Yahoo Autos 2022 Ford Expedition First Drive Review: Crossing the Timberline
Ford’s big, burly flagship SUV is no bigger but somewhat burlier for 2022. Two new trim levels were added for the 2022 Ford Expedition as part of a mid-cycle update that included some interior and exterior styling tweaks, revised engine tuning that delivers more power in higher trims, a new infotainment setup and an expanded rear-seat entertainment package that integrates Amazon Alexa functionality into the Expedition’s existing suite.
The cabin sees the biggest transformation, as this is the first time in Expedition history that the full-size does not share its dash design with the F-150 (although to be persnickety, it is shared with the Lightning). The Expedition’s new dash sits lower and wider, housing a standard 12-inch Sync4 infotainment screen or the optional 15-inch Sync4A unit found in the Mustang Mach-E. There’s also an available 22-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system and BlueCruise hands-free highway driving assist, although that's only available on the Platinum trim for now. A new “Stealth” package available on multiple trims conveys a street performance vibe, and when paired with the available 440-horsepower EcoBoost V6 it does a convincing impression of an Expedition ST, even if not in name.
There’s also the 2022 Ford Expedition Timberline, which shares that punchier V6 and pairs it to a variety of off-road embellishments, and that’s what Ford invited us to Holly Oaks ORV Park in southeastern Michigan to drive. Following in the footsteps of the Explorer Timberline, the Expedition of the same variety borrows a few tricks from some of Ford’s existing off-roaders, including underbody skid protection from the F-150 Raptor and the Trail Turn Assist feature that first made headlines when Ford demonstrated it on an early Bronco prototype. It’s a handy feature on tight trails, even on Ford’s smallest 4x4.
But the Expedition is not small. In fact, even some of the pleasantly forgiving trails at Holly Oaks offer up tight switchbacks that can’t be negotiated in anything longer than a two-door Bronco or Jeep Wrangler without resorting to a three-point turn. In these instances, Trail Turn Assist has a shot at being upgraded from gimmick to “gotta have it,” provided of course that it works, which it fundamentally does. And I don’t just mean on paper; I’ve used it before. But as my progress at Holly quickly confirmed, just because something functions doesn’t necessarily mean it functions well — or every single time.
Before I explain its shortcomings, it’s important that you understand how Trail Turn Assist works. It’s a brake-based trick that drags the inside rear wheel in tight turns to make the car pivot around it, rather than rolling through the turn in its natural — and of course much larger — turning radius. The braking part is handled entirely by the computer; the part where you perform a perfect pirouette around that stationary tire is on you. Naturally, your results may vary.
But before you get to that part, you need to turn it on. To do so, you click the little Expedition portrait in the upper left corner of that new infotainment screen. This menu displays your less-often-used features — you know, the ones that used to be found on buttons, probably down where the dash met the console. You know, the ones with icons likely obscured by moldy Rice Chex and lint that might not actually be lint. Is that purple?
Anyway, back to the Expedition. Now that the feature is enabled, it lies dormant until you approach a corner and apply full steering lock. Once you’ve got the wheel up against the stop, you’ll hear the ABS system grab the inside rear wheel for dear life. This is your signal to get on the throttle and trust the computer to do the rest. And in a Bronco, hey, no big deal. It’s a compact 4x4 that is relatively easy to reign in if things get weird. But this isn't a Bronco, is it?
No indeed. The Expedition Timberline is 17.5 feet long and weighs north of 5,500 pounds. That’s a lot of SUV, and I’m working with a lot of power (440 horses) and a lot of torque (510 pound-feet). That’s 950 ways for me to screw this up, and Trail Turn Assist is just that — assistance. It can’t stop me from over-, under- or otherwise mis-driving this corner. Being me, I immediately checked off all three boxes.
