THANK YOU for the great advice!!

I'll try to reply to some of your queries:

- The 5 passengers are all adults (all around 180cm tall)

- Minivans are dismissed because the other travelers absolutely want a SUV (I guess it feels more "adventurous"?!)

- I have nothing against sitting 3x in the back, provided that the arrangement is comfortable enough for a 10 hours trip... I have never seen the SUVs available and therefore can't really judge...

- I have a #1 Club Gold card (AmEx benefit); do you think that this will help in getting the exact same vehicle that I reserve?

Talking about getting the actual Expedition (and not another equivalent vehicle); where do I have the best chances in your opinion? SFO or downtown?

Thanks again!!