Ford expedition clinches 2012 Total Cost of Ownership Award from Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com

The 2012 Ford Expedition has been named winner of the inaugural 2012 Kelley Blue Book Total Cost of Ownership Award in the full-size sport utility vehicle category announced at the Chicago Auto Show in the United States earlier this month.

The all-new 2012 awards honour current model-year vehicles and brands with the lowest projected ownership costs, based on Kelley Blue Book Total Cost of Ownership data for the initial five-year ownership period. The criteria for valuation included Fair Purchase Price (FPP), projected depreciation, financing costs, insurance costs and other fees as well as the anticipated total cost of fuel, scheduled maintenance and repairs. A total of 21 vehicles in different market segments were declared winners, including Ford Expedition.

According to Kelley Blue Book, in addition to having the lowest Fair Purchase Price and depreciation numbers, the Expedition's slightly better insurance and repair costs helped it edge out its competitors for the full-size sport utility honors.

Ford Expedition remains the do-it-all full-size SUV. Tough, functional and refined, the Expedition features a best-in-class trailer tow rating of up to 9,200 pounds complemented by an array of clever control technologies to help customers tow confidently in just about any condition, on or off road.

"The 2012 Ford Expedition combines capability with comfort and technology for customers who need what only a full-size SUV can deliver," said Hussein Murad, Ford Middle East's director of Sales. "This award from Kelley Blue Book only means one thing – you can't go wrong with the Expedition."

Quality

Expedition features an independent multilink rear suspension, which allows each rear wheel to react independently to road impacts to provide a smooth, controlled ride. Expedition also offers an available power liftgate. A push of the button on the key fob or inside the cabin conveniently opens or closes the liftgate, allowing easy loading and unloading.

Safe

Trailer Sway Control is standard on every Expedition and works in conjunction with the class-exclusive AdvanceTrac with RSC (Roll Stability Control) system to expand Expedition's dynamic stability control capabilities. This adds an additional layer of confidence and control while towing a trailer.

The AdvanceTrac control module incorporates additional software to monitor the vehicle's performance while towing. Software measures the yaw motion of the vehicle to determine if the trailer is swaying and then responds to eliminate the sway condition by applying brake pressure to individual wheels, and if necessary, reducing engine power.

The available Control Trac Four-Wheel-Drive (4WD) System helps provide more sure-footed traction by dividing engine torque from front to rear.

Smart

Cargo stowage options for Expedition are enhanced by the clever solutions enabled by the second- and third-row seats. The second-row seats are a 40/20/40 split bench with standard CenterSlide feature that allows the center section to be moved forward almost 11 inches for easier access from the front-row seats. Third-row seats have an available PowerFold 60/40 split bench by which one or both seatbacks can be lowered flat to the floor with the touch of a button.

Class-exclusive SYNC is available and provides hands-free access with simple voice commands. Every vehicle with SYNC offers hands-free calling via paired and connected Bluetooth-enabled phone, hands-free music via USB-connected digital media player and customer support and software updates via SyncMyRide.com for registered owners.

Green

The standard 5.4-liter V8 (310 net hp) is flex-fuel capable, meaning the engine can run on unleaded gasoline, E85 (up to 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline) or any mix of the two.

A six-speed automatic transmission is standard. With a wider gear ratio, Expedition's six-speed transmission has smaller steps between gears than a typical four-speed automatic, giving the customer improved shift quality, faster acceleration and improved fuel economy.