Friend of TTAC Connie Peters has just driven the 2025 Ford Expedition King Ranch. Her thoughts are below.
With 400 horsepower and seating for seven, this one is living large.
With a price tag to match.
Connie Peters is an automotive video creator and journalist covering all types of cars and trucks for the past 10 years in suburban Vancouver. You can watch all of her videos on her YouTube channel or find here on social media: Instagram.com/xoconniepeters , TikTok.com/@xoconniepeters, Facebook.com/xoconniepeters, Threads.net/@xoconniepeters
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Transcript:
This is the 2025 Ford Expedition. I was at both the studio reveal and the first drive event, and I’ll link those videos below since they feature different trims. That one was the Platinum Stealth Package Max, which is longer and has its own styling and powertrain differences.
The one here is the King Ranch—the most luxurious trim in the Expedition lineup. It gets unique styling details, including special wheels, King Ranch badging, and high-end brown leather throughout the interior. It’s meant to have a bit of a country feel.
For 2025, the Expedition gets a new grille, new lighting, and a split tailgate design. I’ve been driving this one for a few days—doing school drop-offs, grocery runs, and using features like the cameras, parking assist, and Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free system. BlueCruise hardware comes standard, but activation costs about $2,000 in the U.S. or $1,000 in Canada.
This King Ranch color is a premium paint option and looks great. Towing capacity is up to 9,600 pounds, with the hitch tucked neatly underneath. Every Expedition now gets a blacked-out rear panel between the taillights, which some people find polarizing, but I think it adds character. The rear wiper is tucked under the spoiler, and there are tailgating lights built into the hatch.
The new split gate is a clamshell-style tailgate that adds flexibility for loading and unloading. It doesn’t include the optional picnic table on this particular model, but I demonstrated that setup in my earlier videos. One thing I like about this new tailgate is that it keeps groceries from rolling out when you open it—something I learned the easy way after a big shopping trip.
You can fold the third row seats from the rear with power controls, and they go completely flat. There’s also a 12-volt outlet, two USB-C ports, a household plug, and multiple tie-down points. The third row has tethers for three car seats.
The Platinum with the Stealth Performance and Appearance Packages adds a more aggressive setup: a high-performance engine, high-flow exhaust, blacked-out grille and badges, 22-inch wheels with red brake calipers, and a black roof. The interior switches to Onyx leather. As tested, this one costs about $114,000 Canadian, or roughly $85,000 USD.
The steering wheel takes some getting used to—its shape is unconventional, and the capacitive-touch controls aren’t my favorite. BlueCruise, though, is excellent. It engages automatically on mapped highways, and you can change lanes by tapping the turn signal. The system uses an attention monitor to make sure you’re alert.
Inside, there’s Ford’s new Digital Experience infotainment system with built-in Google apps, along with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It’s quick and responsive. The cabin has tri-zone climate control, a “fireplace” display, and a massive digital instrument cluster that can show widgets like navigation, fuel economy, and towing information.
The King Ranch trim adds wood accents, premium stitching, and a wireless charging pad. There are trailer controls, large cupholders, and a deep storage bin in the center console. The B&O sound system spans the entire dash and sounds great. I do wish it had a digital rearview mirror—it feels like a miss on a vehicle this large.
In the second row, the captain’s chairs are real leather and very comfortable. Rear passengers get heated seats, their own climate controls, household and USB-C outlets, and storage pockets. The 22-speaker B&O system sounds fantastic throughout the cabin, and the panoramic sunroof adds a lot of light. Some trims offer a bench seat here, increasing capacity to eight passengers.
Getting into the third row is easy thanks to the tilt-and-slide second-row seats. The third row is genuinely adult-sized—plenty of headroom and good leg support. There are USB-C ports on both sides, vents, cupholders, and child seat anchors. In total, there are around a dozen USB-C ports throughout the cabin.
This is a full-time third row, comfortable for long trips. The King Ranch interior color is called Mesa Del Rio—a soft but durable brown leather that fits the trim’s theme well. Front seats are heated and ventilated.
Pricing starts at just under $84,000 CAD (about $62,000 USD). In Canada, all models are 4×4, while U.S. buyers can still choose 2WD. This top King Ranch model sits around $110,000 CAD or $89,000 USD, both including the BlueCruise system.
If you spend time commuting or road-tripping, BlueCruise is well worth activating—it’s one of the best semi-autonomous systems available. Let me know what you think of the new Expedition King Ranch, and check out my other videos for comparisons with the other trims. You can find me on social media at XOC Connie Peters.
