Ford Expedition review: F-150 space and towing in a three-row body
3.9/5MotorsSouq Editorial Team
The Expedition Platinum is the full-size three-row SUV to consider if you want F-150-grade towing and V6 efficiency without the pickup bed, and its third row is one of the few in this class an adult can sit in without complaint. It costs real money to run and to insure, and the size makes valet parking at Manama restaurants an event, but for a large family that genuinely tows, it beats the body-on-frame competition on cabin tech and ride quality.
Pros
- Third row genuinely usable by adults
- Strong 400 hp EcoBoost V6 without V8 fuel penalty
- F-150-grade towing capacity
- Deep GCC dealer and parts support
Cons
- Size makes multi-storey and villa parking a real challenge
- Fuel consumption is substantial
- Insurance costs reflect the vehicle's size and value
- Not agile in tight Manama streets
The Expedition shares its bones with the F-150, and that relationship shows in the best way: a genuinely stiff body-on-frame chassis, real towing capacity, and a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 that on Platinum trim produces 400 hp without the fuel penalty a V8 this size would carry. It is quicker in a straight line than most owners will ever need, which is exactly the point of buying the biggest engine option.
The 10-speed automatic is shared across Ford's truck and SUV range and it shows the benefit of that scale — shifts are smooth, kickdown response is immediate, and there is none of the hunting between gears that plagued earlier Ford automatics on hilly terrain, which matters less in flat Bahrain but is reassuring on causeway grades.
Space that actually works
Where the Expedition earns its size is the third row. Unlike most three-row SUVs where the last row is a legal fiction for adults, the Expedition's longer wheelbase gives genuinely usable knee and headroom back there — a real advantage over the Explorer and most Japanese three-row rivals for a family of eight taking a Saudi road trip.
Running it in Bahrain
Fuel consumption sits where you would expect for a 2.5-tonne SUV — plan for mixed-use figures well into double digits per 100 km. Parking is the daily friction point; the Expedition's width and length make multi-storey car parks and tight villa gates a genuine consideration before you buy, not an afterthought. Dealer support mirrors the F-150's, since parts commonality is high, which keeps ownership costs more reasonable than the size would suggest.