Expedition too big for daily?

[brettmag]

Do you ever feel the Expedition is too big for daily use? Ever wish you had a midsize SUV like an Audi Q7?

I’m on the fence between those two. We have three kids and our other vehicle is a 2020 Highlander which is borderline okay for road trips with everyone and everything.

Would appreciate your thoughts!

 

[dlcorbett]

Honestly, it only feels big driving in small spaces, like cramped city streets and parking lots. Other than that, it drives so well most of the time that you'll forget how big it is.

 

[wakeboarder]

Do you ever feel the Expedition is too big for daily use? Ever wish you had a midsize SUV like an Audi Q7?

I’m on the fence between those two. We have three kids and our other vehicle is a 2020 Highlander which is borderline okay for road trips with everyone and everything.

Would appreciate your thoughts!

It also depends on your other uses and preferences. It can feel big in certain situations. Honestly, I feel like I can fit more luggage behind the 3rd row of my Odyssey than my max. A mini van is a great option for a road trip vehicle. It is also great for tight spaces. If you need the extra 300 lbs of cargo capacity or extra 6000 lbs in towing, go with a large SUV.

 

[shane_th_ee]

What wakeboarder said. Do you need/want to tow anything? Do you need/want something capable of light off-road duty? If yes to either of those questions, get an Expedition. When I have to commute in traffic or park in tight parking garages, my Expedition is way too big compared to my Bolt. Loaded for camping with our travel trailer, I can see the advantages of an F-250 or Excursion…

 

[Zig10]

The only place it feels unwieldy to me is in a city parking garage. Other than that, the Expy Max we have does just fine wherever we go. It's a little more manageable than out previous Yukon XL was, and it's shorter than my pickup, so it currently qualifies as our "small" vehicle.

Gas mileage would be nicer in a midsize, though.

 

[sjwhiteley]

Depends where you live. If you hardly ever see a town or city, it’s not big at all. If you live in or regularly go to built up urban areas where the attempt is to cram as much in as possible, then it can be a bit nerve wracking.

But, it’s all about how you feel about it. If a compact suv does what you need, and doesn’t feel ‘big’ then I don’t think there are any down sides to that.

 

[mr_dave]

I live in a mostly rural area and regularly need to tow and haul things. I don't find it too large at all and actually wouldn't mind if it were a bit larger, like an Excursion. I also frequently drive in cities and have never found it to be too large.

 

[Pawpaw]

My Expedition feels like a sports car after driving this F350 for 4-1/2 yrs!!

 

[Going_Going_Gone]

With a Max, my only issue is head-in parking in perpendicular spots and being centered between the lines on first attempt. For the reason, and because I hate parking lot door dings, I try to park at the far ends of the aisles if there's spaces there. If not, and I have to park in an open space, backing in using the reverse camera and mirrors is my choice, which also makes leaving all the more easier. In some parking lots, just getting a parking space has become a competitive sport no matter what you drive.

 

[sjwhiteley]

Oh, something to add: the turning radius in this vehicle is phenomenally good.

 

[Mxer0022]

I agree with the above. Only downside is parking in tight garages and or busy lot like Costco. LOL but luckily Costco has wider stalls. I learned very quickly to just back into spots if you have to squeeze between two cars. Otherwise I just look for spots that have at least one open stall on either side and look for the empty level in a parking garage cause let's face it, no one uses stairs anymore and a couple extra floors on the elevators is nothing. Haha

 

[Shaggy]

My Expedition feels like a sports car after driving this F350 for 4-1/2 yrs!!





View attachment 73452

You sell it or trade it in the for Expedition?

 

[carnevallemarcelo]

I used to have a Q7 and traded for an Expedition few years ago.

Myself and my wife prefer the Expedition way more, for city and for travel.

The Q7 is a great car, but the only interior space is more compared to an Explorer.

Also maintenance is quite expensive, even if you buy new.

The agility is surprisingly the same unless you get a SQ7.

In overall the Q7 seems overpriced, when compared to our Expedition and in the city, unless you live in NY or Chicago you will not notice any burden.

 

[Rob6805]

Back in the day my wife drove an Excursion 4x4 as her daily.

 

[dlcorbett]

I'm in an 18 armada now, my god what a difference.

 

[mrmustang]

Do you ever feel the Expedition is too big for daily use? Ever wish you had a midsize SUV like an Audi Q7?

I’m on the fence between those two. We have three kids and our other vehicle is a 2020 Highlander which is borderline okay for road trips with everyone and everything.

Would appreciate your thoughts!

Current semi daily driver: 2010 Ford Explorer
Dimensions:
193″ L x 74″ W x 72″ H

2022 Ford Expedition (standard length)
210″ L x 80″ W x 76″ H

Difference in dimensions
17"L x 6" W x 4" H quite frankly, it will take me 5 minutes to feel right at home in the new Expedition, as I adapt quickly.

In the bigger (no pun intended) scheme of daily or semi daily driver life, not an issue.

The benefits for me at least, I stay within 1-2mpg (Expedition spec'd to get 1-2mpg better than the Explorer), but go from a 5,500lb towing capacity to a 9,300 lb towing capacity. With my projected max towing weight of 5,400lbs, I've got plenty of safety room to spare where my limited towing using the Explorer made me feel on the ragged edge of that safety bubble.


Bill

 

[11ExpyFan]

It's all perspective. I love my 2011 Expy limited! I've never felt that it was too large but I am used to driving trucks and SUV's. I recently had this discussion with a coworker that asked why I needed or wanted such a large SUV, and him daily driving a Ford Raptor F150! He was astonished to discover that my Expy was shorter, narrower, and lighter than his truck! (non EL model)

If you are trying to navigate tight city streets say in the north east with limited parking or God forbid Key West where anything larger than a moped is a pain, then I'd say you shouldn't have any trouble at all and will appreciate the extra room.

 

[brettmag]

Thanks for the input. This is making me more comfortable staying with my decision of an Ex.

 

[charlespsu]

I wanted a truck, wife wanted a suv, Espy was perfect compromise coming from a Honda Pilot. Parking is no big deal thanks to the front camera and it maneuvers quite well. Couldn't dream of going back to midsize for me, but we do have a Jeep Grand Cherokee I take to Philly or NYC when I need.

 

[MikePA]

Oh, something to add: the turning radius in this vehicle is phenomenally good.

I have to second this. My 2021 Expy (non-Max) has a MUCH tighter turning radius than my old '08 Pathfinder.
The cut makes it really easy to drive and park, even in tight parking lots or parallel spaces.
The only time I have an issue is in some city parking lots where the spaces are painted obviously-too-narrow to fit in more vehicles. The Expy is girthy!