The 4th Gen is too Expensive... or maybe not?

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

TobyU

Full Access Members
Joined
Apr 5, 2013
Posts
2,479
Reaction score
869
Location
Ohio
What also gets my goat is some people rationalize things or try to act like they're not being conceited or arrogant when they do things that obviously are. There are times when I Am A pompous ass. Times when I am arrogant and conceited or too boastful or proud for my own good and I will openly and gladly admit that. I'm aware of most of my character flaws got it. I'm just totally okay with them. Many other people do things and then try to act like what they do is not for those certain selfish or self-important reasons.
I am straightforward honest and blunt about everything. As a matter of fact a long-term friend of mine who is about 35 years my senior, said a while back that that's one of the things she likes about me. You always know where you stand with me and I don't sugarcoat it.
If someone wants a new car oh, they should buy a new car. The reason is because they want it or they like it. They don't need to rationalize it and justify it to anyone.
Just don't try to act like it's a good deal and spin things like media does.
 

JExpedition07

That One Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2017
Posts
6,509
Reaction score
3,119
Location
New York
I’ll never criticize someone for buying a new vehicle, as already said if nobody buys new trucks there are no used vehicles to be had at all. If nobody bought new all those workers at GM and Ford would be out of jobs and the market would collapse......so no I’d much rather have people buy new. I will buy new vehicles in time as well and don’t really care what others think about it as Nate said. We make our money and do what we want with it isn’t that the beauty?

Sales are good relatively speaking today, and then sales are poor if you compare to the early 3rd gen years of the Expedition....maybe it is indeed too pricey or maybe it’s a market shift. I will say GM full size SUV sales have never dipped and not recovered like the Expedition which is still in the “hole” today where peak share was mid 2000s. They are and continue to be nice vehicles today regardless.
 

TobyU

Full Access Members
Joined
Apr 5, 2013
Posts
2,479
Reaction score
869
Location
Ohio
It's always amazed me how GM is King of the SUV in sales and I'm a GM guy but I've owned more Ford's than GM's.
The Suburbans and Yukons were okay looking but I always preferred the smaller or midsize SUVs better. Like the S10 Blazers and the Durango. Then when the Expedition came out I thought it had the best looking stance of any of them. It was not boxy and it was tall like a four-wheel drive should look.

Unfortunately by the 3rd Generation almost everything look the same. Now it doesn't really matter what brand you buy almost all the cars look the same.
 
OP
OP
shane_th_ee

shane_th_ee

Full Access Members
Joined
Aug 31, 2017
Posts
868
Reaction score
661
Location
Seattle
I buy new with the intent to drive my vehicles until the wheels fall off. That way I can get exactly what I want, I can maintain it to my specifications* for the entire life of the vehicle, I know the complete service history, can hand wash it from day one, etc, etc. Sure, I could buy a 10 year old vehicle for a lot less. But I'd have to buy twice as many of them, 'cause they're all half wore out. Which means I'm having to go car shopping twice as often. And then you have to spend time weeding out lots of crappy ones from the good ones. Did they ever change the transmission fluid? Did they smoke in it? Why didn't the ad say anything about the rust on the frame? And then there's fixing the inevitable deferred maintenance items, which takes more time and money.

And, yes, I have gone the buy-used-save-a-bundle route. I bought a 10 year old Jaguar XJ8 that had 35,000 miles on it. I had to immediately drop $3000 on it to prevent the engine from grenading itself. I owned it for 5 years and it was by far the best car I've ever owned and had the cheapest total cost of ownership, including the $3k in preventive maintenance. But I have 4 kids now and a job that pays well but requires a lot of overtime. I don't have the time to invest in buying used cars right now and the potential savings is less than the opportunity cost of spending that time not-at-work.

*I don't care what the owners manuals say! I want my transmission fluid changed every 3 years.
 

TobyU

Full Access Members
Joined
Apr 5, 2013
Posts
2,479
Reaction score
869
Location
Ohio
I buy new with the intent to drive my vehicles until the wheels fall off. That way I can get exactly what I want, I can maintain it to my specifications* for the entire life of the vehicle, I know the complete service history, can hand wash it from day one, etc, etc. Sure, I could buy a 10 year old vehicle for a lot less. But I'd have to buy twice as many of them, 'cause they're all half wore out. Which means I'm having to go car shopping twice as often. And then you have to spend time weeding out lots of crappy ones from the good ones. Did they ever change the transmission fluid? Did they smoke in it? Why didn't the ad say anything about the rust on the frame? And then there's fixing the inevitable deferred maintenance items, which takes more time and money.

And, yes, I have gone the buy-used-save-a-bundle route. I bought a 10 year old Jaguar XJ8 that had 35,000 miles on it. I had to immediately drop $3000 on it to prevent the engine from grenading itself. I owned it for 5 years and it was by far the best car I've ever owned and had the cheapest total cost of ownership, including the $3k in preventive maintenance. But I have 4 kids now and a job that pays well but requires a lot of overtime. I don't have the time to invest in buying used cars right now and the potential savings is less than the opportunity cost of spending that time not-at-work.

*I don't care what the owners manuals say! I want my transmission fluid changed every 3 years.
That's one of the few ways to actually get your money's worth out of the vehicle is to keep it many many years. It reminds me of my dentist who was my dentist for a little over twenty years until he retired. He knew it was in the cars and when he was getting ready to buy a new SUV he asked me for my opinions on the newer models. The last vehicle he purchased was about a 99 Suburban and he had it for 16 years. He was ready for a new one.
Now, this was a man who lives in a very big expensive home and had lots of money and I'm quite sure his retirement was funded nicely.
Having the latest and greatest or showing off his car was just not important to him. He simply wanted a good Dependable transportation and like the extra room and hauling capacity and SUV provided.

Everyone has their preferences. Changing transmission fluid every 3 years it would always look like fresh new fluid. I guess that's your point. Not necessary and it won't make your transmission last any longer than if you changed it every five or six years but it makes you feel better so no big deal.

I've known people who change the oil every two to 2,500 miles because Society was convinced you're supposed to change your oil every 3000 Miles so they want her to do better and do it every 2002 2500.
After 30 years we find out that was all a hoax and a scam! They just wanted to be able to build the Empire of Jiffy Lubes and quick change oil places which popped up on every corner.
People were changing perfectly good oil with 60 to 80% of its life left just because of an arbitrary number of miles or months.
People who changed the oil at 2500 miles we're not having their engines last twice as long as people who were changing the oil at 5000 miles nor were they having fewer repairs.
But for some of us, it's like a motorcycle. It gets the oil changed every season whether it needs it or not.
 

nate6966

Full Access Members
Joined
May 23, 2019
Posts
240
Reaction score
186
Location
US
My last SUV was an Escalade which I bought 2 years old with 19k miles on it. I kept it for right at 10 years and then got rid of it before going with the Expedition. I could have kept it longer, but things were wearing out and I could see my maintenance costs creeping up with more needing to be done. Maybe it would have lasted better if I had cared for it since new, but that's the unknown of buying used.
With this Expedition, I leased because: I only see 3 years before my oldest starts driving; I don't want to keep a full size truck based SUV long term once my kid has her own vehicle; and lastly, I've always been a GM guy and didn't fully trust Ford when I first acquired this Expedition. The money factor (finance rate of the lease) was dirt cheap due to a promotion from Ford at the time, so a lease made more sense to me.
I will, in all likelihood, revert back to the buying of 1-2 yr old with low miles and remaining bumper to bumper warranty. That's always treated me well.
 

TobyU

Full Access Members
Joined
Apr 5, 2013
Posts
2,479
Reaction score
869
Location
Ohio
My last SUV was an Escalade which I bought 2 years old with 19k miles on it. I kept it for right at 10 years and then got rid of it before going with the Expedition. I could have kept it longer, but things were wearing out and I could see my maintenance costs creeping up with more needing to be done. Maybe it would have lasted better if I had cared for it since new, but that's the unknown of buying used.
With this Expedition, I leased because: I only see 3 years before my oldest starts driving; I don't want to keep a full size truck based SUV long term once my kid has her own vehicle; and lastly, I've always been a GM guy and didn't fully trust Ford when I first acquired this Expedition. The money factor (finance rate of the lease) was dirt cheap due to a promotion from Ford at the time, so a lease made more sense to me.
I will, in all likelihood, revert back to the buying of 1-2 yr old with low miles and remaining bumper to bumper warranty. That's always treated me well.
Buying one 2 years old like that is my favorite or at least minimum way of doing things. You saved a bunch of money by doing that.
And it wouldn't have lasted a bit longer or had fewer maintenance issues had you a purchased it new and cared for it better. That is just what people say to rationalize new car purchases because it justifies in their own mind spending more for new.
Statistically it would make no difference. If you did it enough times the numbers of prove there is no difference. Anyone can get a lemon new or used and some vehicles are just going to have more issues than other vehicles have the exact same year even made the same day.
 
Last edited:

Machete

My Rig. 2000 EB 4x4 5.4L
Joined
Jul 18, 2012
Posts
843
Reaction score
348
Location
Illinois
Applauding all around. Good points in the long post, though more of a sermon than comment about the OP.
Is the 4th gen too expensive? It appears not as sales are extremely healthy and they're moving out the door. Vehicles in general are too expensive these days, but to Toby's point, it doesn't affect me much as I behave financially responsible even though my own choices don't make sense to others.
Personally don't care what others think, and I still won't when I retire early and continue living well, near spoiled.

Sales of homes were extremely healthy a decade ago and we all know how that ended...bailout of wall street banks.

Today car payment delinquency is still high which indicates to me people are purchasing vehicles they can’t afford w easy credit... just like the housing market before it crashed.
 
Top