Ford Expedition, Lincoln Aviator, More Auto Museums and Sleepers?

2025 Ford Expedition Overview

SPEAKER_02 0:05

Time now for this hour's car review. I had the opportunity to drive the 2025 Ford Expedition made in Louisville, Kentucky, all American. Available trim levels are the Active, the Max Active, the Platinum, the Max Platinum, the Trimmer, which we had, the King Ranch, and the Max King Ranch. Can I only imagine what the Max King Ranch costs? I reviewed the Trimmer 4x4. This is a standard or full-size body-on-frame SUV. Underneath it, it's a F-150 pickup truck for the most part. That's what it's based on.

Exterior And Trim Details

SPEAKER_02 0:48

Exterior changes. Well, it was fully redesigned for 2025. Although I think most of us would be hard-pressed to be able to tell the difference between a 24 model and a 25 model. Exterior features. Tremor grille, which is distinct amongst all of the expeditions. It gives a nod to the Chevrolet, actually. The front grille kind of looks like a Chevy with the bar through the middle of it. With that center horizontal bar. Also, it does have copper gold accents. Now some people said, I don't like that. I do. I think it makes it different. It stands out a little bit. It gives you an idea that straight horizontal side body moldings on it. Extra lighting now on the rear hatch makes it more unique. Not sure about the back hatch with the two-tone look for most of the expeditions. You may have seen one or two of those. Kind of a piano black thing going on back there around the color that's on the

Interior, Tech, And Cargo Impressions

SPEAKER_02 2:04

car. Interior highlights, trimmer stitching on the seatbacks, uh, comfortable seating throughout, easy access to the second and third rows. Yes, this is a three-row vehicle. Sweeping driver display, love that. Plenty of cubbies throughout the cabin. Um, and uh really electrical connections throughout as well. Cargo adequate with the third row seats up, it's just okay. Clearly, the seats are going to take up some room back there in what would be the cargo area. What I liked, the design and the quality with optional uh two-foot center screen. Wow. A two-foot center screen. I did say that.

Powertrain, Towing, And Fuel Economy

SPEAKER_02 2:49

What could use improvement? The steering wheel accessory controls are overcomplicated, and you've got to look to at a screen to see what you're doing, which kind of defeats the purpose because you're supposed to be watching the road.

SPEAKER_01 3:02

Exactly. And it's not Ford's fault. They all do it. Mine does it too, because you make a mistake and you go oopsie on the steering wheel, and you're not where you want to be on the in the in the system. Yep.

SPEAKER_02 3:14

3.5 liter, high output, eco-boost V6, 440 horsepower. Wow. 510-pound feet of torque, 10-speed automatic transmission with a tow rating of 9,000 pounds max, depending on how you've got it set up. It's huge. It's an aircraft carrier. Uh mileage, 15 miles per gallon city. I guess it's better than the V8, the old V8 that isn't available anymore, because I think it got 12 or 13. 22 on the highway for a combined to 18. I got 16.6 over 486.1 miles. What I liked about it, the power, not only in the horsepower, but the torque. What could use improvement? Obviously, fuel economy. I think this would be ripe for a hybrid. Or a diesel. Or a diesel. But you know, it's funny because you know, they've tried diesels in these things before. Chevy did it, they've all done it when they get this big, and it would make sense, but people, you gotta

Ride Quality And Maneuverability

SPEAKER_02 4:16

have a mindset for diesel. Right, and you're going to the uh the eco-side of the ownership rather than the the torque and the towing and yeah, if if you're if you tow a lot, if you if you got your landscaping trailer behind you that's got 10 tractors on it, then maybe a diesel would work. But there again, you know, Ford does make diesel F-150s and 250s and I don't know what it would take to put a diesel in this, but that's another open open can of worms. Because remember, when you change engines in anything, then you get the EPA involved. Yeah, and it it just becomes a whole nother issue. What I like about it uh the extra large, long limousine ride. Oh, it's sweet, baby. What could use improvement? Steering radius is a little bit uh on the long side, but remember it's about 100 feet long, so it's gonna take you a little bit to get in that parking lot. It's the SS trimmer, USS Trimmer. Yes, that's it's exactly right. What could use improvement? The steering radius. All right, so here's the pricing for this.

Pricing And Competitors

SPEAKER_02 5:19

The base trim price for the trimmer is $83,945. Prices tested, $86,695. Probably most in the floor mats because you got to have about 15 of them. Uh base model price, $57,4. So you can get in one without floor mats. Without the floor mats, yeah, that has rubber flooring in it. $57,400. Okay, competitors. Well, you know what they are. Chevy Suburban, $61.5, is where it starts. The Yukon XL, which is the Chevy's other brother, uh, that's $69.9. And we threw in the Toyota Sequoia, although it's not quite as big. Um it starts at $165,000, yeah. $62,425. Not as much sheet metal. Yeah. So you get a break on that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:08

Probably not as heavy either.

SPEAKER_02 6:10

Or or less going. And that is my review of the 2025 Ford Expedition. There's the Monroe on it. Oh boy. That's very nice. Yeah, Ford Blue.

SPEAKER_01 6:22

A lot of fine print. Nice.

unknown 6:26

Anyway.

SPEAKER_02 6:28

Um we've got another car review next hour. And um, I I have to dig down to tell you what I do. Oh no, I don't have to dig down that far. But I did want to tell you that next hour I am going to review the Lincoln Aviator all-wheel drive.

SPEAKER_01 6:44

I didn't see you have that one. You had a that was a short one. You had a short it was a short one. Well, it's a mid-size. No, I mean you didn't have it for a long time.

SPEAKER_02 6:51

Oh, yeah, I know. Because we were going through Christmas and New Year's at that time, and so they usually I get a car change on Thursday. This particular one happened on a Tuesday. Right. And so it was a good one.

SPEAKER_01 7:05

He has a vehicle. Sometime during the week, I'll see the vehicle and you know, he'll point out the features and go over the moroni with me. So it's uh it's kind of interesting, very cool. It is actually.

SPEAKER_02 7:14

I have a lot of people coming out about the fact that we forgot to drive a new different car every week. And I kind of take it for granted I've been doing it for so long. But uh, I really enjoy it and really appreciate the manufacturers loaning me the vehicle for a week because they don't have to. That hey, if you'd like to get in touch with us, send us an email. The address is info at inwheeltime.com.

SPEAKER_03 7:38

We're back at you.

Listener Contact And Wrap

SPEAKER_02 7:45

Okay, time now for Jeff's car culture, those big, mysterious big rig sleepers.

Big Rig Sleeper Showdown

SPEAKER_01 7:50

And they've been in the news a lot for the good things, though. But comparing semi-truck sleepers, comfort space features for life on the road. Long haul truckers, the sleeper cab just isn't a place to catch a nap. It's home on 18 wheels. Whether you're an owner operator or fleet manager evaluating trucks for your drivers, trying to choose the right sleeper setup, makes a huge difference in comfort and retention of those drivers. And that's very important for these companies because they hop around. These drivers hop around, they look for the the for the money. Uh, what to consider? Trip length, weight, and fuel economy. So here we go, Mike. First one in the hat is a Peterbuilt 579 Ultra Light. Look at that. It's an 80-inch sleeper. Comfort and customization is best. The pros on this baby is spacious interior with a high roof for easy movement, ample storage for dual bunk options in case you need to.

SPEAKER_03 8:39

Stand up in there.

SPEAKER_01 8:40

Yeah, optional sleeper amenities like refrigerator and TV mount. The cons of this, this is the most expensive one. It's the premium price. The ultra loft is one of the most luxurious sleeper options on the road, often favored by owner operators who spend weeks on the road in their truck. How much? Uh well, in average, these sleepers go from 230 on up to 350. What? Yeah. Well, you get the truck, you know, you get everything with it, but you get 230,000 to 350,000. So the truck and the sleeper. Yeah, the whole nine yards, yeah. Geez, whiz. And that's uh you got to be dedicated, and that's that's your profession. Uh the next one is a Kenworth T 680 next gen. It's a 76-inch sleeper, fuel efficiency and comfort is what it's known for. The pros are quiet cab with excellent, excellent insulation, ergonomic interior design, smart wheel controls for the digital dash. The cons slightly smaller living space than the first one, the Peter built, uh, who's got the largest sleeper. But this the T680 blends modern tech with practical layout. Great for fleets focused on driver satisfaction and miles per gallon, because that's very, very important.

SPEAKER_02 9:46

On some of the can't you buy the sleepers separately from the actual cab and then they marry them?

SPEAKER_01 9:52

I think that's how they originally build them, but then you can also choose like your interior, like when you buy a house, you want room.

SPEAKER_00 9:57

This thing looks almost like an RV from that angle.

SPEAKER_01 10:00

Right. And at the end of this, I'm going to point something out on all these pictures to you. All right, the next one is a Freightliner uh Cascadia. Cascadia. It's a 72-inch raised roof sleeper. Uh, it's best known for its uh fleet efficiency and reliability for the drivers. The pros, available in the Detroit Assurance Suite for Safety Features, optimize the fuel economy and uptime. It's a well-balanced sleeper layout with optional amenities. The cons are less customizable than the first two we talked about. Freightliner dominates the fleet, and that's what they base everything on. Next one is a Volvo VNL 860. It's a 77-inch sleeper, smooth ride for driver comfort. The pros on this exceptional ride quality, safety tech, workstations, convertible to a sleeper, advanced infotainment system, and digital controls. The cons, less aftermark customization. It's a US-based brand Volvo, the VNL series, puts driver experience front and center with most ergonomically friendly interiors available. So this was more designed for the driver rather than the sleeper. The last one we have, Mike, is an international LT series. It's a 73-inch sleeper, value conscious fleets. That's what it's best known for. Competitive pricing and fuel uh economy with a smart nav system, Bluetooth integration, decent sleep area with basic amenities, the cons, fewer period premium sleep options. It's the lower end of it. And international offers a solid no-frills option for those drivers.

SPEAKER_02 11:27

Let me ask you something. Do these have toilets in them? No.

SPEAKER_01 11:30

You can probably get one with it, yes. Shower? Uh no, I don't know about shower. No, showers you would do at the truck stop. Yes, you can get a commodity type uh device in there. But what I see on these, you know, when you're on an airplane and all that plastic on the walls and around the windows, that's what this reminds me of being on an airliner. That type of that type of I can see that. Yeah, that would make sense. Yeah, that's what it reminds me of. And it's probably lightweight, like they need it for the fuel efficiency and and uh being economical for the MPGs.

SPEAKER_03 11:57

So I was wondering.

SPEAKER_02 12:04

Yeah, minute.

Winter Car Museum Destinations

SPEAKER_02 12:05

So uh I'm Don Armstrong, glad you could join us on this Saturday. I promised uh Mr. Mars to get in his driving destinations, and we're looking forward to it, Mars.

SPEAKER_00 12:12

Here we go. Yeah, I wanted to finish up talking about some of the car museums. If you're looking for something to do in the winter, you don't really want to go out on a big cruise, but you're looking for something to get your car fixed in. Look around your area for these small, unique car museums. They're all across the state. And today we're going to start with the Austin Rock and Roll Car Museum. Now, it is a nonprofit car museum, and it's tied into music, films, and pop culture. Of course, it's in Austin, so it's got a little bit of everything in it, including the classic cars. Now, it does have open hours on select weekends, and it's a great looking looking at the pictures of it and doing the research, that would be a real fun place to go to check out the cars and rock and roll and whatever else they got in there because they got a little bit of everything from Austin. Then uh the Roadside America Museum up in Hillsborough. We've been there a couple of times with them uh doing some video tours of their place. And this is a private uh classic car and automobilia collection. It's in a historic Ford dealership there with 40s to 50s vehicles and vintage signage. They have a lot of groups have uh events up there, a lot of clubs. The Hot Rod Tour of Texas has been known to make a stop in there. It's a really cool place to go and see a lot of Americana from an automotive perspective. Now you can also go down to uh Cross Plains to Woody's Classic Cars and Baseball Museum. Now, this is a big place. It's amazingly big, and uh they got a lot of classic cars, of course, with the baseball. They got a different collection of classics from mid-20th century, and it's on Highway 36 West, so it's kind of easy to kind of find, but you're gonna be up around Ambilene and Brownwood to find this place. But it might be well worth your trip if you're close enough to go look at this. Be sure and check the website, get a better idea, and check the hours, particularly during the winter. Then uh a really cool museum that I've tried to get to a couple of times, the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum. Now, this is automotive and racing history. Now, it's primarily an oil industry museum out in uh West Texas, but what it's known for, the Chaparral Racing Car Gallery. Now they've got a lot of historic cars in there that were built by Jim Hall and Hap Sharp, and it really appeals to car enthusiasts because you get to see the cars and you get to see the oil industry and how it's all tied together, and they got a lot of nice displays in there. And about every other month, if you time it right, they do take the cars out into the parking lot, into the areas out there, and they starge them and they drive them around a little bit. That's part of the maintenance on them to keep them running and keep them in pristine shape. They don't just sit there forever and ever. These cars run, and they uh you'll be able to see them ride around a little bit. Uh, the last one I wanted to point out was Bill's Backyard Classics up in Amarillo. Now, this is a private classic car collection. They got over a hundred vehicles in there spanning hot rods, muscle cars, and vintage trucks. So it's a grassroots auto museum experience. But up in that Texas panhandle, it's it's very popular and it's got a lot of great things to see if you go up in that part of the Texas environment. Just a few things that uh you can do during the winter to go check out some automobile museums. Be sure and look around your area and see where some of these small ones are that you might find a little bit closer.

SPEAKER_02 15:36

Good idea. Thank you, sir.

2026 Lincoln Aviator Deep Dive

SPEAKER_02 15:45

Time now for this hour's car review. I had a chance to drive the 2026 Lincoln Aviator. Final assembly location, Chicago, Illinois. Available trim levels, the Premier, the Reserve, and the Black Label. Um, I reviewed, drove the all-wheel drive black label. This is a standard SUV. Uh, it includes three rows with a total of six seats. Sharp looking. Exterior changes for last model year. Well, it was introduced in 2020, but they've done some updates to it, and it looks it looks modern, and it uh doesn't really look like it needs an update, to be honest with you. Sharp looking Lincoln Grill, chrome bling or tuxedo black appearance trims, roof line narrows at the roof, uh back at the back of the roof there, as you can see. Uh, modern lighting, front and rear. But I like the straight lines, the conservative, all-American black tie look. What could use improvement? Can't wait to see the new design. You know that it's got to be on paper already if they haven't already started making parts. Interior highlights, our black label is luxurious throughout the cabin. Um to die for comfortable seating, high-class leather appointments in our top-of-the-line vehicle. Attention to detail is evident throughout. Uh, cargo room behind the third row. It's small when the third row is up. Do you seat that many people in the third row? I wouldn't think so unless it's the kids. What I liked overall comfort. What it could use improvement? Steering wheel controls lead to eyes off the road because you have to look at a screen to see where you are with all of that. Not a big fan. Self-driving feature, that needs improvement. I don't understand why you would have a self-driving feature that you have to keep your eyes on the road all the time. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't understand the whole philosophy. You may have some thoughts on it yourself. Maybe you've got a self-driving vehicle. More power to you. Three-liter twin turbo V6, 400 horsepower, 415 pound feet of torque, 10-speed automatic transmission with a total rating of 5,000 pounds. Pretty good. 17 miles per gallon city is what it's rated, 25 on the highway for a combined of 20. I got 20.3 miles per gallon over 506 miles. Shame on me, I went over the 500 miles. Oh, lordy man. Uh, what I liked, the smooth V8-like power. What could use improvement? How about a hybrid version of that? Why not? Get a little bit better gas mileage. Yeah. Same power. I'm all for it. Um, this is underpinned by Explorer parts. Ford Explorer is a unibody chassis. So this is not a body on frame. Those things are nice too. Ford Explorers are nice. They are. And this is the obviously the gussied up version, as I like to call it. Um, what I liked about the ride and handling, superb adaptive suspension. It was smooth, baby. What could use improvement? Competition from Cadillac. I was going to say this one rides like a Cadillac, right? Why didn't you always do that? I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 19:08

Because why doesn't Cadillac was have a uh a competitor? Well, it the term comes from had the luxury Cadillac at the beginning. No, I got I get it. That's just an old thing.

SPEAKER_02 19:17

No, I get it. But no, I like this. I do too. Uh I like it a lot. Uh, not so sure about the price, though. You might not like that one. Okay, let's go. Base trim price, of course, is the top of the line. $85,170. Price is tested, $88,495. Mars has got one on order. Base model price, the entry level price on this aviator, $52,238.

SPEAKER_01 19:41

That's ought to be higher than that.

SPEAKER_02 19:42

Competitors, let's put the Lexus GX up against it for $64,735. The Acura MDX, $51.8. Now remember now, we're talking about base prices. Base price on the aviators $52,238. The Balvo XC90. Also a competitor? Sixty one thousand and fifty dollars.

SPEAKER_01 20:04

Now you talk about uh the self-driving aspect of it and eyes on the road.

Driver Aids, Efficiency, And Pricing

SPEAKER_01 20:09

My vehicle's got a feature where you I think when you wear sunglasses and things, it'll tell you, hey, keep your eyes on the road. The little thing will flash up on the screen. That's not part of the self-driving, it's just a different feature that they put on.

SPEAKER_00 20:21

Well, I have a tendency to drive with my hands closed at 12 o'clock. Well, when I got my eyes open, I got it there. And it'll block a lot of that and it'll tell me to keep your eyes on the road. All I gotta do is move my hands to the proper one and three position or whatever. Yeah. Uh and it's very irritating.

SPEAKER_02 20:39

Do you do you you still have a driver's license? The state of Texas gives you a driver's license, Mars?

SPEAKER_00 20:44

Well, uh we need to move on to the next segment. Has it been suspended or something? No. Not yet.

SPEAKER_01 20:52

Not yet. Not again. Not again. Hey, I had so many tickets growing up the cop and I were on a first name basis.