As far as large SUVs go, General Motors has done a pretty good job over the past few decades of building the most usable vehicles in the segment. Ford chimed in with the Expedition back in the mid-1990s and many other automakers have followed suit since. Still, the GM sport-utes have held the top ranks in the large SUV segment, praised for their driving ability, usable space, and hauling capabilities.

Last year, Ford reworked the Expedition SUV and introduced a long-wheelbase Expedition EL into the market to compete with Chevrolet’s larger Suburban and GMC’s Yukon XL. In our initial drive of the new Expedition, we praised it for its outward appearance, comfortable and usable interior, and overall capabilities. David E. Davis, Jr., our editor in chief, took an Expedition EL out for three days in northern Michigan and stated that he may be more partial to the Ford than to the Chevy.

For 2008, Ford carried their upscale King Ranch interior from the F-series pickups over into the Expedition. We have always enjoyed the King Ranch interiors for their high-quality appearance and plush materials and were eager to test this intricate weaving of true sport-utility and luxury.

Click through the jump for our impressions of the Expedition and click the images below to open a high-res gallery.

Chris Paukert
Editor:

Given General Motors’ immensely competent GMT900 SUVs, I figured that Ford’s revamped Expedition would fall flat, but it hasn’t exactly worked out that way.

By the numbers, the King Ranch has its work cut out for it. Its 5.4-liter V-8 has 300hp and 365 ft-lbs. of torque as compared to, say, a GMC Yukon Denali 6.2-liter’s 380hp and 417 ft-lbs. But despite the power deficit, this big Ford gets around just fine, and the six-speed automatic helps make the most of what’s on tap. Further, the Ford is rated to tow greater loads, it has an easier-to-negotiate third row, and it costs less—even in swanky King Ranch trim.

All-in, despite having some older bits underneath its skin, the King Ranch is a comfortable and capable beast. As I don’t have a huge family or a flotilla of personal watercraft to tote around, I have no delusions that I’m in this vehicle’s target audience. However, if I were ever in the market for a leviathan SUV, I would have to do a lot of soul searching before I picked a more expensive alternative over this Blue Oval offering. In particular (as other WR staffers have pointed out), the new-for-2008 King Ranch trim all but renders the gauche and expensive Lincoln Navigator moot.

Which is fine by us.

Laura Cowan
Chief Copy Editor:

My favorite thing about the Expedition was the use of space: Both the first and second row seats were comfortable and had plenty of legroom. The second row captain's chairs were soft and had lots of space between them.

Controls on the navigation system required me to bend to the right to reach, but were otherwise easy to use. If I weren't such a channel flipper, the steering wheel controls--that allow the user to toggle through preprogrammed favorites--would have been adequate.

The hood bulge seems a little bit over the top, considering that this is a bus, but the engine was capable, and changing lanes didn't require much planning. Pressing the throttle got quick results, and the vehicle stuck to bumpy dirt roads without making me feel the ruts. Overall, the drive was smoother than I expected for such a large SUV.

I averaged 13.8 mpg, which was easy to display on the instrument panel with a few toggles through the info menu, but not so easy to swallow.

The backup camera that's integrated into the rearview mirror was awesome. Very helpful, and intuitive, since the mirror is where I usually look to back up anyway.

Phil Floraday
Managing News Editor:

I put lots of miles on this Expedition on a run to Philadelphia, then on to NYC, and finally returning home. I think I logged about 1400 miles behind the wheel and 1200 of them were towing a 20’ trailer. The driver’s seat was comfortable for the 22 hours of driving and I never had to stop to rest, just for fuel or food.

With an empty trailer, the Expedition did just fine, but I’d much rather have had something with a longer wheelbase when the trailer was loaded. I never felt that I wasn’t in control, but the extremely heavy-duty trailer and Fiero felt too heavy for the brakes. Perhaps a trailer brake controller would remedy that, but stronger brakes on the SUV wouldn’t be a bad thing either. Some more torque would have been nice, but I can’t say it’s needed. Only in the hills of Pennsylvania did I want for more oomph.

The six-speed automatic was great and it never hunted for gears. The extra overdrive gears were nice for trailering. Those extra gears add a lot in the miles per gallon department with a trailer attached, I recorded 14.0 to 11.3 miles per gallon over four tanks of fuel. With a four-speed auto, I’d expect 8 or 9 mpg. It doesn’t sound like a big difference, but it really adds up over a long trip.

This King Ranch edition makes the Navigator irrelevant. The only goodies the Lincoln can boast over this Ford are a better sound insulation package and HID headlights. I’d like both of those items, but not enough to pay Lincoln money. Plus I prefer the looks of the Ford.

Steven Ewing
Production Assistant:

As far as large SUVs go, it’s hard to take the Chevy Suburban out of the number one spot in my book. When I first drove the new Expedition last winter, I felt that it was one of the better Ford vehicles I had driven, but I still wasn’t too sure if I would be confident enough to say that I liked it better than the Chevy.

I didn’t get to spend a whole lot of time with the King Ranch Expedition but I think that if I were to buy one of the big Ford SUVs, this would be the one. The interior is so comfortable and so pleasant to sink yourself into after a long day, which is something I’ve never been able to experience in the Suburban. The engine feels more powerful than I remember, too. I drove a Navigator a few months ago and didn’t like it nearly as much as I like this Expedition, though I know that they are essentially the same vehicle. I think the Expedition is much better looking than its Lincoln twin, too.

Chris Champion
Pit Crew:

Overall I think this is a good vehicle and most likely serves it’s purpose and customers well. One complaint I have is Ford’s abundant use of "bling" all over the gauge cluster. If the sunroof is open and the sun hits the gauges at the right spot, you might just burn your retinas off when checking your speed.

2008 Ford Expedition King Ranch

Engine: V8, 5.4 liters, 32v
Output: 300 hp / 365 lb-ft
Weight: 5783 lb
Cargo volume (behind first row): 108.3 cu ft
Cargo volume (behind second row): 55 cu ft
Cargo volume (behind third row): 18.6 cu ft

King Ranch base price: $42,865

3.73 Ratio Axle: $75
Power running boards: $995
Second row captain chairs: $795
Skid plate package: $100
Moonroof: $995
Rubber floor mats: $55
Rear view camera: $455
Heavy duty trailer tow: $395
Navigation radio: $1995
Power liftgate: $495
Sirius radio: $195
Load leveling suspension: $485

Destination: $900
Price as tested: $50,800