SUV Review: 2022 Ford Expedition Max Platinum

I don’t recall ever having a favourite SUV, but I now know which I’d most like to have if I could have any SUV I wished. Let me tell you a story about the 2022 Ford Expedition Max.

I would call it a captain’s chair because it’s a boat it is definitely a captain’s chair we’ve got captains chairs uh behind you and this is definitely a great big boat of a machine so if you’re not a big fan of setting up tents this makes a really really good solution i’m justin pritchard this is the ford expedition max and those are some of the things we’ll be

Learning about in this video an expedition max is a lengthy machine basically a stretch version of the f-150 based expedition upon which it’s built a foot of added length earns the max badge on the tailgate and cargo capacity behind the third seating row is increased considerably it also turns this cruiser into a fantastic place for adults to sleep very comfortably

During a camping trip more on that later my expedition max platinum tester got second row captain’s chairs and a third row split bench all of which flip and fold to create a flat surface in seconds literally you press a button and all of the seats disappear it goes from people mover to cargo van in five seconds or less and what a massive cargo van it is when rear

Seating is in use clever cubbies and charge ports run alongside the outboard third row passengers with their seats folded these same provisions mean storage and organization and charging flank the cargo area if you need to reach in and move something without climbing on board the power deployable running boards give you a handy step if you need to keep kids or pets

Contained but ventilated at the campsite the rear tailgate glass opens separately of the door flip it up and it’s a fun place for the family to sit down and eat lunch inside if it’s raining as a package here’s a vehicle with a long list of features that take the straps and work out of switching from one activity to the next max and i had a good time on the highway

Adaptive cruise control and lane keeping systems are as on the ball as they come with smooth positional corrections that reduce driver workload without startling or intrusive adjustments interior noise levels are admirably hushed even at a good clip and though truck-like by way of a rigid density apparent to the ride most highway cruising sees drivers floating

Along in near silence from a commanding driving position with a nicely calibrated set of assist features helping reduce their workload extra points for the vigorous massage seats complete with heat and ventilation these are a nice touch but the sound of the various motors and air pumps that power the massage feature may prove too intrusive for your quietest moments

At the wheel so camera guy james who has heard the exhaust sound of literally hundreds and hundreds of different vehicles and of all the vehicles we’re shot whistly the most whistly that’s the ecoboost twin turbo engine you’re hearing okay well it’s whistling while it works this is a very very big vertical screen get you right up close in here for a better look

At these graphics and what you can see here not a pixel in sight very clean very sharp very easy to read good contrast with that black text on the white background too we’ve got the floating volume control dial here so that rotates over top of the screen we push in there to turn everything off and the way this is all animated and the way that everything responds to

You and the way that it switches between one function and the next makes it really easy to re-engage your phone if you have to instantly get to the settings the functions the features that you want in platinum models like my tester the 3.5 liter ecoboost v6 generates 400 horsepower and 480 pounds of torque lower grade models deliver slightly lower power output in

Any configuration this engine is a low end torque expert as a habit i flipped max into eco mode at engine startup and began playing a game of how few revs do i need when ever accelerating you’ll hardly hear a peep from the engine room or feel a shift from the 10-speed transmission in the process if you’re a little patient with your acceleration and use eco mode i

Think you’ll find the mileage to be highly reasonable given max is heft and when driven in no particular rush i found it a wonderful place to sit back socialize relax and watch hours of northern highways pass by out the giant windows now no surprise there’s a lot of room in here but uh let me show you how that pans out if you’re uh five foot ten uh 200 pound guy

Like me so am i comfortable seated driving position here i would call it a captain’s chair because it’s a boat you’re driving it is definitely a captain’s chair we got captains chairs uh behind you and this is definitely a great big boat of a machine so we can see here no crowding around the knees plenty of headroom even with that sunroof overhead i’ve still got

Well over the width of my hand above me in terms of headroom space we’ve got a dial shifter here that saves a bit of space proper cup holders lots of glass around too good outward view really conducive to giving you an environment where you can just sort of sit back relax and enjoy the scenery now let’s see how someone of my size would fit in the second and third

Row seats behind foreign i mean you could put a couple of suitcases backpack tons of storage space on the floor here if you need it so that’s two captains chairs up front two captains chairs in the middle row with a ton of space in between uh let’s try that third row seat your side so we can fold these down oh there we go that’s how you do it so we can either

Fold these down this way fully flat if we want to get in the back seat more easily we just pull this latch that’s going to tip up and out of the way look at the size of this opening here some three row suvs you get about this much room uh here i can pretty much walk right through so here is me a full-sized adult i can almost stand up in here which is awesome

Here i am in the third row now i am jammed up a little closer to the ceiling and i don’t have the abundant knee room here just push this out of the way one more stop we’re gonna go to the very back here for a sec now you just saw me fit comfortably in the front row comfortably in the middle row and just about comfortably in the third row but even behind that look

At how much cargo space we still have behind those third row seats so three seating rows tons of space in behind other thing to draw your attention to storage underneath here we’ve got a full-size spare under the vehicle so this area is used for some additional storage a little more here bins to keep your stuff out of sight but i think the best trick is that

This can go from a people hauler to a cargo van in just a couple of seconds at the press of a button check this out this is how we control the seat position here and when we want a cargo van push here and push here and in about five seconds the headrests fold down automatically both seating rows disappear and what you’ve got there is a fully flat cargo storage

Area and a great place to sleep if you’re camping too ride quality in the back roads was a strong point for my test drive too mostly my rough road testing route includes several dozen kilometers of badly crumbling back roads which i use as a shake rattle and roll test for trucks and crossovers on these surfaces a lot of machines ride terribly and a few are not

Too bad i appreciated max’s strong steering isolation which results in near nil levels of feedback from the road surface that’s an easier time keeping the vehicle pointed where i want it to go and less workload of the steering wheel body motions rarely become dramatic though heavily undulating surfaces may require a little extra caution mostly the machine feels

Tough and durable beneath the driver much more truck-like than crossover like in many regards still while the suspension and interior panel noises are largely capped to a dull roar drivers frequenting services like these will likely find the back roads ride more impressive for its composure than its noise levels further certain dips and bumps in the road can fling

Max’s backside into the air on suspension rebound causing cargo in the rear to go airborne a moment if you don’t keep your speed and check after sixteen hundred kilometers of highway and back roads driving i wish for a more energetic response from the brakes at times but mostly found the expedition max a spacious setup with a peaceful drive excellent driver assist

Features solid ride comfort in the bush and a fuel bill that should prove reasonable as four-wheel drives with a 9 000 plus pound towing capacity go so if you’re not a big fan of setting up tents this makes a really really good solution here’s a look foreign look i’m in northern ontario guy but i really don’t like camping there are mosquitoes it always rains my

Favorite bed and coffee are at home and setting up a tent is high on the list of things i don’t really like to do but packing for a camping trip with max is a breeze there’s no drama or second guessing whether you can bring something or whether things will fit the massive fold flat cargo area sees to that you’ve got a lot of room and seating configurations to play

With here forgetful just bring everything there’s room no tetris required second the expedition max makes a great place to sleep on a camping trip if the kids want to sleep outside in a tent like a peasant then that’s fine there’s room to bring one but for me while i’m sleeping in here after all my number one camping stress is wondering if i’ll get a good night’s

Sleep if you commonly avoid camping trips for fear of losing a good night’s sleep like me then you’re very nicely covered use the inclinometer built into the instrument cluster to ensure a level parking surface for maximum sleeping comfort it’s a handy touch the cargo hold is exactly as wide as two standard adult-sized sleeping pads and i could inflate a coleman

Queen double wide mat with a bit of a squeeze the handy storage and cargo provisions flanking the cargo hold become dual bedside tables complete with water bottle holders charging ports active without the ignition and ample storage for phones and flashlights and snacks with a few accessories including a privacy shade and shade awning from moonshade both of which

Are easily attached to max’s exterior you can turn this into a bedroom and sheltered shady lounge on wheels go got it so whether driving or camping with macs i ultimately found a machine with few weaknesses and many strengths and a combination of space features and thoughtful touches that serve up an effective invitation to relax and enjoy your surroundings

Whatever those surroundings might be thank you for watching my name is justin pritchard and until next time take care and drive safe

Transcribed from video
SUV Review: 2022 Ford Expedition Max Platinum By Driving.ca