The right vehicle for the job
The holidays are a busy time, and that’s even more true when you have to drive hundreds of miles with a wife, three kids, luggage, and a buttload of gifts for in-laws and cousins. Fortunately, the trip coincided with my review of the recently refreshed 2026 Ford Expedition. The trip would expose nearly everything one of the most successful full-sized body-on-frame three-row SUVs made today. Long highway stretches, overloaded cargo areas, passengers in every row, and hours spent behind the wheel.
The Expedition has always been about space and power. The refresh gave it a larger and more robust tech suite, a new steering wheel shape, and improved storage options. The Stealth Performance Package adds subtle attitude and serious output that bumps the Expedition’s power from 400 horsepower to 440. It also increases torque from 480 lb-ft to 510.
My test vehicle was a Platinum with the Stealth Performance Package. The base price was $74,430 with $7,540 worth of options and a $1,995 destination charge for a grand total of $83,965. Loaded with people and presents, this understated beast did 500+ miles without blinking. Here’s my honest review.
Exterior and interior styling – 8.5/10
Amos Kwon
When Ford refreshed the Expedition for 2025, it increased the size of the grille but reduced the complexity of its styling. The front end looks just as bold but more cohesive, and the Stealth Appearance Package on my test vehicle gives the Expedition a presence that immediately sets it apart from standard trims. Blacked-out exterior trim, dark wheels, and subtle badging tone down the usual chrome-heavy luxury SUV look and replace it with something more purposeful. It still looks large because it is large, but the overall look is more subtle.
Amos Kwon
The boxy Expedition benefits from the black pillars, black mirror caps, and darker wheels. The body lines are clean, the stance is upright, and the overall design errs on the side of restraint versus the common tendency for automakers to adorn with faux vents, too many creases, and strange trim bits that look out of place. The Glacier Gray metallic paint contrasts nicely with the stealthy black trim pieces. The large gloss black portion of the liftgate, however, looks strange and comes off as the automotive equivalent of Mr. Terrific from DC Comics. It would’ve been better with a body-colored version. It looks out of place and ruins the view.
Amos Kwon
Amos Kwon
Amos Kwon
The interior of the Expedition is radically different from what it was before the refresh, giving more of an EV vibe than that of a full-sized body-on-frame SUV. It’s attractive but strange. Slick but overly minimalist. Most noticeable are the standard 24-inch panoramic digital instrument cluster that spans half of the dash and the new oval steering wheel that’s necessary to keep the instrument cluster properly in view. The upper half of the dashboard is deeply sculpted to make room for the big instrument cluster and to house some of the B&O premium audio system’s speakers.
Amos Kwon
The rounded front portion of the dash looks very un-SUV-like, as do the curved HVAC vents. The rotary shift knob, audio knob, and some functions like auto stop/start controls are parked on a piano black panel beneath the center screen. The Expedition’s deeply scalloped and rounded dash really looks like nothing else in the segment, although the large screens follow the same path as the Cadillac Escalade and the Lincoln Navigator.
Amos Kwon
The rest of the interior is attractive and uses high-grade materials like textured metallic surfaces on the trim, soft perforated leather with contrast stitching, and quality plastics that don’t look cheap. The layout is clean and attractive, taking the Expedition to the next level stylistically. Ford did a solid job of giving the Expedition’s cabin a next-generation look, although some of the tech and ergonomics are questionable when it comes to real-world usage.
Technology and comfort – 8/10
Amos Kwon
As good as the tech suite looks, it can be very frustrating to use. The first thing you notice is the painfully minimalist steering wheel controls. The left side is for BlueCruise and other driver assist tech, while the right is for audio. That’s not readily apparent, and it makes you wonder if you’ve ejected a passenger by accident after pushing one of the pads.
They’re more like video game D-pads than steering wheel controls. They throw up control icons on the instrument display, and using them requires practice and a lot of it. I found myself driving at highway speeds, trying to figure out which icons were what. Once I figured them out, I had trouble activating them with the steering wheel pad. This is not a recipe for driving focus.
Amos Kwon
Amos Kwon
Amos Kwon
Amos Kwon
Other issues, like vehicle headlight controls on the screen, were annoying and stupid. Their usual location, to the left of the steering wheel on the dashboard, was occupied by the drivetrain controls. On top of that, the climate controls are all on-screen only. Seat heat/ventilation and steering wheel heat require a secondary control screen that pops up after you touch the lower screen controls, and the icons are painfully small.
The instrument display is beautifully expansive, but Ford didn’t make great use of the real estate. Some of the data is too small and spread out. I also very much disliked one navigation map on the display while another one was running on the center screen.
Amos Kwon
Noise isolation is very good. Road noise, wind noise, and tire hum are well managed, even at 75 mph. Conversations are easy, music sounds full, and the cabin is relatively peaceful (with three kids). This becomes especially important on a holiday trip when patience can run thin.
The front seats are very wide and accommodating. My 6-foot, 200-lb frame was comfortable for three straight hours in the saddle. I felt like I could gain 50 pounds of holiday weight and still feel great. Bolstering, especially in the backrest, is very good. The seat cushion, even without an extendable bolster, is plenty long for tall adults and spreads out the pressure nicely.
Amos Kwon
Amos Kwon
Amos Kwon
Amos Kwon
The second-row Captain’s chairs are also quite nice. They’re similarly wide, supportive, and well-cushioned, just like the front seats. The third row is good for adults, but only if you recline the backrests, which is easy. Sit too upright, and 6-footers will scrape their heads on the roof. The upward angle of the seat cushion also makes you feel like you’re in a stadium. Put a tall adult behind another one in the second row, and things get snug.
Storage and cargo are voluminous. The center console is ingenious. The top portion is powered, so you can move the top portion (cupholders/charging deck/armrest) back to reveal a cavernous storage binnacle. Door pockets in all four doors are ample. The split tailgate is wonderful, and every large SUV should have this feature. The Expedition’s cargo dimensions are 36.1 cubic feet behind the third row, 75.4 behind the second row, and 123.1 with seats folded flat, which you can accomplish via rear buttons mounted just inside the cargo hold. I threw a huge duffel bag, two rollers, three backpacks, a laptop bag, and boxes upon boxes of gifts.
Amos Kwon
Finally, the level of comfort was notched a level higher by the Expedition’s driving assist technology. I cannot overstate the impressive workings of the BlueCruise hands-free driving assist system. It manages long-haul driving effortlessly. Set the speed and distance to the vehicle in front, and BlueCruise manages sweeping turns and even lane changes with ease. I kept my hands off the wheel for many miles without interruption (in spite of protests from my alarmed wife). I’ve done this drive to my in-laws dozens of times over the years, and the system reduced fatigue noticeably.
The driving experience – 8.0/10
Amos Kwon
The Stealth Performance Package transforms how the Expedition feels under your right foot. Acceleration is strong and immediate, even with a full load of passengers and cargo. 0-60 comes in 5.5 seconds, making the Expedition with the Stealth Performance Package feel worth the $6+ grand added to the already pricey Platinum trim. Merging onto the highway at 70 mph is effortless with tons of power on tap, and the twin-turbo V6 feels more like a V8, never wanting for gumption.
Amos Kwon
Despite its size, the Expedition remains surprisingly easy to drive. Steering is light and accurate, making lane changes and parking lot maneuvers far less stressful than you might expect. Turns, however, showcase the Expedition’s heft. It’s not the body roll that does it, but the sheer momentum of this tall and weighty SUV becomes apparent in esses and corners. Visibility is good for a full-size SUV, helped by large mirrors and a commanding seating position.
Amos Kwon
Ride quality strikes the right balance. It did a great job of managing large bumps and gaps, and it doesn’t even have an air suspension system. The combination of springs and adaptive damper suspension handles rough pavement and expansion joints without harshness, yet the body remains controlled at highway speeds. The brakes, however, are a bit too grabby at the beginning of the process. It was noticeable when first engaging the brakes, especially at lower speeds.
Fuel economy is not the Expedition’s strongest suit, especially with the Stealth Performance Package. I was able to eke out 22.5 mpg with about 90 percent of the driving occurring on the highway at speeds of over 65 mph. That said, it is reasonable given the size, power, and capability on offer. On a holiday road trip, the trade-off feels acceptable in exchange for effortless performance and reduced driver stress.
Final verdict – 8/10
The 2026 Ford Expedition Platinum with the Stealth Performance Package proves that a full-size SUV can deliver power without sacrificing comfort or usability. I welcomed the additional power during an hours-long road trip under full load. This is a capable SUV, made more so by the option to bump up the power. It focuses on making long-distance travel easier, quieter, and less tiring for everyone on board. The tech suite looks great, but there are some demerits for user-friendliness that were sacrificed for appearances.
The Stealth Performance Package adds confidence and capability, but the Expedition’s real strength remains its comfort, space, and road-trip composure. If your idea of a holiday trip involves full seats, full cargo, and long miles between stops, the 2026 Ford Expedition Platinum with the Stealth Performance Package delivers.
About the author
Amos Kwon
Contributing Writer, Autoblog