2012 Ford Expedition Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 Ford Expedition review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 Expedition, and includes Ford Expedition safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

The Ford Expedition is a full-size, three-row SUV available in standard- or extended-length models, the latter of which is called the Expedition EL and which is covered in a separate review. The Expedition models compete directly with the Chevy Tahoe and Suburban, the GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, the Nissan Armada, and the Toyota Sequoia.

Ford adds blind spot side mirrors as standard equipment on all Expedition models, heated second-row seats are now available when the XLT Premium Package is ordered, and front park assist sensors are now included on Limited and King Ranch models.

There are four different versions of the 2012 Ford Expedition, starting with the base XL model. Highlights from the standard equipment list include power windows, power door locks with remote keyless entry, power heated side blind spot mirrors with approach lighting, cruise control, a leather-wrapped tilt steering wheel, and air conditioning with rear auxiliary climate control. Two rows of cloth seats are included in the base price, along with an auto-dimming rearview mirror, illuminated visor vanity mirrors, and a stereo that includes a CD/MP3 player and an auxiliary audio input jack. Dark tinted rear privacy glass, fog lights, a luggage rack, and running boards are installed on every Expedition XL, and the SUV also includes a Class IV trailer hitch receiver, a four-pin wiring harness, and a 3.31 rear axle ratio. MyKey programmable safety features and a SecuriCode keyless entry keypad pasted to the driver’s door are also a part of the XL trim package.

Ford doesn’t offer many upgrades for the Expedition XL. A third-row seat is optional, as well as satellite radio service and Sync hands-free information and entertainment technology including Bluetooth, a USB connection, and 911 Assist service. A Heavy-Duty Trailering Package is also optional, adding a seven-pin wiring harness, heavy-duty radiator cooling, heavy-duty transmission oil cooling, and an electronic trailer brake wiring kit.

It could be said that the Expedition XL is equipped with everything you need and nothing you don’t, but with its black exterior trim, small 17-inch aluminum wheels, and limited options list, you might want to upgrade to the Expedition XLT. This model includes Sync, satellite radio, and a third-row seat, and adds a reverse sensing system, power adjustable pedals, power rear quarter windows, a HomeLink universal remote, steering wheel audio controls, and a trip computer with message center. The XLT’s appearance is also upgraded with body-color bumpers and lower body trim, a chrome exhaust tip, and 18-inch machined-finish alloys.

Ford allows buyers to upgrade the XLT with numerous option packages. There’s a Sport Appearance Package (gray lower body and bumper trim, body-color grille, smoked headlights, black running boards, Charcoal Black interior with Silver Smoke inserts, unique dash trim), a Leather Seating Package (leather, 10-way power driver’s seat, six-way power front passenger’s seat, PowerFold third-row seat), a Driver Vision Package (reversing camera, rain-sensing wipers), an XLT Premium Package (Leather Package plus dual-zone automatic climate control, HD Radio, driver memory, power tailgate, 110-volt power outlet, woodgrain interior trim, leather-wrapped shift knob, Pale Adobe lower exterior trim), and a Heavy Duty Trailer Tow Package.

Additionally, the Expedition XLT is available with heated and ventilated front seats wrapped in upgraded perforated leather, heated rear seats, second-row bucket seats, a power moonroof, a navigation system, power deploying running boards, and side mirrors with integrated turn signal indicators.

For lots of luxury that’s baked right in, the Expedition Limited is the right choice. In addition to standard Heavy Duty Trailer Towing and Driver Vision Packages, the Limited model includes those perforated leather heated and ventilated front seats plus memory for the driver’s settings, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated second-row seats, a PowerFold third-row seat, and a premium sound system. The cabin is trimmed in fake wood, including the steering wheel, and the Expedition Limited features a rearview camera, a power tailgate, and a 110-volt power outlet. Rain-sensing wipers, front park assist sensors, and body-color side mirrors with turn signal indicators and auto-dimming glass on the driver’s side are also standard, along with smoked headlights, a chrome luggage rack, and body-color running boards.

Options for the Expedition Limited model are, um, limited to a handsome set of 20-inch polished wheels, a navigation system, second-row bucket seats, a power moonroof, and power deploying running boards.

At the top of the Expedition lineup resides the King Ranch, which is equipped similar to the Limited but features unique trim in the form of premium Chaparral perforated heated and ventilated leather seats and interior trim, Pale Adobe painted lower exterior trim, and a plethora of King Ranch badges and logos. Options mimic the Limited model, except the available 20-inch wheels are painted and not polished.

In addition to the options mentioned above, any 2012 Expedition can be equipped with ControlTrac 4WD, a rear entertainment system, remote engine starting, rubber floor and cargo mats, and a 3.73 rear axle ratio.

Ford installs an E85-compatible, 5.4-liter V8 under the hood of every Expedition. It generates 310 horsepower at 5,100 rpm and 365 pound-feet of torque at 3,600 rpm. A six-speed automatic delivers power to the rear or all four wheels, and the Expedition is expected to get 14 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway with two-wheel drive. Add the optional ControlTrac 4WD system and you can expect 13-city/18-highway.

Ford takes safety seriously, and that’s reflected in the Expedition’s standard equipment list. The SUV comes with six airbags, including the company’s Safety Canopy side-curtain airbags, which protect outboard occupants in all three rows of seats. An AdvanceTrac traction and stability control system is also standard, and includes Roll Stability Control and Trailer Sway Control. Four-wheel ventilated-disc antilock brakes with brake assist, blind spot side mirrors, and an SOS Post Crash Alert system that unlocks the doors, activates the hazard flashers, and sounds the horn after an airbag deployment.

Beyond these items, the Expedition features a standard MyKey suite of programmable safety features. For example, the SUV’s owner can program graduated speed warnings and an 80-mph top vehicle speed, can limit the stereo volume to 44-percent of maximum, can defeat the ability to shut off the traction control, and more.

Standard on all models except the Expedition XL, where it is an option, the Ford Sync system offers a 911 Assist feature. In the event of an airbag deployment, 911 Assist automatically dials out for help using a paired cell phone. The operator can then ascertain if the SUV’s occupants need medical assistance, and can send rescuers to the SUV’s exact location. Additional safety features that are available on the 2012 Expedition include a reversing camera, front and rear park assist sensors, and rain-sensing wipers.

Unfortunately, we may never know how the Expedition actually performs in a crash, since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) offer no guidance regarding crashworthiness. The only ratings available pertain to rollover resistance, for which the Expedition 2WD gets a 3-Star rating and the Expedition 4WD gets a 4-Star rating.

Reliability predictions are available for the Expedition. Consumer Reports gives the full-size Ford SUV an average rating for predicted reliability, while J.D. Power and Associates determined that long-term dependability was likely to be slightly below average, according to the market research firm’s most recent assessment.

One big benefit of buying the Ford Expedition is its independent rear suspension. Thanks to this modern, space-saving design, the Expedition offers superior ride and handling characteristics compared to the Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon, as well as a more comfortable third-row seat that folds down into the floor rather than requiring complete removal and storage like the SUVs from General Motors.

The Expedition’s standard second-row bench seat offers a standard CenterSlide feature for the middle section. This is useful when infants are placed in this location, as the seat slides forward 11 inches to make it easier for parents to access the child from the front seat.

The Expedition can swallow 18.6 cubic-feet of cargo with all three rows of seats in use, 55 cu-ft of stuff behind the second-row seat, and is capable of hauling 108.3 cu-ft of whatever you can fit inside with both rear rows of seats folded flat. Ford claims the Expedition offers best-in-class towing capacity at 9,200 pounds.

The Expedition 2WD models have near perfect weight distribution at 49.6/50.4 front-to-rear.

Ford’s Easy Fuel capless fuel filling system is standard on the 2012 Expedition. You never need to worry about losing a gas cap again.

Ford builds the Expedition in Louisville, Kentucky.

Chances are, you’re shopping the Expedition against the Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon siblings, the Nissan Armada, and the Toyota Sequoia. Each of these full-bodied SUVs has its pros and cons, but we’re partial to the Ford Expedition because we find it to be exceptionally comfortable and capable. It’s the details that make the difference, like wide flat door panel sills that are a great place to rest an arm, like the roomy third-row seat that doesn’t ask its occupants to fold their legs up into an uncomfortable position, and features like MyKey, Easy Fuel, front and rear parking assist, power running boards, and others.

By Christian Wardlaw