The similarities in names also blurs the distinction between these SUVs. Although philosophically rooted in the Explorer, the Expedition borrows heavily from the '97 F-150. Common parts also allowed the Expedition to progress from drawing board to running prototype in only 34 months. For example, Ford engineers knew that the Expedition had to have generous interior room and decent towing capacity to compete with GM, so they realized that four-wheel disc brakes were the best way to stop a big load. But the third seat's best feature is that it weighs only 72 pounds and removes without tools.
Expeditions also have a power point on the dash with another in the console.
Expeditions will have a choice of two Triton V8 engines and two automatic transmissions. Ford's 4R70W four-speed automatic OD will back the 4.6L Triton. A battery-saver feature keeps the battery from draining if lights are inadvertenty left on. Noise and vibration also received a lot of attention, and the components were designed to muffle as much of these side-effects as possible. In 4x4s models, the Expedition has the Control Trac system with Borg-Warner transfer case.