a move away from the monster truck image presented by previous bluff-fronted
designs. The sides and back are shaped more for utility than style, though
what are essentially flat panels are given some visual definition by clever
use of trim and rounded corners.
The overwhelming impression is one of size, even though the design disguises
the Expedition's bulk to some extent. At just over 17 feet in length, this
is no wraith. The Suburban is even longer, adding a foot-and-a-half to
the total. The Tahoe and Yukon four-doors are a bit shorter. Ford touts
the shorter length as making its entry compatible with a standard garage,
which the Suburban, they say, is not. Measure before you try to close the
garage door.
As an aside to the size issue, we should note that the Tahoe and Yukon
are also available as slightly smaller two-doors. Although it was designed
to replace the old Bronco, which was two-door only, Ford elected to cede
the full-size two-door market to GM.
Expeditions come in two flavors, XLT and Eddie Bauer. Both are available
with two-wheel or four-wheel drive, and both carry a substantial load of
standard equipment. Differences are confined to paint and trim, and even
these distinctions can be blurred further by checking off items from a
long list of optional equipment. And there's obviously a lot of price territory
between the basic 2wd Expedition XLT and our loaded Eddie Bauer 4x4 tester. Next Page