It’s hard to believe that this generation Expedition has been on sale for a couple of years now. We first sampled an Expedition Max Platinum in the spring of 2018, he not too much has changed since then. That being said, we had a beach trip planned with three people and two dogs. This seemed like a great time to get to know the newest trim level, the King Ranch.

As stated, the King Ranch trim is new for 2020. It offers the typical accoutrements that you’d expect from such a legendary nameplate; 22 inch wheels, Del-Rio leather, bronze trim accent pieces in the grille, and King Ranch badges inside and out are all standard affair. The trusty 3.5L Ecoboost V6 is under the hood still, though making a little less power than the Platinum trim level, at 375 horsepower. You don’t really notice this change, but it is worth mentioning. Over our trip, we noticed nearly 20mpg from the behemoth, which is even more note worthy.

Standard on the Expedition for 2020, Ford includes previously optional equipment such as auto high-beam headlights, Blind Spot Information System with Cross Traffic Alert, and Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking. All of these are welcome on such a large vehicle, especially the blind spot information. On the highway, the Expedition is very quiet, composed, and comfortable. We had plenty of space for stretching out amongst the first two rows.p, and with the third row folded we easily accommodated all the luggage and beach necessities. The Bang and Olufsen sound system is great, and Sync is just as easy to use as ever. When you get in town, the sheer size of the Expedition, especially in this Max trim, comes into play. The surround view cameras are excellent, and allows that the driver to tell how close they are to the curb.

After a couple of years, we still love the Expedition. It’s combination of civility and practicality are unmatched from what we’ve driven. We have yet to drive the new GM siblings, but once we do we can update this post with our findings.

-Scott Villeneuve