The 2018 Ford Expedition is all new. It has an updated chassis, an all-aluminum body, and the latest 3.5L EcoBoost V6 engine with the 10-speed automatic transmission. We already know that this Expedition Platinum edition is a great towing SUV, because it got the highest score on the Ike Gauntlet™ – world’s toughest towing test. The Expedition is the quickest 0-60 MPH SUV we tested this year. We also voted it as the 2018 Gold Hitch SUV of the Year.
We must figure out how efficient this (400 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque) beast is on our standard highway towing MPG loop. More importantly, we want to directly compare the Expedition to the 2018 GMC Yukon Denali we recently tested on the same loop with the same 7,000 lbs trailer in tow. Both the Expedition and the Denali are equipped with their respective versions of the 10-speed automatic transmission, but the two big SUVs are very different. The GMC is using a naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 and a 3.23 rear axle ratio, while the Expedition Platinum has a much smaller displacement twin-turbo V6 under the hood and a towing package with a 3.73 rear differential.
We ended up running the Expedition twice, due to a strong wind storm on our first attempt. Nonetheless, we completed the run in high winds (up to 60 MPH gusts) and latest with almost no winds. We have all the numbers and results for you in the video below.
