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

[Ford_Prospect1128]

Sounds like a good price on the Platinum. I got my first price today from a dealer in KY. Quoted me $67,861 for a Limited 4wd with 302A. I knew right away this was way high. Time to move on to the next dealer.

 

[nate6966]

Sounds like a good price on the Platinum. I got my first price today from a dealer in KY. Quoted me $67,861 for a Limited 4wd with 302A. I knew right away this was way high. Time to move on to the next dealer.

My only "special" negotiating was a private cash offer directly from Ford for $4k. I have no idea how or why I got it in the mail, but it was handy.
Otherwise, I used the Costco auto program. This pushed the dealer to start things from their end at invoice and also allow all rebates and incentives to be leveraged.

 

[nate6966]

I also strongly recommend Koons Ford (if you're remotely close to the northwest US). They are a very large dealership and advertise heavy on EBay, trying to go volume based. If it weren't for the shipping impact I had to consider, they would have been slightly cheaper than the deal I took locally here in Washington state.

 

[aporthole]

The Atlas actually has more cargo space behind the 3rd row than the Expedition and only 2 cubic feet less behind 2nd row with 3rd row folded.

The standard length Expy and Atlas are very comparable in size. What makes the Expy $20K more is the body-on-frame design which ups the tow capacity.

If you need more cargo space, you’d want to bump up to the Expedition MAX. We normally keep the 3rd row folded in ours and put all 3 kids in the 2nd row for maximum cargo space (lawn chairs, baseball gear, cooler).

VW Atlas:
20.6 cubic feet behind 3rd row
55.5 cubic feet behind 2nd row

2018+ Expedition:
19.3 cubic feet behind 3rd row
57.5 cubic feet behind 2nd row

2018+ Expedition MAX:
34.3 cubic feet behind 3rd row
73.3 cubic feet behind 2nd row

 

[nate6966]

Don't forget, the extra $20k for the Expedition over the VW Atlas also gets you exterior styling that doesn't make you want to pluck out your own eyeballs AND you get an interior that cradles your bum in actually soft and supple leather seats that are more adjustable than the typical lawn chair.
(This IS a Ford Expedition owners forum, after all, right? )

 

[dlcorbett]

If your looking for a fs suv, each has their pro and cons, which depends on your personal preference. I havent driven a sequoia, but id say theres a reason its last in every comparison test its in even with the cheapest entry price. I will say if space is a priority, the toyota is the only one remotely close to the expy. Ive driven an armada and escalade and i use the escalade as my gm ref. The expy to us was the best balanced. Id start with the comparison tests articles though...spoiler alert, the current expy has won every test its been in so far.(if car and driver ever does one, they will give the expy its first loss though, they rate it lower than all versions of the gm triplets)

I havent driven an atlas, i have ridden in a new pilot and many other large crossovers. In both(any current large crossover) the third rows are a joke compared to the expy. The second row legroom is somewhat comparable but width wise not so much. Also, though the atlas and traverse have better cubic cargo numbers, im sure they arent packaged to handle the same sized cargo. We have a 72x48x24 in. cabinent in ours right now, id doubt any crossover could carry it, and thats light wrk with what weve put in ours. its the std length version as well. also, the pilot doesnt ride wholly better than my expy on base springs, and its supposedly better than atlas. Also, mines pulls 24mpg+ and 550mi regularly on hwy trips, which is comparable or exceeds most crossovers. The cx9 is my fav of the crossover bunch, and even then i wouldnt choose it over my expy. Minivans are pretty much the only better fam opt if you can get past looks. I recently had a rental 17 dodge caravan, though nice in some aspects, was not better at all compared to the expy. The sienna is a vastly better product than the caravan though.

I know your in ky, out here on east coast delmarva, theyre lettin plattys go in the mid 60s. Plattys are the way to go if you can scratch it, they are quieter, smoother, and have better overall quality than ltds. Def try all the trims you can, they are more different than youd think.

As far as reliability, the current expy is rele new. I am startin to notice there are less problem threads poppin up then when the 18s first came out. Mines is a first run, it was one of the original batch made. In terms of total quality and driving, no issues. In terms of electrical, i have the popping mirrors, and my sync loses bt connection. Also, there was a hole on my driver side seat after purchase that was fixed. All in all for a new vehicle, i think the expy is holdin up well. My dads escalade has had some issues, but nothing huge. After a yr and a hlf of ownership, the only change id make would be going for the platty max for space, looks, 360 cam, better ride and massage seats.

 

[lobsenza]

I owned a 2008 Sequoia. The 2019 is almost identical. I purchased a 2019 Navigator and love it. No issues. I would not consider the GM vehicles until the redesign for next year. Unfortunately, the Expedition/Navigator have minimal competition at the moment. If you can wait until after the GM redesign, than it would be a closer comparison.

There is no comparison between the Ford products and the Sequoia. The Sequoia was an excellent up to date vehicle in 2008.

I believe in getting the optional safety features in the Ford. The best way to do this is option it exactly the way you want it and order it. I got much better pricing on an order than I could have on a stock vehicle.

 

[Grey ghost]

1. Turn expedition is safer than any minivan in a crash.
2.the expedition has more room in it than any minivan and that's going to be important if you ever take a trip in it.
3.if you buy an expedition get an auto stop eliminator before you even go and pick it up to have it ready to install in about 10 minutes in your driveway after you get it because that auto stop-start feature is a complete disaster.

 

[JExpedition07]

I don’t agree on cargo space. Most minivans I have been in have more interior room plus headroom than my Expedition EL.

 

[dlcorbett]

The 4th gen blows away the third gen in regards to interior space. Its very comparable, maybe better than minivans in regards passenger space, esp first row room. Cargo space youd have to get the max to get comparable cargo space as a minivan.

 

[Bonji]

https://www.dtfords.com/new/Ford/20...30a0e0ae777431add6d9d7b7e.htm?searchDepth=1:6

That quote is for a 2WD...(rear-wheel drive).

Why anyone would buy one of these without 4WD escapes me. The 4WD are better in safety tests than the 2WD versions, plus you can simply do more. Let me track down some stats.

 

[JExpedition07]

The 4th gen blows away the third gen in regards to interior space. Its very comparable, maybe better than minivans in regards passenger space, esp first row room. Cargo space youd have to get the max to get comparable cargo space as a minivan.

3rd and 4th gen look pretty comparable on cargo room....in fact on the cars comparison tool the EL has more cargo volume than the 4th gen MAX.

 

[dlcorbett]

3rd and 4th gen look pretty comparable on cargo room....in fact on the cars comparison tool the EL has more cargo volume than the 4th gen MAX.

View attachment 30381

Oops i meant in passenger space. The 4th gen has more first and sec row space. Third row space went down a bit but the sec row is on a track so you can increase third row space without losing much sec row room. My 09 nav had nowhere near the space my 18 expy has as far as ppl room is concerned. The sec row is gigantic in comparison and i dont have to move my seat to fold or move the sec row for third row access anymore. Why the max edition lost so much cargo space compared to the previous el is beyond me though.

 

[Flexpedition]

That quote is for a 2WD...(rear-wheel drive).

Why anyone would buy one of these without 4WD escapes me. The 4WD are better in safety tests than the 2WD versions, plus you can simply do more. Let me track down some stats.

OK, so for 4X4 add what, $3K ?

OP didn't mention the 'need' for 4WD, and since this thread has derailed into size debate, here is a brand-spankin new 2019 MAX 4X4. Sticker price is $54,848, dealer priced at $47,674. Still just proving my point that not all Expeditions have a going price of $70K as he implied.

https://www.fordofcolumbia.com/new-Columbia-2019-Ford-Expedition+Max-XL-1FMJK1GT5KEA29113

My 2008 is 4WD. Closing in on 100K miles. Of that, maybe 5 miles total in 4WD. Mostly up moss-covered boat launch ramps. Whatever we replace it with will likely be 2WD, even if the salesperson tries the 4X4 is safer card.

 

[parkerdoug383]

Personally I can't imagine paying 70 grand for a new suv the minute you put the key in and start it you just lost 20grand buy one off a one year lease and let the first owner take the hit..the only way it makes sense is if you make 2 or 3 hundred grand a year and the money means nothing.

 

[JExpedition07]

I wouldn’t skip 4WD if you are north.....also Parker you are pretty close to the mark there. To get financing on a Platinum at 80k (assuming you finance most) one should gross around $250,000 annually. Doesn’t mean that’s what always happens in the world....dealers push people to buy out of their means all the time.

The XL and XLT are reasonably priced and most dealers are more than willing to get that # down anyway. It seems these days some of the price is artificial as they take so much off MSRP.

 

[nate6966]

Personally I can't imagine paying 70 grand for a new suv the minute you put the key in and start it you just lost 20grand buy one off a one year lease and let the first owner take the hit..the only way it makes sense is if you make 2 or 3 hundred grand a year and the money means nothing.

The money still means something, just not the same to each spouse in the household.

 

[Mothnuts]

From someone who trades very often, it’s all just a matter of a persons’s perspective, and no one is right or wrong. I trade Platinum F250’s every year for $8,000 to $10,000 with 25 to 30k miles on them, and plan to trade our Platinum Expedition for $10,000 with 20 to 25k miles on it. I bought a used ‘15 Enclave with 25,000 miles on it in ‘16, and it cost me $10,000 to trade it with 45,000 miles in ‘17 plus a set of tires. A coworker traded his ‘16 Platinum F250 to an ‘18 Platinum F250 with 40,000 miles for $22,500. Another coworker traded his ‘18 Platinum Expy for a ‘19 for $10k. My point is that unless you plan to keep it 4 or 5 years and keep the miles lower, it really doesn’t gain you anything to keep them vs trade them most of time. I just figure it’s going to cost me so much to have a nice vehicle in the garage, and go on with life. A lot of it is relationship with a good dealer, and they work to make the trades work for both of us. I know that money could be spent elsewhere, but nice vehicles are something I enjoy.

 

[Artie]

Personally I can't imagine paying 70 grand for a new suv the minute you put the key in and start it you just lost 20grand buy one off a one year lease and let the first owner take the hit..the only way it makes sense is if you make 2 or 3 hundred grand a year and the money means nothing.

Or you keep it long term. You pay for being the first owner but you also are buying the knowledge of knowing how it’s going to be maintained vs the unknown of who had it first and how was it treated. I’ve purchased used a few times and a couple of those ended in losses due to unforeseen issues because of previous abuse. To each their own, however.

 

[Deadman]

Or you keep it long term. You pay for being the first owner but you also are buying the knowledge of knowing how it’s going to be maintained vs the unknown of who had it first and how was it treated. I’ve purchased used a few times and a couple of those ended in losses due to unforeseen issues because of previous abuse. To each their own, however.

Absolutely my thoughts exactly. If I am paying big bucks for a quality SUV, I'm not risking some moron abusing it from new on and then me buying it just as the warranty is running out! lol. No thanks! lol.