Brute Gets Civilized; Ford bruiser becomes a better cruiser.(Auto File)(an evaluation of the 2003 Ford Expedition)

As imposing as the 2003 Ford Expedition is when you first walk up to it, its ride and handling is surprisingly good.

That refinement is the main reason owners who contacted us bought this new, second-generation Expedition. The many changes and upgrades to this version make it a far cry from its 1997-debuting predecessor.

Among the improvements are an independent rear suspension, bigger brakes, rack-and-pinion steering, stability and traction control, and a tighter ride (70 percent stiffer frame and 42 percent stiffer body).

We tested an Eddie Bauer Edition, with a Triton 5.4-liter engine that makes 260 hp at 4500 rpm and 350 lb-ft of torque at 2500 rpm. Ninety percent of that torque is available from 1870 rpm. This 4x2 tips the scale at 5416 pounds, and with a full tank of gas and one person, it weighs more than two and a half tons. The gas is devoured fairly quickly, but at least the V8 only requires 87 octane.

We got 14.1 mpg on one tank that included track testing, then 15.0 mpg on the way home via mostly freeway. The EPA combined estimate is 15.37 mpg, based on a 13-city/18-highway mpg rating. (The base 4.6-liter V8 produces 232 hp at 4750 rpm and 291 lb-ft at 3450 rpm, with a 14-city/19-highway EPA mpg estimate.)

For such a big SUV, the Expedition displayed impressive stability on the freeway. We heard some wind noise, but overall, the interior had good road isolation. The mud-and-snow Continental tires, for all their knobbiness, weren't especially noisy.

In our acceleration tests, the Expedition went a bit quicker on each successive run, as if it wasn't yet completely broken in. We used the identical, non-wheel-spinning technique for this four-speed automatic-equipped tank, so something mechanical must have been changing. Maybe it was the engine warming or loosening up, or oil thinning for less friction.