Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current, May 28, 1997, Page 17, Image 17

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    Manufacturer
800 Number Directory
For p ro d u ct in form ation
and d e a le r lo ca tio n s
A Trusted
Companion:
The All-New Ford
Expedition XLT
at -
Erb®*
.K J
ACURA................................ .............. 1-800-TO-ACURA
AUDI.................................... ............... 1-800-FOR-AUDI
B M W ................................... ................ 1-800-334-4BMW
BUICK................................. ................. 1-800-4A-BUICK
CADILLAC........................... ................. 1-800-333-4CAD
CHEVROLET..................... .................. 1-800-222-1020
CHRYSLER........................ ........ 1-800-4A-CHRYSLER
DODGE............................... ............... 1-800-4A-DODGE
FORD/MERCURY.............. ................ 1-800-392-FORD
G E O .................................... .............. 1-800-GET-2-KNO
GMC TR UCK..................... ............ 1-800-GMC-TRUCK
HONDA.............................. ............... 1-800-33-HONDA
HUMMER.......................... ............... 1-800-REAL-4WD
HYUNDAI........................... ................ 1-800-826-CARS
INFINITI.............................. .................. 1-800-662-6200
ISUZU................................ .................. 1-800-726-2700
JAGUAR............................. ................. 1-800-4JAGUAR
JEEP/EAGLE.................... ........... 1-800-JEEP-EAGLE
K IA ..................................... ................... 1-800-333-4KIA
LAND; RANGE ROVER..... ................ 1-800-FINE-4WD
LEXUS ............................... ................... 1-800-872-5398
LINCOLN............................ ................... 1-800-521-4140
MAZDA............................... ................... 1-800-222-5500
MERCEDES-BENZ
1-800-FOR-MERCEDES
MITSUBISHI...................... .................. 1-800-55-MITSU
NISSAN.............................. .................. 1-800-NISSAN-6
OLDSMOBILE................... .................. 1-800-442-OLDS
PLYMOUTH..................... ............... 1-800-PLYMOUTH
PONTIAC
PORSCHE
.................. ................. 1-800-2PONTIAC
............. ................... 1-800-545-8039
SAAB................................ .................. 1-800-582-SAAB
SATURN
................. ................... 1-800-522-5000
SUBARU .......................... ................ 1-800-SUBARU-3
SUZUKI............................. ................... 1-800-650-4445
TOYOTA.......................... ............. 1-800-GO-TOYOTA
VOLKSWAGEN................ ................... 1-800-444-8987
VOLVO.............................. ................... 1-800-458-1552
26
P :
By Adam J. Dixon
I was on assignment and needed a vehicle I
could trust. My mission was to transport supplies
from Washington, DC, to Detroit. I had to be on
time no matter what the weather.
Because of the impending snowstorm, it was a
big assignment for me, but a small task for the
all-new 1997 Ford Expedition.
Sized somewhere between the roomy Chevrolet
Tahoe and the huge Chevrolet Suburban, Ford’s
replacement to the Bronco, is based on the full-
sized Ford F-150 pickup truck and offered only
as a four-door.
I enjoyed driving the 5,136-pound Expedition
on the highways, which posed no problem. But
navigating the giant sport-utility vehicle on the
narrow city streets took some getting used too.
The optional load-leveling air suspension offered
an exceptionally smooth, comfortable ride.
Variable-assist steering provided great control
and feedback from the road. The Expedition could
also make sharp turns for a sport-utility vehicle.
I had no problem driving from the office to
my apartment on Capitol Hill. However, finding
an on-street parking space for the 17-feet long ve­
hicle wasn’t easy. Although it’s bigger than the Ex­
plorer, Ford says it’s “garage able.’’ Meaning if you
have a garage, it might fit.
Ford equipped the Expedition with its new
overhead-cam 4.6- and 5.4-liter V-8, which is
quite smooth tor a truck-based vehicle.
The optional leather six-way power “captain's
chairs” were quite comfortable on the eight and
one-half hour drive to my destination. All con­
trols on the dash were easy to grasp and required
little effort to operate. The cupholders can hold a
2-liter soda, and there is plenty of interior room
to throw stuff around without getting that “clut­
tered” feeling.
W ith the “AutoSet” feature on the car radio 1
could automatically program the six strongest sig­
nals in each state I crossed without deleting the
previously programmed home stations. Ingenious!
After arriving to Detroit, the bond between the
Expedition and myself had grown, as I watched it
maneuver with ease on several snow-covered side
streets. The Expedition is like a naive friend whom
you can coax into going anywhere. But once you
make that expedition, you’ve got yourself a trusted
companion.
it
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NcrttTÂfoêr
an
MOMENTS OF FREEDOM WILL NEVER
BE GIVEN TO YOU. YOU MUST TAKE THEM
An open top to open your mind. An impassioned. 2.8-hter power plant to liberate your soul. And physics-defying agility to
inspire awe.To drive the newZ3 is to feel 110%, certifiably free. Now instead of pursuing happiness, you can catch it.
AFRICAN VWERICANS O N WHEEl-S
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