Big Ford Expedition is a smooth highway cruiser

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews also can be seen in the Northern & Central California Cruisin’ News magazine published monthly out of Folsom, California.

Sacramento, California -- A Ford Expedition sitting in the driveway is the picture of intimidation ... big, broad and seemingly in need of two drivers to have complete control of it.

But such thoughts are dismissed after driving about 100 yards down the roadway.  That was my experience in the tested 2020 Ford Expedition Platinum 4X2, which operated in quiet, silky smoothness during my time behind the wheel.  For such a large vehicle, it drove pleasingly small.

Turning this full-size sport-utility vehicle into a buttery driver was no small feat.  Kudos to Ford engineers.

Generally speaking, I'm not a big fan of big SUVs, but this Expedition grew on me in a hurry.  I could easily envision myself taking it cross country and back, loaded with gear for outdoor destinations and yet agile enough to weave through crowded city streets.

My ride -- priced at a hefty $75,925 on the sticker's bottom line -- was generously loaded with just about everything one would need for such an ambitious road trip.

Seats can be heated, power folded and maneuvered for various passenger/cargo comforts.  State-of-the-art safety features added to my feelings of on-road security.

Perks included automatic LED lighting, a panoramic vista roof, power/heated/folding exterior mirrors, power-deployed running boards (a seriously beneficial help for stepping up into the driver's seat), power-adjustable pedals, power tilt/telescoping steering wheel, a voice-activated navigation system and contemporary entertainment systems.

Yes, pretty impressive.  One other bonus on the safety front: multiple max five-star federal government safety ratings, including the overall vehicle score.

The guts of the smooth Expedition drive is a 3.5-liter, 375-horsepower V-6 matched to a seamless 10-speed automatic transmission.  Accelerations in the tester were surprisingly swift, but my favorite part was opening up the Expedition on the freeway climbing into the Sierra Nevada high country.  The vehicle seemed totally at home in this environment, and it was a pleasure to experience the simple joy of driving in this well-engineered SUV.

So, what's not to like?  Fuel mileage, I suppose.  The tester came in at only 17 miles per gallon in the city and a so-so 23 mpg on the highway.

Other than that, the Expedition shapes up as one of the most impressive large SUVS in the U.S. marketplace.  Full-size sport-utes aren't everybody's cup of tea.  But if you're in the market for one, the Expedition checks most of the positive boxes.