2022 Ford Expedition Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Ford has made a bunch of changes to the 2022 Expedition, including exterior styling revisions and updated infotainment tech. In front, a new grille, headlights, and bumper present a fresh face to the world, while the rear gets revised taillights, tailgate trim, and a new bumper. Redesigned wheels debut across the 2022 Expedition model lineup.

Like the 2021 model, the 2022 Expedition comes in XL STX, XLT, Limited, King Ranch, and Platinum trim levels in standard- and extended-length (Expedition Max) body styles. Prices range from just over $55,000 to just under $84,000 including the destination charge. People heading off-road will be happy to learn that a new Timberline trim is also available. The Expedition Timberline adds standard four-wheel drive (4WD), all-terrain tires, suspension modifications, more ground clearance, a skid plate, and off-roading tech such as Trail Turn Assist for approximately $72,500.

The Stealth Edition packages are available only with Limited trim. They add black 22-inch wheels, large “EXPEDITION” lettering on the hood, and a mixture of blacked-out and body-color exterior trim. Choose the Stealth Performance Package, and Ford adds red-painted brake calipers. Our Stone Blue Metallic test vehicle looked terrific and, as noted above, sparked comments and compliments on several occasions.

Inside, a redesigned dashboard houses the Expedition’s new Sync 4 and Sync 4A infotainment systems, the latter featuring a huge 15.5-inch touchscreen display mounted in portrait orientation. The SUV also offers an available 12.4-inch digital instrumentation display, which our leather-lined Limited Stealth Edition had.

Our standard-length test model’s Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) came to $80,155. That included the following options: 4WD, the extra-cost paint, the Stealth Package, a Heavy Duty Trailer Tow Package, an electronic limited-slip rear differential, and the larger Sync 4A infotainment touchscreen.

Financially, that’s a heavy lift, but with the test vehicle’s leather seats, soft padding in all of the right places, and impressive tech, the Expedition Limited Stealth Edition makes up for its F-150 pickup-grade plastic trim and switchgear.

Every 2022 Expedition uses a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, but some versions get a high-output version. Our test vehicle wasn’t one of them, so it produced 380 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 470 pound-feet of torque at 2,250 rpm (400 hp and 480 lb-ft on 93-octane fuel). Had Ford equipped our Expedition with the Stealth Edition Performance Package, it would have produced 440 hp and 510 lb-ft of torque on 93-octane gas.

The V6 engine drives the SUV’s rear wheels through a 10-speed automatic transmission unless you opt for 4WD. Fuel economy ranges from 17 mpg to 19 mpg in combined driving, and the Expedition’s powertrain can tow anywhere between 9,000 pounds and 9,300 pounds, depending on the model and equipment.

We didn’t do any towing, but we did plenty of hauling you-know-what. That’s because the twin-turbo V6’s power is addictive, and Ford tunes the engine and exhaust to deliver a signature sound that is different from—but no less pleasing than—a traditional V8. Of course, the harder you push on the accelerator pedal, the more gas the Expedition guzzles. That helps to explain our observed fuel economy of 16.2 mpg on the evaluation loop, nearly 2 mpg less than the test vehicle’s official EPA fuel economy rating of 18 mpg.

The twin-turbo’s thirst is easily the best reason to consider getting a diesel-powered Chevy Tahoe or GMC Yukon. Otherwise, we are smitten with the Ford Expedition for its turbocharged engine, huge and comfortable cabin, and impressive technology.

As far as the driving dynamics are concerned, our test vehicle could have used something more than the Stealth Edition Package’s sport-tuned suspension. The King Ranch and Platinum trims have a standard adaptive damping suspension that would help the Stealth Edition to reduce some of the impact harshness and bounciness on imperfect and uneven pavement.

We think the 22-inch wheels and 285/45 tires contribute significantly to the Expedition Limited Stealth Edition’s sometimes harsh ride quality. They look terrific and improve the Expedition’s handling and grip, but they come with side effects. In addition, while the body motions are to be expected in a towering SUV weighing nearly three tons, we know from experience driving a 2021 Expedition Platinum that the available adaptive-damping suspension helps to alleviate some of that wooziness.

Unexpectedly, given its size, the Expedition is surprisingly easy to park. Excellent outward visibility helps, as does its boxy shape. The test vehicle also had front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree surround-view camera system. You can even push a button on the dashboard to collapse the third-row head restraints to further improve the view. All of these attributes help to make the Expedition easier to drive in urban and suburban environments.

However, the Expedition really shines on the highway. We took it on a family day trip to Santa Barbara, and it quietly and effortlessly ate up the miles heading from Los Angeles north on the 101 freeway. With its panoramic glass roof, large side windows, and three comfortable rows of seats, it is easy to envision the Ford Expedition as perfect for the great American road trip. You’ll just need to put up with some tire slap on certain kinds of pavement.

Full-size SUVs offer comfort levels that few vehicles can match, and the Ford Expedition is our favorite in this regard. It’s even easy to get in and out of, thanks to its available power running boards.

Once you’ve packed the Expedition with people, everyone gets plenty of spread-out room and enjoys an unobstructed view of their surroundings. Rivals from Chevy and GMC have improved in this regard, but the Ford is still more satisfying to the seats of our pants.

Our test vehicle had power-adjustable, leather-wrapped, heated and ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel. A wide console separates the front seats and contains a huge storage bin under the center armrest, hidden cupholders, and a concealed cubby with a wireless smartphone charging pad. Massaging seats are available on higher trim levels.

Second-row toe room is a little tight, but otherwise, the Expedition Limited’s heated captain’s chairs are a terrific seat assignment with plenty of legroom. Passengers can use their own climate controls and overhead air vents to make the second row even more comfortable, and they can stash drinks in cupholders mounted to the back of the center console or the ones embedded into the door panel armrests.

Loading the third-row seat is easy, either by tilting and sliding the captain’s chairs forward or stepping through the generous pass-through. Once the third-row passengers are situated, they’ll discover outstanding leg support on a comfortable cushion. However, headroom could prove tight for some people, and taller passengers will ask those in the second-row seats to slide forward a bit. The test vehicle’s third-row seat offered a power recline function, storage trays, and USB ports.

Cargo room behind the third row measures 19.3 cubic feet, but there isn’t much floor space, so you need to stack items like a Jenga puzzle and hope they don’t fall out when you open the liftgate. Ford thoughtfully provides a small lip to help prevent items from rolling out, at least.

If you know you’ll need to use the third-row seat for carrying people and you plan to take on lots of cargo at the same time, you’ll want to get the Expedition Max for its larger 34.3 cubic-foot cargo hold. In the standard Expedition, you can fold the third-row down for 57.5 cubic feet behind the second-row seats (73.3 cubic feet in the Max). With both rear rows of seats folded, the Expedition carries 104.6 cubic feet of cargo (121.5 in the Max).

For 2022, the Expedition gets Ford’s next-generation Sync 4 and Sync 4A infotainment systems. The standard Sync 4 system includes a 12-inch touchscreen infotainment display with physical controls for the stereo and climate system located beneath it. Sync 4A is optional, replacing everything listed above with a larger 15.5-inch touchscreen and a single physical dial for adjusting stereo volume.

Both systems include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, FordPass Connect with access to a Wi-Fi hotspot, natural voice recognition, and a connected navigation system with a complimentary 90-day trial subscription to service.

Moving up the trim-level ladder, Sync 4 adds features such as SiriusXM satellite radio, HD Radio, wireless smartphone charging, and a choice between two Bang & Olufsen premium sound systems. Sync 4A has an upgraded conversational voice-recognition system. Additionally, it uses an “adaptive dashcard” user interface, and you can create personal profiles for several drivers.

Overall, Sync 4A is a sophisticated system. Since the test vehicle’s satellite radio subscription had expired, we ran Apple CarPlay to stream music to the 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system. Typically, we find B&O components to be almost flawless, but this time around, we discovered a lack of high-volume fidelity with certain songs streaming from Apple Music. If the best audio is what you seek, Ford is offering a new 22-speaker B&O Unleashed sound system on higher-end Expedition models.

Though Sync 4A is as modern an infotainment system as you might find, it’s not without its quirks. For example, we had trouble re-starting Apple CarPlay after switching out to the system’s main menu. Then, after we gave up, it would sometimes just re-start on its own. Weird.

Also, near as we can tell, the conversational voice-recognition system for the embedded navigation system in our test vehicle wouldn’t work unless a phone connection was active. After we followed the directive to choose a paired device, it worked reasonably well. However, for some reason, it could not find the White House no matter what combination of voice prompts we tried. With Apple CarPlay running, Siri found “sixteen hundred Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C.” with no problem.

Aside from occasional confusion about what Sync 4A was doing and why, there are a couple of user-experience flaws with the Expedition’s technology.

First, with the Sync 4A touchscreen, on several occasions, our fingertips accidentally activated the defroster function when reaching to adjust the stereo volume. This would cancel the comfortable 66-degree air conditioning setting and switch to blasting the heat at the windshield in the middle of a California heat wave. Then we’d need to reset the system to once again enjoy a blissful 66 degrees.

Second, when you bring the Expedition to a stop, and you want to do something with the data and settings that are embedded into the 12.4-inch digital instrumentation panel’s driver information system (such as check your trip computer data before refilling the gas tank), don’t take off your seatbelt. Once the seatbelt warning system activates, it takes over the instrumentation panel, and it won’t go away until you buckle back up or shut the engine off.

For the 2022 model year, Ford has upgraded the Expedition’s available dual-touchscreen rear-seat entertainment system. It now features Amazon Fire TV, and you can download content to the system’s 16-gigabyte storage. Through this system, passengers can stream movies and music, play games, and much more. Our test vehicle did not have this system.

In addition to the infotainment systems, the 2022 Expedition is available with Pro Trailer Backup Assist 2.0 with Trailer Reverse Guidance. This is a simplified version of the original Pro Trailer Backup Assist, and it makes it easy to reverse the SUV when a trailer is attached. The driver uses a knob on the dashboard to input and adjust directions for the trailer, which are translated into actual steering-wheel inputs to achieve trailer-reversing success. We didn’t use it in the 2022 Expedition, but experience with the technology in the Ford F-150 demonstrates that it makes reversing a trailer a much easier task.

Ford groups the Expedition’s driving-assistance systems into three different Ford Co-Pilot360 collections.

The standard Ford Co-Pilot360 package of safety features includes forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, a driver monitoring system, and automatic high-beam headlights. Additionally, Ford equips the Expedition with a rear-seat reminder system.

Starting with Limited trim, Ford Co-Pilot360 Assist+ adds adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, lane-centering assist, and a speed-limit-sign recognition system. New for 2022, this package adds intersection assist (attempts to prevent unsafe turns across traffic) and evasive steering assist (adds stability when the driver takes sudden evasive action to avoid an obstacle).

Choose the King Ranch or Platinum, and Ford Co-Pilot Assist 2.0 is standard. It installs a surround-view camera system and a new-for-2022 rear automatic emergency braking system. This package also has Active Park Assist 2.0, a semi-autonomous parking assistance system that takes full control of the Expedition to help you stash the SUV in a parallel or perpendicular parking space. You can add Co-Pilot Assist 2.0 to other versions of the SUV as an option, and our Limited Stealth Edition had it.

Ford also introduces Road Edge Detection to the 2022 Expedition, but it’s unclear which package includes it. If we had to guess, we’d say the Assist+ collection has it. What does it do? Ford says it works on rural roads without shoulders to help prevent a vehicle from departing the pavement.

Lastly, you can get Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free driving technology on the Expedition. BlueCruise operates only on approved, limited-access highways and pairs the adaptive cruise control with autonomous steering, allowing you to travel without holding the steering wheel. We’ve sampled this same tech in the Lincoln Navigator (where it is called ActiveGlide), and it works well. But drivers must be prepared to take control at any time.

During the evaluation, with systems calibrated to their Medium sensitivity setting, the adaptive cruise control excelled with regard to smoothness and refinement. When other vehicles cut into the gap ahead, the amount of braking was perfect. When slower vehicles exited the highway or changed lanes, the Expedition responded quickly and accelerated back up to the desired speed without delay.

The lane-centering assist technology was not as pleasing to use. On straight sections of freeway without much traffic, it performed beautifully and, unlike some systems, didn’t try to steer onto exit ramps and on-ramps. The only trouble was that the steering wheel frequently could not sense our hands on the rim, so it issued regular warnings to put hands that were already on the steering wheel back on the steering wheel. This is irritating, but we learned that if you simply move the wheel a little bit, the warning goes away.

More concerning was the system’s behavior in heavier traffic. On a few occasions, it steered the Expedition to the right side of the lane of travel, coming closer to other vehicles in the neighboring lane. One time, this unnerved the motorist traveling next to the Expedition. Another time, this unnerved us, as the vehicle next to the Expedition was an 18-wheeler.

Later, while traveling on Pacific Coast Highway, the Expedition’s lane-centering tech wanted to hug the double-yellow stripe down the center of the road. This happened mainly on curves. Additionally, the lane-centering assist sometimes suddenly cancels itself. You get a notification ding, and then it stops working, but it can resume by itself when conditions warrant.

Based on our experience, this tech is going to aggravate lots of people. The whole point of pairing adaptive cruise control with lane-centering assist is to make highway driving easier, but when the tech doesn’t instill confidence, issues unnecessary warnings, and turns off for unknown reasons, it does the opposite. The driver gets confused and irritated and is constantly on alert to babysit the tech, which adds stress instead of relieving it.

Unless you’re going to tow a heavy trailer, a Ford Expedition is not a cost-effective choice for personal transportation. It is expensive, it is not fuel-efficient, and it can’t carry more people or cargo than a less-expensive, more fuel-efficient minivan. But the Expedition is not alone in this regard. You can levy the same condemnations at any full-size SUV.

Take our Limited Stealth Edition, for example. With captain’s chairs, it carries four people unless you use the third-row seat to pack in two more passengers (three if they’re smaller adults or kids). But, with the third-row seat in use, the Expedition offers very little cargo space. See our review of the 2021 Expedition to learn what happened when we flew home from a six-person vacation (during which we’d rented a minivan), picked up an Expedition at the airport, and discovered we couldn’t fit all six people and their luggage at the same time.

Nevertheless, we get the appeal of a large SUV. They’re powerful and have lots of ground clearance. They’re big inside, with plenty of room to stretch out. And when you need it, they supply more cargo space than most other vehicles (except for minivans). We loved spending a week with the 2022 Ford Expedition Limited Stealth Edition. But is the Expedition cost-effective? Generally speaking, it’s not even close.

As far as comparing the Expedition to other full-size SUVs, once you’re blowing 80 grand on a rig like this, are you really trying to pinch pennies to figure out if the Ford is a better value than the Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban, the GMC Yukon/Yukon XL, or the Jeep Wagoneer? More likely, you’re going to buy the one you like the most. And in our opinion, there is plenty to like about the 2022 Ford Expedition.