The Ford Expedition and Chevy Tahoe ended up close in the scoring (the Ford edged out the Chevrolet by 0.3 point — a tie by our rules), and it seems as if each vehicle excels where the other fails and vice versa. For example, editors agreed that the Tahoe's strong suit is its powerful engine and smooth ride, while its main problems center around the cheap-feeling interior. Exactly the opposite is true of the Expedition — its interior won high praise for its modern design, use of quality materials and an innovative third-row seat, while the engine was a bit of a disappointment and the ride was considered too harsh on rough surfaces. Although both vehicles fell short of the Sequoia's well-rounded package, each has its advantages: Hauling people and cargo is what the Ford does best.

Inside, the Expedition sports a contemporary and uncluttered look. The abundant use of matte finish plastic and metallic-looking vent rings had most of us singing its praises. Comments ranged from "simple and clean-looking" to "quite attractive." Compared to the Tahoe's cluttered and somewhat outdated dash, the Expedition is a breath of fresh air. Although our test Expedition had leather seats, the leather wasn't as soft or inviting as the Toyota's.

Ford has taken a decidedly simple approach to the heating, ventilation and A/C controls (three large round dials are well placed and simple to understand), but some minor controls had a rather cheap feel. One editor complained that the lack of a recirculation button was irritating, the only way to keep outside air from entering the cabin is to crank the large, round knob all the way over to "max A/C" — not good. The fact that automatic climate control is not available on the XLT FX4 model was a minor irritant as well.

Like the Sequoia, the Ford Expedition offers a roomy interior. Second- and third-row seats are comfortable and both offer adequate legroom. In fact, the Expedition's rearmost seat is the only one in the group that adults won't mind riding in on long trips. The third-row seats fold flat with a quick and easy release handle; power-folding rear seats are an option on the Eddie Bauer model. The utter simplicity of not having to remove seats by hand had some editors guessing that many families will be happier with the Expedition than any other SUV simply because of the hassle-free fold-flat seats. The Expedition and its upscale Lincoln Navigator twin are the first and only full-size SUVs to offer this feature, but we'd bet that will change in the next few years.

On the road, the Expedition is noticeably more refined than the previous model. The Ford now has independent rear suspension which makes for more confident handling and a smoother ride overall. And for such a big truck, the Expedition does handle quite well. Thanks to its well-tune suspension and excellent steering, the big Ford was somewhat fun to drive on curvy mountain roads. All of our editors commented on the near perfect weighting of the steering and the truck's sharp handling characteristics. One editor summed up the Expedition's improved ride and handling quite succinctly: "On smooth pavement, it's more composed than the Tahoe but not as plush as the Sequoia."

The "on smooth pavement" qualifier was one we couldn't ignore. Yes, we were impressed by the Expedition's on-road manners, but off-road it was the worst of the bunch. Part of our test route included an off-road portion, but a portion of the "paved" road on the way to the off-road course was probably rougher and more uneven than all the dirt roads we drove on that day. Once the road became uneven, the Expedition lost its composure and felt very jarring. The vibration also caused quite a din as the skid plates (we assume) began clanking and rattling.

Further, given that our test vehicle was the "off-road-oriented" XLT FX4 model — and equipped with off-road-duty shock absorbers and the aforementioned skid plates — it was disappointing to find that it did not excel in the off-road portion of the test. The Expedition was also the only truck in our test to have a difficult time traversing our off-road course. It wasn't just the jarring ride, but several times the Expedition scraped parts of its underside as we attempted to navigate dirt hills or steep inclines. All the trucks were driven on the same course several times by different drivers, and the Ford was the only one to scrape its belly.

Like we said earlier, the Tahoe and Expedition were very close throughout the scoring process, but they achieved their scores by doing well in completely separate areas. For example, we loved the Tahoe's smooth and powerful 285-horsepower Vortec V8, but found that Ford's similarly sized V8 lacked muscle. The Expedition's SOHC 5.4-liter makes a reasonable 260 hp, but the Sequoia's 240-hp V8 felt more powerful. Of the bunch, the Expedition has the most torque with 350 pound-feet. That could explain why our editors were initially impressed with the Expedition's power, but found that it quickly ran out of steam. The 5.4-liter V8 seemed particularly taxed when trying to accelerate uphill, and more than one editor noted that Ford's motor ran out of breath above 70 mph. It's not so much that the Expedition feels underpowered, but given that it feels only adequate with just one person behind the wheel and no cargo in back, we can't help but worry about its performance when loaded with five people and their gear.

On a positive note, the revised V8 is a tenfold leap in terms of civility. Noise and vibration are way down and what noise there is, sounds like a pleasant purr when accelerating. Smoothness and low-speed responsiveness are the high points with regard to the Ford's power plant.

Finally, the Ford Expedition won top honors in terms of exterior styling. While the mass-appeal Sequoia opts for a more conservative look and the Tahoe is intended to carry the Chevy Truck's banner, the Expedition's look is totally the embodiment of the modern SUV. The sport-ute's revised front fascia somehow looks bold, rugged and classy all at once. "Clean lines — modern but classic-looking," wrote one editor. Another called the Expedition "clean and handsome," while another more environmentally concerned editor said, "I feel a bit ashamed, but I do like the way this big SUV looks."

Despite the Expedition's handful of shortcomings, it has a lot to offer in terms of style, interior space and value. The Expedition was the least expensive of our three SUVs, yet it had all the basic amenities. We'd like a little more power and a more Toyotalike attention paid to some of the interior bits and pieces, but overall, the 2003 Ford Expedition is a huge improvement over last year's model and certainly a solid buy for big families.

Second Opinions:

Road Test Editor John DiPietro says:
The new-for-2003 Expedition had a few things going for it over the others in this test. One is the on-road handling; the steering feel was the best of the trio, as it was precise, had no play and was well weighted. And body roll through the turns was well controlled — of course, our test unit was the FX4 version that includes a stiffer suspension setup, which helps. And though the ride was firm, the ride on pavement was fine. The only time the FX4 seemed to lose its composure somewhat was, ironically enough (as the FX4 is essentially an off-road package), when tackling the rutted dirt trails, where it seemed as if softer calibrations would've allowed the bumps to be more completely absorbed.

The other advantage the Ford has is its independent rear suspension design, which allows the third-row seat to have a deep footwell (thus providing more legroom so that even adults can ride back there in relative comfort). It also allows said seat to fold flat into the floor, making the task of getting that big screen TV home from Best Buy a matter of flicking a few levers and plopping the seat backs down, instead of having to deal with the hassle of removing the seats.

To me, it's almost a toss-up between the Ford and Chevy for second place, but I think the Expedition would be the better choice for most consumers who would appreciate the more generous passenger and cargo capacity along with that convenient stow-away third seat.

Road Test Editor Erin Riches says:
The Ford Expedition left me in a quandary. I certainly can't deny the value that its massive, user-friendly cabin has for family buyers. The 40/20/40 second row and 60/40 third row can each accommodate three across with minimal passenger discomfort. A generous array of storage bins is ready to house toys and personal items, and a neat parabolic kiddie mirror (lifted from the Windstar) allows you to keep an eye on little ones from the cockpit. And, when you need more cargo room, those third-row seats will fold right into the floor. What could be easier?

But power from the Ford's 5.4-liter V8 was unimpressive for a $40,000-plus vehicle, and it was delivered in an unrefined manner. The Expedition is larger than the others, and it felt that way on city streets and the highway. To its credit, body roll is well controlled when rounding corners, and the steering provides excellent weighting. Inside, the Ford looks downright stylish compared with the others, and materials quality is definitely a couple steps above the Tahoe's, though not at the level of the Sequoia's. The controls were generally easy to use, but since I breathe L.A. air everyday, I can't abide by Ford's reliance on "max A/C" in lieu of a separate recirculation mode for its climate control systems. Ultimately, I decided that I'd rather have the Sequoia or Tahoe as a personal vehicle, but if someone else asked for a recommendation, I'd tell them to try the Ford Expedition (after the Toyota, of course) — it has a few disadvantages, but its intelligent cabin design could make it a satisfying choice for families.