Compare the2025 Ford ExpeditionVS 2025 BMW X7

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Ford Expedition have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW X7 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Ford Expedition are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X7 doesn’t offer height-adjustable front seat belts.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Ford Expedition achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The BMW X7 has not been tested.

The Ford Expedition’s rear backup camera has a standard washer for maintaining a clear view under various conditions. In contrast, the BMW X7 does not offer a rear camera washer, meaning its effectiveness relies on manual cleaning by the user when necessary.

Both the Expedition and the X7 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available all wheel drive.

Ford’s powertrain warranty covers the Expedition 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X7. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the X7 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 8 times as many Ford dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Expedition’s warranty.

The Expedition 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 X7 doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in initial quality. With 27 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is rated below average.

On the EPA test cycle the Expedition gets better mileage than the X7:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Ford Expedition uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The X7 requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Expedition has 1.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the X7 (23.6 vs. 21.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Expedition has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The X7 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Ford Expedition higher (6 out of 10) than the BMW X7 (4 to 6). This means the Expedition produces up to 12.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the X7 every 15,000 miles.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Ford Expedition, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the X7.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Expedition Platinum Ultimate has standard 24-inch wheels. The X7’s largest wheels are only 23-inches.

The Ford Expedition’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The BMW X7 only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Expedition has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the X7; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare or run-flat tires, either of which has mileage and speed limitations.

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 X7 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Expedition is 1.7 inches wider in the front and 1 inch wider in the rear than the average track on the X7.

The Expedition Tremor/Platinum Stealth uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The X7 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Expedition has standard seating for 8 passengers; the X7 can only carry 7.

The Expedition has 4.1 inches more front legroom, 4.9 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear headroom, 3.5 inches more rear legroom, 6.7 inches more rear shoulder room, .8 inches more third row headroom, 3.2 inches more third row legroom and 16 inches more third row shoulder room than the X7.

The Expedition’s cargo area provides more volume than the X7.

The Expedition’s cargo area is larger than the X7’s in every dimension:

Maximum trailer towing in the BMW X7 is limited to 7500 pounds. The Expedition 4x4 offers up to a 9600 lbs. towing capacity.

The Expedition 4x4 can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Expedition can be unhitched and driven around locally. The X7 can’t be towed flat on the ground.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Expedition’s available exterior PIN entry system. The X7 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its BMW Assist can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Expedition has a standard rear variable intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the X7 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Expedition offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The X7 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Expedition is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The X7 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Insurance will cost less for the Expedition owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Expedition will cost $5370 to $11560 less than the X7 over a five-year period.

The Expedition will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Expedition will retain 50.44% to 55.41% of its original price after five years, while the X7 only retains 46.74% to 50.28%.

The Ford Expedition outsold the BMW X7 by over two to one during 2024.