2003 Ford Expedition

But even with such technology, accidents happen. The Expedition can be equipped with tire-pressure monitors, a Safety Canopy System with rollover sensor that has side-curtain air bags that can stay inflated for as long as six seconds in a rollover situation, and front airbags that work with front seat-track sensors to adjust deployment to the driver's size and position. Another optional feature is a reverse sensing system that uses sonar and radar technology to alert the driver of obstacles when the transmission is in reverse. Rear-view mirrors also are larger on all 2003 Expeditions.

Inside, the 2003 Expedition is even more driver-friendly: Switchgear has been refined, foot pedals are power adjustable, and the parking brake has been moved for added comfort.

The interior can be configured to seat as many as nine people in three rows. The second and third rows fold flat if you need to carry cargo instead of passengers. The cargo area also is 1.3 inches wider than on the 2002 model. The third-row seat has a power-fold option in the 2003 Eddie Bauer edition. Whether manual or power, the third-row seat sits above a floor that is nine inches lower under the third-row passenger's feet than in the 2002 Expedition. The third row now provides 36.3 inches of legroom compared to 27 inches for the '02 model. Headroom also increases by more than three inches. Equip any Expedition with a second-row bench-style seat and the center section can slide forward nearly 11 inches, to give the driver or front-seat passenger easier access to a young child sitting in that center position.


The interior also features satin-steel finish trim, standard adjustable pedals, reclining second-row seats and such options as Premium leather trim seating surfaces, climate-controlled (heated and cooled) front seats, an in-dash six-CD changer, navigation radio system (for the first time in any Ford) and DVD-based rear seat entertainment systems, a power moonroof and rear quarter-panel windows.


Exterior styling retains traditional SUV lines. That said, one Ford designer describes the new Expedition as going from last year's "soft, melted potato biomorphic shapes" to "leaner, more linear" lines.

17-inch wheels are now standard?and the track is more than 1.6 inches wider, yet front ride height is lower. Exterior side-view mirrors also are larger on all 2003 Expeditions.

At 66.9 inches in front and 67.2 in the rear, the track is more than 1.6 inches wider and the vehicle rides on larger 17-inch wheels. Yet the front ride height is lower, though the leading edge of the hood is four inches higher. Work on the computer and in the wind tunnel give the vehicle a more wind-cheating coefficient of drag.