Prospective Expedition Owner...What am I in for?

[Ford_Prospect1128]

Newbie here. I have been looking to purchase a new full-size SUV for several months now. Wife and I live out of state and away from family and travel home often to visit. Plus we have our first little one due in November. Needless to say we need a large vehicle that fits our travel needs, plus kid/dog. We have test driven the Tahoe, Denali, Expedition Limited and Sequoia and liked certain things about each of them. The reliability of the Toyota is a huge plus for me, but I refuse to buy a $65K SUV with 90s technology on the interior. Denali and Tahoe Premier were very nice, but I am somewhat partial to the Fords being from Louisville. I have never owned a Ford (or Chevy for that matter) and am looking for input on your all's reliability experience and overall ownership experience with the Expeditions. I am almost settled on the Ford, but looking for some input/advice to push me over the edge on my decision. Never thought I would spend $70K on a FORD, but that's the going rate for a full-size SUV these days. Just crazy. Thanks in advance!

 

[stamp11127]

Welcome to the site. Save your money for the child & buy a used Expy. There are way to many electronic controls on the vehicles today. I teach this stuff also & I see the price for repairs.

What you want and what you need are vastly different things.

 

[JExpedition07]

I’d agree with stamp but if you have the funds sometimes a new vehicle is right for you. Hey someone has to keep buying these things new or there won’t be any used ones for me....

A CPO 2018 is also a good choice, will still have warranty and be quite a bit cheaper all while being pretty new. Nothing wrong with old ones but then you have more upkeep and repairs.....while that’s ok by me some don’t have time/ working hands for that.

 

[nate6966]

I hear ya. I have been a GM owner for most my life, with a Dodge Ram thrown in once upon a time as well.
I just leased a 2019 Expedition two weeks ago, after unloading my 2009 Escalade. I couldn't be happier. This is an amazing vehicle and beats the tar out of my old Escalade.
I saw the last post about buying used, but here's my two cents...
I looked and looked. The only 2018/19 Expeditions I found for sale were still quite high priced. The rebates and incentives on the 19 are insane right now. I got mine for nearly $9k below MSRP and only $8k more than the used Expedition I looking at. Full warranty this way plus newest year. Check it out before you go used.
If I did this again, I would have only one decision to make. If I were going to buy instead of lease, I would have gone with a Limited. If I still wanted to lease which works best for my situation, the platinum was a no brainer.

 

[Mothnuts]

Congrats on the upcoming little one. We were in the same position 4 years ago. We started with an Enclave, then went to a ‘17 Tahoe Premier, and then traded it on a ‘19 Platinum Expedition. I don’t have any experience with the Sequoia. I will add we were a primarily GM family prior to my first ‘16 Ford pickup. My wife absolutely loved her Tahoe, but the deal breaker for us was the 2nd row space for the car seats when we had our second kid last May. She’s 5’4” so it wasn’t an issue behind her seat, but I’m 6’3” and neither car seat fit very well behind me. The Expedition has way more space between the seats. Either car seat can go behind me now with room to spare. The other thing I hated about the Tahoe was the Adaptive cruise control. I was used to my Ford, and the GM’s was terrible. Granted the Expedition is lower geared and has more horsepower. We were going to trade it for a ‘18 Denali with the 6.2, but after we found out we were having a second kid the car seat space trumped everything. We did not have any problems with Tahoe in the 21,000 miles we owned it. We have 8,000 on our Expedition and the only issue we have is the sun roof shade opens on its own sometimes when you start the vehicle, and you have to wait a minute or two before you can get it to close. I haven’t had it checked out yet. The ride is slightly better to me with the Expedition on 22”, and the Tahoe had 20” wheels. The 360 cameras are also very handy if you aren’t used to a bigger vehicle. I still think the Tahoes/Yukon’s may look slightly better, but that’s just what I’ve been used to. The Expedition is very sharp as well.

 

[Deadman]

Here's a few turning points in my Denali XL vs Expedition Max limited comparison I went through before deciding on the Ford.
Yukon Denali 6.2L has no low end torque, it needs to rev to over 4,000 rpm before it makes power, so it feels like a turd in comparison to the grunty Ford that has power right off idle.
The Denali has an all steel body so it will rust really well in the northern climate and salt I live it, the ford is Aluminum that doesn't rust.
The Denali is STILLLLLLL running a solid rear axle rear suspension which is technology from the 1960's, whereas the Ford is running an independent rear suspension so it rides far superior.
The Denali is getting re-designed for next year or the year after, so if you buy a new one now, yours will soon be the old one, whereas the Ford is completely redesigned freshly last year.
The 3rd row seating the in the Ford comfortably seats adults and the 3rd row seat in the Denali XL can barely fit a young child in the seats comfortably. Horrible 3rd row in the GM's.

Thats all I needed. I bought my 302A Limited for $16K under list, so I think it was a no brainer to go new when the used ones were selling for close to that at the time! .

Thats my thoughts.........

 

[shane_th_ee]

Wife and I... have our first little one due in November. Needless to say we need a large vehicle that fits our travel needs, plus kid/dog.... The reliability of the Toyota is a huge plus for me...

I'll be the heretic here. What are you going to be towing? If the answer is "nothing" or "a small utility trailer", have you considered a minivan? Minivans are the best thing going with small kids. The sliding doors means you never have to worry about the kids bashing the cars next to you in the parking lot. The power sliding doors means a 4 year old can open the door, get in, and get strapped in while you collapse the stroller, load the groceries, load the diaper bag, etc etc. And the low floor means the 2 year can also climb in and get into their carseat while you're doing the loading. So all you have to do is strap in the 2 year old and press a button to close the door. All while being a fraction of the price, less complex and with better gas mileage.

I'm all about the right tool for the job. My Cannondale is the right tool for me to get to work, our Odyssey is the right tool for schlepping kids around town, and our Expedition is the right tool for hauling 4 kids while towing a 6000lb travel trailer. Using the Expedition to haul 4 kids with no trailer is a lot of compromises for no appreciable benefit.

 

[cmiles97]

I'll be the heretic here. What are you going to be towing? If the answer is "nothing" or "a small utility trailer", have you considered a minivan? Minivans are the best thing going with small kids. The sliding doors means you never have to worry about the kids bashing the cars next to you in the parking lot. The power sliding doors means a 4 year old can open the door, get in, and get strapped in while you collapse the stroller, load the groceries, load the diaper bag, etc etc. And the low floor means the 2 year can also climb in and get into their carseat while you're doing the loading. So all you have to do is strap in the 2 year old and press a button to close the door. All while being a fraction of the price, less complex and with better gas mileage.

I'm all about the right tool for the job. My Cannondale is the right tool for me to get to work, our Odyssey is the right tool for schlepping kids around town, and our Expedition is the right tool for hauling 4 kids while towing a 6000lb travel trailer. Using the Expedition to haul 4 kids with no trailer is a lot of compromises for no appreciable benefit.

I couldn't agree with this more. Then again I'm 51 and don't care about the "cool" factor. If I didn't have to tow 6,000lb trailer a few times a year, I would be driving a Toyota Sienna AWD and put the $25K saved toward the kids college fund. If your wife is like all of my friends, the minivan is a no-go because they don't want to be seen in one. Being a mother is somehow frowned upon. That's a great deal of money to spend on image but it's your decision and your money. Good luck.

I also forgot to ask how long are you going to keep it. Just a lease or more serious like 10 years, 150,000 miles? If for the long term, I would purchase a Ford Factory warranty just for peace of mind. You can get them online and are good at any dealership.

https://www.floodfordesp.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhtW766fN4gIVh5WzCh0nBAv0EAAYASAAEgJ3cfD_BwE

Also do consider used as Large SUVS do drop in value quite fast on the used market except of course the Sequoia.

 

[Donna Timmons]

Ghost electronics. Rear hatch will crush you. or open automatically and all your stuff falls out when not expecting it. The side mirrors go nuts and click all the time. Need ghost busters for the 2018 Super Platinum.

 

[aggiegrad05]

I have two kids and don’t tow anything. I still bought the platinum max as soon as I could when it came out (Feb ‘18). It’s amazing. And I didn’t get the tow pack as I didn’t need to beat anyone off the line and enjoy the better fuel economy of the lower gear ratio. I also saved almost $2k by skipping that option.

It’s the most comfortable highway cruiser I’ve ever been in. There’s room for everything. It’s still a Ford so I don’t mind throwing a tarp down in the back and loading up with mulch or sod. I bought the extended warranty so all the electronic whizbang gizmos will be covered for as long as I own it (planning on 6 to 8 years). It’s not a minivan so I can still do some light off-roading or drive through a creek bed occasionally when camping. It’s got gobs of power and if you drive it nicely, you can get 20mpg on the freeway.

Sure, there’s some issues (the clicking mirrors, the hatch is a little finicky, etc) but those are all minor issues in my mind that are completely outweighed by the amazing other stuff. Any vehicle will have nit picks and go on any forum for any vehicle and you’ll find folks angry about something. Some folks are just never happy.

For the price, there’s no better option if you want a truck-based, body-on-frame vehicle to take you, your family, and all your crap wherever you need to go in insane comfort. And it’s a damn fine looking vehicle to boot.

 

[scottdm]

I couldn't agree with this more. Then again I'm 51 and don't care about the "cool" factor. If I didn't have to tow 6,000lb trailer a few times a year, I would be driving a Toyota Sienna AWD and put the $25K saved toward the kids college fund. If your wife is like all of my friends, the minivan is a no-go because they don't want to be seen in one. Being a mother is somehow frowned upon. That's a great deal of money to spend on image but it's your decision and your money. Good luck.

I also forgot to ask how long are you going to keep it. Just a lease or more serious like 10 years, 150,000 miles? If for the long term, I would purchase a Ford Factory warranty just for peace of mind. You can get them online and are good at any dealership.

https://www.floodfordesp.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIhtW766fN4gIVh5WzCh0nBAv0EAAYASAAEgJ3cfD_BwE

Also do consider used as Large SUVS do drop in value quite fast on the used market except of course the Sequoia.

I happen to own both a Toyota Sienna AWD and the Expedition. Sienna wins on the interior packaging, ride quality, fuel mileage, and ease of use for the DVD player. Expedition wins on quietness, modern driver aids (Sienna is a 2011), and power/performance. We don't do much towing, but a big portion of the reason we purchased the Expedition is due to crash safety. The Expedition would cream the Sienna in a crash, and I'm willing to put safety ahead of mileage, etc. When the Sienna gets replaced, it will likely be with an F150 or another Expedition. Lots of big vehicles on the road these days, so trying to even the odds.

 

[EricExpedition]

New dad here as well and we upgraded my wife's 2011 Escape to a 2018 Expedition MAX. Agreed, the Toyota interiors are so outdated and being 6'4" I didn't like the Tahoe/Yukon center console that curves inward to the dash. I found that the XLT FX4 was the best bang for our buck I could find. Leather h/c seats, safety upgrades, and 4x4 with eLSD 3.73. Other than the LED headlights and CCD, you are not missing much... even compared to Platinums/Navigators that dealers have listed at $80K+ and $90K+. That being said, I got $7500 off MSRP on the Expy and when I bought my 2013 F150 new in January of 2014 I got $12,500 off. Both times I walked in (different dealerships) and said this is what I am willing to pay for that vehicle. Don't let them try to sell you a lesser vehicle at that price and WALK out the door to the next Ford dealership if they do. It is certainly worth being patient and finding what you really like, and more importantly what you can afford! Congrats on the new kiddo and good luck!

PS We fill up our MAX with our son and our dog on an overnight trip. Third row gets folded flat for the travel crate and car seat is on the middle bench seat. The amount of stuff a 10 pound human needs is mind boggling.

 

[Flexpedition]

Never thought I would spend $70K on a FORD, but that's the going rate for a full-size SUV these days. Just crazy. Thanks in advance!

If you are OK with cloth interior, no moon roof, no navigation - a simple Expedition can be had in the mid $40's without much negotiation effort. Brand new.

Ask your dealer about an Expedition XL. (XL being the trim package, not SUV length) You won't find it on a Ford brochure or on the Ford website. Its a step down from the nearly identical XLT. In fact, you'll be hard pressed to note the differences.

It will have power windows, locks, keyless entry, push button start, power drivers seat, rear view camera. Front & rear air, bluetooth, alloy wheels, steps, tilt and cruise, full-size spare, power mirrors, fog lights, rear privacy glass, etc. Full carpeting.

If leather is a must-have, aftermarket is far superior, very customizable, and will set you back $1K on 2 rows.

Here is an example. Sticker price is $50K. I wouldn't be embarrassed owning it.
https://www.dtfords.com/new/Ford/20...30a0e0ae777431add6d9d7b7e.htm?searchDepth=1:6


You'll have $25K saved, perfect for that boat you don't need.

 

[Squark]

A couple of people mentioned the clicking mirror problem. Ford can reprogram the mirror modules to fix that, so it's a non-issue (SSM 47835).

 

[Artie]

It’s gonna be tough to get a good answer on this because everyone’s needs are different. We had outgrown my vehicle with the birth of our second child (actually we outgrew it with our first but we are either ****** or frugal) and ordered the 18 Navigator. The cost wasn’t an issue and our lifestyle ruled out minivan, that and seeing as I’m the primary driver I also got a vote. Long story short, if the cost isn’t an issue and you don’t mind the potential for destruction from a baby Id take the suv over minivan just based on comfort, tech, and room. Especially if you enjoy any type of camping or if you tow.

 

[nate6966]

I am, and always be, a non-minivan guy. I multi purpose my vehicles and a minivan is a single use/people hauler. Buy a utility trailer for $2k and your SUV miraculously fills in for a very capable truck. Get one with decent MPGs (like the 3.5l EcoBoost) and it can fill in as a mildly thirsty but extremely comfortable and safe commuter if I don't want to take the paid off second car. Simply adding nice leather and amenities makes it a nice "date night" vehicle as well.
My family's second vehicle is an 15yr old, paid off Cadillac sedan, so run around's and commutes (single person errands or trips) don't rack up miles on the Expi.
It truly is how your individual family views vehicles and what your budget is.

 

[aporthole]

How many kids do you anticipate potentially having? How long do you anticipate keeping the new vehicle? Do you plan to tow anything with it?

If planning 2 or fewer kids OR planning to keep this vehicle 6 years or less, I’d definitely suggest a larger mid-size SUV like the VW Atlas, Honda Pilot, or Subaru Ascent as alternatives to check out.

We had a 2011 Honda Pilot for 8.5 years. We purchased it when my firstborn had just turned 1 (upgraded from a 2008 Honda CR-V) and traded it in back in December for our 2018 Expedition MAX. We now have 3 kids (ages 10, 7, 4). We often have extra kids/adults with us plus gear and although the Pilot worked great for daily driving with the 3 kids, adding extra people plus extra stuff was impossible. We could do people or stuff but not both together.

If you are planning 3 or more kids and want the new vehicle to last 7+ years before getting something new OR you plan to tow with it, the Expedition would be a great choice.

I’d still highly suggest at least test driving the VW Atlas and Honda Pilot. The Atlas is surprisingly roomy even with rear-facing car seats in it and has more room behind the 3rd row than nearly every other crossover/unibody SUV. The added safety and convenience features are awesome and you’ll save an easy $20K over a comparably trimmed Expedition.

 

[Ford_Prospect1128]

I appreciate all of the feedback. We are a pretty outdoorsy family and do like to camp. We sold my wife's 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee 6 months ago to Carmax when it started having all kinds of issues. They gave us $2k over KBB. (Sorry to whoever bought that thing). That being said, we definitely need a replacement SUV. I appreciate the input on the VW Atlas and Pilot (both nice vehicles), but you have not met my wife. A two-day trip and we damn near have to attach a Uhaul trailer for her bags so once the kid comes the amount of bags/cargo will grow exponentially. The Expedition seems like the best option for space, camping, lake trips, etc. If I go the Expedition route I really like the Limited with the 302A package. I'd be curious to see what people are paying out the door for these things.

 

[Deadman]

Minivan resale value is junk after a few years. The Expo will still be worth something.....
Just like 1/2 ton trucks, they're dime a dozen after a few years but the same 3/4 ton is worth double!

 

[nate6966]

..... If I go the Expedition route I really like the Limited with the 302A package. I'd be curious to see what people are paying out the door for these things.

I didn't go with a limited, but on a Platinum 4wd with HD tow pkg, Ruby Red add, and 2nd row captain's seats, I got a great deal. MSRP sticker was $80,530. I paid $70,256 + TTL after rebates and incentives.