Not only is Expedition's difficulty grueling and un-fun...

[Armored Chocobo]

but also if you try to just empty out your car and abandon a few runs to make the difficulty tolerable again, the game bumps your level up TWICE as fast?

I'm sorry was this supposed to be the Endless Mode? Why haven't the devs addressed this yet?

[Noma]

I only just started the game, so I can't speak specifically about Pacific Drive, but often devs try to make their game challenging, while forgetting that they overtune everything and make their game unfun. It happens so often, it's baffling and painfully obvious, which actually turns comical when the devs seem oblivious.

So, a bit of advice : don't try to amp the difficulty a lot, just make the game enjoyble first and foremost.