Ford Expedition Wins The Car Mom’s 2025 Car of the Year

The Car Mom Car of the Year award isn’t about luxury badges or flashy marketing. It’s about real-world functionality for real families. Kelly Stumpe—aka The Car Mom—is a mom of four kids under six and a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician. She evaluates vehicles through the lens of daily family life:

• Car seat flexibility
• Third-row accessibility
• Safety features that actually matter
• Tech that helps instead of overwhelms

Each year, she reviews the most notable redesigns and refreshes available for sale and crowns the one that truly delivers. For 2025, the Ford Expedition rose to the top.

The Gold Standard for Car Seats

If car seats are part of your life (or will be soon), the Expedition is in a league of its own. It’s:

• Three-across friendly
• Equipped with lower anchors in the third row
• Outfitted with tether anchors and headrests in every seating position

These details aren’t flashy—but they’re huge for safety, flexibility, and longevity as kids grow.

Car Seat Tilt: A Total Game Changer

This is The Car Mom’s favorite feature for a reason. The Expedition’s second-row seats slide and tilt forward even with a rear-facing car seat installed—a feature affectionately known as The Car Seat Tilt. For families who need daily third-row access while keeping little ones rear-facing, this is a rare and incredibly valuable win.

A Third Row You’ll Actually Use

So many SUVs technically have a third row… but barely. The Expedition’s third row offers:

• Real legroom
• Proper ventilation
• Charging ports
• Cup holders that make sense

Kids and adults can ride comfortably back there, making it a true three-row SUV—not just on paper.

Cargo Space That Understands Family Life

Especially in the Expedition MAX, cargo space is unmatched. There’s room behind the third row for groceries, sports gear, strollers, and everything else that comes with family chaos.

Smart touches like:

• A split tailgate
• A modular cargo shelf system (that can double as a bench!)

…prove that this vehicle was designed by people who actually use their trunks.

Tech That Helps (Without the Headache)

The Expedition’s tech upgrades feel modern but not overwhelming:

• A clean, intuitive 24-inch dashboard
• An oval steering wheel for better visibility
• BlueCruise, which is a major plus for long road trips

It’s thoughtful tech—designed to make driving easier, not more complicated.

The Bottom Line

The 2025 Ford Expedition isn’t just big—it’s brilliantly designed for families who use every seat, every row, and every inch of their vehicle. Functional. Flexible. Family-first. That’s why it proudly earns The Car Mom’s 2025 Car of the Year title.