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Besides the last row people, the six other people riding the Expedition will find it generally compliant and comfortable through any kind of city terrain. The elevated chassis and the soft-sprung suspension system helped in containing the bumps and unevenness, that’s a common occurrence on Philippine roads. The ultra-thick padding beneath the vehicle also helped in decreasing the NVH levels making the Expedition one of the most quiet, if not the most silent SUV available in the Philippines. In addition to the great work with the body and suspension, the gasoline-engine equipped Expedition is noticeably smoother and quieter than similarly sized rivals such as the Isuzu Trooper and Mitsubishi Pajero. Though Green Peace would surely disagree, if you can afford it, the LEV (Low Emissions Vehicle)-compliant 4.6-liter Triton V8 is a great on-road companion to have. Mated to the 4-speed automatic transmission, the Expedition carries its huge 2358 kilogram curb weight perfectly well through traffic with little hesitation. Though all 232 bhp of power and 395 Nm of torque look great on paper, in real life it merely feels adequate rather than outrageous. Power is relatively evenly distributed throughout, but the results from the automatic transmission are rather confused. Sometimes power is delivered quickly, sometimes none at all. In the end, it just takes more pressure on the gasoline pedal to do it right. With a compliant ride and smooth engine, what’s not to like about the Ford Expedition then? Of course, because of the soft-sprung suspension system and truck-based ladder-on-frame chassis, the Expedition handles as bad as the Titanic on a foggy night. Though perfectly safe on a straight line, the towering 1991 mm of the car shifts the center of gravity dangerously up—making this Ford one unstable SUV. In fact, upon bringing the Expedition out of the Ford Alabang parking lot, it wanted to do a simulated Elk-avoidance test when all it needed to do was to join the traffic after a sharp turn from the parking lot. Besides the handling, the Expedition carries the same faults as any truck-based SUV: vague steering, huge amounts of understeer, tremendous body roll and so forth. Of course, for the typical Mang Pedro who’d end up driving the Expedition as a means of livelihood, these faults are easily lived with—especially when we consider that the alternative is driving a Hyundai Starex. However, if you plan to drive it yourself, and your other car is a Honda Accord, the Expedition takes a long time of getting used to. The way this vehicle delivers its feedback is different, the way it handles through corners and how to catch it properly in times of emergency are also different. In short, living with an Expedition is a wholly different experience. The sheer size and reputation of the Expedition make it the perfect tool to slice—smash through Philippine traffic. The Expedition brings out an aura of “this car is damned more expensive than your life” enables it to stand clear of any traffic—as if it has an invisible 5-meter radius force field. More than being just a traffic rhino, the reputation of the car as being the choice of the Philippine elite make it the perfect tool to escape the cops, especially after being guilty of minor traffic violations. |
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