The Ford Expedition has always been a popular contender in the full-sized SUV segment, and this year the Expedition underwent a massive redesign. The blue oval SUV will now utilize an aluminum body architecture similar to the one used for America’s favorite pickup, the F-150. The Expedition will also use the EcoBoost 3.5-liter V6 found in the F-150 and some Explorers as its only powertrain option, but the turbocharged engine will give owners 375 horsepower—plenty of muscle to haul the whole family, the dog, and a yacht.
According to Ford, the 2018 Ford Expedition has a best-in-class towing capacity of 9,300 pounds, more than enough to drag around anything a normal family would be using. Towing capabilities were a large concern for Ford in designing the new Expedition, since polling indicated 50 percent of Expedition owners say it’s important to them, and 15 percent of owners tow something between once a week and once a month.
To put things into perspective, the Chevrolet Tahoe’s towing capacity is 6,600 pounds, the Toyota Land Cruiser’s is 8,100 pounds and the Nissan Armada’s is 8,500 pounds.
It’s important to be confident in what you’re doing when hauling around a 9,000-pound trailer, which is why Ford has opted to equip the Expedition with class-exclusive Pro Trailer Backup Assist previously seen in their F-Series trucks. The intuitive program allows drivers to “steer” their trailer with the turn of a knob. As drivers turn the knob to maneuver the trailer into the desired position, the Expedition turns the steering wheel and adjusts the throttle to match the driver’s commands.