2003 Great Expeditations - An intense investigation

I surprised my wife (of 25 years) with a new SUV. She's been driving a Tahoe for 6 years now and we were not too impressed with it. The fact we bought a Ford is a miracle. We were both hardcore GM people. Her father was GM service manager for 20 years so I'm sure when we pull into his driveway with a Ford he'll pass out.

I decided if I was going to spend $40 grand on a full sized SUV that I would thoroughly research all candidates in our price range. This included the Tahoe, Yukon, Navigator, Escalade, and Sequoia. We even compared a Honda Pilot because it is significantly larger than most mid sized SUVs and is almost a full sized SUV.

We test drove every prescribed model and gathered all the brochures and read all the reviews in magazines and online that we could find. In the end the 2003 Ford Expedition won due to price and standard features. This all-new Expedition comes with so many standard features that cost extra on the competitors I can't begin to name them all. Here's a list of a few I remember:

Running boards
Towing package (class IV hitch, dual wiring harness, cooler)
Power adjustable brake/accelerator pedals!
Keyless driver side entry (if you lock your keys inside)
Flat folding third and second row seats

Other things we considered were the "best in class" features. The all new Expedition has the highest tow rating and available torque in it's class and you can feel it. It's the only full SUV that incorporates four wheel independent...and you can feel it. This SUV handles more like a sports sedan during fast turn maneuvers than an SUV. It is very nimble and responsive. It has more legroom than the Suburban in the third row, and it has a dead quite and smooth ride for any SUV. The Expedition is comparable to the expensive cousin, Lincoln Navigator.

The Tahoe/Yukon doesn't handle near as well. In fast turns all the other full SUVs handled like a truck. They all demonstrated varying degrees of pitch and roll when turning tightly and quickly. Also none of the competition had the flat folding third seat except for the Pilot which is NOT in the full sized category. This is a WAY cool feature. If you need the cargo space the third seat simply folds flat into the floor. Then when you need the seating the seat simply arises out of the floor. All the other full sized SUVs had to have the seat removed to utilize all the room in the rear. The hassle of pulling the seat in and out of the Tahoe/Yukon/Sequoia is such a headache. Ford nailed it on this design and this is a main reason my wife fell in love with it.

We also love the look of this new Expy. It is much more refined and classy looking than last year’s model. We literally compared all the SUVs head to head. Driving one (Sequoia) then immediately driving the Expy or Tahoe. That way we could get a real feel for the truck. Everytime we kept going back to the Expedition. It had a superior "feel" in the ride, handling and acceleration. We even drove the Expedition to the Chevy dealer and park it next to a 2003 Tahoe to compare directly. The Expedition is about 6 inches longer but turns tighter than the Tahoe. When we opened the two up the interior of the Expy was slightly larger and the design of the interior was "classier" in our opinions. Things like the theater lighting, and the satin nickel vent rings in the Expy give it a definite "luxury" feel and look compared to Tahoe/Yukon or Sequoia. The Pilot, after closer review, was a nice SUV and if you want a mid size maybe the ticket. However it was a little shy on size for what we needed. We haul kids around and go skiing several times every year. We also tow a boat on occasion so we need the torque that the Honda didn't offer. But the Honda did run like a striped spider and gets very good mileage. Something the Expy could take a cue from.

My only complaint about the Expedition is the mileage could be better. But for a full sized SUV it's as good as the Tahoe or Sequoia. Also the entry/exit is awkward at times. It's not as easy to get into as the competition. Something to do with the way the seats are positioned in the front. But once you get there the seats a more comfortable than the competition.

Overall the Expy was the clear winner for us. We bought an Expedition 4x4, 5.4liter, XLT. Like I said it came standard with third row flat folding seat, towing package, and running boards. It also had rear AC controls in the back of the consoles so the rear passengers can control their own climatic fate. A comparably equipped Tahoe had an MSRP of $44,022. Our Expedition had an MSRP of $38,130. This is a HUGE difference and GM should get a clue. If they can't find a clue surely they could buy one with all the extra money they make on the sale of a Tahoe!

When we put the dealer’s "feet to the fire" the Tahoe could actually be bought for $38,950 with dealer incentives and rebates applied. The Expedition could be bought for $32,130. So I stuck $6,000 in my pocket and drove a superior truck home. I don't understand how Ford can build such a better SUV for so much less than GM. And when you compare the Expy to a Sequoia the result are even more dramatic. Toyota is REALLY proud of their machine. To the tune of $3,000 more than Tahoe.

Here's the Kicker. We got very lucky (IMO). We found a 2003 program Expy equipped exactly the way we wanted. This truck was technically "used" but in reality was new. It still had the new smell. Because it was Ford certified the warranty was extended out to 6 years and 75,000 miles. We actually bought that Expy on the spot after we test drove it and looked it over. We paid $27,738 for it. The original sticker MSRP was $38,130. We saved SO much my wife took it down to Audio MidWest and had them install a flip down DVD for the kids in the back. If you want real savings then check out these 2003 program cars. If they are Ford certified the warranty will be extended to 75,000 mile on the powertrain and you'll save $10-12 grand off the MSRP.

Don't take my word for it. If you're in the market for a full sized SUV go drive a 2003 Expy then drive the competition. Do your homework. I think you'll come to the same conclusion.