Is there a difference in the ride quality between 2014 and 2015?

[GreenSub]

Hi,

I'm in the market for buying a pre-owned Expedition. I drove a 2016 EL Limited rental for a few days and i was very impressed with the ride quality and the quietness. I've done some research and seems like the Expedition got a major upgrade in 2015 with the new EcoBoost drivetrain. I was wondering is that all that was upgraded or was the suspension upgraded as well? Thanks in advance.

 

[JExpedition07]

Powertrain change and plastic facia are about the only differences. Also small things like the instrument cluster and sync.

 

[GreenSub]

great, thank you.

 

[sixsix]

We test drove a '14 and a '15 back to back right before we bought ours. Both were brand new. To me and my wife, there was a noticeable difference in ride between the two. Part of that was the engine and drivetrain I'm sure, the steering also felt better on the '15.

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

Starting in 2015 Ford went to the electrically operated steering as opposed to hydraulically operated. Also they suspension changed slightly but I don't know the exact changes.

 

[star-art]

I've been truck shopping for the last 12 months so I've looked at quite a few. I almost bought a 2014 with just under 30K miles but it got away from me. The ride quality was very good. I attributed this to the tires that were on the truck (Pirelli Scorpion STR 275/55R20) and the fact it had mechanical load-leveling shocks. I believe the load-leveling rear hydraulic shocks provide improved ride smoothness.

I've driven several 2015-17 models. The best ride quality is on trucks that come with Continuously-Controlled Damping shocks (CCD). These are available only on Limited, King Ranch, and Platinum models that come with 22-inch wheels. The ride quality is simply amazing. Once you experience CCD, all other trucks seem to ride "rough" in comparison. You can really feel all the little bumps with the normal suspension. The bigger the wheels, the worse it gets. CCD smooths out the bumps considerably (at least on the "comfort" setting).

EL models have a longer wheelbase and so offer the smoothest ride. Trucks with 18-inch wheels have the most rubber between the wheel and the road and so offer a smoother ride. Bigger wheels mean you can feel bumps more easily.

2015+ models have electric steering that feels quite different from older models. Also, the new Ecoboost is a lot noisier than the 5.4 V8. I'm not sure if they installed more soundproofing in the firewall starting in 2015, but I can really hear the difference.

I spent some time talking to a Ford tech recently and he had great things to say about the Ecoboost. It is solid and reliable. I was concerned it might cost more to maintain in the long run, but he said they had never replaced an engine and did not often have to do major repairs.

What I am most concerned with is getting a truck that is not rusted underneath. Be sure to get underneath and personally inspect any truck you plan to buy. I had a deal on another low-mileage 2014 that fell apart when I found significant corrosion on the drive line and underbody. The rocker panels in particular are known for rusting out, so once that "cancer" gets started it can be very difficult to stop.

 

[GreenSub]

Very informative, thank you.

star-art, i really want to test drive CCD but it seems an Expedition with CCD is like trying to find a unicorn.

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

Very informative, thank you.

star-art, i really want to test drive CCD but it seems an Expedition with CCD is like trying to find a unicorn.

GreenSub welcome to the forum.

Ford has a program car buy back program where they can buy at an exclusive auction 1 and 2 year old low mileage vehicles 20,000 to 30,000 miles from Lease and fleet vehicles. You can tell you dealer what you are looking for and they can look at their upcoming auctions and tell you what is coming up. You can tell them what you want and they can try to get one for you.

 

[star-art]

Yes it's true that CCD can be hard to find. It was optional and rather rare in 2015 and 2016. It became standard for 2017 but only on Platinum trucks. Even then, many lease and fleet 2017 Platinum vehicles don't have it. They ordered their trucks instead with load-leveling rear suspension in order to save money (the CCD and 22-inch wheels are a $3000 option). You can tell if a 2017 Platinum doesn't have CCD because it comes with 2015 20-inch wheels instead of 22-inch wheels.

Here is what Limited, King Ranch and Platinum 22-inch wheels look like:

 

[star-art]

This is a 2017 Platinum without CCD (it comes with 2015 20-inch wheels). This vehicle is almost certain to have load-leveling suspension: