Ford Expedition on new adventures

If you use your SUV for multiple purposes – towing, family transportation and adventuring – Ford has created a solution for its full-size flagship SUV. New for the 2022 Ford Expedition is the Timberline trim, which is described as a “basecamp for life’s journeys” by Mike Kipley, Ford Expedition chief engineer.

The Timberline trim represents a pivot within the industry to add “overlanding” options to SUVs; and Ford has reciprocated adding the Timberline to both the Expedition and the Explorer. Both of these SUVs already had adventurous-sounding names and with this trim, now they have the gusto to back it up.

Aesthetically, the Expedition Timberline looks different than other trims. The front fascia has orange piping that also matches the orange tow hooks. Also of note is the front skid plate, which is the same used on the F-150 Raptor. Plus, the Expedition Timberline has noticeably bigger ground clearance with 10.6 inches of ground clearance and sits on 33-inch Goodyear All Terrain tires. My tester came with the stunning (Timberline exclusive) Forged Green Metallic exterior, which seemed right at home in the woods, which is where the Timberline performs best.

As far as performance goes, the Timberline Expedition shares the same high-output engine that powers the new F-150 Raptor. It’s a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 with 440 horsepower and 510 lb.-ft. of torque. Anything that is Raptor-like gets high marks from me and putting such performance into a large SUV is intriguing.

With this high-performance engine, the Expedition is exhilarating. The 10-speed automatic transmission does a great job of keeping up with the high-output engine. Taking a cue from the Ford Bronco, Ford adds Trail Turn Assist to the Expedition Timberline this feature allows for hairpin turns and a tighter turning radius.

While I never took the Expedition off the road, it was noticeably more nimble and agile even on the street. The turning radius improvement was immediately noticeable.

Inside, the Expedition Timberline continues with the standout features, with Timberline badging found throughout the interior. The orange piping is matched inside with stitching on the seat and a clean line that runs the dashboard to tie it all together.

A 12-inch touchscreen is standard, but my tester came with a massive 15.5-inch vertical touchscreen equipped with Ford’s new Sync 4 system. This is the latest and most improved version of Ford’s infotainment system. It looks and feels modern and some feel it’s too dominating on the center stack, but personally I felt this is what vehicles will look like in the future and I appreciated all of the new tech that comes with Sync 4 as well as easy smart phone integration.

Second-row captain’s chairs were spacious offering immense legroom and shoulder room. The optional bench seating adds capacity for one more passenger, as a seven-passenger SUV, the Expedition feels comfortable.

There is 20.9 cubic feet of cargo room behind the third-row seats and that area expands to 79.6 cubic feet with the third row down. Overall cargo area is 121.5 cubic feet of space with the second-row seats folded flat too.

Ford is aiming the Expedition Timberline at the Jeep Grand Wagoneer. This new entry into the full-size SUV segment has been a game changer and this is Ford’s answer to it. The Timberline is priced competitively against the Jeep with a base price of $68,150. My tester came with additional equipment packages that took the final MSRP to $77,370.

Fuel economy is what you’d expect from a vehicle of this size. It has an EPA rating of 15 mpg/city and 19 mpg/highway. For a high-performance, off-road vehicle that weighs almost two tons (5,668 pounds) this is about as good of fuel economy as you’d expect.

The Expedition can tow 12,800 pounds without the tow package and with the heavy-duty tow package can tow 15,300 pounds.

I was at the M1 Concourse when Ford revealed the Expedition Timberline. I was immediately intrigued by its looks and what it would mean for this segment. Before these large SUVs were sluggish yet capable. The styling lacked pizzazz, now thanks to the overlanding craze, the entire segment is revitalized and the Expedition Timberline represents the excitement within this segment. And that’s a win for the consumer.

Jimmy Dinsmore is a freelance automotive journalist. Email him at jimmydinsmore73@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @driversside

2022 Ford Expedition Timberline

Price/As tested price................................................ $68,150/$77,370

Mileage.......................................... 15 mpg/city; 19 mpg/hwy

Engine............................................. 3.5-liter turbocharged V6

Horsepower................................. 440 hp/510 lbs./ft.

Transmission................................. 10-speed automatic

Drive Wheels................ Four-wheel drive

Final Assembly Point................ Louisville, KY