Expedition Max vs standard size

[mcb345]

Hey all, I have a standard length expedition with bucket seats, two kids, one in a booster and one rear facing and likely another on the way at the end of the year.

Curious what others do with 3 kids… Embrace the shorter length and easier parking and get a rooftop carrier for long trips or suck it up and go max or navigator L?

I’m set Bon bucket seats and I love the 59 cubic ft of cargo right now but could probably do just fine tossing our booster in the smaller 3rd row seat and having 45ish cubic feet and getting a Thule but not 100% confident here!

Very likely swapping out for a Navigator but for daily driving I’d prefer the non L version just not sure that’s the smartest move… saving $2-3k would be nice too.

 

[JExpedition07]

You are only talking about a foot difference in overall length which is barely detectable parking or driving.

 

[Blue87GT]

We got the Max for our needs, with twin babies and a 9 and 10 year old--simply for the increased space to put the stroller in...plus groceries, etc. A twin stroller takes up a bunch of space!

 

[minichunks]

I didn't find much difference in driving/parking the max vs the standard length. There's a huge difference if you're talking the F150 Crew with the 5.5' bed and 6.5' bed, but not so much on the Expy. My F150 crew 6.5' turns like the titanic. I've got an F350 Dually with an 8' bed that is easier to park than the 150.

 

[mwl001]

I agree with several others that there are lots of advantages to the Max length and really no downsides. I came from an Explorer and shopped the Expedition vs the F150 and even the Max is WAY easier to maneuver especially in parking lots. You'll hardly ever notice unless you street park all the time would be my guess.

 

[Calidad]

Hey all, I have a standard length expedition with bucket seats, two kids, one in a booster and one rear facing and likely another on the way at the end of the year.

Curious what others do with 3 kids… Embrace the shorter length and easier parking and get a rooftop carrier for long trips or suck it up and go max or navigator L?

I’m set Bon bucket seats and I love the 59 cubic ft of cargo right now but could probably do just fine tossing our booster in the smaller 3rd row seat and having 45ish cubic feet and getting a Thule but not 100% confident here!

Very likely swapping out for a Navigator but for daily driving I’d prefer the non L version just not sure that’s the smartest move… saving $2-3k would be nice too.

I have two kids and for 16 yrs a local daily grand parent. Land Cruiser was too small replaced it with a Sequoia. In some short trip cases the oldest sat right side 3rd row 1/2 the seat put down. Typically so dog had a spot. Longer trips I specifically had a 2nd row bench so I could sit 5 and have gear / dog space. The Expedition replaced the Sequoia and now its sports shuttle duty with 3-4 pre teen kids. 3 up they typically choose 2nd row bench every time. 4 up they typically flip the center down and do 2+2.
If I had captains chairs and three kids? I’d get a bench 2nd row standard length

 

[Fizzy]

For us, the decider was what would fit in the garage. We get wicked hailstorms here in the summer, and I've had too many vehicles written off due to hail damage. Here's the aftermath of a hailstorm in July last year:

 

[Fizzy]

and getting a Thule

After all the testing I did, I found the best fit on the shorty Expy is the Yakima Skybox Carbonite 21. It has a wider span than the Thule, so you can leave the Expy crossbars in the factory setting.

With a Thule, you have to move the rear crossbar to its more forward position (about 16"). That to me was too unstable. I preferred the wider stance for stability.

It's the unit in my profile photo. Fits with 1/4" clearance to the rear hatch opening.

 

[Deadman]

If you can drive a shorty, you can handle a Max. Its literally a foot.

 

[MattG]

We picked up a '20 Max from the dealer in January.

I drive a '20 Lariat F150 6.5' box as my daily, my Wife drives the Max.

We sold a '17 Mazda CX9 7 seater, Mazdas largest but yet still quite small "SUV".

My wife never likes driving my truck and was really worried going into a schoolbus (Max).

We have 3 kids; 1 yr, 4 yr, 9 years. We purchased the Max because of the room needed in comparison to how tight the CX9 was and the potential to have a 4th child in the near future.

I was so impressed with the room in the Max, specifically when all rows are folded down. I fit a brand new sectional couch with ease while my F150 would have needed 2 trips, even with the larger 6.5' box.

That said, my wife says the Max drives much smaller than it is. I feel the same way. Ford did a great job with this SUV.

We looked at both middle buckets and bench. Ultimately, we went with bench and know the buckets would have been an issue.
All 3 kids are in the middle row bench with plenty of comfort and room to spare. We also have the built in infotainment in the headrests so they can watch their movies/shows.

Since we have the bench, we typically keep the 3rd row down 90% of the time and there is SO much room. We've put bikes in there, toys, supplies, groceries etc etc.

You would regret not going Max IMO.

 

[Calidad]

For us, the decider was what would fit in the garage. We get wicked hailstorms here in the summer, and I've had too many vehicles written off due to hail damage. Here's the aftermath of a hailstorm in July last year:

For those of us who don’t live in big hail country its hard to understand the damage it does. A friend moved to big hail country for a more affordable life. They rented a place while shopping houses. Got hit by one of these mega hail storms. Destroyed his new car and pretty much destroyed the rental house. They immediately stopped shopping houses, bought land and are building a house with modern hail rated siding, automatic heavy window screens, a 5 car garage and some type of metal roof material lol. Last week he said so far its more expensive than where he just moved from. He’s hoping his big investment leads to lower living costs later lol.

 

[Plati]

I have both standard & EL. Really like the extra 15" in the EL for my extended cross country travels. Palatial in the back. Yes the EL is a bit harder to turn around and park but always able to get the job done no problem. Standard is more compact obviously. All depends on how much space you need. Go Max or EL if you need the space. Gas mileage is similar.

 

[ROBERT BONNER]

There are really only two sizes....MAX and too short...Just saying, if you have to ask, you probably need a long one. With me, it's just me, the dog, and enough gear to go hunting for 8 weeks...at times the MAX seems small.

 

[Rob6805]

If my wife and I still had kids we needed to cart around there would be no decision except to get the Max. But since it's just the two of us and our dog we went with the Std WB. We both thought it looks better and there is no issue with it fitting in our garage.

 

[rs4-380]

For me it comes down to if you are regularly going to use the 3rd row or not. If so, the standard length doesn't leave much room for stuff in the cargo area (especially 4 legged friends). If you will operate with the 3rd row folded most of the time it's not as big of an issue.

 

[byathread]

Congrats on #3! I recommend sucking it up and getting a minivan, actually. It provides you with a lot of space and utility for all the new requirements and crap that having 3 brings. Or if you can't stomach doing that, just trade yours for a SWB without captains chairs in second row. Note that a max with the 3rd row down is palatial and that the extra length isn't really that much more to handle/you get used to it no issues.

 

[scottdm]

We went with the shorty to have more space in the garage and for daily ease of parking, etc. We have three kids and when we travel, we typically have half of the 3rd row folded for cargo and if we need more room, we use the Stowaway 2 hitch mounted cargo box (lockable & waterproof). Might consider the Max next time around for extra cargo space and larger fuel tank.

 

[mcb345]

We went with the shorty to have more space in the garage and for daily ease of parking, etc. We have three kids and when we travel, we typically have half of the 3rd row folded for cargo and if we need more room, we use the Stowaway 2 hitch mounted cargo box (lockable & waterproof). Might consider the Max next time around for extra cargo space and larger fuel tank.

Glad to hear someone on the same situation. Garage space for me will be severely limited if I go Max so really debating if I have to or not.

The large Yakima roof rack seems like a pretty good solution.

I goes I can put on of the kids in the 3rd for for the week and see how limited the cargo space is.

 

[shane_th_ee]

For kid schlepping duty, the mini-van wins hands down. My wife has one as her daily driver and will give it up when it's pried from her cold, dead hands. The minivan doesn't look cool, but power sliding doors are really, really awesome! There's nothing like a 4 year old being able to get in and out all by themselves. With the seats up, they have about as much passenger/cargo space as a max* while being far shorter. With any seats down, they have far more interior volume. Now, if you need to schlepp children while also towing something or need to schlepp children over bad forest service roads, the minivan will fail you. But if those aren't your use cases, go with the minivan.


*The cargo areas are tall, so it's not quite as usable as one would like...

 

[mcb345]

With all due respect I’m fairly confident 99% of those on this forum are avoiding the minivan like the plague. Hahah.