I came from a 00 F350 CC V10 to my current 7.3 limited ex. I liked the V10 but I was looking for better fuel economy. My excursion kinda fell in my lap one day while talking to my friend who was selling it. It's a 2000 limited 4x4 7.3 I got it with 270,000 miles on it. A few months ago and now is at 280k. I know the earlier models weren't as fancy and had their minor issues, like the dead head fuel system causing slightly louder #8 injector. I bought it with a slight missfire and figured after 12 years and almost 300k an injector job was due so 2100.00 later all 8 injectors were changed. In The late 00 models ford came out with a long lead injector for #8 to try to quiet the fuel system but Had mixed results. The previous owner really took care of my truck based on the recent oil pan, aluminum rad, water pump and up pipes! I also had to have new bearings installed in the rear end but that comes with the territory. I tow with mine maybe 2x a year less than 200 miles. I tow my demolition derby cars with weight around 3,500 -4000 ( heaviest was my 59 imperial at 4500 lbs ). When pulling with the V10 that motor was screaming at 5k up hills but it sounded good . The 7.3 just kept on going and took the hills with almost no effort. The transmission in both trucks (4R100) always shifts great and flawlessly even with almost 300k on it, maintainence is everything! I use mine as a daily driver or grocery getter I know most people disagree with that but I maintain it to fords severe duty schedule and have yet to have a problem. A few things I've noticed between The two trucks was the 7.3 was very quiet even at 2k rpms while the V10 was a little more noticeable. The V10 has plenty of power but slightly lower on the torque. I'm happy with the 7.3 and plan on keeping it as long as I can, that being said even a truck with higher miles is worth it at the right price. Oh I only paid 6,000.00 for mine