when it comes to hauling family and cargo there's nothing better than a
seven passenger three row SUV we're here just outside Phoenix Arizona where we've
brought some of the biggest and best and newest SUVs to put in head-to-head
competition we brought four twenty eighteen models
starting with the Chevy Tahoe rst the Ford Expedition limited the Nissan
Armada platinum reserve and the Toyota Sequoia TRD sport after spending
extended time with each vehicle and logging many miles to the Tonto National
Forest we got our judges together tally their scores and are declaring the
winner to be the 2018 Ford Expedition here's why our judges liked the more
stylish look of the new expedition along with the fact that it was our biggest 3
row competitor in this challenge of course that kind of size directly
translates into impressive amounts of second and third row legroom as well as
massive amounts of rear cargo space with a very cool push button fold flat third
row and we like that Ford included a set of USB ports for every passenger in this
vehicle and it also provides a slick sliding 2nd row captains chair that
delivers easy access to the third row even with a baby seat installed
additionally we really like the newly tuned front and rear independent
suspension that produced a well-balanced feel both around town and during our
highway drives but the standout feature for most of us was a 375 horsepower 470
pound-feet of torque twin turbo v6 where the competitors had
big v8s ford's more efficient EcoBoost engine generates more torque than
anything in this class but as nice as the rumbling EcoBoost
might be quite possibly an even more impressive piece of technology is the
rest of the drivetrain meaning the all-new super smart 10 speed
transmission and terrain management system now this system gives the driver
the power to choose between seven unique driving modes that will change the gear
shifts the throttle response traction control the all-wheel drive system and
much more you can choose between eco sport Tahoe mud and rats and grass
gravel and snow and normal we found that with each setting you'll think you've
just completely changed your expedition's personality in the end
whether driving empty around tight neighborhood streets or hauling a full
load of gear and a 3,500 pound camper trailer into the mountains
the expedition did it all without a moment of hesitation or ever feeling
like it was working too hard in second place and definitely the surprise of our
test the Armada does a great job with interior quality and passenger comfort
unfortunately the nav screen and other multimedia details fall well short of
the competition interestingly the Armada offered the best gross vehicle weight
and payload numbers but seemed to struggle the most when loaded and towing
and as a consequence lost some valuable points with our judges coming in third
place was the Tahoe our Sport Package the rst
was a little too one-dimensional for us and we still have a few quality issues
to pick with GM on their interiors on the plus side we all like the extra
Rumble and towing power that brawny 6.2 liter v8
the multimedia system also packed in some nice touches and was well
integrated into the overall interior theme and rounding out the final spot in
our competition the Sequoia finishes in last place certainly the oldest player
in this contest the Sequoia interior does offer quite a bit of roominess but
the material choices quality issues and driving dynamics empty or loaded are
really showing their age however it is worth noting as a consequence of its age
there's some really great deals out there to be had if you need a large
family hauler although finishing in fourth place
this was our valued player of the contest in the end our judges were very
impressed with all the big and small details that the Ford engineers have
packed into this new expedition for more judges impressions details about each of
these trucks and full photo galleries head on over the cars
you