The 2021 Ford Expedition features a fully independent suspension and a turbocharged V6 engine. It’s comfortable, competent, and capable for carrying up to eight passengers and their gear. The Expedition Max adds length and capacity, stretching out its tail by nearly a foot. Let’s compare it to the fully redesigned 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe.
Design
The Expedition is a large three-row SUV that seats up to eight passengers plus their cargo. Its interior is full of luxury and plush seats, but also has some plastic trimmings. It features comfortable seating, with enough room to seat adults in the third row with plenty of legroom. The exterior features a wide, expressive grille that frames its headlights and is trimmed with metallic accents. The standard wheelbase features 104.6 cubic feet of maximum cargo space and the longer wheelbase will give you 121.4 feet of cargo room. Standard features include leather-wrapped steering wheel with cruise and audio control, power-folding third-row seats, cargo bin, and tri-zone auto climate control. Each trim adds more features including a heating steering wheel, power tilt and telescoping steering column with memory, and rear auxiliary climate controls. Additional luxury features in the King Ranch and Platinum trims include heated and ventilated 10-way power driver and passenger captain’s chairs, power lumbar and power recline driver and passenger captain’s chairs, Del Rio leather seating, leather door-trim accents, premium wrapped leather steering wheel, and leather door-trim accents. Trims include the XLT, Limited, King Ranch, and Platinum.
Newly designed for the 2021 model year, the new Tahoe is more spacious, with an additional 10 inches of third-row legroom. The Tahoe can seat seven people; eight people if you opt for the second-row bench. The base LS trim can seat up to nine. Cloth upholstery is standard, as well as an eight-way power-adjustable front passenger seat. Options include leather seating, heated and 10-way power adjustable front seats, perforated leather upholstery, 12-way power-adjustable front seats, ventilated front seats, heated second-row outboard seats, power-folding second and third rows, and a heated and power-adjustable steering wheel. Its interior quality is nice with some soft leather, but also features some faux-wood trims and hard plastics. Cargo capacity has increased to 25.5 cubic-feet of space behind the third row, 72.6 cubic feet behind the second row, and 122.9 cubic feet with both rows folded down. The Tahoe comes in five trims: LS, LT, Z71, Premier, and High Country.
Safety and Technology
The Expedition features the latest driver-assistance technology with its standard Ford Co-Pilot 360. It includes pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking, blind spot information system with cross-traffic alert, auto high-beam headlamps, lane keep assist, and a rear-view camera. Standard technology features include the SYNC 3 infotainment system with an 8.0-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, voice recognition, satellite radio, Wi-Fi hotspot, and four SUB ports. A navigation system, wireless device charging, third-row USB ports, HD radio, and premium 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system is available.
The Tahoe is loaded with plenty of standard and available safety and tech features, with one of the most user-friendly infotainment systems out there. Its standard advanced safety features include a rearview camera, rear parking sensors, forward collision warning, forward automatic emergency braking, automatic high-beam headlights, following distance indicator, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and GM’s Teen Driver that lets you set limits on speed and audio. Available safety features include surround-view parking camera system, rear camera mirror, front parking sensors, reverse automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane keep assist, lane change alert, head-up display, and lane departure warning. Tahoe features Chevrolet’s Infotainment 3 Plus system. It is easy to use and easy to read with a large 10.2-inch touch screen displayed on the dash. Standard tech features include wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, six USB ports, Bluetooth, a Wi-Fi hotspot, six-speaker sound system, satellite radio, and HD Radio. You will also have the option to add navigation, a rear-seat entertainment system with two 12.6-inch touch screens and Wi-Fi capability, wireless device charging, and a nine-or 10-speaker Bose stereo.
Performance and Pricing
All trims on the Expedition come with a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 turbocharged engine and 375 horsepower; except the Platinum will give you 400 horsepower. They come with a ten-speed automatic transmission and either rear- or four wheel-drive on all trims. All models can tow up to a maximum 9,300 pounds. RWD will give you 17/23 mpg city and highway and AWD will give you 16/21 mpg city/highway. Pricing starts at $55,000 for the XLT trim and ranges to a starting price of $76,000 for the Platinum trim.
There are three engine choices on the Tahoe: a 5.3-liter V8 that makes 355 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque and is standard on the LS, LT, and Z71 trim, a 6.2-liter V8 with 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque that is featured on the High-Country trim, and a new 3.0-liter inline-six that makes 277 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. A 10-speed automatic transmission is standard with each engine. It can tow up to 8,400 pounds when properly equipped with the larger engine. The Tahoe estimates 16/20 mpg in the city and on the highway; 15/20 mpg with the larger engine and 14/19 mpg for 4WD. Pricing starts at $49,000 for the LS trim and ranges to $69,600 for the High Country.
Conclusion
The 2021 Ford Expedition and the 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe are two solid full-size SUVs, with the Tahoe now reaching the Expedition Max’s passenger and cargo room. The Expedition offers a comfortable, classy cabin with premium cabin materials, and a capable performance with its turbocharged V6 engine and powerful towing capacity; whereas the Chevrolet Tahoe features a more modern infotainment system with a larger touchscreen and wireless smartphone connectivity. It’s a matter of preference with these two capable full-size SUVs.