2012 Ford Expedition EL Overview Change Vehicle

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

This is Ford’s answer to the Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon XL. The Expedition EL is basically a stretched version of the standard Expedition, stretched 12 inches between the wheels and a total of 14.8 inches in overall length. That translates into significant gains in cargo area behind the third- and second-row seats.

A new cargo organizer system debuts for 2012, and heated second-row seats are now available in conjunction with the XLT Premium Package. Blind spot side mirrors debut across the model range, while the Limited and King Ranch variants gain front park assist sensors to make it easier to squeeze the big SUV into parking spaces.

Four versions of the 2012 Ford Expedition EL are on sale: XL, XLT, Limited and King Ranch. Each can be equipped with rear- or four-wheel drive.

In reviewing the standard equipment list for the Expedition EL XL, you won’t find any surprising omissions. The usual suspects are present and accounted for, including three rows of seats, air conditioning with rear auxiliary climate controls, power windows, power door locks with remote keyless entry, power heated side mirrors with blind-spotter glass and puddle lamps, cruise control, and a leather-wrapped tilt steering wheel. A stereo with a CD/MP3 player, satellite radio, and an auxiliary audio input jack is standard, as well as MyKey programmable safety features, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and a SecuriCode keyless entry pad affixed to the driver’s door.

Ford keeps the XL model simple with cloth seats, dark tinted privacy glass, black bumpers, black lower body side cladding, black running boards, black mirrors, and a black luggage rack. Dressing things up a bit, a chrome grille, chrome door handles, fog lights, and attractive machined-finish 18-inch aluminum wheels definitely improve the Expedition’s appearance. A Class IV trailer hitch receiver, four-pin wiring harness, and 3.73 rear axle ratio mean the Expedition EL is ready for towing right out of the box.

Even so, Ford offers a Heavy-Duty Trailering Package with a seven-pin wiring harness, heavy-duty radiator and transmission oil cooling, and an electronic trailer brake wiring kit. The Expedition EL is also available with Ford’s Sync wireless communications and entertainment technology, which includes Bluetooth, a USB connection, and 911 Assist service.

As much as we appreciate the Expedition EL XL’s single-minded simplicity and purpose, there is an argument to be made for upgrading to the Expedition EL XLT. It includes Sync, but also comes with a reverse sensing system, power adjustable pedals, a HomeLink universal programmable remote, power rear quarter windows, a message center, and radio controls on the steering wheel. To separate it visually from the base XL model, the XLT gets body-color bumpers and lower body trim, and a shiny chrome exhaust tip.

Another reason to upgrade to the XLT is that it can be equipped with numerous option packages. The Leather Seating Package installs leather along with a 10-way power driver’s seat, a six-way power passenger’s seat, and a PowerFold third-row seat. It is a pre-cursor to the XLT Premium Package, which contains those features plus driver memory settings, dual-zone automatic climate control, fake wood interior trim, a leather-wrapped gearshift knob, a power tailgate, HD Radio, and a 110-volt power outlet. You can tell the XLT Premium apart from other models by its King Ranch-style Pale Adobe lower exterior décor. Ford also offers a Sport Appearance Package with a smoked headlight treatment, a body-color grille, gray lower body and bumper trim, unique interior décor, and a Charcoal Black interior with Silver Smoke inserts.

In addition to these main option packages, the Expedition EL XLT can be outfitted with a navigation system, a power moonroof, power deploying running boards, and side mirrors with integrated turn signal indicators. Heated rear seats and second-row bucket seats are also available, and this model can be upgraded with heated and ventilated front seats upholstered in perforated premium leather. There’s also the Heavy Duty Trailering Package and a Driver Vision Package with rain-sensing wipers and a reversing camera system.

To obtain most of these features as standard equipment, you could just buy the Expedition EL Limited. It includes most of the XLT’s standard and optional features, plus a wood-and-leather steering wheel, front park assist sensors, a premium sound system, a chrome luggage rack, body-color exterior trim, and auto-dimming driver’s side mirror glass. Options are limited to a navigation system, a power moonroof, power deploying running boards, and second-row bucket seats. You can also get a set of 20-inch polished wheels on this model.

The Expedition EL King Ranch is the most expensive variant, and is equipped identically to the Limited model. What makes it special is Chaparral perforated heated and ventilated leather seats, Chaparral leather interior trim, a two-tone Pale Adobe exterior treatment, and numerous King Ranch logos identifying this Expedition EL as the top-of-the-line model. Navigation, a moonroof, rear bucket seats, power running boards, and a set of 20-inch aluminum wheels are options on this model.

Any of the Expedition EL trim levels can be equipped with Ford’s ControlTrac 4WD system. Other upgrades offered across the board include rear DVD entertainment, remote engine starting, and rubber mats for the floors and cargo area.

A 5.4-liter V8 engine making 310 horsepower at 5,100 rpm and 365 pound-feet of torque at 3,600 is standard on every Expedition EL. The V8 is E85-compatible, and drives the rear or all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy ratings are 14-city/20-highway with two-wheel drive and 13/18 with 4WD.

The 2012 Expedition EL’s standard safety equipment roster covers the bases, and then some. The six-airbag package includes Safety Canopy side-curtain airbags protecting all three rows of seats, the four-wheel vented-disc antilock brakes feature brake assist, and the AdvanceTrac traction and stability control system includes Roll Stability Control and Trailer Sway Control.

Additionally, the Expedition EL is equipped with blind-spot side mirrors and an SOS Post Crash Alert system that automatically unlocks the doors, activates the hazard flashers, and sounds the horn when the airbags have been deployed in a crash. The Expedition also features MyKey technology. MyKey allows the SUV’s owner to program certain limits and restrictions, such as a top speed of 80 mph, limited stereo volume, inability to turn off AdvanceTrac, and more.

Ford Sync is standard on all Expedition ELs except the base XL model. When paired to a live cell phone, Sync includes a 911 Assist feature that springs into action when the airbags deploy. Using the paired phone, the vehicle contacts a 911 operator so that you can request assistance if necessary. Even if you can’t communicate, the operator can send help to the Expedition’s exact location. Additional safety-related options include rain-sensing wipers, a reversing camera, and front and rear park assist sensors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have not established crash-test ratings, though the NHTSA does offer guidance in terms of rollover resistance. Expedition ELs with 2WD receive a middling 3-Star rating in this regard. Models with 4WD do better with a 4-Star rating.

Reliability predictions from Consumer Reports and J.D. Power and Associates are nothing to get excited about. Consumer Reports gives the Expedition EL an average reliability prediction, while J.D. Power is slightly less optimistic, rating the Expedition’s likelihood of providing long-term dependability as slightly below average as of 2011.

Though the 2012 Ford Expedition EL features a stretched wheelbase and length, this does not translate into extra passenger space. Most key seating measurements remain the same, though the EL model’s third-row seat offers greater shoulder room. Rather, the Expedition EL’s elongated dimensions translate into extra cargo space compared to a standard Expedition:

• 24 cu-ft of extra space behind the third-row seat, at 42.6 cu-ft

• 30.5 cu-ft of extra space behind the second-row seat, at 85.5 cu-ft

• 22.5 cu-ft of extra space behind the front seats, at 130.8 cu-ft

Oh, and if you’re towing, Ford says the Expedition EL offers the best tow rating in its class at 8,900 pounds. Indeed, that’s 800 pounds more than a Chevy Suburban or GMC Yukon XL.

Another benefit of the Ford Expedition over its rivals from General Motors is its independent rear suspension. With this sophisticated, space-saving approach to suspension design, the Expedition offers better ride and handling characteristics as well as more space for legs and feet in the third-row seat. Also, the third-row seat folds into the floor when it’s not needed. With a Suburban or Yukon XL, the third-row seat needs to be removed from the vehicle and stored in the garage.

New parents will want to know about the CenterSlide feature for the middle section of the second-row seat. Because the seat slides forward 11 inches, this is useful when children are riding in this location because it makes it easier for parents to reach the child from the front seat.

Every Expedition EL is equipped with Ford’s Easy Fuel filling system, which essentially eliminates the need for a gas cap. This speeds vehicle fueling, and means you’ll never lose another fuel cap again.

The 2012 Ford Expedition EL is built in Louisville, Kentucky.

Compared to its chief rivals from Chevrolet and GMC, the Ford Expedition EL carries less cargo but offers passengers greater comfort. It also tows more weight, but gets worse gas mileage. None of these SUVs is serious about going off road, but the Expedition’s independent rear suspension can be as much a liability in that environment as it is a blessing on pavement. Choosing one over another comes down to your individual requirements and preferences.

By Christian Wardlaw