SW17LS

So, I went and looked at a new Ford Expedition Platinum today, didnt get a chance to drive it but I really like it. Great space, great looking, nice interior with a ton of features. What stops me though, is price. Equipped the way I want it (basically fully loaded sans additional options for towing, etc) it rings in at just a hair below $76,000. Looking at a similarly loaded Explorer Platinum that rings in at about $53,000...so the Expedition is $24,000 more.

The Tahoe/Yukon are similar money optioned up.

IMHO...this is a HUGE chasm between these two classes of vehicles? Any thoughts. I like the space of the Expedition, but seeing that I don't tow anything I don't see how I could possibly justify a $24,000 premium...

Fizzboy7

There is a distinct difference in size between the vehicles you listed. But "excessive" is the word that comes to mind with the Expedition. Especially if you are not towing, just what would be the advantage to having one of these behemoths? I cannot think of much to justify it.

Toys4RJill

SW17LS

oldcajun

The Expedition competes with the the GMC Yukon and Chevy Suburban and the pricing is similar. One step up is the Navigator/Escalade competition at near $100K. The Explorer is a mass market product on a chassis shared with production cars so it is cheaper to produce, but the difference in price is a marketing thing to elevate the status of the big utes. Cadillac Escalade sales indicate that the pricing scheme works and it is really profitable for the manufacturers and dealers. The upcoming Lincoln Aviator will be part of the new Explorer class and will likely close the pricing with the big SUV's a bit.

I drove a new Expedition platinum last week and was amazed at the plush high quality interior. My first thought was "this is as nice as a Range Rover and a lot cheaper."

Johnhav430

The Expedition is the equivalent of the Navigator L, isn't it? If so, I like what I have seen online. I would not consider a Suburban as you have to have it serviced at GMC, which I think is bad at least in the Phila. area. I have never tried Chevy, who says they can also work on them of course.

Now my buddy in Tampa said Ford/Lincoln is the same in his area, but if it were me, I prefer the new Navigator to the GM equivalent. Rear axle right off the bat. And the new Suburban lost at least 11 cu. ft. over the previous one. I have never owned a Ford product, ever, but if faced with Navigator/Suburban, from what I have seen online, and having spent lots of time with the latest gen Suburban, I'd try the Ford product. my .02

geko29

The Expedition MAX (formerly Expedition EL) is the equivalent of the Navigator L. The Expedition and Navigator are the same size, both are a foot shorter overall, with a 9" shorter wheelbase than the MAX/L versions.

The Suburban is not the GM equivalent of the Navigator. The sticker price of the cheapest Navigator L is $6k more than the most expensive Suburban, and the Navigator L Black Label has an eye-watering base price of $100,450. In most cases the prices as-configured will be $20-30k higher for the Navigator. No one is cross-shopping these two vehicles. They're either looking at the Suburban/Yukon XL/Expedition, or the Navigator and Escalade.

AJLex19

My wife's cousin has a Toyota Sequoia and its a nice ride, low maintenance and loads of room for her three kids. My neighbor also has it as well (he's just a tall gentleman) and has three kids as well. Did you consider the Sequoia Platinum which also rings in for around $70k?

At this price point, the Land Cruiser might also be a consideration but the overall nod for design and interior I personally think goes to the Expedition b/c of its recent redesign (sorry for sounding Toyota Biased originally!).

Johnhav430

The last Yukon Denali I saw at the dealership was in the 80's (recall it had a brake upgrade and the word ultimate on the sticker). If it were me, I would consider a Lincoln at that point. Pretty sure the warranty would be 1 yr. longer, that's worth something (not 10k but 1k)...don't know if Ford has multiple motors like GM, but one wouldn't think so as that V6 has some big#'s alreadyl....

Htony

Look at it this way. If they don't sell, they won't build it. There is always need for truck like that for some one.

jrmckinley

One of my buddies just bought the 2019 Expedition Platinum Max. He loves it - I just can't imagine driving that as a daily driver. Ford stepped up the interior for 2019 though- looks great.

ArmyofOne

The large SUV segment is the hottest segment of auto sales in the country. They aren't much larger than your typical minivan in reality, they just feel larger because they sit up higher and have longer hoods. They might be a little wider, but not by much. My mother has a 2015 Explorer Limited, and I can't stand it. It is wider than my Ram, and feels almost "tinny" on the road. It's pretty well loaded (Woodgrain, panoramic moonroof, leather, nav etc), and comfortable. But its on-road manners are pretty awful. I hate that it feels so wide. When in the drivers seat I am constantly worried that I am going to hit the curb, car or whatever is on the right hand side of the car. No thanks.

The Expedition Max, and Yukon XL are hot in this class, but honestly, for that money, I would step into a barely used escalade ESV

Johnhav430

Anybody who takes a look at a brand new Suburban (Yukon/Escalade), will see that it has a LOT less cargo space than the one before. It actually has barely any more than the original Chevy Traverse, just that the shape/opening is much more usable and wider. To get into real world terms, the new Suburban, has maybe a few more cu. ft than the previous Tahoe (it has about 11 cu ft. more, whereas the previous had about 22 cu ft more). Remember, the previous gen had 3rd rows that were removed altogether to gain access to more cargo space. So that's a good point--despite the exterior dimensions, it's rather funny to compare them to a minivan and find they're maybe very similar. Ask the car dealer to loan you one for the day so you can park them side by side, at this price range, it should be absolutely not a problem.

edit: the same gen Suburban/Tahoe maintains a similar cargo delta, but the new Suburban vs. old Tahoe is where you see the shrinkage in the delta

yardie876

While Sequoias in my personal experience are bulletproof, the current model is grossly outclassed by the new gen Expedition. Toyota needs to update this dinosaur FAST. I mean who wants to go back to sticking a key in the ignition in a 2018 model car? Lol

situman

I dont think there's any other rationale than pure profit margins. Is a base LX570 really worth $30k more than the GX460? Is a base LS really worth close to $30k more than a base GS? Is a base 7 series really worth $xxxxx over a base 5 series? It just comes down to what you are willing to pay and how much the automakers wants to charge.