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NAPA AUTO NEWS: 2020 Ford Expedition MAX King Ranch Review by Mark Fulmer +VIDEO


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Big is Beautiful

By Mark Fulmer
The Auto Channel


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If ever there was an SUV that had enough room for our family of seven that included my sister Lindsay who on our summer road/camping trip decided to bring her entire stuffed animal collection, the King Ranch Expedition would have worked like a charm. The King Ranch is back after a five year furlough to fill out the mix of seven trims in position number 2 behind the the Platinum MAX.


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The King Ranch is named after the cattle ranch in Texas which at 1289 square miles is America's largest - and with second and third rows flattened the cavernous interior can hold a massive amount of equipment or even a few Aerobed mattresses.


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The ride is truely remarkable – the Del Rio leather covered seats keep you comfortable even on dirt roads with the help of the suspension damping system which smooths out potholes and other annoying rough surfaces. When driving in Sport mode the system tightens up improved cornering.


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The aluminum-block 3.5L twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 may sound small for a vehicle this size, but it's not. The relatively light aluminum body and chassis and the twin turbos result in plenty of acceleration from this powerplant. The 10-speed automatic transmission Upshifts and downshifts transparently.


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Features abound: climate control for all three rows, heated and cooled front seats, heated steering wheel, heated second-row seats, heated steering wheel – Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, six USB ports, wireless charging, digital gauge cluster, pro trailer back-up assist and a 110V outlet.


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The hidden but deployable running boards are a favorite of my family and make a world of difference when it comes to entering and exiting the Expedition. And, most importantly, they make you look good when you enter and exit.

Driving and safety features include:

360 degree camera with front and back washer

Active park assist

Adaptive cruise control and lane keeping

Blind spot with cross traffic alert

LED headlamps and fog lamps

Pre-collision assist and emergency braking

Blind spot with cross traffic alert


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I must leave you with this cautionary message: Don't trust your eyes and ears to determine the speed you are going. When you're driving the Expedition at 70 mph, it will look to you like you're doing 45, and there's so little engine/road noise that won't help either. The adaptive cruise control for freeway driving works great.