2020 Ford Expedition Platinum MAX
Story By: Kyle Callen
Photos by: Tom Leigh
Looking back at my childhood, some of my best memories are from the open road with my family exploring back roads and national parks in my Dad’s 1973 Ford F-350 with a ten-foot cab-over camper. At the time, I thought I was riding in the lap of luxury with the 390 cubic inch engine roaring off the canyon wall while listening to ZZ Top and AC/DC on cassette tape. What made the set up great was the ability to crawl through the boot and into the camper to take a nap or grab a drink while going down the road. So much has changed in the last 30 years.
I still find that great memories are made on the open road, but now, we are truly in the lap of luxury and honestly, can it get better? The 2020 Ford Expedition Platinum MAX sat in the driveway hooked to the Ramptek with the 2021 Kawasaki KRX 1000 on it, while eight and a half hours to Moab, Utah lay ahead of us. The first impressions of this Expedition were good. The clean and modern exterior styling was much more up my ally from the prior generations of Expeditions. The fit and finish were what we have come to expect out of Ford Motor Company, doors gaps and body lines were spot on, and the small number of chrome accents made the Burgundy Velvet paint pop in a very classy way.
We popped the back hatch to load our gear and with a push of a button, the third-row seating folded flat, giving us more than enough room for our bags, riding gear, and camera equipment. If more space was needed, the second row also folded down with a push of a button, but that space was not needed. The extended wheelbase of the MAX was very noticeable from the outside as well as looking back from the driver’s seat. The interior was very plush and inviting—Ford has come a long way since 1973. The captain’s chairs up front did whatever you wanted them too, or at least it seemed like it. Heated, cooled, very adjustable, and a feature I always appreciate, a built-in massager. Although the second and third-row were not equipped like the front, the seats were still comfortable with ample leg and headroom to cart around six full-sized adults.
The great fit and finish from the exterior extended inside. The massive center console had ample storage for all the road trip snacks and drinks we could ever want. I was a little confused about why the center console was finished in wood grain, when the door panels and dash were trimmed in what looked like brushed aluminum. Someone at Ford put in a lot of work designing the seats, center console, and door panels—and they looked great. Unfortunately, that style did not make it to the dashboard. It looked a little plain, and honestly like they pulled it straight out of the F-150, which I’m betting they did. It is a well thought out and clean dashboard, but is missing the pizzaz the rest of the Expedition had. Unlike Dad’s old 73’ F350, I got out of the Expedition after 500+ miles and was ready for another 500 more.
The 3.5l EcoBoost is a strong running engine, even running through the big mountain passes at 80mph, but I sure miss the raspy low RPM grunt of the V8 motors. With what I would consider a light load hitched to it, the 10-speed trans made shifts flawlessly, keeping the twin-turbo V6 spooled up. In Ford’s defense, the Ecoboost makes 480 ft-lbs of torque but does so with less drama and seemingly more RPMs… For us old V8 and Diesel guys, we don’t like to spin an engine that hard, so it takes some getting used to.
Pulling off the side of the road for a quick pitstop, I ran out of talent and got stuck in some sand. A quick push of a button switching into 4WD Auto, and the Expedition crawled right out. There is no more getting out locking hubs, forcing the transfer case into gear, or any of the old hiccups that came along with 4WD. All of this new technology works great for getting you to a camp spot, pulling a boat out of the water, or just getting unstuck after running out of talent. The Ford Expedition’s impressive technology suite doesn’t just stop with the 4WD. With the collision protection, lane assist, and back-up assistance, this rig was really built for the modern family to hit the road in safety and comfort.
After well over a thousand miles, the 2020 Ford Expedition Platinum Max is a great family truckster. It rides great, it’s comfortable, and it has enough power to move down the road with traffic. Is it my perfect vehicle? No, but it may be the perfect vehicle for the families that want to tow their 4-seat UTV to the trails all around the country, and make lifelong memories of their own.
