Feedback on Extended Length Expeditions

[theoldwizard1]

Personally, I don't know why anyone would buy anything but and EL !

 

[Adieu]

Personally, I don't know why anyone would buy anything but and EL !

Wasn't seeing any EL's for $4600

 

[myamoto1]

Love the EL. We weren't looking specifically for the EL, but the stars aligned and the extra room has been appreciated ever since. As mentioned above, being able to fit a full 4x8 sheet of plywood in the back is HUGE for me. I also have 2 kids that always have friends getting shuttled one place or another. With the extra room behind the 3rd row, our 1/2 great dane "puppy" can come along and has plenty of room. Going forward, the EL option is one of the first requirements if/when we need a replacement.

 

[JExpedition07]

Too Funny ... bought the same black 03 Expy XLT in May 2003 & still have it (my daily driver)! 180K on it now. Had a new 97 XLT before that, both 5.4's. I listed all the maintenance I've ever done on the 03 on another post. Its still reliable and fun to drive but rusting out (NYS salt) and a few parts are disabled instead of paying for repairs. For example the rear liftgate glass wont actuate with the button on door - so I use the clicker method if need to open window. Have disabled all rear heat / cool to avoid the thumping. Never run windows all the way down and wont use if iced closed in winter (until melted) to prolong the life of the regulators. Use my ebrake every month to keep that from freezing up. Fan only runs on 3 & 4. Disassemble clean & lube rear wiper every 2 years when it drains the battery etc etc

New ride (2 years so far) is the 2014 EL. I think it has about 12 additional inches length, inch taller, 2 inches wider in back. Yes, 4x8 sheet lays down! Love it, so tight & smooth compared to the tank-like 03 which is partly due to being new and also upgraded design (modern). 5.4 engine but wish I had the 3.5L (better engine and gas mileage). Considered trading up to get that engine recently but not really worth the trouble money-wise. Never had any concern parking or Forest Service roads due to length but I may not have noticed or cared. I use the SYNC with Bluetooth and has features like stability control making it safer. Quieter and smooth interstate cruising or getting into places you cant go in a car. 18" tires are nice vs 17 on the 03. I'm concerned about all the electronics in new vehicles ... example can only get back gate open with electrical switch now vs mechanical in the 03. More stuff to break. Personally don't need a motorized lift gate, would be happy to do using my arm! I miss the old days with windows that roll up/down with a handle. Has this new intermittent wiper feature which I could do without (senses rain and toggles off/on) that failed and cost me $300 to get to work again. Overall LOVE the vehicle could not be much happier!!!

After owning my 03 for 14 years and watching it turn to rust ... I'm considering something like POR on the underside in strategic locations - hoping to avoid the wholesale rusting of the body and some other parts. I can just look at where the damage is on my 03 and address those locations on the 2014 while they still exist.

Modified it for camping ... traded off seating for storage spaces & bed area. I can go back into Grizzly country and live inside it comfortably without a tent for Bears to rip open. I wish I knew of a way to heat back there without the engine and I could live in it in winter, down by the river under the bridge. Best I've come up with so far is a 12V heating pad powered by my JNC770R
View attachment 22074

You can say that again about NYs salt. My 07 is getting new rocker panels and a wheel well in spring it’s all dialed in. My aunt has an EL we compared there is zero difference in width or height whatsoever. She admits the standard length looks better line wise and that the EL looks kind of odd next to the standard length. (Also noted the rear doors look sleeker on the standard length as the EL ones look like big rectangles).

 

[JExpedition07]

Personally, I don't know why anyone would buy anything but and EL !

Well sales numbers would largely disagree with this statement. Ever look at Tahoe vs Suburban sales? Same situation here. Not knocking the EL I love the rear space way better than mine. If I want decent cargo space I have to fold the rear row no question.

 

[Plati]

You can say that again about NYs salt. My 07 is getting new rocker panels and a wheel well in spring it’s all dialed in. My aunt has an EL we compared there is zero difference in width or height whatsoever. She admits the standard length looks better line wise and that the EL looks kind of odd next to the standard length. (Also noted the rear doors look sleeker on the standard length as the EL ones look like big rectangles).

Good point, I measured the difference in height width length between 2003 & 2014. Within the same year probably identical. Had'nt thought of that.

Top 7 reasons why anyone would buy a standard vs EL
1) did not know an EL was even available
2) can't find any EL's for sale
3) don't need any extra length in rear area
4) rear doors look sleeker on standard length
5) EL won't fit in garage
6) standard length is cheaper to buy
7) EL must be slightly harder to park

 

[pdqcarrera]

Love my 2010 Expedition Limited EL 4x4. We also have a 2000 Eddie Baur edition standard length 2WD & I've rented '16 &' 17 Expy XLT on couple out of town vacations. The EL was absolutely necessary to accommodate my needs as a soccer coach & family ski trips. It also has proven to be a better tow vehicle for trailering a race car. Cannot count the # of times the extra room has come in handy. It handles snow, inclement weather very well. My wife demands it for her chick trips to the mountains because of the confidence in handling & roominess.

 

[ManUpOrShutUp]

I can only speak to the 3rd gens as I've never driven one of the EcoBoost models.

The standard length (SL) handles noticeably better if you're a spirited driver. Coming from mid-size SUV, I could take turns without much thought in the SL, but had to consciously slow down in the EL. Acceleration is noticeably slower as well (about 0.8 sec difference 0-60 according to enthusiast-posted test runs). Now when I am just meandering around and not driving like Evel Knievel, the reduced acceleration/handling are non-issues. Parking is not necessarily an issue, but it can be an issue depending on where you live/park since the EL exceeds the standard parking length of 18'. Some shopping plazas have oversized spaces and this is a non-issue, but others don't. At my gym, for example, I have to park in front of a compact and eat up a little bit of their space or my truck will hang out of the back of the spot. At Walmart on the other hand, the spots are oversized and will easily fit a vehicle longer than my truck. If I travel a nearby city, my truck usual fits in the allotted space just fine. However, if I travel to Philly or NY, my truck usually exceeds the length of the metered space and I have to eat up some of the spot behind/in front of my truck. All of that said, the EL does ride more smoothly than the SL and I have never wanted for space. Last time we went on vacation we took 5 dogs with us and they all slept comfortably back there with room to spare.

 

[MrTommy]

We went on the hunt for a 2014 EL Ltd and found one. We wanted the extra length for towing our Polaris rzr enclosed trailer. I will pull our travel trailer with our pickup (97 F-350 crew cab diesel) and wifey will tow the Polaris when he head down to AZ in Feb. We traded in a 2004 standard length Expedition. Extra length always makes for better towing, and today we just took the trailer out for a test run (while picking up the Polaris from the shop 30 miles away). Tows like a dream but I wish it had more power. It's a bit sluggish for my liking, but it will do fine.

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

We went on the hunt for a 2014 EL Ltd and found one. We wanted the extra length for towing our Polaris rzr enclosed trailer. I will pull our travel trailer with our pickup (97 F-350 crew cab diesel) and wifey will tow the Polaris when he head down to AZ in Feb. We traded in a 2004 standard length Expedition. Extra length always makes for better towing, and today we just took the trailer out for a test run (while picking up the Polaris from the shop 30 miles away). Tows like a dream but I wish it had more power. It's a bit sluggish for my liking, but it will do fine. View attachment 22512

Nice truck! It looks great.

If you had bought a 15 -17 you wouldn't be concerned about the power. The EcoBoost has more hp and torque than the 5.4 and its rated up to 9,000 lbs.