2025 Ford Expedition First Look

The latest generation of the Blue Oval's full-size family hauler gets thoughtful updates.

Emme Hall | 

Oct 4, 2024 | 4 min read

Ford

The Ford Expedition has been giving large families a lot of what they need for nearly 30 years: namely space, space, and more space. For 2025, this full-size three-row SUV begins its fifth generation with a redesign. It's the same size as the last Expedition, but the cabin is more versatile, with new features that could make family camping trips, tailgating parties, and even off-road excursions easier and more enjoyable.

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The 2025 Expedition Is a More Refined SUV

The previous generation of the Expedition wasn't ugly, but it also didn't stand out from the crowd. The 2025 model looks more sophisticated, with running lights surrounding much of the new grille and floating taillights in back.

The SUV also gets the fancy clamshell rear hatch — called the Ford Split Gate — that debuted on the 2025 Lincoln Navigator. The top section opens upward like a traditional liftgate, while the bottom quarter of the door swings down like a tailgate. Optionally available is a cargo-area divider shelf, which floats several inches above the floor. Owners can flip it out onto the tailgate to form a table or tilt it down to make it a backrest for comfy tailgate seating.

Ford didn't mess with the SUV's size. The standard model's wheelbase is still 122.5 inches, and the vehicle itself remains 210 inches long. Should you need a truly giant cargo area, the long-wheelbase Max model adds 9 inches of wheelbase and 12 inches of length to the Expedition, just as the last one did.

The interior received some refinements, however. The space in front of the driver is dominated by a 24.0-inch digital gauge cluster, which sits on the higher, pushed-back section of the tiered dash. A landscape-oriented infotainment screen running the new Ford Digital Experience software resides in the usual place, just right of the steering wheel and within easy reach. The result is a design with depth that stands out among the competition.

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Ford Employs a Tried and True Powertrain

All Expeditions are graced with Ford's familiar EcoBoost twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine and a 10-speed automatic transmission.

Fuel economy has not been announced, but for reference, a four-wheel-drive 2024 Expedition with the same powertrain returned 16/22/18 mpg city/highway/combined.

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Ford Revises the Lineup and Introduces a New Off-Road Tremor Trim

Ford has streamlined the Expedition's lineup for 2025, dropping the first four trims — XL, XLT, Limited, and Timberline — for an Active base model and a Tremor off-road special.

The top-level King Ranch and Platinum Expeditions remain and offer things such as two-tone leather and 24-inch wheels. Adventurous families may want to take a look at the Tremor, which has a two-speed transfer case that improves off-road performance. Identifiable by its orange body accents, this model receives a high-output version of the V6 engine, making 440 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque.

The Tremor comes with front off-road lights as well as skid plates to protect the engine, transfer case, and fuel tank should you wish to take it rock crawling. The Tremor even has a dedicated mode for that very activity, not to mention 33-inch General Grabber tires and 10.6 inches of ground clearance.

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Ford also put some thought into enhancing the versatility of the Expedition's interior. The available new Flex Powered Console, for instance, can slide back 8 inches to give second-row passengers access to its cupholders and audio and climate controls. Doing so also reveals a lockable storage area in front. And thanks to the new 40/20/40 split-folding third row, owners can put down the middle seat to accommodate vehicle-spanning items such as skis, oars, or fishing poles while still preserving four rear seats.

Ford also offers a device mount for the backs of the first-row headrests, so second-row riders can situate their phones or tablets at eye level.

Ford's Co-Pilot 360 suite of driver aids is standard and includes such things as blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keeping assist. The company's BlueCruise hands-free highway-driving technology is available on most trims as well.

No word on pricing yet, but look for the 2025 Ford Expedition to arrive at dealerships in summer 2025.

Emme Hall

Emme Hall loves small convertibles and gets out to the canyons in her 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata whenever she can. You can also find her in the dirt in her lifted (yes, that's right) 2001 Mazda Miata, or racing air-cooled Volkswagens in races like the Baja 1000. She's taken first place twice in the Rebelle Rally — once driving a Jeep Wrangler and then a Rolls-Royce Cullinan the second time. She was also the first driver to take an electric vehicle to the Rebelle Rally when campaigning the Rivian R1T to a top-five finish.