Compare the2022 Ford ExpeditionVS 2022 BMW X7

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Ford Expedition are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X7 doesn’t offer height-adjustable front seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Expedition are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The X7 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The middle row seatbelts optional on the Expedition inflate when a collision is detected, helping to spread crash forces over a much larger area of the body and limiting head and neck movement. This can help prevent spinal and internal injuries. The X7 doesn’t offer inflatable seatbelts.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Expedition offers optional Reverse Brake Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The X7 doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Both the Expedition and the X7 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

Ford’s powertrain warranty covers the Expedition 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X7. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the X7 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 9 times as many Ford dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Expedition’s warranty.

The Expedition has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The X7 doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford 14th in initial quality. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 20th.

On the EPA test cycle the Expedition gets better mileage than the X7:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Ford Expedition uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The X7 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Expedition has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the X7 (23.2 vs. 21.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Expedition has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The X7 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Ford Expedition higher (5 out of 10) than the BMW X7 (3). This means the Expedition produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the X7 every 15,000 miles.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Ford Expedition, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the X7.

The Expedition stops much shorter than the X7:

The Ford Expedition’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The BMW X7 only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Expedition has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the X7; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare or run-flat tires, either of which has mileage and speed limitations.

The Expedition’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The X7 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Expedition is 1.3 inches wider in the front and .2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the X7.

For better maneuverability, the Expedition’s turning circle is 1.8 feet tighter than the X7’s (41 feet vs. 42.8 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Expedition has a 1.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the X7 (9.8 vs. 8.7 inches), allowing the Expedition to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Expedition Timberline’s minimum ground clearance is 1.9 inches higher than on the X7 (10.6 vs. 8.7 inches).

The Expedition Timberline/Limited/King Ranch/Platinum uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The X7 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Expedition offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the X7 can only carry 7.

The Expedition has .1 inches more front headroom, 4.1 inches more front legroom, 4.9 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear headroom, 3.9 inches more rear legroom, 6.7 inches more rear shoulder room, .7 inches more third row headroom, 2.8 inches more third row legroom and 16.3 inches more third row shoulder room than the X7.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Expedition’s middle and third row seats recline. The X7’s third row seats don’t recline.

The Expedition’s cargo area provides more volume than the X7.

The Expedition’s cargo area is larger than the X7’s in every dimension:

The Expedition’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The X7’s tailgate’s top part raises up, but the bottom part lowers, getting in the way of loading and making an uneven surface for sliding cargo.

Maximum trailer towing in the BMW X7 is limited to 7500 pounds. The Expedition offers up to a 9300 lbs. towing capacity.

The Expedition 4x4 with optional equipment can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Expedition can be unhitched and driven around locally. The X7 can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Expedition uses the AdvanceTrac® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The X7 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Expedition’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The X7 does not have a temperature gauge.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Expedition’s available exterior PIN entry system. The X7 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its BMW Assist can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Expedition has a standard rear variable intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the X7 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Ford Expedition (except STX) offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The X7 doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Expedition (except STX) offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The X7 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Expedition is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The X7 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Insurance will cost less for the Expedition owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Expedition will cost $5475 to $12055 less than the X7 over a five-year period.

The Expedition will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Expedition will retain 47.53% to 48.51% of its original price after five years, while the X7 only retains 44.42% to 47.49%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Ford Expedition will be $26751 to $65809 less than for the BMW X7.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Ford Expedition and the BMW X7, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Ford Expedition/Expedition Max outsold the BMW X7 by almost four to one during the 2021 model year.