Four Wheels, Eight Passengers, Six Figures: The 2026 Ford Expedition Max Platinum
Despite my very real concern about how large trucks and SUVs have become and continue to get, I am not immune to the charms of a full-size all-wheel drive SUV like the Ford Expedition Max.
Full disclosure: In 1992, I bought one of these brand new:
That there is a 1992 GMC Suburban (they call them the Yukon XL now), and that photo is a dead ringer for the one I owned---color, trim, the works. I still think it's a really nice, clean design and when I see either a photo like this or a well-preserved one in traffic, I get a little nostalgic.
For whatever reason, GM hasn't sent me a Yukon XL in ten years, or a Chevy Suburban in eleven years, so, apart from Jeep's Grand Wagoneer, Ford has had my undivided attention when it comes to full-size SUVs. As a result, the Expedition has become the vehicle my mind goes to when thinking about either hauling a lot of people and a lot of things, or taking a big adventure, which my wife and I did eight years ago with a 3,800-mile roadtrip in the 2018 Ford Expedition Max.
The Expedition Max is the long-wheelbase version of the Expedition, which allows for three rows of seats and a huge cargo area. I've had a couple of short-wheelbase Expeditions since, in 2020 and in 2023, but this is my first time back in an Expedition Max since the epic roadtrip of 2018. That was the first year of the fourth generation of Expedition. We are now in the second year of the fifth generation---and a lot has changed.
A few of those changes are under the hood. A 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, which made 375 horsepower in the 2018 Expedition Max, is now 400 horsepower in normal tune. There is also a High Output version (an extra-cost option which our tester had) that bumps it up to 440 horsepower. A 10-speed automatic transmission is standard, and the fuel economy----well, it is what it is, an EPA-estimated 15 mpg city/22 mpg highway (the less-powerful 2018's estimates were 17 city/23 highway). That sounds low, but my 190-horsepower '92 Suburban's numbers were 12 mpg city/16 highway, so to improve on that number in a vehicle a thousand pounds heavier and with an additional 250 horsepower without a repeal of the laws of physics is progress.
There's 37.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row of seats (our vehicle had the optional 20/40/20 split power-folding second row). If you fold all of row three flat, there's 84.5 cubic feet, and folding all of row two gets you a cavernous 123.1 cubic feet. Those are improvements over the fourth-gen Expedition Max's 34.3/73.3/121.5.
The accommodations are luxurious. Ours was the Expedition Max Platinum. In 2018, Platinum was the top trim level. Now, it's the second from the bottom rung of a ladder that goes Active-->Platinum-->Tremor-->King Ranch.
The big interior change in the current Expedition is that the instrument cluster is gone---replaced by a screen that stretches across the dashboard from in front of the driverto a little shy of the mid-point of the touch screen below.
I have mixed feelings about the setup, which includes, to the right of the speedometer, an indicator showing what you're doing with the unmarked buttons on the steering wheel:
I'm sure the logic is that removing the markings from the steering wheel and using an indicator just below the windshield keeps your eyes closer to the road, but I'm not sure that it's better in practice.
The base price of the 2026 Ford Expedition Max Platinum is $76,950 ($79,545 including destination. That money buys you a lot of standard equipment (see the window sticker at the end of the review).
It's the optional equipment that sent our test vehicle into six-figure territory. This Expedition Max had---and this is not a typo---$27,355 in extra-cost options. That's only $790 less than the base price for an entire 2026 Ford Maverick.
The Glacier Gray Metallic Tri-Coat paint was $995, but the black roof was $7,550 (again, not a typo). Other stuff made more sense---$1,995 is about the going rate for a good rear-seat entertainment system, $595 for a power-folding second row of seats, $200 for floor liners, $405 for a cargo manager. Fine. I'm not wild about the trend toward subscriptions for services (a seven-year connectivity sub for $745 and three years of SiriusXM with 360L for $300), but Ford's not alone in that world.
So now we come to the big-ticket option: The $14,570 (also not a typo) Platinum Ultimate Package. In defense of that price tag, it includes the upgrade to the 440-horsepower High Output Ecoboost V6. And beyond that, there's this: • 24” x 9.5” Tarnished Dark Metallic Bright Machined Face Aluminum Wheel with P285/40R24 A/S BSW tire
• Badges – Platinum Badge on Tailgate, Side and “EXPEDITION” Lettering on Hood in Satin Aluminum
• Beltline Molding – Polished Stainless Steel
• BlueCruise Hands-Free Highway Driving Equipped (1-Year + 90-Day Plan)* • Carbon Black Molded-in-Color Front Bumper with Lit Grille Bar
• Driver’s Package
• Engine Sound Enhancer with Active Noise Cancellation
• Headlamps – Black Bezel with Satin Trim Applique • High Flow Exhaust System**
• Luxury Leather Seating Surface Multi-contour Driver and Front Passenger Seats
• Second Row Dual Captain Chairs with Leather Seating Surface
• Rear Seat Radio Controls
• Rear Side Windows – Laminated Glass
• Roof Rails – Chrome with Black End Caps
• Platinum Ultimate Interior Package
• Scuff Plates – Front Door with Metallic Insert and Bright Rear
• Signature Grille Lighting
From a content standpoint, the Platinum Ultimate Package might be able to justify its line-item cost (maybe), but its effect on the as-tested price of the vehicle is downright earth-shaking.
$106,900.
One hundred and six thousand, nine hundred dollars. You could buy the lowest trim level of Lincoln Navigator (built on the same platform) and have room for more than ten grand in options. You could buy the middle Navigator trim without options and come out at about the same price (see both here).
And, if you skipped the Platinum Ultimate Package, this Expedition Max would sticker at $92,330. Saying no to the black roof takes it down to $84,780. And though that is not cheap, it's in the ballpark for well-equipped all-wheel drive full-size SUVs.
My bottom line: I love the 2026 Ford Expedition Max. I love it a lot more at just under 85 grand than I do at just over 105 grand.
2026 Ford Expedition Max Platinum at a glance:
Price: $76,950 base/$106,900 as tested
Engine: 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6
Horsepower: 440 horsepower
Torque: 48o lb-ft
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Curb Weight: 5,794 lbs
0-60 Acceleration (Car and Driver data): 4.9 seconds
EPA Fuel Economy Estimate: 15 mpg city/22 mpg highway
Fuel tank capacity: 27.8 gallons
EPA Range Estimate: N/A
Class competitors: Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon XL, Jeep Grand Wagoneer
