A Rugged Redesign
The 2003 Ford Expedition

By Martha Hindes

It's big, it's bold and some say it's brash. And that's without even driving it.

Whatever the "B" word, one thing is certain. Ford's next generation, full-size Expedition won't get lost in the crowd. Ford had a chance to make some serious points when it was time for a total revamp of its four-door sport utility king and, if first impressions count for anything, it appears they succeeded.

The new Expedition to be launched in late Spring as a 2003 model hasn't been tamed that much. Its heart is solid off-roader -- rugged, tough, with practical and good looking cladding and slightly-raised hoodline. It's designed for the kind of presence that could intimidate a lesser sport utility pretender out of the passing lane. (Anyone who's ever had a semi-truck crowding the rearview mirror should appreciate that aspect.)

But underneath such shoulder-bumping ruggedness is an extremely practical and genuinely refined vehicle with touches of pure luxury thrown in for good measure. This time someone up in Ford's stellar design studio was paying attention to what drivers really want to make life a lot easier and more comfortable.

Take the third row of seats, for example. Check out the competition in the full-size SUV class, and there's a real problem if you plan to pack in a few sets of skis or a ton of luggage for an extended cross-country drive, far from the hassle of an hours-long airport check-in line. It's no fun trying to flop excess baggage over the rear row seatbacks or stack it until it blocks the rear window.

During test drives in most full-size SUVs in the past, I've simply bypassed the idea of wrestling those seats out of their sockets to store wherever until I needed them again. Somehow the idea of hoisting a bulky carseat weighing what feels like a couple of hundred pounds (and not wanting to stash it inside my office for safekeeping in the process) simply didn't seem worth the effort. You can run out of willing coworkers and friends in a hurry when you ask them for that kind of help.

But (sigh of relief), not so with the new Expedition. Instead of removable seats, the Expedition's third row simply folds down with the touch of a button just inside the rear liftgate, leaving a flat, level floor in its place.

Sales kits, computers, luggage, the spoils of a successful antiquing foray or even a mountain bike all promise to slide in easily as soon as the second and third row seats fold down flat, opening up 110.4 cubic feet max of cargo space. And you don't need a garage for leftover seats when it's time for some serious traveling. For a night out with several friends, the two power-fold buttons raise up the split back third row in a moment. The electronic gizmo is optional and is only available on the upscale Eddie Bauer model. But what the heck, it can't be that difficult to raise and lower those fold-flat rear seats by hand, can it?

Roominess and Safety Features

The inside of this SUV is spacious enough to carry nine, if the first and second row captain's chairs are bypassed for benches. But it seems roomy no matter where you sit. I watched a six-foot-tall male do a third-row stretch with no awkward pretzel legs nearly touching his chin and without bumping his head on the roof. Shorter drivers shouldn't have distance complaints either when trying to reach controls. Thanks to the standard, power-adjustable pedals there's no more nose to the steering wheel for the less-than-stately.

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