Driving an Expedition... How Can I Park Better?

I have a 2021 Expedition Limited, and I’m really struggling with parking it. I hit curbs all the time, and every day, my kids have new stories about what I ran into or how many times I had to try parking. The back seats feel like a carriage, too, which doesn’t help. Unfortunately, we can’t get rid of it right now, and I’m trying to figure out how to park it better. I’ve been hoping to downsize to a midsize SUV, but it doesn’t seem likely at the moment. Does anyone have any tips to improve parking? I know practice is key, but I can’t always practice in a grocery store parking lot! I’ve looked up YouTube videos and Google searches, but most just give reviews and info about the drive modes. Please help me out, I’m desperate!

If you’ve had the car for 3 years and are still struggling with it, maybe it’s time to face the fact that it’s not the car but how you’re driving it. But if you’re really thinking of downsizing, maybe try an Explorer.

@Miller
I know, it’s me, but I was really hoping I could downsize. Realizing that’s not happening, so now I’m trying to just accept it and get better at parking this thing.

Dev said:
@Miller
I know, it’s me, but I was really hoping I could downsize. Realizing that’s not happening, so now I’m trying to just accept it and get better at parking this thing.

You already know the answer – you just need to practice. Watching videos is fine, but you actually have to practice what you’ve learned. Take the weekend, drop the kids off with your husband, and go to a big empty parking lot. Get a set of cones or other obstacles, and practice parking. Backing up, pulling in, try everything. Eventually, it will click, and the mistakes you made before will stand out to you.

Dev said:
@Miller
I know, it’s me, but I was really hoping I could downsize. Realizing that’s not happening, so now I’m trying to just accept it and get better at parking this thing.

Be careful when choosing a car. My ex-wife’s little Kia was way harder to judge the distance than my '07 Expedition. It felt like there were no visible body panels from the driver’s seat, and you just had to guess where things were. Good luck with that!

Have you tried backing in? With bigger vehicles, it’s easier to back in than trying to pull in. Plus, it’s much easier to pull out!

Marlowe said:
Have you tried backing in? With bigger vehicles, it’s easier to back in than trying to pull in. Plus, it’s much easier to pull out!

Exactly, backing in makes it easier to get in and out of parking spaces. My wife started doing this with her Expedition, and it made a huge difference.

Marlowe said:
Have you tried backing in? With bigger vehicles, it’s easier to back in than trying to pull in. Plus, it’s much easier to pull out!

Yes, I’m definitely better at backing in now.

Do you have the 360 camera? It might help you park better.

Rory said:
Do you have the 360 camera? It might help you park better.

I do have that, but I don’t use it for straight parking. Only when I need to redo the parking job. And I’ve had the Expedition for 3 years, so it’s not exactly new to me.

@Dev
You should give it a try. Just tap the camera button when parking straight. It’ll help a lot. You can also improve your spatial awareness by driving in reverse a lot. Take the car to an empty parking lot, park far away from others, and practice using the camera and your mirrors. If you have memory presets, you can adjust your mirrors to help you see the sides of the car better, too.

Expeditions are super easy to drive… sorry you’re having trouble with yours. I’d never get rid of mine.

Nile said:
Expeditions are super easy to drive… sorry you’re having trouble with yours. I’d never get rid of mine.

I’m fine driving on highways and most streets, but the older roads around here are narrow, and it’s hard to stay between the lines.

@Dev
Are you sitting high enough? Try raising the seat and adjusting it down a bit if you need to. It could make a big difference.

Nile said:
@Dev
Are you sitting high enough? Try raising the seat and adjusting it down a bit if you need to. It could make a big difference.

I’ll try that. I’ve only adjusted the steering wheel and how close I am to it. Thanks for the tip!

Try taking wider turns.

Valor said:
Try taking wider turns.

Yeah, some cars have worse turning radii than others. My '07 is tough to turn, so I just turn the wheel more.

I just went from an Equinox to an Expedition, and it was a big change! Now I park as far away from others as possible to avoid getting too close.

Tobin said:
I just went from an Equinox to an Expedition, and it was a big change! Now I park as far away from others as possible to avoid getting too close.

I do the same! I cringe when someone parks next to me after I’ve purposely parked in the farthest spot!

@Dev
Yeah, parking close to others can be scary.