So...after a year of listening to the wife rag on me about how we need a bigger car (previous vehicles were a 2001 BMW 325i and 2002 BMW X5 (the ones without 3rd row)) I finally did it, pulled the trigger on a type of truck that has been kicking around in my head for about three years now.

Back up to last year. My wife and I had just moved up to Washington from Texas, with the Army. We were caring for a baby boy who was placed in our care through the Foster Child system, and trying to squeeze him into the back with the two kids from my first marriage. Look into the back seat, see shoulder-to-shoulder-to-carseat children. Wife starts bugging me for a car with more seats, starts perusing the dealers for a newer 3rd row X5. I agree with her, that we need a bigger car, but disagree on the model, and try to convince her to get into either an Expedition or (better yet, by my estimation) an Excursion Powerstroke. She scoffs at me, saying she will never own another American car, because they're just too unreliable

We truck on for the next few months, then we get a second foster child placed with us, this time a baby girl. So now there are six of us, and only five seats in her X5 and my 325i. Now, if we need to go somewhere as a family, it's two cars. Bad news for gas expenditures and toll bridges. She continues to shop obsessively for BMWs.

This is where my evil plan comes into action: I allow my cooling system to partially fail on my BMW (anyone who has ever owned an E46 BMW knows that the cooling systems are notoriously unreliable). I tell her that I know where the leak is, but I can't really get to it all that easily, and it's going to cost me a few hundred dollars to fix it. Let that go for a few months, continually filling the cooling system with water, complaining about the unreliability of my car, and start shopping for Excursions. I tell her that this is a type of car that ticks all of my boxes. I can seat 8 people in it, I get my diesel that I've always wanted, I can go to Home Depot and load up the back with lumber, plants, soil, tools, lawn mowers, whatever I want. I can tow things. I can get a utility trailer and use it like a pickup. It's 4 wheel drive, so I can go places in the snow that my BMW wouldn't have been able to handle. We can take the kids, the dogs, the double stroller, a tent, all of our camping gear, and go away for the weekend without having to worry about space.

So I find one at a dealer up north of Seattle (Harris Lincoln) that has a really nice 2005 Excursion Limited Powerstroke 4x4 that I want to look at. So Friday afternoon, we head up there, the salesman (Nate) shows us the Excursion, and it's better than I had expected. Rear seat entertainment with the wireless headphones, tan leather interior, alloy wheels, brand new tires, and a nice, straight body with only a couple of small dings in the right rear door and a handful of minor scratches, and 120,000 miles on the odometer. I take it for a test drive, and the Powerstroke purrs. It's so quiet on the inside. I maneuver it through traffic on Highway 99, and the truck feels large, but not as large as I had expected, given the F-250ness of it all. Throttle response is as good as a stock turbodiesel can be, shifts are firm and quick, the audio system sounds nice, the seats are comfortable. So I take the truck back to the dealer, talk them down a little on price, and drive away with a nice, clean, loaded Mineral Gray 2005 Ford Excursion Limited 6.0 4x4.

It's stock...for now. No telling how long it will remain that way, but I'm wagering, not all that long! I'm not a go-fast goody type of guy, really, but I like practical power upgrades and miles per gallon.

Anyway, once I get some nice photos of her (as soon as I get a sunny day) I'll post pictures. Sorry about the wall of text! I'm just excited to finally have a "man vehicle" to drive!

 

Congrats on purchasing the best suv ever(says I)! And welcome to the forums, tons and tons of info and suggestions on mods and maintenance around.

 

Slowlanemcvane
If you have not yet then come on over here and say hello.
6.0L Power Stroke Diesel - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

Noe the scary part. Do you have an aux gauge set yet? The factory ones other than the fuel and boost are not
worth the snot to blow them away AND Upset Wife = bad JUJU.

I am in Spanaway so you welcome to come over and I can show you some things and fill you in on the things
that can make you happy day go poof and the wife blow her top like Mt. Saint Hellen. Don't even want to go there.

The one gauge we find very handy plugs into the OBD2 port and displays all the stuff you need to watch and even
helps you with the diagnosis if you have a problem. Really any of the smart phone apps will do the trick
but I have the SGII that can be had at Autozone for about $160.00 then some programming in of the Xguages and
your ready to run and be safe.

For some info on the Scanguage II look here >> ScanGaugeII : Linear Logic - Home of the ScanGauge

I also have 90% of the engine tools and a Ford IDS with a VCM to chat with the computer in the Ex.

I can send you a PM with my phone number and address if you want to come on over and chat truck

Sean

 

Welcome to FTE and congratulations on the new Ex.