duneslider
Full Access Members
Made the first towing venture with the new Expedition (2019 XLT Max with Tow package). The trailer isn't really heavy and only tops out at 5k. This is mainly a comparison to the 2010 Jeep Commander 5.7L Hemi that was our tow vehicle.
This trip was from Salt Lake City to Moab. Elevation at home is about 4200', highest pass on trip was about 7500' and Moab is at about 4000'. Not a huge climb or anything but it is a trip I do several times a year with the trailer so I am very familiar with it. I typically tow at 65-70mph.
Not once did I ever feel like the expedition was even straining, not sure I ever saw the rpm's above 2500. Not sure if its the engine or the 10 speed transmission but it never even broke a sweat. The transmission was ALWAYS in the right gear and was amazing. Gas mileage was an average of 11-12 while towing, which was about where I expected it to be and better than the Hemi (it got 9-10 towing).
I do use a WDH and didn't notice any noticeable sag in the rear, I probably didn't get it setup quite right for the Expedition (hitch height is lower than the jeep and angles didn't seem the same) I need to make a minor tweak there to clean it up a bit.
The integrated brake controller was nice, seemed to work great. I didn't notice anything odd or really much of a different feel than the prodigy I used in the jeep. The prodigy does feel more progressive, not sure if the factory option is progressive or not.
I was absolutely blown away by how smooth the Expedition is offroad. It was hands down better than the jeep by a long shot. Washboard roads may as well have been smooth highway. I was seriously blown away. I did encounter some soft sand while turning around and parking in a wash and had a bit of worry set in as I felt the rear end sink. I switched the drive mode to the sand setting and hit the diff lock button and away it went like nothing happened. I was super impressed. This will never be a big offroader (have a big 4 door wrangler for that) but we do a lot of dirt roads to get to mountain bike locations, camping, and rock hounding. I wouldn't hesitate to take this everywhere I have taken my jeep commander and maybe even some places I didn't take it. I do want to look into the fx4 skid plates though.
Overall, I have zero regrets going with the expedition over the jeep commander.
This trip was from Salt Lake City to Moab. Elevation at home is about 4200', highest pass on trip was about 7500' and Moab is at about 4000'. Not a huge climb or anything but it is a trip I do several times a year with the trailer so I am very familiar with it. I typically tow at 65-70mph.
Not once did I ever feel like the expedition was even straining, not sure I ever saw the rpm's above 2500. Not sure if its the engine or the 10 speed transmission but it never even broke a sweat. The transmission was ALWAYS in the right gear and was amazing. Gas mileage was an average of 11-12 while towing, which was about where I expected it to be and better than the Hemi (it got 9-10 towing).
I do use a WDH and didn't notice any noticeable sag in the rear, I probably didn't get it setup quite right for the Expedition (hitch height is lower than the jeep and angles didn't seem the same) I need to make a minor tweak there to clean it up a bit.
The integrated brake controller was nice, seemed to work great. I didn't notice anything odd or really much of a different feel than the prodigy I used in the jeep. The prodigy does feel more progressive, not sure if the factory option is progressive or not.
I was absolutely blown away by how smooth the Expedition is offroad. It was hands down better than the jeep by a long shot. Washboard roads may as well have been smooth highway. I was seriously blown away. I did encounter some soft sand while turning around and parking in a wash and had a bit of worry set in as I felt the rear end sink. I switched the drive mode to the sand setting and hit the diff lock button and away it went like nothing happened. I was super impressed. This will never be a big offroader (have a big 4 door wrangler for that) but we do a lot of dirt roads to get to mountain bike locations, camping, and rock hounding. I wouldn't hesitate to take this everywhere I have taken my jeep commander and maybe even some places I didn't take it. I do want to look into the fx4 skid plates though.
Overall, I have zero regrets going with the expedition over the jeep commander.
