Finding a Fair Oaks Ford dealership that understands family is critical when searching for an SUV to keep up with your household’s active lifestyle. The Ford SUV and crossover lineup feature an array of family-friendly vehicles with the features and capabilities necessary to get everyone where they need to be safely and efficiently. What are the most sought-after SUV features that today’s modern families demand? It’s all about technology.
For 2022, Ford keeps up with growing consumer demand for the latest infotainment, driver-assist safety, and convenience tech, offering robust touchscreens with smartphone connectivity and app-based connected services that simplify life and make daily errands easier and more efficient. How nice would it be to have an automatic tailgate if your hands are full of groceries? How about a backup camera that warns you about oncoming traffic?
For busy families, life gets easier when the car they drive has a comfortable seat for everyone. Forget fighting over who gets stuck in the dreaded third row. Ford helps you skip the squabbles with roomy cabins that feature ample legroom in all three rows and room leftover for backpacks and sports gear. From the boardroom to the soccer field, these versatile utes are ready for service.
For Growing Families: The Expedition Gets You There With Room to Spare
Sometimes you need a large SUV with flexible interior space for all of life’s adventures. Today’s families are busy running here and there, with overstuffed calendars and tons of gear. Team dinners and weekend road trips become easier and more enjoyable when there’s plenty of room for everyone to spread out. That’s where the 2022 Ford Expedition comes in.
Ford’s legendary large SUV gets a complete refresh for 2022, with a rugged new Timberline trim and even a Stealth Edition Performance Package that adds a powerful twin-turbo engine. Boasting the most driver-assist technology features in the category, the newest Expedition is tailor-made for families on the go. New for 2022 is the available hands-free BlueCruise that lets drivers take their hands off the wheel on connected highways, reducing fatigue on long road trips.
Tech lovers will appreciate the optional 15.5-inch infotainment touchscreen, a massive display that’s portrait-mounted on the dashboard for easy access to smartphone content, navigation, and vehicle diagnostic data. Those unwilling to sacrifice performance no longer have to with the available 440-horsepower high-output V6 engine. It’s the most powerful engine in its class and also offers 510 lb-ft of torque and pairs with a 10-speed transmission and a sport-tuned suspension to offer surprising acceleration and agility.
Choose the largest, most luxurious trim in the bunch–the Expedition Platinum MAX, and your ute receives a 22-speaker Bang & Olufsen Unleashed audio system that includes a subwoofer for deep, bass-rich sound. The Platinum MAX also includes heated and ventilated front seats with Active Motion, a massage feature with extra lumbar support. A tri-zone automatic climate control keeps everyone comfortable, while the optional dual-headrest rear-seat entertainment system is an excellent choice for families with young ones who are prone to asking, “Are we there yet?”
For Intrepid Adventure Seekers: The Bronco Sport
Not all families want a run-of-the-mill, sport-utility vehicle with car-like driving characteristics—which is why the Bronco Sport is such an exciting option. The Bronco Sport is the more mainstream version of the reintroduced Bronco nameplate, with its sibling, the Bronco, embracing true 4×4 characteristics. Still, the Bronco Sport holds its own on and off the trail. For families wanting a little rugged to go along with all that practicality, the Bronco Sport Badlands is the one to buy.
The Badlands trim sits at the top of the lineup, and for good reason—it features the more powerful of the lineup’s two powertrains and an all-wheel drive system that Ford tweaks with a little more capability. A 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine delivers 249 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque, and drivers can choose from seven selectable drive modes–called G.O.A.T. modes–to customize driving characteristics for various road (and off-road) conditions.
All that power and capability sounds great, but what about family-friendly features? The Bronco Sport seats 5 passengers comfortably, and trims like the Outer Banks provide leather-trimmed seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, and remote start, which comes in handy on chilly school day mornings. Multiple USB ports are scattered throughout the cabin, so everyone stays charged, and with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, streaming smartphone content is as easy as one touch.
Rear seat passengers won’t complain about feeling cramped in since the Bronco Sport offers 41.7 inches of headroom. In fact, the cabin boasts 105.7 cubic feet of passenger volume. Cargo hauling isn’t an issue either, because the Bronco Sport offers a max cargo capacity of 65.2 inches. If your family loves to camp or tailgate, consider adding the available slide-out table in the cargo area. It includes a 400-watt power inverter and LED overhead lighting. There’s even a built-in bottle opener.
The Just Right Explorer: Family-Friendly From the Beginning
The Explorer might be the genesis of America’s obsession with SUVs. Ford is arguably the first automaker to perfect the SUV formula, earning a large percentage of market share almost from day one. Driving an Explorer means having access to all the modern conveniences busy families rely on, such as three rows of seats, an automatic hands-free tailgate, and a power-operated second row seat that easily slides out of the way to provide scramble-free access to the third row.
It seems we all know at least one family with a Ford Explorer in their driveway. It makes sense since the Explorer dominates the full-size SUV category and has for over 30 years. This qualifies Ford’s most popular SUV to legend status, and 2022 represents the latest chapter in its storied history. Buyers can select from eight trims, including the popular Limited and King Ranch, as well as a high-performance ST version that includes a 400-horsepower 3.0-liter power plant that is capable of reaching speeds of up to 143 mph.
Perhaps most exciting for budget-minded families is the Ford Explorer’s Hybrid version. Equipped with a 3.3-liter V6 hybrid engine and Intelligent 4WD, this fuel-sipping Explorer doesn’t compromise on capability. It can tow up to 5,600 pounds and deliver a brisk 318 horsepower while still featuring fuel economy ratings of 27 MPG (miles per gallon) in the city and 29 MPG on the highway for rear-wheel drive, and 24 MPG in the city and 25 MPG on the highway for four-wheel drive. With the Hybrid, Ford allows families seeking an SUV with seating for 7 to not compromise on fuel efficiency.
As for high-end finishes, one look at the top-of-the-line Explorer Platinum reveals plenty. How do tri-diamond perforated leather seats and an available twin-panel moonroof sound? A heated steering wheel is standard, as is ambient multicolor interior lighting, a wireless charging pad, and a 980-watt, 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system. The third-row folds flat with PowerFold, a one-touch power function that easily enlarges the cargo area.
Ford Dominates the SUV and Crossover Category
Once again, in the 2022 model year, you’ll find some of the highest quality, most popular SUVs and crossovers bear the blue Ford oval. Whether you’re seeking a mid-size crossover for your young family or you need a massive land yacht that fits the whole neighborhood, you’ll find a class-leading option in the Ford lineup. Buyers of all budgets will find the ideal ute for their family’s needs, whether its a hybrid Escape or an all-electric Mustang Mach-E. Even the rugged Ford Bronco works if your clan regularly heads off-road for a weekend of camping in the backcountry.
Tow your boat, haul the soccer team, and spend an afternoon loading gardening supplies at the big box store with ease when you’re behind the wheel of a capable Ford SUV. No one does utility and capability better than Ford Motor Company.
