I'm going to start out by saying that I don't own an Excursion, I own an Expedition, an Explorer and an Escape. But I really enjoy reading this sub-forum.

I been wrestling with this question as my Expedition has been nearing (and recently broke) the 200,000 mile mark. I'd like to get the Excursion owners take on this.

My Expedition is a 2000 with 201,3xx miles on it. Other than some hail damage (cosmetic only)' the rear wiper not working (plastic gear is stripped), and the heated seats don't work- mechanically it seems to be strong and reliable.

But does the 200,000 mile mark mean anything to the Excursion owners? This is my first vehicle that's broken that mark (i.e. kept long enough to make it that far). Is the fact that some of these vehicles are now old enough to drive themselves a factor?

Mine is paid for! I've done the math on a fictional newer vehicle that costs $30,000 and gets a few mpg better with a 5 yr loan at 5% (and some other factors). The current price of gas would have to be slightly over $20/gal to break even on a cost basis during the loan payment period.

So Excursion owners, how old is too old (for a vehicle- not talking women)?

 

It's not the years, it's the miles.

Unlike the diminutive Expedition the Excursion came with two diesel engine options which (with normal maintenance) will last longer than the engines with spark plugs.

Any vehicle with 200,xxx + miles will have niggling issues.

 

In my opinion age is not the determining factor. A guy at work drives a '86 F-150 351 4x4 auto it's his only daily transportation. He restored it 18 years ago and had very few issues with it since. it gets him to work every day and looks great doing it.

I'd take my 2002 Excursion to FL tomorrow and not have a concern about it, but the same can be said for our 1972 Oldsmobile I'd trust it for a 5,000 mile road trip also. Just depends how it's kept up, what repair work is done..ect

 

200,000k miles just means my 7.3 has another 200,000 or so to go before I need to rebuild the engine.

Steering, suspension, and stock transmissions have considerably shorter duty cycles then the 7.3 engine.

 

Having had 2 explorers, an expedition and now an excursion (and a super duty) - I can confidently say that the excursion will be the first SUV I will be keeping past 200k miles.

Explorers had 137k and 100k, Expedition had 110k, Excursion has 172k for reference.

 

My 5.0 explorer has 227xxx miles and still going strong. I'd drive it anywhere. My 6.0 excursion has 180xxx miles and I'd drive it anywhere and will be able to confidently for hundreds of thousands more miles.
If you want your purchase to last for 10 plus years and you plan on putting a lot of miles on it, you should look at buying a diesel. It will be more expensive to maintain but the motor will definitely last into the higher mileage you desire with proper maintenance.

 

Let's go for a boat ride Russ

 

There are those of us who prefer the V10 gasser, and with normal maintenance along with a plug torque check between changes, these things will compete with a diesel for life expectancy.

The biggest difference is the 1/2 ton vs 3/4 ton thing to me. It is a much more substantial vehicle. A V10 with 4+ in the rear end and yer good to go for most any duty. For my needs a 3.73 is more than adequate. If I move up in weight, I would consider 4.3, but frankly the way we use the X, a little more time on the take off is no big deal. Once we get rollin, 6000 lbs is nothing to the X. And it's all highways and a few byways, usually @ full hookup KOAs...

 

I have 278,xxx miles on mine with the 7.3, and I bought it at 183k without blinking an eye. I have replaced a good bit of stuff, however I am way, way, WAY harder on mine than 95% of the people on here, and make a good bit more power.

My take on mileage with a diesel (personal view), is the engine itself may last forever HOWEVER the rest of the vehicle is subject to wear and tear like any other vehicle. Having a diesel doesn't form some kind of mileage karma cloud around the rest of the vehicle. Body, frame, drivetrain, engine accessories, vehicle accessories.... All are exposed to the same stuff every other vehicle experiences.

The reason I quoted the above from you is part of that. The cost analysis is fairly difficult to calculate because of such wear and tear. A transmission can run around $3-4000 for a rebuild if you're not up to the task for example. Injectors, axles, steering components, new paint to maintain appearance and stave off rust, so on and so forth. If you're a parent, there's always improvements and upgrades to safety features to consider. Newer materials less resistant to rust, better electrical systems, more airbag coverage, and actually having a warranty again all play into it.

It's a nickel and dime vs new and no worries (or warranty coverage) conundrum. One bites you hard every month with a payment, the other could cost you nothing but fuel one month and a few thousand the next.

 

I just need enough vacation time, I'd love to load up the Ex and head that way, would be a fun trip!

 

The only vehicle currently manufactured that could even come close to replacing the functionality of my Ex is a Suburban. Even then I'd lose a lot of the towing capability and To get into one of those I'd be out at least $60K. For that money I could buy 3 really nice Excursions. If Ford made new ones I'd buy one tomorrow but for now I'll keep mine going and keep my eye out for a couple more just like it. Right now I'm trying to decide between another stock Ex and sending my 2015 SD to Tim to get it converted and buying an OBS truck to take pickup duties.

 

I have about 218000 on 2000 V-10 Pickup and it still runs great. Still trying to figure out a vibration issue, but I have been too lazy to really dig into it.

My 7.3 PSD Excursion has about 211000 and like the V-10 runs really strong.

It all depends on maintenance done on the vehicle.

 

Kind of was in the same boat as you a year + ago. had a 98 Expedition that I had forever, lots of work into it, loved it to death. Always wanted and Excursion so i decided to sell one day and get into the bigger brother of the Expedition.

Like most say, its the miles and maintenance not necessarily the age of the vehicle.

I read your build threads, you do a lot of your own work and do a great job. I am more than sure that if you were to get into an Excursion you'd be more than happy with the upgrade.

 

Did you include higher insurance and higher registration costs on a new vehicle in your calculations?

 

Yes. I also included a monthly repair cost of $150 for the Expedition (which I'm sure spread out over a year I'll be way under but I wanted to include something) while the new vehicle would have stuff covered under warranty or not needed at all.

Miles driven is the same between the 2. I figured wear items like tires and oil would be a wash.

I was surprised to see the $20/gal number, but that monthly truck payment would equal a lot of gas.