Hamilton Journal-News

The largest ranch in the United States is the theme of one of the largest sport-utilities on the road.

Larger than Rhode Island, the King Ranch, located in south Texas between Corpus Christi and Brownsville, sprawls across six counties and is a National Historic Landmark. Its logo is the running W brand.

Today's test-drive vehicle is not quite that large, but it does command some real estate while parked. It's the 2008 Expedition, Ford Motor Co.'s largest truck-based SUV, available in regular length (206.5) and extended-length/EL (221.3). The EL was last year's new kid on the block for the Expedition; this year it's the top-line King Ranch trim inside and out. Ford's Lincoln marque carries an even tonier version, the Navigator and extended-length Navigator L.

The Expedition's looks haven't been changed for this model year. Based on the Ford F-150 pickup, the Expedition is bold, yet sleeker-looking than in previous generations. It carries the F-150's prominent three-bar grille, while its sides are toned down with flush cladding. Large wheel lips frame up to 20-inch wheels.

Expeditions come in four trims — base XLT, Eddie Bauer, Limited and King Ranch — and each comes with rear-wheel or 4-wheel drive, in regular length or EL.

The beginning price tag is $31,120 for a regular-length 2WD XLT, and it goes up from there to $46,015 for a 4WD King Ranch EL, although our tester's sticker stated $45,515.

Features common to all Expeditions include a tilt, leather-wrapped steering wheel, front bucket seats, heated power mirrors, keyless entry keypad, running boards and a Class III trailer hitch. A half dozen features are newly included across the board this year.

Earning five-star ratings for frontal impact in government crash tests, all Expeditions comes with a slew of safety equipment, including front, front side and head-protecting curtain side airbags with rollover deployment for all three rows of seats; antilock 4-wheel disc brakes; brake assist; Ford's Advancetrac antiskid system with rollover sensors; and a tire pressure monitor. Eddie Bauer models add mirror-mounted turn signals, while Limiteds come with a new rear obstacle detection system that uses a camera, mounted on the liftgate that automatically activates, transmitting the image to the rearview mirror.

The rear obstacle detection system is helpful, but I've found systems that use a navigation system's screen to be more useful since the image is larger.

Both regular Expeditions and ELs seat up to eight people. In King Ranches, that means three rows of seats, door panels and the steering wheel covered in gorgeous Chaparral leather that would make fine purses, man bags and hundreds of pairs of sandals that would put Manolo Blahnik to shame. The ranch's running W brand and real wood add rugged touches. A power-folding third-row seat is a convenient standard feature.

Outside, King Ranchs are distinguished by Pueblo Gold accents, the brand on the center cap of 18-inch machined aluminum wheels and badging on the front fender and liftgate.

Under Expeditions' hoods is a 5.4-liter V-8 that produces 300 horsepower and 365 lbs.-ft. of torque. Mated with a new 6-speed automatic transmission that replaces a 4-speed automatic, the powertrain makes the Expedition EL a smooth, powerful mover capable of towing up to 9,000 pounds as a 4x4. That kind of capability, coupled with the Expedition's maneuverability that is decent for something of its size, give this SUV a considerable work ethic, and that's its draw.

So is the Expedition EL's capacity for handling cargo (24 more cubic feet of cargo volume than regular models), with 42.6 cubic feet of space behind the third-row seat, 85.5 cubic feet of space when the third row is folded and 130.8 cubic feet with the second row-seats folded. The second- and third-row seats fold flat.

My EL tester was gussied up with $7,560 of options, including power running boards, rearview camera, navigation system, DVD system and 20-inch chrome wheels. With a $900 charge for destination and delivery, the grand total was $53,975. You'll also pay at the pump, with mileage estimates falling between 12 and 18 mpg, and it will prove costly to fill the Expedition's 33-gallon tank.

The Expedition helped launch the full-size SUV segment in 1997. Sales may have peaked, but there's still a market for SUV enthusiasts who want enough room for their families, friends and gear, backed up by 4WD and towing capabilities. For buyers who want all that with some Western flair, there's the Ford Expedition King Ranch. Yippie-ki-yay.

Amy Rollins is Wheels editor at the Dayton Daily News and may be reached at (937) 225-6901 or arollins@coxohio.com. Read this review and others like it at DaytonDailyNews.com/Wheels.