Compare the2023 Ford Expedition MaxVS 2023 GMC Yukon XL

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Towing
Ergonomics

Safety

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The middle row seatbelts optional on the Expedition Max 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 Yukon XL doesn’t offer inflatable seatbelts.

The Expedition Max has standard Post-Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Yukon XL doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The Expedition Max has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Yukon XL’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Expedition Max has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Yukon XL.

The Expedition Max’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Yukon XL doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Expedition Max and the Yukon XL have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Ford Expedition Max is safer than the GMC Yukon XL:

	Expedition Max	Yukon XL
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Leg Forces (l/r)	23/39 lbs.	152/161 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	35%	47%
Neck Stress	155 lbs.	272 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	271/178 lbs.	333/811 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Ford Expedition Max is safer than the GMC Yukon XL:

	Expedition Max	Yukon XL
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	23	25
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.7 inches
Abdominal Force	108 lbs.	111 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	61	88
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
HIC	134	239
Hip Force	569 lbs.	764 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Expedition Max is .4% to 2.6% less likely to roll over than the Yukon XL.

Warranty

The Expedition Max’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Yukon XL’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are over 79 percent more Ford dealers than there are GMC dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Expedition Max’s warranty.

Reliability

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the Expedition Max have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of some of the engines in the Yukon XL.

The Expedition Max 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 Yukon XL doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Expedition Max’s reliability 12 points higher than the Yukon XL.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Ford vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in long-term dependability. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, GMC is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Ford vehicles are more reliable than GMC vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Ford 3 places higher in reliability than GMC.

Engine

The Expedition Max has more powerful engines than the Yukon XL:

	Horsepower	Torque
Expedition Max 3.5 turbo V6	380 HP	470 lbs.-ft.
Expedition Max Limited/KR/Platinum 3.5 turbo V6	400 HP	480 lbs.-ft.
Expedition Max Stealth 3.5 turbo V6	440 HP	510 lbs.-ft.
Yukon XL 5.3 V8	355 HP	383 lbs.-ft.
Yukon XL Denali 6.2 V8	420 HP	460 lbs.-ft.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Expedition Max gets better mileage than the Yukon XL:

			MPG
Expedition Max
	RWD	3.5 turbo V6	16 city/23 hwy
	AWD	3.5 turbo V6	16 city/21 hwy
Yukon XL
	RWD	5.3 OHV V8	15 city/20 hwy
		6.2 OHV V8	14 city/19 hwy
	AWD	5.3 OHV V8	15 city/19 hwy
		6.2 OHV V8	14 city/19 hwy

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Expedition Max’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Yukon XL:

	Expedition Max	Yukon XL
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	13.5 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Expedition Max has larger standard tires than the Yukon XL (275/65R18 vs. 265/65R18). The Expedition Max’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Yukon XL (285/45R22 vs. 275/60R20).

The Expedition Max’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Yukon XL’s optional 50 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Expedition Max’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 Yukon XL doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For greater off-road capability the Expedition Max has a 1.7 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Yukon XL (9.7 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Expedition Max to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Expedition Max is 3.3 inches shorter than the Yukon XL, making the Expedition Max easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Expedition Max 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 Yukon XL doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Expedition Max has .7 inches more front hip room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom, 1.3 inches more rear hip room, 2 inches more third row hip room and 1.5 inches more third row shoulder room than the Yukon XL.

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

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the GMC Yukon XL is limited to 8300 pounds. The Expedition Max offers up to a 9000 lbs. towing capacity.

Ergonomics

The Expedition Max Limited/King Ranch/Platinum’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches. The Yukon XL’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

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