Woman Shot By Dart Gun

2 Injured Drivers Cited Following Collision

Sunday, January 05, 1997 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is.... I
have no idea what folk/rock singer Donovan Leitch meant by those lyrics, but
they would make a perfect soundtrack for the next Ford Expedition
commercialThink about it. Chevrolet has its Bob Seeger anthem, Like a Rock.
Why shouldn t Ford have one of its own from Sunshine Superman? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 First there is a mountain... &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Step up to the Expedition Ford s new, upscale sport/utility vehicle and the
first thing you notice is how massive it is. It stands nearly 6 -feet high, is
over 6 -feet wide and stretches more than 17 feet from tip to tail. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It dwarfs Ford s other SUV, the Explorer. And it s noticeably larger than
its closest direct competitors, the Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Eddie bauer model Expedition I drove was equipped with Ford s elegant
lighted running boards, but I pity the poor sap who buys one without them.
This vehicle is so high you literally have to climb in and out of it. Ditch
the running boards and you d better stand about six-foot-5 or carry a small
stepladder wherever you go. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ...then there is no mountain... &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Once you ve conquered Mount Expedition, you re glad you did. An extremely
spacious interior makes it evident that this is one large vehicle. But it
doesn t feel that way when you re driving it. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 This is an amazing feat that you almost have to experience to believe.
Standing outside the Expedition, your only thought is how huge it is. But once
you start driving it, you almost forget that you re moving a mountain. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Of course there are a couple of reminders. Like when you pull up to a
stoplight and find yourself looking down at all the vehicles around you. Or
when you have to ignore some of the precious few empty spaces in a crowded
parking lot because you d need the Jaws of Life and a giant shoehorn to
squeeze the Expedition in. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 When it s on the move, however, the Expedition s ride, handling and power
belie its size. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The ride feels more like a sedan than a truck, which shouldn t come as a
big surprise to anyone who has driven Ford s fabulous new F150 pickup truck,
on which the Expedition is based. This is a quiet, comfortable cruiser that
feels at home on the interstate as the backroads. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A lot of credit for that goes to a suspension system that is compliant
without being sloppy. The Expedition doesn t wallow on dips and risers, and
doesn t lean in sharp curves. Its speed-sensitive steering is much too light
for my taste, but it delivers good road feel, precise control and quick
response. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The Expedition Eddie Bauer model s 5.4-liter Triton V8 engine (a 4.6-liter
V8 is standard on XLT models) also responds beautifully. It launches the
nearly two-ton vehicle without hesitation, getting it from zero to 60 in less
than nine seconds on my stopwatch. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Passing power is also readily available from the engine, which delivers 230
horsepower and 325 foot-pounds of torque. With that much power, four-wheel
drive Expeditions can be configured to tow up to 7,900 pounds (a 4x2 can tow
up to 8,000). &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ...then there is.... &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 If you want to nit-pick, I ll admit that while the Expedition s
acceleration may be car-like, you usually only find that kind kind of towing
power in a big truck. But that s a good thing, right? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Other pleasant reminders of the Expedition s size come from its incredibly
roomy interior. Got a few pairs of skis to tote? No problem! Just flip down
part of the back seat, and they ll slide straight in. And there s still plenty
of room for two people to ride comfortably on the rest of the seat. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 If you fold down the entire rear seat, you ll find yourself staring at a
cargo floor that looks like the deck of an aircraft carrier. Well, maybe not
quite that big, but it is nearly seven feet long and over four feet wide. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Even the space behind the rear seat is more than four feet deep and wide,
and high enough to hide tall shopping bags. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Most of that space disappears if you order the Expedition with its optional
third-row seat. My test vehicle didn t have it, but while checking it out in
another Expedition, I found the seat a little too low and too inaccessible for
regular use. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It does, however, give the Expedition even more versatility especially
since it folds down or can be removed fairly easily (it weighs 70 pounds) when
it s not needed. The seat cannot be added to existing vehicles, so decide
whether you want one before you buy an Expedition. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 You might also need to consider how much you re willing to spend on fuel.
My test vehicle had trouble matching the EPA mileage ratings of 13 city/17
highway. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 I guess that s another way in which the Expedition reveals how large it
really is. It also has a pretty big price tag. My well-equipped test vehicle
cost just a few bucks under $37,000. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But if I could afford the monthly payments and keep up with the Expedition
s fuel costs, I d snatch one of these babies up in a minute. And I d worry
about adding onto my garage later. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Scott Wasser s car column runs on Sunday. You can e-mail him at
ScottYski@aol.com &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

First There Is A Mountain, Then There Is No Mountain, Then There Is.... I Have 
No Idea What Folk/rock Singer Donovan Leitch Meant By Those Lyrics, But They 
Would Make A Perfect Soundtrack For The Next Ford Expedition Commercial.

First There Is A Mountain, Then There Is No Mountain, Then There Is.... I Have No Idea What Folk/rock Singer Donovan Leitch Meant By Those Lyrics, But They Would Make A Perfect Soundtrack For The Next Ford Expedition Commercial.