MPG certainly was not one of our requirements when selecting our next vehicle. We had requirements of
- Seat 2 adults, 2 children (in carseats) and have room for 2 90+ lb labrador retreivers in the seating area.
- Tow (safely) a 7,700lb TT
- Accomodate both a 6'2" and 5'4" driver
- fold-flat seats that are permanently installed in the vehicle (this is where the Suburban missed out)
- inside floor area to accomodate 4x8 plywood.
We (my wife) eliminated any of the s-crew trucks, as she did not want a pickup again. We test drove the Expy and fell in love with the ride and it met all of our requirements. Everything else was a bonus.
We opted for an EL XLT in the Dark Blue Pearl Metallic with Charcoal interior.
Factory options added
- Heavy Duty Tow,
- All-weather mats
- Moonroof
- Sirius sat radio
- Convenience package
- Engine Heater.
- 18" Chrome Clad with Scorpion tires.
Dealer "options" were to add on the 7/100 extended warranty. My dealer was pushing a third-party service contract. They ended up matching the best price I could find online for the ESP, then 2 weeks after I got the truck I got a reply from another place who would have beat it by about $100 bucks.
I don't remember the bottom line price, but the sticker was around 42,000, we had the ford 2,500 rebate, a conquest (competitor) rebate of 1,000 and the dealer dropped another 4,200 or so. We ordered on 3/12, took delivery 4/17. In the end we were about $250 over invoice, plus the dealer charge of $119. We probably could have gotten a better deal at another dealership, but this one was the one right down the road from us, and they were the ones who truly took their time with us. Overall I am happy with the price we paid, that's all that is important, right?
Customer added options since delivery:
- VR3 wireless backup camera - works surprisingly well for the price, $98 at Wal-mart.
- "Hotspots" blind spot mirrors.
- MSD Dashhawk (still looking for a mount)
- LUND Eclipse In-Channel window vents.
- Ultra White reverse lights
- CargoLogic cargo organizer and carpet protector (on backorder)
Future changes: (wish list)
- winter rims/tires
- brush guard with lights
- dvd system (headrest likely, since we have the moonroof)
My only complaint is there was a substantial air bubble in the clearcoat on the inside of the liftgage, about the size of a pencil eraser. I have not been able to take it in to the dealer to have them look at it yet, but I did call them and they said it should be no problem to fix.
During the first 500 ish miles, we averaged about 13.6 with my wife driving, 14.2 with me driving. Towing the TT we saw around 8.8, but never went into overdrive and was all local semi-hilly country roads with 45 mph speed limit tops. Next month we have a longer towing trip, about 1 hour each way, and July is across WI for a 3 hour tour... er... trip.
Don't let the wait get to you. Surf the forums here and plan out all of the things you're going to do once you get it!
-Mike
2000 Mercury Mountaineer V6
2008 Ford Expedition EL XLT
Hello there!
