy list? Post up a link. I’m interested.
It was on yahoo and from one of the magazines.
I just read it in passing. Do a search it should come up. They listed the Lincoln too.
GM continues to invest substantial dollars at their Arlington, Texas large SUV production facilities. I think it’s well over $1 billion, over the last two years alone! Yesterday, they also announced adding 1.2 million square feet for a new supplier park operations.
That said, as Ford starts to sell their all new SUVs, GM will soon follow with their next generation of full sized Suv’s.
Put the 6.2 in the Suburban with a 10 speed and a 3.42 gear and tow away. However, after seeing where GM, especially Chevrolet has been going lately…..I doubt it will ever happen….Ford 150 trucks now out power GM trucks. The Expedition will soon follow to blow the Suburban’s over rated 5.3 and sloppy shifting 6 speed away. Tow ratings don’t tell the
whole story, it’s how well they tow, taking wind, terrain, load into consideration. A 5.3 will be screaming at 3200 rpm trying to tow a 4500 lb boat…..at 7 mpg. Been there done that a lot. My 2008 Suburban 1500 LTZ 6.0 with headers, cat back, tune, CIA, 4.10 gear stills struggles with 4500 lbs in OD because the torque curve is way up the on the power scale. I’m keeping my Sub going because Chevy still has their head in the sand…
My 2014 5.3l Silverado 1500 never struggled with my boat (5000lb) but you had to flog the crap out of it. My 2004 2500HD 6.0l was better with the boat but you still had to flog it too. My 2016 2500HD Duramax doesn’t even know the boat is there. It’s wonderful.
I’ll keep the durability of the tried and true 5.3l over the coolant dripping oil burning ecoboost any day. Those aluminum skinned tin cans are a waste of money. Come down here to the DFW and see what kind of problems they are having with hail damage. Fields is gone for a reason.
I currently own a ’16 Expedition EL. I’m a GM guy at heart, but ultimately a few things won me over. It cannot be overstated how much more driveable the 3.5L Twin Turbo is in comparison to the GM engines, even the 6.2. You get all that torque at such low RPMs. You can simply get moving effortlessly. When you’re flatout over 55mph, the differences fade, but it’s the wonderful light feel of the vehicle at low speeds that makes it a joy to drive. I have a preference for the more angular interiors of the Ford that feels more honest in their execution. I also like the King Ranch look over the High Country. That red leather of the GM is just dated. Most of my decision was personal preference, but the driveability factor is remarkable.