This new 5.4-liter V8 is a modern, sophisticated engine with aluminum overhead-cams and three valves per cylinder. It offers strong power, excellent fuel efficiency and low emissions. Specifically, it's rated at 365 pound-feet of torque, gets 14/19 mpg City/Highway (14/18 with 4WD). And it's rated to tow 8,600 (4x4) to 8,900 (4x2) pounds.

Ride quality is an important consideration for a family vehicle and the Expedition offers a good ride for the most part, even over broken pavement. Potholes and rough pavement are heard more than felt. It isn't not a magic carpet ride, though, and it's important to remember that the Expedition is a full-size truck. A Ford engineer told us the Expedition was designed to offer the driver good feedback rather than isolating him or her. This latest-generation Expedition benefits from an independent rear suspension, a design more common to cars than trucks. Though more expensive, the independent rear suspension offers better handling and a smoother ride than the live rear axle more commonly used on trucks and full-size SUVs.

The NBX may not ride as well as the other models, with its all-terrain tires and specially tuned Sachs shocks, but it should be fine for drivers who want a little more off-highway preparation. The 2005 NBX we drove was jouncy on rough neighborhood streets, and a particularly onerous stretch of Interstate 110 through downtown Los Angeles set up a harmonic that caused it to bob. We didn't go off the pavement, but the NBX should provide more protection on primitive roads than the standard Expedition. Its tires and skid plates looked like they were meant more for light off-highway use than serious off-road duty.

On the highway, the Expedition inspires confidence. It's stable at high speeds. We were conversing in a relaxed manner at 90-100 mph in a 2005 Expedition Eddie Bauer while whistling around a high-speed oval at Ford's proving ground in Michigan. The current model tracks better than pre-2003 Expeditions, which required constant steering adjustments to keep them in a straight line. When the road windy, the Expedition offers sharp steering response. Small inputs to the steering wheel are answered immediately by its car-like rack-and-pinion steering.

The four-wheel disc brakes are smooth and responsive. The Expedition comes standard with ABS and Brake Assist. Brake Assist is designed to recognize a panic-braking situation and maintain full braking force even if the driver mistakenly relaxes pressure on the brake pedal.