Ford Expedition "EL"

By PFM Staff

For 2007, Ford stretched the wheelbase of its Expedition by 12 inches and added 24 cubic feet to the rear cargo area. The new SUV is the Expedition EL, which stands for Extended Length. (In Canada, this extended length SUV is known as the Expedition Max.) The new Expedition EL is the same size as the discontinued Excursion, and better in many ways. The real news is-and it may be hard to believe-the new Expedition EL is fully equal to the legendary Chevrolet Suburban.

The introduction of the Expedition EL immediately raises three obvious questions. How does the Expedition EL compare to the standard Expedition on which it is based? How does the Expedition EL compare to the Excursion, which it essentially replaced? How does the Expedition EL compare to the Suburban, its direct competitor?

The Expedition Grows

From the B-pillar forward, the Expedition EL is identical to the standard Expedition. The Expedition EL is about 16 inches longer overall than the standard Expedition. It rides on a 131inch wheelbase compared to a 119-inch wheelbase for the standard Expedition.

The Expedition and Expedition EL are assembled in Wayne, MI.

The Expedition and the Expedition EL are powered by the same 300-hp, 5.4L V-8 and 3.31 axle. This is the ONLY powertrain available in the Expedition EL. Neither the 6.8L V-10 nor the new 6.4L diesel is available. Both SUVs have identical acceleration times. Both run the quarter-mile in 17.3 seconds. They both have the same braking distance from 60 mph.

Cargo Capacity

The reason you get a stretched version of the Expedition is the extra cargo space or towing capacity. So how big is the cargo space? The Expedition EL has 21% more cargo volume than the standard Expedition. With the second-row seats folded flat, you can put a 4x8 sheet of plywood in the back.. .and close the lift-gate! The Expedition EL has one feature that we have come to expect in an SUV, yet rarely exists...seats that fold absolutely flat. Its independent rear suspension allows the (optional) third-row seat to fold totally flat.

The Expedition has 108.3 cu. ft. of cargo space behind the front seat. In comparison, the Expedition EL has 130.8 cu. ft. of cargo space. The...