For superior ride and handling, the Ford Expedition has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Lexus LX has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.
The Expedition has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Expedition flat and controlled during cornering. The LX base model’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.
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 LX doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.
For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Expedition’s wheelbase is 10.3 inches longer than on the LX (122.5 inches vs. 112.2 inches).
For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Expedition is 2.1 inches wider in the front and 1.7 inches wider in the rear than on the LX.
The Expedition’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (50% to 50%) than the LX’s (52.5% to 47.5%). This gives the Expedition more stable handling and braking.
The Expedition Active 4x4 handles at .76 G’s, while the LX 700h Overtrail pulls only .68 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.
The Expedition Tremor 4x4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 3.8 seconds quicker than the LX 700h Overtrail (25.6 seconds @ .35 average G’s vs. 29.4 seconds @ .56 average G’s).
For greater off-road capability the Expedition has a greater minimum ground clearance than the LX (8.7 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Expedition to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Expedition Tremor’s minimum ground clearance is 2.5 inches higher than on the LX Luxury/Ultra Luxury/F Sport (10.6 vs. 8.1 inches).