2014 Expedition EXT Ecoboost review

[OVERKILL]

While I was in Dallas the last time we had this as our rental.

Pros:
- Engine: The little turbo 6 gets the very large SUV up and moving extremely well, making it feel much lighter than it actually is.
- Transmission: The transmission programming was quite good and it didn't seem to get confused as to what you wanted it to do, always selecting the right gear for the amount of pedal applied.
- Ride: Ride quality was excellent
- Infotainment: Well laid out and easy to use. Sound quality was decent as well.
- Gauges: Easy to read and well laid-out

Cons:
- HVAC: The blower motor sounded like you had a Honda Civic buried in the dash. There was something seriously amiss here. Also, the air conditioning was somewhat weak for a vehicle of this size. It cooled it down, but took longer than expected.
- Seats: They were imitation leather and it was not what I would consider good quality. This was probably my biggest disappointment with the vehicle, the seats in our '02 are massively better in terms of support, surface, texture...etc.


Other than the awful seats, it was a decent vehicle for moving around a large number of adults and their luggage. It rode well and was spacious. The seats weren't uncomfortable, they just seemed cheap. The seats in the Buick Enclave that we rented on the previous trip were in a completely different league from these.

 

[Falcon_LS]

Thanks for the review! Those are really nice trucks.

Ford leather has never really been all that appealing. Glad to hear I'm not the only one who found the HVAC to be problematic - you can probably imagine what it's like in 120+ F heat!

 

[javacontour]

I just had the 2015 while in Denver last week. I didn't realize it was the Eco-Boost until I opened the hood.

At elevation, I think it was the perfect engine. Turbocharging can make up for most of the performance lost to elevation.

The fact that I didn't even realize it was a V6 until the third day driving it says something. Of course, once I looked, I could tell it was a V6. But if you were not paying attention, it was just a torquey power plant.

I am accustomed to driving my Protege5, so this thing was huge. For the most part, I parked in the lines. But it was tough. I was grateful for the backup camera when moving this beast out of parking spots.

I don't know what possessed Avis to give me this barge as my "Intermediate" choice. I wouldn't buy it, but could see piling a bunch of people in it.

However, if I needed a family truckster, but didn't need to tow, I think a minivan would be a better choice. Easier to drive, easier to park and more efficient.

I've not done my fuel economy calculation yet. Probably between 15-20 MPG in mixed urban driving.

 

[hattaresguy]

I didn't know they still made them, I figured everyone just bought a Suburban/Escalade/Tahoe if they needed a full size SUV.