2017 Limited HD Towing Review

[blackedoutlimited]

I purchased it used with only 15,000 miles on it in Utah and drove it back to Wichita, so I got a good overview of it on day 1. I drive fullsize trucks and Vans for work, and everytime I drive my expedition I'm impressed by the ride and overall driving experience. I've put over 10,000 miles on it in 8 months.

The Good:
As said above, I like driving it. 4 wheel independent suspension has much better road manors than any solid axle setup.
The customizable dash readouts are nice, but limited.
The seats are comfortable, and the 3rd row is easy to use/store with good cargo space.
The engine is quiet, powerful, and overall smooth with only a little V6 shutter at idle.
The Transmission is a workhorse, between personal and work vehicles this is my 5th torque shift and I've had good luck with all of them.
4 wheel drive works well, and 4 auto is decently smooth on engagement in snow/ice.
Towing a 5,000lbs enclosed trailer on multiple highway trips with no issues other than more than expected feedback from the trailer. I've towed the same trailer with 5 vehicles and the expedition is the only one that I can feel the trailer in the steering wheel. It's not a bad feeling, but the slight way the trailer sways on the highway is noticable with every vehicle in the mirrors, but I can feel it with the expedition. My wife can't tell any difference though so I might be overly sensitive to it.

The Bad:
The ride is quiet with just a slight wind noise from the front doors, I only notice it if the radio is off. Now if the front fan is on high there is a loud air leak at the back from the air escaping, it goes away if the back vent windows are opened. I'm going to investigate this further, I haven't checked to see if this is a common issue.
Fuel Mileage: this is the HD Tow package with the 3.73 rear end. I can get 17.5mpg highway at 70mph without the trailer. It's not awful, but I was expecting a little better. Pulling the trailer I get 10-13 depending on the wind. It could have had a higher 6th gear, it could drop 500 rpms and still have plenty of torque for moving down the highway.
Noise in the front while engine is cold, turning to lock, and hitting a bump during low ambient temperatures. I need to get it flashed so the hubs stay locked for 5 minutes after startup.
The first oil change causes some wtf moments.
No actual engine temp on any of the dash readouts. Just Low/Normal/High. They do give the actual trans temp though which is nice.

Wear items replaced:
Factory tires when I got home because they were almost 5 years old according to the date code.
Factory battery because it was leaking and causing lots of corrosion. I've made it a standard practice to put AGM batteries in everything I own because they don't leak.

Modifications:
Bug/rock guard.
Weather Tech mud flaps.

That noise you get when fans are on pressurizing they interior is more normal than you think. I’ve had 2 expeditions, 2016 platinum EL and 2016 limited, both made the noise until the window vents were opened and closed again. I suspect the window is so large that the little mechanism that opens and closes the vents isn’t always strong enough to keep enough pressure on the window when closed.

 

[LDS777]

It's not a stability issue, more a feedback that something is connected, you can just feel the trailer more with the expedition than with a Ranger, F-150, Transit 250, 07 Explorer, Chevy 1500, or F-250 that I've used to pull the same trailer. It's not a power or braking feeling either, I think it's more of a fully boxed frame with independent suspension and 20 inch rims. This setup is very stiff, so you get more feedback then you would get with a solid rear axle on leaf springs with 17 inch rims. And just for the record, I have 117 load index tires at 45 psi for towing.

I just purchased a 2017 Expedition EL Limited with high mileage 130,000 but very well maintained. The day I got it I had a new set of Michellin Defender tires installed, as I do more highway driving and I have them on my 2015 F-150 and they handle great with a slight improved fuel mileage, what an immediate difference in the ride, then had installed a complete set of Power Stop brakes slotted and drilled for towing as I have these on my F-150 as well and love them, as the name says it all, then also at the same time had installed KYB Plus (for towing not oems) front leveling strut assembly and rears too, these really made a world of difference as I was getting a slight boat affect. This SUV now handles so smooth and sweet in tow and out of tow but in tow is where I can really get the HD boost this SUV needed and now I should have a decent set up for sometime. It was well worth it.