An optional load-leveling system ($815) uses compressed air to compensate for varying loads while improving ride quality. Built into the system is a one-inch increase in ride height, as if the Expedition wasn't tall enough. When parked, however, the system can make the Expedition 4x4 kneel down to lower the step-in height, which makes getting in and out of the vehicle easier.
Four-wheel-drive Expeditions are more competent off road than their size and fancy trimmings suggest. While serious rock-climbing is not suggested, occasional forays off the beaten path can be undertaken without fear of being left stranded. By simply turning a rotary knob on the dashboard, the driver can choose between full-time four-wheel drive, part-time four-wheel drive, and low-range four-wheel drive.
Beyond the choice of two- or four-wheel drive, the buyer also chooses between two V8 engines. The 4.6-liter engine produces 232-horsepower; the 5.4-liter puts out 260 horsepower. Both are smooth and quiet, and mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. Shifting is surprisingly smooth, given that the Expedition is based on a pickup truck. Shifting up from second to third to fourth when cruising is almost seamless - you can barely feel it.
The larger 5.4-liter V8 delivers extra pulling power for full passenger loads and heavy trailers. It produces 350 foot-pounds of torque, that force that propels you away from intersections and up steep grades, enabling the Expedition to pull a trailer of up to 8300 pounds when ordered as a 4x2 with 16-inch wheels and the 3.73 axle ratio limited-slip rear differential ($255). An Expedition 4x4 with the smaller 4.6-liter engine and big 17-inch wheels can only muster 5500 pounds, though one of our correspondents was quite pleased with it when towing a big travel trailer from Portland to the Baja in Mexico. Next Page