2018 Expedition in Camo

[buddysystem]

I agree that the Expy needs to be softened for the intended market. Look at the high percentage of women driving Suburbans? Mom drives them all week with the kiddies and Dad gets to drive them on weekends for chores.

Edited October 22, 2015 by buddysystem

[akirby]

i agree, but I don't think it will put a huge dent in Yuhoe sales either way. Yuhoe buyers seem to be very brand loyal.

[bzcat]

i agree, but I don't think it will put a huge dent in Yuhoe sales either way. Yuhoe buyers seem to be very brand loyal.

 

Which is fine. Ford will do pretty well just holding on existing Expedition owners and the handful of Explorer owners that want to up-size. The segment as a whole is not really growing but existing owners are not downsizing or switching vehicle types en-mass like midsize SUV owners (that switched to CUVs).

 

The real action will be over at the Lincoln dealers... Navigator has under performed and there is a lot of profit to be mined there.

[caustic]

I like it sharing the front end of the F150, I have't liked the F150 front end in a long time but the 2015 looks like a stout tough truck, the ass end of that Expy looks terrible though.

 

Showed it to the wife, "it's sexy, I want one, is that a 2016?".

 

She looked genuinely bummed when I said 17 or 18.

Edited October 23, 2015 by caustic

[akirby]

I like it sharing the front end of the F150, I have't liked the F150 front end in a long time but the 2015 looks like a stout tough truck, the ass end of that Expy looks terrible though.

Showed it to the wife, "it's sexy, I want one, is that a 2016?".

She looked genuinely bummed when I said 17 or 18.

Sorry to burst her bubble but that's probably not the production front end.

[rmc523]

The ass end of that Expy looks terrible though.

 

That's because that's the back end of the current model tacked on the mule.....

[rmc523]

Sorry to burst her bubble but that's probably not the production front end.

Also to be fair, I doubt the final version is going to be some bubble jello curvy look. I think It'll still be muscular, but just more refined and fitting for a SUV.

[caustic]

Sorry to burst her bubble but that's probably not the production front end.

I know, that's too bad reshaping the ass end to fit more with the front and it's almost perfect.

 

Kind of reminds me of those old centurion broncos from the 90's that was basically an F150 Suburban.

[jpd80]

i agree, but I don't think it will put a huge dent in Yuhoe sales either way. Yuhoe buyers seem to be very brand loyal.

True but I wonder if that has to do with the Traverse being less popular than say Explorer?

Even when new Expedition arrives, convincing buyers to move up from Explorer may be

harder than say GM up selling Tahoe over Traverse...Expedition may become another way

for Ford to sell more F150 based product....The F150 Super Crew is so popular, that may

be a way to take advantage of that and offer Expedition as the perceived F150 based SUV,

building on that F150 success may be key than simply offering a large SUV with own identity...

 

Not marginalizing importance of Expedition identity here but simply thinking that

hopping on the F150 Crew Cab tidal wave of sales could be more advantageous.

Edited October 24, 2015 by jpd80

[TBirdStangSkyliner]

I believe that Ford/Lincoln has a real chance to finally cut in on their GM counterparts with the next Expedition/Navigator. The aluminum bodies and range of new and improved engines should give them economy and payload advantage. Being all new, finally, should help a lot. Add in the big advantage of the low load height and the equation tips heavily to Ford.

 

This class of vehicle is popular within my social circle in Montana. I know one extended family that owns the previous generation of each of the Escalade, Suburban, Tahoe, and Yukon. They like the new generation of the Suburban, but are cool to the styling updates on the GMC and Cadillac versions. Their Yukon is getting up in miles, and they might go down market and replace it with a Suburban. I hear this lack of enthusiasm over the newest Escalades and Yukon Denalis from other long time owners of previous generations. If Ford doesn't stumble, they might surprise the naysayers in conquest sales.

[akirby]

I know one extended family that owns the previous generation of each of the Escalade, Suburban, Tahoe, and Yukon. They like the new generation of the Suburban, but are cool to the styling updates on the GMC and Cadillac versions. Their Yukon is getting up in miles, and they might go down market and replace it with a Suburban. I hear this lack of enthusiasm over the newest Escalades and Yukon Denalis from other long time owners of previous generations. If Ford doesn't stumble, they might surprise the naysayers in conquest sales.

 

So this family is still looking at a SubYuHoe replacement - I bet they wouldn't even consider an Expedition or other non-GM SUV. I can see some conquests but I don't think it's going to make a huge dent in GM sales.

[J-150]

 

So this family is still looking at a SubYuHoe replacement.

SubYuHoe mafia lol

[tbone]

There will be a majority of buyers that will be loyal to GM, but there are a lot of people that have the means to purchase these vehicles that like to update every few years. The GM trplets really have been the primary modernized product available. These people never considered the Expedition because it was left to rot on the vine. If ford offers a compelling product, I think you will see a lot of consumers give the Expedition/Navigator a hard look, especially with GM's questionable styling.

[RichardJensen]

These people never considered the Expedition because it was left to rot on the vine

 

To be fair, they also didn't consider it when it was the newest and most modern product on the market.

[RichardJensen]

Escalurbakon?

 

Although, in fairness, I think we all saw what akirby did there with Yuhoe.

[bzcat]

It's hard to conquest buyers in any market segments, and the fullsize SUV one is like pickup trucks... very brand loyal.

 

It's much easier to snag new buyers entering the segment, that's why getting the Navigator right is much more important for Ford - the large luxury SUV is still a growth segment whereas the Mormon family bus segment is pretty much flat. It's the same story with GM... sales of Escalade is growing but SubYuhoe is has been flat and consistent for a long time.

[TBirdStangSkyliner]

To be fair, they also didn't consider it when it was the newest and most modern product on the market.

I thought the original sold fairly well in comparison to the equivalent short wheelbased GM products. By the time Ford got around to the longer, popular wheelbase length (I am going by my observations in the west and midwest on long wheelbase popularity, not trying to google sales numbers), the Expy was close to being an antique.

[RichardJensen]

I thought the original sold fairly well in comparison to the equivalent short wheelbased GM products.

 

I think it outsold the first Tahoe/Yukon, but the GMT400s were really bad SUVs. IIRC, the Expy never outsold the GMT800 Tahoes and certainly not the GMT900s.

[bzcat]

GMT400 4 door Tahoe and shorty Yukon came to market in 1996 model year. Expedition came out in 1997 model year and immediately outsold the Yuhoe.

 

GMT800 Yuhoe came out in 2001 model year and outsold Ford in 2002. Expedition II came out in 2003 model year and never quite matched the Yuhoe in volume despite IRS and better ride/handling.

 

GMT900 Yuhoe came out in 2007 model year the same year as Expedition III. But everyone can see the Expy III was a lukewarm facelift (despite new and improved frame... the body was largely identical to Expy II). The main news for Ford was the new EL model to challenge Suburban. GM twins sales outpaced Expy by quite some margin.

 

GMT2000 Yuhoe came out in 2015 model year. Meanwhile, Expy has been using the same body since 2003 model year (Expy II and III), but it did gain the 3.5 EB powertrain upgrade in 2015.

[TBirdStangSkyliner]

BZcat and Richard's info squares with what we probably all saw through the years about Expy verse GM. I see 2017 as the first time Ford will show up to the long wheelbase SUV rifle fight carrying something more than a worn-out musket or a snub-nosed pistol. The minor 2015 update with the EB 3.5 isn't a bad segway to something much grander in 2017, though. I am glad they did it.

[RichardJensen]

The 2003 Expy was better than the SWB GMT800s by nearly every measure, but it did not outsell them.

Edited October 27, 2015 by RichardJensen

[jpd80]

The next Expedition and navigator should have a clear advantage with both lighter weight and efficient EB V6.

I think this is moire about getting Ford's Ute buyers back in the showroom and less about what GM is doing.

 

I cannot wait to see the impact of these two new vehicles, it's something Ford buyers have needed since 2010

when Expedition and Navigator missed out on F150 engine upgrades. Exciting times ahead with them and SD..

[J-150]

The 2003 Expy was better than the SWB GMT800s by nearly every measure, but it did not outsell them.

Was PD and fleet a major factor in the higher sales?

[buddysystem]

Is anyone expecting the new Expy/Navi reveal to be on the show circuit this year? Detroit? Texas next year?

[akirby]

I don't expect to see it until mid to late next year depending on when it is supposed to launch in 2017.