Renting a 2018 Limited - Thoughts from a 2016 Owner

[dlcorbett]

I didn’t feel as comfortable in the 2018 I drove, it’s not that it wasn’t comfy. Maybe the right wording is “used to it”. I felt lower and the sight lines bothered me a bit, it felt like there wasn’t enough glass and more blind spots were present. It felt more like a Suburban to me, which I didn’t like all to much.

The 3rd gen you are sitting more upright and high relative to the rest of the truck. The GM units you’ve always sat more “in” than “on top”. I’m just used to easy sight lines and being high relative to the dashboard, I’m sure it’s something you get used to. Still a very nice vehicle besides that.

At first i felt the same way but after adjusting the seat i feel less so. The new expys seat is rele cushy and highly adjustable, so i actually matched the seat heights from my nav. I realized for me that the steering wheel for the new expy was bigger than my navs so i had to compensate my seating position, mainly lowering it, to put the steering wheel in a comfy position for me. Id take a slightly smaller wheel thats more adjustable, but the quality, heft and feel of the actual steering wheel(not driving feel) is some of the best i felt in a new car. The dash (mainly instrument panel) is also higher, larger, more in my sightline than the nav ip, making me feel lower in the car.

 

[Password]

I rented a XLT Max last weekend, I couldn't get over the V6 engine sound as opposed to a V8. All around though I liked it but at this point with my 2006, I'd probably like a Focus just as much. I've been looking into purchasing a used Limited standard wheelbase with the 302A package or at least 301A, so I didn't have all the electronic gizmos to play with in the rental.

 

[Davew72]

So while my baby is in the shop getting new shocks/struts all round (can't wait to see how she feels after) I'm driving a 2018 Limited for a couple days. Just some random observations and thoughts from some guy who drove a 2016 to work and drove home a 2018.

TLDR - The 2018 definitely feels less "trucky" and feels slightly smaller inside. For those of you wanting a more car-like ride and feel, you'd probably prefer the 2018. However, if you're like me and want more of a truck ride and feel, 2016/2017 would probably be more up your alley.

Initial Observations
**Disclaimer, my 2016 has a moonroof and this one did not, so that probably factored a bit into how I felt.

Cabin definitely feels smaller to me. I know we lost a small amount of rear cargo space due to the redesigned sloping roof, but even the cockpit just feels a little more confined. To me, this new cockpit feels more like it would say "ok, you are here to drive, here's your tools" vs. my 2016 which feels more like "hey ok, welcome, get comfortable and we'll take it from there"

The Dial Shifter
I drive with my hand resting on the gear shift; it's just a comfortable place for me to rest my hand. Not having that felt odd. Not having a gearshift at all felt odd; but I guess one could get used to it. I seldom use tiptronic shifting, but doing so with buttons now under a dial rather than resting on the side of a shifter would feel odd to me as well.

Auto Start/Stop
**Disclaimer, I hate this technology, regardless of car. But I DID try it out on the way home today.

Honestly, I felt it when it shut off/on and it was an odd feeling. I live in LA, so lots of stop/go traffic. What I found annoying was when I needed to move up in traffic quickly and the engine had stopped, there was a brief delay while the engine turned back on. At longer traffic lights it wasn't as bad but even still, it was there. Not a fan, but if you're after gas mileage, you'd probably be ok with it.

B/O Play Audio
**Disclaimer, I mainly listen to new and old urban/hip hop/gangster rap. But for comparison, I did try some alt rock/metal and eletronica/edm.

Being an audiophile, this was one I was really interested in comparing to the Sony system in my 2016. There's slightly less bass roll off at higher volumes on most songs, that was nice. Also it feels like they designed the system to more evenly distribute bass roles between the front door speakers and the rear subwoofer.

One thing that was very noticeable was the relocation of the tweeters from the top of the front door panels to the A pillars. What this did was move the sound stage further up towards the windshield. Now to me, because of this, the surround sound processing sounded more "processed"; almost like it was trying too hard to create a widened soundstage from stereo tracks. Eventually I got used to it, but if I thought about it, I could tell the difference.

Climate Seats
I don't know what they changed but these new seats cool the back portion of the seat a little better, but do not cool the bottom seat cushion nearly as well as my 2016. Overall though, my cooled seats in the 2016 are definitely colder than these. (It is a rental, so someone may have just beaten on it)

Little Things I Liked
- LED dome lighting
- Ambient lighting in the door handles and door pockets
- Door release level inside of door pocket (cleaner inside look)
- Easily accessible and visible gauges for Oil Pressure, Turbo Pressure, Trans Temp, Tire Pressure etc.
- Heated steering wheel
- Electric parking brake
- Power second and third row seats with auto headrests
- More space in center console armrest compartment
- Charging mat for phone (didn't use though; wired up for CarPlay)
- Current temperature set to display on the knobs
- Different driving modes to choose from
- LED exterior lighting and accent lighting

Little Things I Didn't Like
- Less view of the hood from the cockpit; has more of an angle toward the front of the truck
- Halogen puddle lamps (Not sure if that changes on a Platinum)
- No way to display currently playing song on the multi function display
- No vent holes on leather steering wheel (might change on higher trims)
- Truck really likes to get into and stay in higher gears and is reluctant to downshift (for gas mileage I assume)
- Not sure how different the leather is on the Platinum trim, but this Limited's leather felt very durable? I guess is the word. It's more like airline leather, meaning it's more tough but not as soft to the touch. (Families with kids though would probably appreciate the stiffer material; felt like it would hold up better to wear)
- The moving guidelines on the backup camera (you might be able to shut those off, but I'm just used to the stationary ones that don't move as you turn the wheel)
- Headrests don't tilt forward (idk I'm weird but I like the way the seats look if they have their headrest tilted forward a bit when they are leaned back)

Stuff not on this rental that I would have liked to play with
LED headlamps and fog lamps
Panoramic roof
Auto park
Intelligent cruise control

If I think of anything else I tack it on later.

My verdict? I prefer my 2016. But I understand why they made the changes they did and it's still a very nice redesign.

The cab is actually more roomy as it was widened up a few inches, I dont remember exactly but it was 3-4 inches the best I can recall. We had a Gen 3 Expedition as well and it was a great vehicle with nearly zero issues after 150,000 miles, but this new redesign is a much more refined vehicle in basically every way.