Thanks Libra. It sounds like whatever year we get for her is going to be worth it. I would just like a newer one like 04 or newer. Hope someone will know something about the 5.4 and what year the 3V motor was in or when it was put in the expy

 

I can double check when I get home, but I'm 99% sure my '05 has the 3V 300hp motor. Not sure what year the Expys first got the 3V motor though.

Brian

 

Just got home and checked. I do have the 3V 300hp engine in my '05 Limited. I think that '05 was the first year the Expys got the 3V engine. Maybe somebody else with an '04 can confirm that.

Sorry for the double post, but I couldn't edit my post by the time I got home.

Brian

 

Thanks Brian for checking. I guess if I fined an 04 with the 5.4 it would tell you. Just cann't find any at the moment anywhere 4 sale..

 

I have an 04 with the 5.4L. It is a 2V. You are right, 05's were the first to see the new 300hp 3v design. I believe this is 260hp motor in mine? And also I point out, get 4x4 if you want extra safety. The rear end has a horrible issue with slippage in non-pavement situations and while it's fun as heck to take an expedition dirt ridin out in a field (it handles superb) AWD will make you feel much more secure in your driving. If you can afford and find, look for an 05-06 Eddie Baur with AWD. It'll have the 5.4L, the 3V version.
BTW I get 16.8MPG on my 5.4, mix of 60% highway, 40% city. 17.9MPG on the interstate for 300 miles fully loaded with four passages, tons of suitcases ect. This thing definitelly gets better gas mileage at 65-70mph then it does at 50mph. Don't know why.

 

I dont have any info on 04&05s but my 03 4x4 expy is great in snow and the 5.4 with cold air intake is powerful and pretty good on gas.if you do settle for an 03 model the main thing i can see with them is the plastic body piece is fading on most of them and you may get one thats been garage kept,but most likely it will discolor with time.I need to have mine painted and I think thats the only option I have.but 100,000 miles and no garage thats the only problem I have ran into.

 

I found the same thing with mine - it seems to get better mileage at 65-70 than at 55-60. Weight doesn't seem to matter for mileage, but wind resistance does. I dropped 1-2 mpg by putting an enclosed roof carrier on. Since I found out the mileage difference, I tend to use a hitch hauler if I need more room.


Brian<O</O

 

Amen about winter handeling. We have a 99 and it is the wifes DD. She is not the greatest of drivers and I have not had to pull her out of anything yet. We also live in the snowbelt region. Ours has 153000 on it and has been very reliable. Other than the usual maintance items, I have had to replace the radiator when a rock came up and cracked a tank (not trucks fault). The only thing I regret is that it is a 4.6. Not a bad motor, but lacking the towing capacity I really need. It can do it, but there are better options for it (hence my 99 F-250 V-10).

I would not hesitate to get another.

Steve S.
To many to list

 

I LOVE MINE!! With 3 kids under 3 years old and a 100lb Black Lab its the perfect vehicle. Only thing I would trade it for is a 05+ 4DR PSD F250.

I say get it.

I get about 13 mpg city and about 18 highway at 70mph and if I go faster IT DROPS FAST!!! Or if Iput anything on top it drops to about 15.

I pulled a Ford Explorer from jacksonville NC to Knoxville TN, 505 miles and stayed above 70mph exept on the 3 major hills and got wait for it....... 11 mpg. Not bad considering I had a 1100 pound uhaul trailer with a 4000lb explorer and my wife and kids and all our stuff.

Short Version, Buy it. You wont regret it. BTW mine is a 2000 EB 5.4 4x4.

 

I've got a '99 Expy, with the 5.4L and 149,433 miles on it. I've had it since it was new. I've replace the alternator, and fuel pump. Those are the only repairs beyond routine maintenance its needed, so I've found it to be very reliable. I live in Nebraska, so I do drive it in snow, and while its always been solid in snow, the tires you chose can make a big difference. I've honestly found many times I expected to need to use four wheel drive, only to find out it did just fine in A4wd (the 1999's don't have 2wd). I work for the government, and we also have an 06 Expy in our fleed, with the 4.6. I actually get better gas milage with the 5.4. The 4.6 seems a bit underpowered for the heft of these vehicles.

 

I love my 06 XLT. I have a little trouble spinning on wet pavement, mostly on inclines, but as soon as I switch to 4WD it goes away. That could be tires though. Other than my recent experiences with losing my engine because of fuel injector failure it has been a fabulous truck. I would suggest 5.4l engine though, especially if you tow. My thinking there is that when using the AC the 4.6 is going to work harder than the 5.4, so the bigger engine would actually get better mileage there. Plus towing is a huge difference between the 2. I would look up the NHSTA website for information on recalls. I believe the 98 - 03 had major problems with blowing spark plugs, someone correct me if I'm wrong there. I know it was definitely corrected on the 06's, don't know about the other years.

 

the Alt does a full charge at about 850 rpm with UD pullies. Either live with a slight dim at idle, or, I can bump up the idle rpm w/ my tuner. Not a big deal either way. Still plenty of power.

 

I have an 05 EB, 2wd. The truck has 47K on it. Couple of things

1. Power. While the truck does ok, when it gets hot & humid, the power is a little on the light side.

2. Mileage. I get about 15-16 in town and around 19-20 on the highway. I usually run 8-10 mph over the speed limit. so, 75-80 is pretty common for me.

3. Snow. I live in MN now, so I get to see what the truck does (sold my last 4x4 because I hadn't used it in over a year--now in MN, I miss it) The truck does ok in the snow. I still have the original Continentals so that's a big part of the problem. With limited slip, I have to be careful that the rear end doesn't slip and start to go sideways instead of straight from a total stop. Overall, I would give the 2wd about a 5 in the snow.

4. Overall Impressions. The truck is a good vehicle, but it is a TOTAL RATTLE TRAP, which is a huge pet peave of mine. I've taken everthing apart trying to find them and no luck. I don't understand why Fords (at least mine do) always do this to extreme. The truck is comfortable on long trips at least to me.

5. Pulling. Powerwise, the truck is ok for pulling. I don't really like the IRS for towing. Anything over 2500lbs, I would want brakes on the trailer-maybe even 2K. As for the suspension, I look at it this way, if the IRS were best for pulling, the superduties would have it. It's a compromise.

As far as the electrical load--never heard of such a thing or had a problem.

good luck

 

The only reason an expy wouldn't be good in the snow is either a) worn/incorrect tires, b) serious suspension problems, or c) I don't know...

I've owned several different suv's and trucks and I have to say that even with mediocre tires expeditions are excellent in the snow ( i live in MI so I know what snow is).

Regarding the rattle-trap syndrome, every Ford car/truck I've owned has been solid down to the core. My '99 has 130k and has been used as a work truck for a few years now and there's not a rattle or buzz no matter what I'm driving over. Maybe you got a bad one??

 

I just sold my old '99 2WD Expy,.

She had a 5.4L, 4r100 Trans, limited slip, HD tow package, rear load leveling, rear HVAC...

a really nice vehicle that performed great. Even in the snow, and I go into the mountains snowboarding most weekends every year.

15-16 mpg around town and 18-22 on the hwy... and No, I do Not drive slow.

enjoyed her for plenty of basical trouble free miles over the years and only agreed to sell her because my wife insisted... and sweetened the deal with a new '07 Limited. otherwise I'd have kept her!