'03 Escape V6 4WD or '97 Excursion V8 2WD?

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I have narrowed down to 2 different cars for my wife to replace the now-sold Saab...

2003 Ford Escape 3.0L V6 4WD with 132K miles, absolutely spotless engine inside (oil cap view is great-- timing chain, tensioner, and valves are like brand new). 2 tires new, 2 about 50% worn. Small rips and stains in the interior, window crack, and sub/amp removal so the stock radio has no sound coming out.....all will be repaired before sale included in the price. Small dealership, $5500. Drives really well. I only have $2500, so we would have to finance the rest. Credit isn't great, worked out payments to about $190/mo. I am not a fan of financing anything.

1997 Ford Expedition 4.6L V8 2WD, 132K miles also, 2-owner car from a private party, wife's car....3K mile OCI with "whatever fully synthetic oil was on sale", timing chain service, all other service done by the owner himself and with pride. No rips/tears on the interior, and 4 new tires. Guy says dealer trade-in was a joke, so he is putting it up for $2500 so he can have a decent down-payment on a new car...says they typically keep their cars for 10+ years, so it's time to replace...guy was pleasant and knowledgable on the phone. Downside, the Expedition gets "18-19 street and up to 22-23mpg highway" according to the owner, and it does not have the 3rd row seat.


What would you choose? Truck will be driven 3 miles each way to work, and not much else, maybe 320 miles r/t to Austin and back every once and a while. May tow lightweight racecars from time to time. My wife is a teacher and can use either to transport kids on field trips, along with our own 2 kids.
 
Believe that stuff about the Expedition getting 18-19 on the street and 22-23 highway if you want to, but I highly doubt it.
Unless you particularly want a landyacht, go with the Escape.
Easier for her to park, and probably drive.
 
I should note that the sticker on the windshield on the Escape said Castrol GTX 5w-20 and was a quart low, and 300 miles over it's recommended change....though visually the inside of the engine looked spotless.

I don't expect the Expedition to get better than 15mpg anywhere :) BUT the Saab would only get that on the drive to work and back, sooooooo...... *shrug*
 
I had a 98 f150 with the 4.6L motor, automatic trans, and 373 gears.

Mine would get 12-15mpg in mixed driving no matter what I did to it. I never got close to 20mpg..
 
I would think the Excursion is a better deal, unless you could talk the dealer down to $3500 on the Escape. $2500 can buy quite a bit of fuel, plus you would be saving on not having to finance.
 
I think we think alike, JSP. The Escape is already at Wholesale price, Blue Book on it is like $9K. It's a good deal, I'm just short on cash
frown.gif
This is my first time financing, my last 28 cars (twenty-eight cars, you read it right) were all cash purchases.
 
I can attest the Excursion does not get the MPG's stated. Its actually worse that than. I drove one around for work and was getting killed on gas. I'd go with the Escape as it is newer, you will get better MPG's and its still in production where as the Excursion is not, and will literally kill your wallet if gas prices keep going up and up. Save where you can you know.

You can knock a grand off, walk in there just flat out say you'll take it for 4500, if not walk away and get the excursion, don't show your desperation just lay it firm. If you show them your serious, they will sell the car as its still profit for them. Secondly your only financing 3k or so. You can make a double payment or instead of 190, pay 250. You'll finish the finance quicker and have better credit because of it.
 
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Although I'm a proponent of 'smaller is better', the Excursion sounds like a better vehicle. The Escape sounds like its had a rough life, and you have to finance it. A cash deal, in your current situation, sounds better. As others have said, the money you don't finance goes to gas...

Plus if you ARE towing around race cars, hauling kids around...etc...the extra abilities of the Excursion will come in handy.

A lot will depend, though, on whether your wife is comfortable driving something that big....
 
Originally Posted By: addyguy
Although I'm a proponent of 'smaller is better', the Excursion sounds like a better vehicle. The Escape sounds like its had a rough life, and you have to finance it. A cash deal, in your current situation, sounds better. As others have said, the money you don't finance goes to gas...

Plus if you ARE towing around race cars, hauling kids around...etc...the extra abilities of the Excursion will come in handy.

A lot will depend, though, on whether your wife is comfortable driving something that big....

+1
 
Wait wait wait....are we talking about an Expedition or an Excursion here? The title of the thread says Excursion, the post says Expedition. Some people who replied are saying Excursion, some said Expedition...WHICH IS IT?
 
Most likely an Expedition...I don't think the Excursion came with the 4.6 Modular...only the 5.4 or diesel.
 
If its an expedition, and the escape, the expedition might be a better deal for the price and what your getting since its not to much bigger than an explorer. An Excursion is as big, or bigger than a Chevy Suburban and are a PIA to park, your Wife will clobber things with it and people will clobber it driving around as its [censored] sticks out of a space rather far.

If its the expedition take it, cash? paid off? the MPG's will still kinda suck but its a rock of a truck and built better and isn't a gas guzzler like an excursion would be.

Just make sure you give it a full tuneup.
 
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Take the Expedition to a trusted mechanic and pay to have it gone over to check it's mechanicals. If everything is as good as the owner claims, I'd go for it. That 4.6 can go well over 250k miles if taken care of. Just be sure the tranny is in good order and has had all service done correctly. I really think you shouldn't be too concerned about the mpg's being that you will be paying far less than if you got the Escape.
If you do buy it, be sure to replace any fluids with your own preferred brands, get a tune-up (plugs, etc.), replace any needed filters, flush/replace coolant, brake fluid, rear-end fluid, and anything else you think could use some refreshening. I would also consider running an AutoRX treatment.
Just my opinions.
 
We ended up picking up the Escape tonight, the Expedition just felt too big for my wife to handle day-to-day (insert "That's What She Said" joke here).

I have a free UOA with a local lab, I am going to drain the Castrol GTX 5w-20 & Fram orange can that is in there (or what the windshield label says), picked up a new Fram air filter as well as Valvoline MaxLife 5w-20 and Motorcraft filter at Wal-Mart tonight. I'll change it tonight before any more miles are on it, and change the transfer case and rear diff oils tomorrow...I have a quart of SuperTech Synthetic 75w-140 for the transfer case, and will maybe pick up something exotic for the rear (there is a race shop down the street that carries RedLine, AMSOIL, etc.)
 
New windshield looks great, they did that yesterday. The audio guy checked out the head unit and it needs to be replaced, as well as clean up the amp/sub wiring that was left in there...a buddy of mine owns a tint/stereo shop in town, I'll just take it to him and put a new head unit in this week or weekend and not sweat it. Other than that (and transfer case/tranny/diff oil change and spark plugs), I think I'm done with the initial maintenance on the car. Looks good. Has the "usual" 3.0L oil pan leak, I went with MaxLife so we'll see if it controls it a bit.
 
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