New(er) Expedition in the Saxony Family

[saxonyron]

It happened pretty fast, but I just scored a replacement for the '02 Expedition which was nearing 100k miles.  Seems like $3 gas is driving people away from big SUVs, no matter what they say in the press.   I had an enormous selection of pre-owned Expeditions, and ended up with a smokin' deal.  Check out the 2006 Eddie Bauer Edition with 20,800 miles.  Stickered at around $44k, assume it was bought for around $38k.  I scored it including a 100,000 mile Ford warrantee on drivetrain and suspension for $26,300.  These things are suffering some big early depreciation, so I recommend "get them while they're hot."  And Ford got me 4.9% financing.   The dealers I contacted acted as if I'd walked into the lion's den with raw prime rib duct taped to my forehead.  I've seldom gotten more attention.

[JYODER240]

Congrats, is this what the wifey drives?

[Raghavan]

Kewl car Sax.

[saxonyron]

Congrats, is this what the wifey drives?

Thanks!  It's the family bus.  My wife drives it 95% of the time, while I go solo in the A4.  A short review of the new Expedition vs the previous generation:

In brief, there's no comparison.  The independent rear suspension along with other suspension mods result in a vehicle that drives 100% better than the old.  The older Exp felt real unhappy at anything over 70.  The solid rear axle and wobbly front end inspired as much confidence as watching Patrick Kennedy navigate a rotary after happy hour.  I found myself clipping along at 85 on the way home, and the whole truck felt solid, secure and well-planted.  Oh yeah, the extra valve per cylinder in the 5.4L V8 does grab an extra 40 horses to total a much needed 300 HP and I think 365 LB-Ft of Torque.  That, plus the option to drive in classic RWD only gets you a much more satisfying driving experience than you'd expect from a moose of a vehicle like this.

The bling factor is fulfilled by the 260W kick ass stereo, steering wheel controls for radio and HVAC, memory seats that automatically slide you back 5" when you shut the engine off to facilitate your getting out (my wife is 5'6" so it works for her.  I'm 6'7" so I never experienced the "slide back"), and dual auto climate control.  Tow capacity is 8,600 lbs.  It's got a bunch of other cool stuff, but in short, I'm amazed by the improvement over the '02 model. No complaints here!

[saxonyron]

Kewl car Sax.

Thanks Rags!  B)  

[Run Away]

Sounds like a sweet deal.

[Raghavan]

Kewl car Sax.

Thanks Rags!  B)

How exactly  does the Edie Bauer edition differ from the regular one?

[saxonyron]

Kewl car Sax.

Thanks Rags!  B)

How exactly  does the Edie Bauer edition differ from the regular one?

It's basically an optioned-up XLT with the 2 toned paint job.  It has the better radio, dual auto climate control, 2 tone leather seats, trip computer, turn signal mirrors, leather steering wheel, auto dim mirror, memory driver seat/mirror/pedals.  I've owned 2 XLT's so far - a 97 and 02 - so I guess an Eddie Bauer is the next step to Ford Nirvana.  :ph34r:  

[Run Away]

When are the dubs going on?

[BMWDave]

Very nice ride! Looks like you got a killer deal too B)  Enjoy!

[Catman]

Sax came over last night with it and it's like brand new.  Awesome deal and warranty.

[ifcar]

Terrific deal. It's a potential former rental with that many miles, but it shouldn't be a problem for you.

Rarely do you see a better reason to buy newish-used instead of new.

[saxonyron]

Terrific deal. It's a potential former rental with that many miles, but it shouldn't be a problem for you.

Rarely do you see a better reason to buy newish-used instead of new.

It is a former Hertz rental - that's why I insisted on the 100k warranty.  My '02 was bought the same way.  That way its abuse (potential abuse!     ) early on in life is covered so there really is no downside.  The interior looks mint, and there are only a few minor scuffs on the lower cladding on the exterior.  It looks like a good representative of the rental fleet!

[ifcar]

Terrific deal. It's a potential former rental with that many miles, but it shouldn't be a problem for you.

Rarely do you see a better reason to buy newish-used instead of new.

It is a former Hertz rental - that's why I insisted on the 100k warranty.  My '02 was bought the same way.  That way its abuse (potential abuse!     ) early on in life is covered so there really is no downside.  The interior looks mint, and there are only a few minor scuffs on the lower cladding on the exterior.  It looks like a good representative of the rental fleet!

Was your 02 as good of a deal?

[giant_mtb]

Nice car...er...SUV!      

[Raza]

My friend/barber got himself an EBE Expedition to replace his Acura TL.  I expressed my extreme dissatisfaction at his choice.

Though for yours, I have more sympathy.  With 37 children, you need a large vehicle to cart them off to the river for drownin...schoo...churc...football gam...what do you people do again?

[93JC]

With 37 children, you need a large vehicle to cart them off to the river for drownin...schoo...churc...football gam...what do you people do again?

37 kids, what do you think he does?  


 

[saxonyron]

Terrific deal. It's a potential former rental with that many miles, but it shouldn't be a problem for you.

Rarely do you see a better reason to buy newish-used instead of new.

It is a former Hertz rental - that's why I insisted on the 100k warranty.  My '02 was bought the same way.  That way its abuse (potential abuse!     ) early on in life is covered so there really is no downside.  The interior looks mint, and there are only a few minor scuffs on the lower cladding on the exterior.  It looks like a good representative of the rental fleet!

Was your 02 as good of a deal?

I got the 02 for the same price - $26K.  It was in Sept '02, had 28k miles and stickered about $8k  less than this 06 did.  I'd been watching on Autobytel over the last couple weeks, and they've had this one for a while.  The dealer had just lowered the price by $2k the day before I bought it.  If gas wasn't $3 per Gal, this thing would have sold for $30 - $32k all day long.  KBB was $36,500 on it, and that's usually 10-15% over real market.

[saxonyron]

My friend/barber got himself an EBE Expedition to replace his Acura TL.  I expressed my extreme dissatisfaction at his choice.

Though for yours, I have more sympathy.  With 37 children, you need a large vehicle to cart them off to the river for drownin...schoo...churc...football gam...what do you people do again?

Believe me, if he voluntarily traded a TL for an Expediter, he's no driving enthusiast! Better stick to cutting hair.

Thanks to my 37 kids and 3 trailers, I have a legitimate need for a jumbo ute like this.  None of it goes to waste!  I need no sympathy - I drive the A4 all the time.      

[saxonyron]

With 37 children, you need a large vehicle to cart them off to the river for drownin...schoo...churc...football gam...what do you people do again?

37 kids, what do you think he does?  

   

[Raghavan]

Does it have the power rear seats? I really liked those in the Expedition that i saw in the autoshow.

[VetteZ06]

My 'Hoe was a demo vehicle before I bought it, but I didn't get anywhere near as good of a deal as you got with the Expedition. It was a 2003 LT with about 4,000 miles, and it had nearly every available option (DVD player, turn signals in mirrors, heated leather seats with memory, rearview mirrors that powered in and out, XM radio, steering wheel controls, Autoride suspension, etc.). It stickered for $49,000 and I picked it up for below $39,000. I was happy with my deal, of course, but yours is even better!

Have fun playing with all the electronic gadgets--that's all I did for a few days after getting the 'Hoe.  

Congrats!

[jadewolf123]

Shoulda got a 'Burban  that the end of my trolling. My parents got the same as VetteZO6 but in a Suburban and we couldnt be happier. Fuel costs are a bullet that you have to bite but for comfort on long trips with many people this segment of vehicles is unmatched. I would hate to be the 3rd row in a minivan but in the SUburban its quite comfortable with plenty of luggage room. Good decision but it could have been a bit better  

[saxonyron]

My 'Hoe was a demo vehicle before I bought it, but I didn't get anywhere near as good of a deal as you got with the Expedition. It was a 2003 LT with about 4,000 miles, and it had nearly every available option (DVD player, turn signals in mirrors, heated leather seats with memory, rearview mirrors that powered in and out, XM radio, steering wheel controls, Autoride suspension, etc.). It stickered for $49,000 and I picked it up for below $39,000. I was happy with my deal, of course, but yours is even better!

Have fun playing with all the electronic gadgets--that's all I did for a few days after getting the 'Hoe.  

Congrats!

Thanks!  The "Hoe" - heh heh heh!     With all those options, you are definitely pimpin' in your hoe!  Sounds like your deal was pretty good too.  I've looked at demos that were barely marked down.  Even had one dealer give me an equation of something like 20 cents a mile x 3,000 miles = $600 off sticker or something absurd like that.  He was actually trying to convince me it was a new car, but everyone knew otherwise.

My wife loves it but actually prefers the 97-02 style (we had 2 of them since 99).  I love the new style, but the real incredible thing is the way this thing handles.  It's the difference between beef jerky and filet mignon.    

[VetteZ06]

Thanks!  The "Hoe" - heh heh heh!     With all those options, you are definitely pimpin' in your hoe!  Sounds like your deal was pretty good too.  I've looked at demos that were barely marked down.  Even had one dealer give me an equation of something like 20 cents a mile x 3,000 miles = $600 off sticker or something absurd like that.  He was actually trying to convince me it was a new car, but everyone knew otherwise.

My wife loves it but actually prefers the 97-02 style (we had 2 of them since 99).  I love the new style, but the real incredible thing is the way this thing handles.  It's the difference between beef jerky and filet mignon.

Yeah, the deal I got wasn't too bad, but yours was, as your title says, absolutely killer.  

It's crazy what some dealers will do to convince you that they have YOUR best interests in mind, and not their own. Kudos on being patient/wise enough to find the best deal. I cannot say that I'm the most patient car buyer, so I admire you.  

I can say from person experience that the Expedition makes for a great travelling vehicle. When I moved from New Mexico to Tennessee with the family earlier this year, we got a rental Expedition to handle all of our luggage/animals/useless crap, and it did the job perfectly. On the way through Arkansas we ended up stopping in Little Rock for the night, and the next morning we got hit with a bad ice storm, so we had to traverse some pretty dicey road situations. The Expedition, though, handled it all with ease.

As for the 'Hoe, it is now filed under the "Dearly Departed" list.



Traded it for this back in February:



Practical choice, I know.

[saxonyron]

The Rubicon!  Nice ride!    I'd love one of those if I didn't do so much driving.   They're a ball for bombing around back roads, but a little too bouncy/darty on the highway (although my experience was 10+ yrs ago - I imagine they're better now, but still no sport-sedan!   ) Take the roof off and enjoy the summer sun!  

[VetteZ06]

Thanks! Sorry for hijacking your thread.  

It's not bad driving the Rubicon around town, but like you said, driving it on the highway is always interesting. The steering is absolutely lifeless, and exceedingly light, to the point that a sneeze puts you in the ditch if you're not careful. Wind noise is EXTREMELY pronounced at highway speeds, but I think that's to be expected. The ride is not luxury car-esque, but I can tolerate it without a problem.

The top is indeed off, and I just went for an evening drive with the family in the 75 degree night time air.  

What kind of gas mileage do you expect to get with the new Expy? I don't remember how the rental did on my cross-country jaunt, but it can't have been much different from the 18-19 MPG I averaged with the 'Hoe.

[saxonyron]

No hijacking offense taken - it's all good!   B)  My 5.4L 260 HP 02 averaged a hot 15 mpg    .  I'm hoping the new one, even though it's 300 HP, will do better - maybe 16?? It has a 2wd option, so that should help a bit without the drivetrain losses.  A night time top off cruise?  Sounds good!  I hope you hit an ice cream stand (that's a family tradition around here -  we hit one last night when I got home with the new ride.)  

[850CSi]

Congrats!

(I hate big cars but you get a pass because of the kids/trailers)

[omicron]

That is a surprisingly good car you have there. Great deal, and it doesn't look half bad! What a pity petrol is so expensive.