My wife and I are expecting a baby and need to upgrade her Acura to something larger and more family-friendly. I drive a 2014 F-150 King Ranch, which has been great aside from some transmission and 4WD issues. I’ve never owned a Ford SUV, so I’m wondering how reliable the powertrain and overall build quality are in the Explorer. Would the Expedition be a better option?
Expeditions are basically F-150s with independent rear suspension. If you like your truck, you’ll probably like the Expedition. The newer Explorers are more rugged than the previous generation, but the old body-on-frame models were tanks. Overall, Ford SUVs have had fairly reliable powertrains.
We own an Expedition, and it’s been fantastic. It’s essentially an F-150 underneath, so it’s durable. We’ll likely buy another one soon. Explorers are nice too, especially the ST model, but Expeditions are better if you want more space and towing capability.
If you’re buying new, either should be fine. I got my wife a 2015 Explorer in 2018 with 90k miles, and we had some significant issues not long after. It made me lose trust in Ford’s unibody SUVs. If you want durability, I’d recommend going with the Expedition.
Have you considered sticking with Acura? The MDX or RDX could be solid upgrades while maintaining reliability.
I bought a 2020 Explorer a month ago, and it’s already spent 3 weeks back at the dealership with a transmission issue. Ford’s 10-speed transmission is turning into a major headache for many owners. Also, watch out for double moonroof leaks in the 2020 and 2021 models. Definitely do some research before deciding.