Hi all:
I'm a long time van owner and my first Ford truck was a 1978 F100 that I bought new when I was a mere 25 years old.

I am looking for a traveling vehicle to replace my '02 E150; the van is great except the front seat passenger legroom is limited by the engine cover and my wife can't stand more than about 20 miles in the van before her left knee starts bothering her, and my own bionic spine (8 screws and 3 rods) does not like the right-side twist that I'm forced to do in the pass seat.

Plus I just want to buy something new and nice. Wife retired last year and I like the idea of heated/cooled seats and especially dual temp control on the front seata (wife runs 20 degrees colder than I do...)

I am looking for a low-medium mileage 13-14 Expy and am leaning toward an XLT Premium (formerly the Eddie Bauer, looks like). I keep my cars and trucks for a long time and get concerned with excessive power stuff since it can break. (I don't want the Limited with power running boards, sunroof, DVD players, etc.)

Dumb Q--do the cooled front seats tap anything off the AC system or do they simply blow cabin-temp air thru the leather? (The 2nd answer suits me better because it's simpler.) I can't find anything quick on the Internet.

Fuel mileage--I could do a search but I am assuming AWD mileage will be 13-14 in the city and maybe 18 on the road at ~70 mph? This is slightly less than my van (which has a 4.6 and is actually a bit lighter). I have a smaller DD vehicle but we may do a lot of travel miles on the Expy.

If I buy a vehicle in warranty, my inclination is to extend the warranty to at least 5/60 or maybe 6/72. I recall buying a Ford warranty online for my wife's old '98 Sable--I am recalling that the price for the good extended care warranty is gonna be fairly expensive for an Expy given the power equipment (and the AWD if I extend the powertrain portion). I have done great with extended warranties (like new cyl heads on my early Romeo PI 4.6 in my van for $100...) Are there online sources these days for discounted warranties?

I still need to get comfortable with the higher load height and smaller space compared to my big van, and ultimately what I *need* is more like a new Mopar minivan, but I want a real truck with ground clearance, etc...having owned a real truck continuously since 1978.

Any other advice on what to look for? I know the paint on the aluminum hoods and tailgates has been a problem in Michigan, but the 13-14 models don't look like they have the problem....yet. Does anyone know if Ford has improved the paint-on-aluminum processes after, say, 2010? They darn well better have it right on the new F150...

Thanks in advance for any input,
George

 

The cooled seats are not just cabin air, they are cooled, but via their own system. Not sure how it works to tell you the truth. XLT's get what used to be the EB paint scheme, I think that is just Ford sticking it to EB Corporate. Limiteds do not all have the electric running boards, moon roof or DVD players, those are a la carte options (at least they were, maybe that has changed?) If you get a CPO vehicle you automatically get an additional 12 months/ 12k extension of the bumper to bumper warranty, as well as 5/100 power train coverage. By the way, they are not AWD, they have a 4 position selector - 2WD, Auto4WD (senses slip and engages, not AWD), 4H and 4Lo. Paint was still an issue as recently as 2012, I had my tailgate repaired under warranty in 2015.

 

Thanks, alwaysfords. I will have to research further on the seat cooling...I know they make those electronic food/beverage coolers that do their own cooling. That would be something else to break in the truck's old age so I would actually prefer the cabin air which is a lot cooler than my 98.6 degree butt

I got brochures for the 13 and 14 Expys online and the 2-tone (formerly EB scheme) was part of the 202A package which got the heated and cooled seats and a trailer tow package. I got some earlier Expy brochures online as well and the 202A was very similar to the EB package when they used to offer that. I don't remember if they called it an XLT premium or not--but that is what I think of. (Guessing that Ford decided not to pay royalties to Eddie Bauer when they broke off the EB models.)

It seems like most of the Limiteds I see do have the power running boards, sunroof, and DVD players that I don't want--but more importantly there is also a large price premium for the Limited ($3-5k or so), and the XLT with the 202A package is just about perfect for what I want (although I don't really want the 2 tone paint). Looks like 15+ Expys still offer the 202A package but they have dropped the 2 tone.

I understand the drive system and most AWD vehicles based on cars or SUV's engage the 2nd axle (usually the rear) when slippage is sensed. You are right that the Expy is 4WD given that it has the 4hi and 4lo positions--I think of the 4wd auto setting as AWD and that is what I would typically use in the winter in Michigan. (My daily driver is an '09 Subaru Forester with a stick and that has full time AWD with a viscous limited slip in the rear drive system and full time 50/50 torque distribution....but with an auto trans even Subaru uses clutches in the center diff that lock up when slippage is sensed.)

My regular Ford dealer is not doing CPO on the ones they have in stock but I might be able to get them to certify for a fee--that would be part of the negotiation process.

Bummer on the aluminum paint adhesion issues...I sure hope Ford is doing better with the new F150 or they will have a LOT of dissatisfied customers. (My '78 F100 was silver-gray before clearcoats were used, and in its later years, most of the paint had fallen off the roof and hood...not a good thing although the primer remained.)

Thanks again,
George

 

Found the probable answer on a Google search on an Expy forum. Not sure I can link it but the heating and cooling are done with an electronic grid thing that is like the Igloo Koolmate cooler. Could be a few bucks to fix if one broke...you'd have to de-skin the seat...

I did sit in an Expy on a used car lot last summer with black leather inside on a hot day and ran it for a while while I looked at controls and stuff, and thinking about it, there was definitely a source of coolness there beyond cabin air because the Expy was hot in the sun.

So am I ever gonna see 18 mpg on the road? Axle code is 15 which is an odd code but looks like it's a 3.31. I would avoid buying one with the 3.73 axle and would avoid one that had been used for towing if I could.

Transmissions look pretty solid, engine OK but could have cam phaser issues down the road? I know they fixed the 2-piece plug thing in 2009 or 10 and use full threads on them.

I really should be looking at a minivan, but I've had a full size truck or van since 1978 and still want something tough with ground clearance....

Thanks again,
George

 

Just my two cents worth. I just purchased a 2010 EL Limited 4x4 and bumped my 2001 to toy status. I have about 2000 so far. Around town I am getting an average of 13.6, we took a 600 mile round trip over Christmas, about half 70 MPH ( run about 75) and averaged 18 going and 16.8 return. These are calculated mileages based on miles and gallons.

 

Why not the navigator? It has all the bells and whistles. Just took mine on a highway trip fully loaded with cargo cariier on top 6 adults, cuise on 73 and got 16.95 mpg per paper and pencil. The computer said 18.1 so not sure what happened? I havea 2011with the 5.4 v8 2 wheel drive. Friend of mind has a 2015 wth the v6 ecoboost and gets slightly worse mileage.

 

Hi Gg. I tend to keep vehicles forever when they suit my needs, so I usually shoot at minimal bells and whistles. I do want heated and cooled seats, dual climate control, so I am focusing on XLT's with the 202 package. Leather but no power running boards (which in Michigan I do not want), etc. The Nav's are geared crazy stiff these days. I think the reg length is 3.73's and the Extended is 4.10's in the rear. The engine can handle the RPM's but I'd like 4WD with a 3.31 gear esp with a 5.4.

It will be 13 years in March since I bought my van new. And we are flipping our newest car (bought new) to 100k by the end of this month. And it is hard for me to justify selling any of our 4 vehicles.

Thanks for the fuel mileage numbers, very similar to my van,
George

 

As far as engine rpm, my 2011 Navigator 2wd with 5.4 turns 2000 rpm at 73 mph. Not sure if 4x4 has different transmission ratios, apparently the differential is geared differently.

 

Yes, they usually go to a shorter rear axle ratio with 4WD and shorter with the extended length, and I think shorter than that with the extended 4WD.

Stock ratio is 3.31 in 2013-current short length 4WD Expys and that would be what I'd want. 3.73 in EL 4WD and optional 3.73 in all models with trailer packs. Looks like 2016 Nav's replace 3.31 with 3.73 and replace 3.73 with 4.10--they would spin up the turbos really fast and the new Lincoln EcoBoost is rated 390 hp with premium gas! I would like to drive those horses for sure.

I'd want the 3.31 with the 5.4 though.

Door axle code is 15 for 3.31 and I think 16 for 3.73 so you could check yours on your door jamb sticker if you are not sure what you have. Or x5, x6 replace the 15 and 16 where x is a letter if you have limited slip.

George