San Francisco: It's
really amazing that some vehicles ever leave the drawing board. Sitting
atop Ford's SUV heap today is the Expedition EL, a stretched-out version
of the Expedition that would have been a wonderful SUV 10 years ago
Consider the giant Ford
Excursion. It's almost laughable that somebody, somewhere, probably
wearing an expensive suit and collecting a big salary, actually thought
the world needed an SUV that's bigger than the Chevy Suburban.
Ford didn't wake up one
morning and say, "We want to make an SUV that's better than the
Suburban. Quieter. More comfortable. Better looking. More exciting."
No, the almighty Ford
Excursion was all about size, and Ford didn't seem to care that it was
nothing but a heavy-duty pickup, with a cheap roof stuck on top and some
seats bolted in the back.
It's no wonder why the
Excursion didn't last long. It croaked in 2006 after a few years of
pathetic sales and criticism from environmentalists who thought it was
killing the cute little penguins.
Instead of just saying
"bye-bye" to its super size SUV though, Ford decided to replace it. And
in doing so, it created the most wonderful, amazing, impressive SUV that
buyers will pay huge wads of cash for because they don't care about gas
prices. Oh, sorry. I thought it was 1997 for a second.
Actually, the new
Expedition EL, Ford's replacement for the Excursion, comes about 10
years too late. It's a good SUV, and certainly far better than the
uncivilized Excursion ever was, but it seems to be made for a time when
Clinton was still in the White House.
Today's market for
full-size SUVs is crashing like the Hindenburg, only faster and more
explosive. It's clearly the wrong time for a car company to introduce a
gas-guzzling beast, but that didn't stop Ford.
Like its name suggests,
the Expedition EL is an Extra-Long version of the popular Ford
Expedition. That means it's big, tough and heavy, but also civilized
enough for comfortably driving around town.
Unlike the Excursion,
which was the kind of vehicle you wrestle with to make it behave in the
city, the Expedition EL is surprisingly easy to drive considering its
giant size. It's almost car-like in its quick response and light feel,
that is, except for the brakes.
Most cars have brakes
that respond in a linear fashion. If you push the brake pedal gently,
the vehicle slows down just a little bit. If you push a little harder,
the vehicle slows down more.
On this stretched
Expedition, though, you can press the brake pedal softly and get no
response whatsoever. Press a little harder, and still nothing.
And then, when press
just a tiny bit harder, it screams, "OH MY GOSH! YOU MUST WANT TO STOP!
AHHHHHHHH!!!!!" as it finally grips the wheels and sends all the
unsecured cargo inside flying toward the front windshield.
That's not such a bad
thing, though, because when you get hit on the head by a flying Kleenex
box, you're more likely to forget how much you spent for your last
fill-up. Ford and the EPA haven't published this SUV's gas mileage
ratings yet, but it's bound to be ugly with a three-ton curb weight.
Aside from the schitzo
brakes and Exxon-friendly gas mileage, there's not much to gripe about.
Its engine is smooth and strong, the six-speed automatic transmission
shifts nicely, and the cabin is brilliant for a Ford product. It's
everything Americans wanted in a giant SUV, about a decade ago.
INFOBOX: What
was tested? The 2007 Ford Expedition EL Eddie
Bauer 4WD with a base price of $41,945. Price as tested at the MSRP is
$41,945.
Why avoid it?
It's an outdated poster child for the SUV
craze. A trend that's barely surviving, strapped to a ventilator, in a
Detroit nursing home.
Why buy it?
It's a vast improvement over Ford's previous heavyweight champ, the
Excursion. It drives exceptionally well and is surprisingly easy to
maneuver around town.
By Derek Price © AutoWire.Net - San Francisco
Ford Home Page
Byline:
Syndicated content provided by Tony Leopardo © AutoWire.Net
Column Name: This is an awesome SUV, if you're living in 1997
Topic: The 2007 Ford Expedition EL Eddie Bauer 4WD
Word Count: 748
Photo Caption: The 2007 Ford Expedition EL Eddie Bauer 4WD
Photo Credits: Ford Expedition Internet Media
Series #: 2007 - 43
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the Microsoft Word version here:
2007
Expedition EL 4x4 Eddie Bauer
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2007
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