Which one to keep?

[gfh77665]

Due to an inheritance, I have to keep one vehicle and sell another.

First is a 1997 Ford Expedition, 4.6L, 122K miles.

POSITIVES: excellent maintenance, family was original owner, interior excellent, driven easy like a car, tons of passenger and cargo room, heavy built, V8 can tow if needed, light off road capability. Cheap parts & repairs when necessary.
NEGATIVES: Body scratched up, missing center caps, odometer broke, low MPG's, 18 years old, mostly city mileage, only worth about $3000.

Then, a 2007 Chrysler Pacifica V6, 120K miles.

POSITIVES: Interior flawless. Exterior very good. Better MPG's. Only 8 years old. Refined ride, handles well. Highway mileage, Worth about $6000
NEGATIVES: Unknown maintenance history (but seems well cared for). Smaller, less cargo room. Seats less. Not much towing capacity. Trans has a tiny "glitch" when up shifting, but mechanic says he is "not sure if it is an issue or not", advises to "just drive it".

My inclination is to keep the one that is 10 years newer, but, I can see some advantages to the older Expedition.

I welcome all your opinions on this, thanks!

 

[Quattro Pete]

Do you need all that passenger/cargo room that Expedition offers? Answer that question and you'll know which to keep.

 

[147_Grain]

Keep the 8 year old vehicle or sell both of them and put 10K down towards a nicer vehicle that better suits your needs.

 

[HerrStig]

I thought all those big FOrds ended up in the "cash for clunkers" scam.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: 147_Grain
Keep the 8 year old vehicle or sell both of them and put 10K down towards a nicer vehicle that better suits your needs.
+1

Sell them both and buy something that's known for reliability. I can't say I've ever heard of either of those cars being well known for their reliability.

 

[NMBurb02]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Do you need all that passenger/cargo room that Expedition offers? Answer that question and you'll know which to keep.


Also, do you need the towing and offloading capabilities?

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Originally Posted By: 147_Grain
Keep the 8 year old vehicle or sell both of them and put 10K down towards a nicer vehicle that better suits your needs.
+1

Sell them both and buy something that's known for reliability. I can't say I've ever heard of either of those cars being well known for their reliability.


A 4.6 Expedition is about as solid a vehicle as you can get.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Originally Posted By: 147_Grain
Keep the 8 year old vehicle or sell both of them and put 10K down towards a nicer vehicle that better suits your needs.
+1

Sell them both and buy something that's known for reliability. I can't say I've ever heard of either of those cars being well known for their reliability.


Ummm, the Expie is very well known for its reliability. This generation is basically an F-150 with a back on it.

That said, there isn't a reason to keep it if you can't use it. And the 4.6L is a bit of a turd in a vehicle that heavy, the 5.4L works a lot better.

 

[tomcat27]

It's easy to agree with your "10 years newer" logic. do you need a truck? The Pacifica drivetrain should be very durable (ok, not as durable as the Expie's) but you might see a few more annoying repairs on the Pacifica. allegedly the Pacifica had some heavy design and engineering influence from the Daimler side of the fence - whatever that means.

 

[NHGUY]

If the 3.5 Chrysler gives troubles its going to be an expensive bear.Keep the Ford.

 

[fdcg27]

I'd personally keep the Ford.
It will be a little thirstier, although the Pacifica isn't a fuel economy special either.
It will almost certainly be more reliable and cheaper to fix as needed.
The Pacifica is a FWD car while the Expedition is a RWD truck and Ford trucks of that era are notably good vehicles. The engine used in the Expedition is a good one. Not so sure about the Pacifica. I hope it doesn't have the 2.7 V-6.
It sounds like a few center caps from a yard and some quality time with a buffer would make the Expedition look pretty good as well.
You'll also get more money for the Pacifica and that marginal yield will pay for a lot of extra fuel for the Expedition.
Age isn't the only thing to consider in selecting a vehicle, especially when looking at one from a region where rust is no more than a dark fable told by Yankees.

 

[krismoriah72]

If u HAVE to keep one..keep the ford. Easier to work on, 4.6 was in a gazillion vehicles so parts are cheap.

Income tax returns are coming soon...so u should be able to offload both of them during that time due to all the 'rich' folks that will be looking to spend their money.

Dump them both and find something that u like/need.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Originally Posted By: 147_Grain
Keep the 8 year old vehicle or sell both of them and put 10K down towards a nicer vehicle that better suits your needs.
+1

Sell them both and buy something that's known for reliability. I can't say I've ever heard of either of those cars being well known for their reliability.


Ummm, the Expie is very well known for its reliability. This generation is basically an F-150 with a back on it.

That said, there isn't a reason to keep it if you can't use it. And the 4.6L is a bit of a turd in a vehicle that heavy, the 5.4L works a lot better.
I'm not saying it's UNreliable, I'm just saying given the opportunity to own both I would sell both and find something that's better on gas and really reliable. If I had to choose one I would choose the Expediton though.

 

[gfh77665]

I don't often tow, but sometimes we go to the beach, so the Expedition can handle that better. I would use the cargo room to haul bulky items when necessary. The 4.6 is very sturdy, but I understand they can spit a plug sometimes. Other wise they last 300K with minimal effort.

The Pacifica has the 3.5, thankfully. Its MUCH better than the 2.7 I hear. I commute almost a 80 mile round trip to work each day on I-10, so I do lots of highway cruising.

 

[bubbatime]

Sell both and buy what you want.

The 3.5L in the Pacifica is due for a timing belt if it hasn't already been done. That's a $1200 repair.

 

[Trav]

No offense but you have a couple of real winners there, as Overkill pointed out the 4.6 in that thing has as much pep as a 90 year old with emphysema and a transmission not known for its robustness.
It uses the E4OD not the almost bullet proof 4R100 found in the 5.4 with towing package.
I would seriously unload them both.

 

[gfh77665]

No offense taken. I appreciate the critique of both vehicles. All this good info so far is very helpful.

 

[Kira]

Hello, "Where did I put my vehicle transporter ?"
Agree with selling both. Take advantage of the lower gas prices.

My neighbor across the street (literally) is selling his 1999 Expedition.
I know it has air bag shocks. I doubt the vehicle was ever worked.

He wants to sell it without drama. He has never owned a shabby vehicle and I've seen his driveway for over 40 years.
It's less than 25 miles from Newark Airport. Kira

 

[Fordtrucktexan]

I've never been a fan of "buy a new car with better mileage to save money, even though you'll be paying a note" logic. Unless your current ride is a massive maintenance turd that spends more time in the shop than on the road, this logic is flawed.

Yea, I agree, a 97' 4.6 Expedition doesn't have the guts to get out of it's own way, but it rivals anything in durability. I had a 97' F150 extended cab 2wd with the 4.6 and it averaged about 15mpg. But, being in my early 20's, still in school and about as 'green' in mechanics as a kid could be, I beat that truck senseless. Taking the 4.6 to the rev limiter was almost a daily thing. I buried it up to it's bumpers in mud countless times. It even took a saltwater bath up to it's mirrors at the beach and never skipped a beat. The drivetrain never had a mechanical issue in the 70k miles I owned that truck, not even a bad alternator. I eventually killed the truck when I lost control in the rain and drove it nose first into a steep ditch. Even then, the truck still ran and could drag it's jammed front wheels under it's own power. That engine/transmission is probably still going in some 10th gen truck somewhere.

 

[EA82]

I'd keep the Ford over the Chrysler any day of the week.