2013 Ford Expedition

The 2013 Expedition comes in three distinct trims – XLT, Limited and King Ranch. All these three trims come in two drivetrains FWD or AWD. The XLT RWD starts at $40,605, and the XLT AWD comes in at $48,455. The King Ranch RWD starts at $49,450 and the King Ranch AWD kicks off at $51,355. Even the base SUV trim comes with some pretty attractive features. The Limited trim adds more features and the King Ranch is the king of the features.

There are also a few packages available as options. The HD Trailer tow package will offer you a class IV hitch receiver, wiring harness w/ 4-pin & 7-pin connector, etc. The leather seating package will include leather seated trims on the base trim and a 10-way power driver’s seat.

The 201A and 202A and 203A equipment group order codes include climate control, subwoofer, leather-trimmed seats, a power liftgate, pale adobe metallic running boards/bumpers/lower bodyside cladding/wheel lip moldings, leather-wrapped shift knob, and lots of other stuff.

We Recommend

We would recommend you to go with the base XLT trim and add the 201A equipment package. Not only will you be saving money, but you will also be getting the luxury of the higher-level trims too. From leather-wrapped seats to a subwoofer. Everything else will be identical, and this is the best choice to go with.

The 2013 Expedition is powered by a big 5.4L V8 that puts out 310 horses and 365 lb-ft of torque. All the trims are powered by the same engine. Also, the engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Both RWD and AWD are available, with the AWD version being more expensive. The engine produces decent power but it is not the quickest off the line.

The Expedition is not as monstrous to handle as it looks. The ride quality is actually very decent and occupants are comfortable inside. The steering is precise and responsive and even in tight spaces, the vehicle is easy to maneuver and move around. That’s a bonus for a large SUV like this. However, the 2013 Ford Expedition is not among the best performers on the road. It can do 0-60 MPH in 8.9 seconds and the quarter-mile in a long 16.4 seconds. Those are typically not considered the fastest. The towing capacity is around 9,200 lbs; which is pretty good but among the best either.

The Toyota Sequoia sports the most powerful engine in the bunch with a ton of power that translates pretty well on the road. As a result, it is also the quickest. Meanwhile, the Ford is actually the slowest of the bunch. It also has the least horses out of the four.

The 2013 Expedition sips fuel like a thirsty kid. It is not very economical, and you wouldn’t even expect an SUV like this to be. The 2WD version gets 14 MPG in the city, 20 MPG on the highway and 16 MPG on combined driving. The 4WD version will drop the figures, for 13 MPG for the city, 18 MPG for the highway and 15 MPG for combined driving.

The fuel tank capacity is 28 gallons and this will net you a range of 560 miles on the highway. The 4WD will obviously offer you a lesser range, at 504 miles for the same.

The 2013 Expedition gets about the same range as the Yukon. However, the Chevrolet Suburban comes with the largest tank, which allows it to have the highest range among all four. The Sequoia is a combination of both low efficiency and lesser fuel gas tank size which puts it at the lower end of the spectrum.

The 2013 Expedition was made to be luxurious and opulent. Its interior will certainly attract you. With a rather boxy and rugged look, the materials used are high-quality. However, there are certain cheap plastic bits that downplay the overall quality. The base trim is standard with cloth upholstery, while the Limited comes with leather upholstery. The King Ranch offers Chaparral leather which takes things even further. With a rectangular dashboard, the buttons and dials are also laid out in an ergonomic fashion.

The base trim will offer a 6-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with manual lumbar and recline. The passenger’s seat is manual too. The steering wheel is leather-wrapped. However, you can upgrade to 10-way power-adjustable leather seats with the equipment package. The Limited offers perforated leather and the King Ranch offers chaparral leather 10-way heated and cooled power-adjustable front seats with driver memory. The second-row seats are also heated. There is also plenty of space, in all three rows, offering a very roomy cabin.

The Ford offers 18.6 cubic feet behind the third row, which is decent enough for all your daily tasks. With the power-folding third row, you get 55 cubic feet of storage. The second-row folds in 40/20/40-split and you get 108.3 cubic feet of total storage, which is massive. The Expedition sports the roomiest cabin for passengers, especially in the third row; while the Yukon offers the worst. The Chevrolet Suburban is the king of cargo capacity with huge amounts of space, even behind the third row. In terms of luxury, the Expedition has the following features up its sleeve:

• Chaparral perforated leather heated and cooled front seats
• Driver seat memory
• Heated second-row seats
• Chaparral leather and simulated wood center console
• Leather-wrapped heated steering wheel
• Chaparral leather door trim

How intuitive is the 2013 Ford Expedition’s infotainment system?

The infotainment system in the 2013 Expedition is pretty typical with AM/FM radio, CD/MP3 player, a sound system with 6-speakers, and aux input jack standard across all trims. The infotainment system is Ford’s SYNC with voice-activated commands. It also features Bluetooth, USB ports, 911 assist, vehicle health reports, turn-by-turn navigation, real-time traffic and AppLink. SIRIUS satellite radio is also a nice addition. The King Ranch has a premium 6-speaker audio system. Some standout infotainment features:

• SYNC voice-activated infotainment system
• AppLink
• 6-speaker audio system
• USB ports
• Turn-by-turn navigation
• AM/FM radio
• Sirius satellite radio
• Bluetooth

The 2013 Ford Expedition sports a brawny look. It looks like it’s ready for business and offers a stately stance. The brawny and subdued look of the SUV makes it easily recognizable. The front fascia has two large halogen headlights, with the big chrome grille in between them. Horizontal chrome bars move across the grille. There are fog lamps too on the front. From the side, the gigantic size of the SUV is not hidden, and the Expedition looks pretty stylish too. 

From the rear, it looks fairly normal, with two taillights far on either end and the massive glass at the back. However, it only comes with a single chrome exhaust. The King Ranch has specific King Ranch branding on it to distinguish itself from the others. This massive American SUV rides on 18” machined aluminum wheels.

The Chevrolet Suburban has the longest wheelbase and that is why it has the biggest cargo capacity. The Yukon has the smallest. The Toyota Sequoia is the heaviest, while the Expedition strikes a nice balance between everything. The 2013 Ford Expedition is the tallest of the lot, and some of its standout exterior features are:

• Double wishbone front suspension
• Multi-link rear suspension
• Single chrome exhaust
• 18” machined aluminum wheels
• Halogen dual reflector headlamps
• Heated power-folding mirrors

When it comes to safety, the 2013 Expedition is good enough. However, it is not among the best. NHTSA gives it a 4-star overall safety rating. It especially falters when it comes to the front-side crash rating. Unfortunately, IIHS has not tested and rated the Expedition. When it comes to the features on offer, the 2013 Ford Expedition comes with all the features you would expect an SUV at this range to come with. Some standout safety features:

• AdvanceTrac
• Safety Canopy airbag system
• Reverse sensing system
• Rear-view camera
• Forward sensing system
• MyKey system
• SOS post-crash alert system
• Tire pressure monitoring system

The 2013 Ford Expedition is an amazingly practical family vehicle for everyone with a big family. The Expedition’s true weakness is revealed by its sluggish powertrain and its terrible fuel economy. However, if you can move past that, you will find a luxurious and extremely roomy interior. It also has a decent infotainment system and a good set of safety features. A great package if you do not chase performance.