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 While SUV reviews are not the usual content at V8TV, we have been seeking candidates to pull our enclosed car hauler around in comfort. The King Ranch certainly qualifies. There's a phrase they use in the Lone
Star State
to describe large things: Texas-sized. If ever any SUV lived up to that
description, it would be the Ford Expedition King Ranch, because not only does
it weigh a bit over 6100 pounds and easy to get insurance quotes , it also has a
cabin big enough to really be your mobile home on the range, or on the road.
 Inside the 2008 Ford Expedition King Ranch you'll find that
the options include Chaparral leather upholstery, a rearview mirror with an
integrated video screen for backing up, and a third row of seats that comes
with a power-folding feature that combines with the cargo mode setting for the
middle row of seats (captain's chairs, not a bench) to give you ample hauling
space with not much more than the push of a button and the pull of a lever. Other
options include powered, retractable running boards, a handy feature when
driving (and parking) your SUV in cities where curbs may or may not have
standard heights. It also comes standard with dual front and front-side
airbags, as well as side curtain airbags for the front and middle row.
Under the hood of the King Ranch you'll find a 5.4 liter V-8
engine that offers a surprisingly slim 300 hp considering the weight of the
vehicle, but with 365 pounds-feet of torque, vented disc brakes on all four
wheels, and a six-speed automatic transmission, accelerating from zero to 60 is
pretty much effortless. Four-wheel drive is optional, with rear-wheel drive the
default on this version of the Ford Expedition, while
stability and traction control systems are standard.
 While the engine is sturdy, and the cabin luxurious, the
Ford Expedition King Ranch does have its flaws. One is the layout of the
instrument panel which Motor Trend refers to as
"retro just to be retro" and
The Truth About Cars compared
to the eyes of a cow, because of the extreme expanse of space between the MPH
and RPM dials. (Reviewers from both publications were also less than happy with
the power steering.) As well, many
critics have picked on the fact that the optional rear-view camera mentioned
above is a necessary add-on, because of poor visibility overall. On the
up-side, this SUV does have a towing capacity of 9,000 pounds.
Fuel economy of the 2008 Ford Expedition King Ranch is also
a detractor from the overall picture of this car. It averages just 12 mpg in the
city, and 18 on open highway.
With a base MSRP of $47,695at your new car dealer, the King Ranch Expedition is
slightly less expensive than competitors like the Chevy Tahoe and Toyota
Sequoia, and even fully loaded it comes to about $4k less than either.
» 3 Comments
3Comment
at Thursday, 10 April 2008 15:31
I'd stick with a Canyonero. It's endorsed by a clown.
What more could want?
2Comment
at Thursday, 10 April 2008 14:33
That would be killer...
1Comment
at Wednesday, 09 April 2008 20:21
Why not buy a Canyonero?
http://youtube.com/watch?v =RoPon3xuCjE
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