If you HAD TO buy ana SUV....
- Thread starter SoonerE39
- Start date
![[werd]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_werd.gif "Werd [werd]"){kind=icon}
Hmmm. the FX does look pretty good and the price isn't bad. The X5 is an obvious consideration. For me, I need 3 rows of seats and towing so that kind of limits me to most American made models or the Toyota Sequoia. I would like to see a X5 with a 3rd row seat. I guess the Mercedes ML has an optional 3rd row but it's useless and I haven't heard much good about the ML, even from my neighbor that traded his ML430 for a Hummer H2.
Well, I have an Expedition. The reasons are space, space, and space. The problem we encountered with some smaller SUV’s is the rear storage area, even with no third seat some do not have a lot of room in the back. We also looked at vans and some have almost no room in the back behind the seats.
We have 2 kids and when we travel by car around the local region we use almost ALL available storage capacity for the vehicle when we are going to be gone for more than a couple of days. A lot of this is age though, and as they get older I see the amount of stuff we take dropping off a lot.
I guess that I am a bit different in my thinking than a lot of people because I consider my Expedition as a true “utility” vehicle. I would never drive such a vehicle without having the need. It is like when we would go on vacation, one trip to Florida when it was just my wife and myself a few years back I rented an SUV...Why???....because we were going to be there for a while and had a LOT of stuff with us. Otherwise, I would have rented a car.
I would say my Expedition gets a ton of use for which it was designed.
We have 2 kids and when we travel by car around the local region we use almost ALL available storage capacity for the vehicle when we are going to be gone for more than a couple of days. A lot of this is age though, and as they get older I see the amount of stuff we take dropping off a lot.
I guess that I am a bit different in my thinking than a lot of people because I consider my Expedition as a true “utility” vehicle. I would never drive such a vehicle without having the need. It is like when we would go on vacation, one trip to Florida when it was just my wife and myself a few years back I rented an SUV...Why???....because we were going to be there for a while and had a LOT of stuff with us. Otherwise, I would have rented a car.
I would say my Expedition gets a ton of use for which it was designed.
ML's suck IMHO. Seats are uncomfortable and it's not all that roomy. If you need 3 rows AND towing, I'd get an Escalade EXT (or whatever the Suburban version is called) or the Lexus LX430. Without restrictions, here are my choices:
Money no object: Range Rover
Sporty fun: X5 4.6 or FX V-8
Commuter and everyday car: Lexus RX330
Family transport vehicle: Acura MDX
Money no object: Range Rover
Sporty fun: X5 4.6 or FX V-8
Commuter and everyday car: Lexus RX330
Family transport vehicle: Acura MDX
Daily Driver: X5 or RX330 (had to rule out the X3 to do legroom issues, and have not driven the RX yet to see if it makes the cut).
Off-road beater w/ decent road manners: Mercedes G55
Pure off-road beater: Hummer H1 (H2 is for candy *ss's, just go buy a friggen' Suburban!)
Current SUV: Expedition (and I do enjoy it).
Off-road beater w/ decent road manners: Mercedes G55
Pure off-road beater: Hummer H1 (H2 is for candy *ss's, just go buy a friggen' Suburban!)
Current SUV: Expedition (and I do enjoy it).
I like the Acura but it did not have the needed space.
As for ending up with the Expedition, it all came down to price. This was an Internet based purchase of requesting price quotes on all similar vehicles available within a few states. I purchased the Expedition from a SF Bay area dealer without even looking at it. They came back with a price of $31,600.00 after all incentives from a sticker of $37. I thought that I could not go wrong for that price on an AWD with all of the big packages except leather.
I paid 450.00 and had it shipped to my house with 7 miles on it.
At that time local dealers wanted $35,000.00 for the 2WD with the packages I got.
As for ending up with the Expedition, it all came down to price. This was an Internet based purchase of requesting price quotes on all similar vehicles available within a few states. I purchased the Expedition from a SF Bay area dealer without even looking at it. They came back with a price of $31,600.00 after all incentives from a sticker of $37. I thought that I could not go wrong for that price on an AWD with all of the big packages except leather.
I paid 450.00 and had it shipped to my house with 7 miles on it.
At that time local dealers wanted $35,000.00 for the 2WD with the packages I got.
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SoonerE39 said:
Bryan330i, sound like much the same kind of use I have with mine. I needed the space most of all.
![[hihi]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_hihi.gif "Hi Hi [hihi]"){kind=icon}
I forgot, the MDX is a good pick and I seriously considered it but at the time I was shopping in 2002, the dealers couldn't keep an MDX on the lot and I would have had to order one without a test drive and certainly no bargaining on price so that ruled it out for me. Now I bet you could get a decent deal on one.
![[:D]](/images/smilies/biggrin.png "Big Grin [:D]")
Cadillac SRX, best car you can buy.
I have a detailed explanation on this link, I also talk about the others.
http://www.fastcougar.com/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=95&threadid=87601
I have a detailed explanation on this link, I also talk about the others.
http://www.fastcougar.com/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=95&threadid=87601
Attachments
I have a '95 GMC Suburban 4x4. I was looking for towing capacity (3500 lb boat) and seating & luggage for 5. The 'burban has plenty of towing power even when loaded, a class III receiver, seating for 8, as Bryan said, space, space, space, not to mention 8 cup holders!
The quality has been OK, not great, but OK. Since it is based on the standard GM pickup design with the 5.7L (350) V8, parts are cheap and plentiful, and will be around a long time. I have 110,000 miles on it, I will run it into the ground, hopefully getting another 100,000+ miles on it in the next 7 years.
The quality has been OK, not great, but OK. Since it is based on the standard GM pickup design with the 5.7L (350) V8, parts are cheap and plentiful, and will be around a long time. I have 110,000 miles on it, I will run it into the ground, hopefully getting another 100,000+ miles on it in the next 7 years.
![[:)]](/images/smilies/smile.png "Smile [:)]")
I was thinking that I should have gone with the Suburban, from what I understand it is higher quality than the Ford's and some of the other lower priced GM SUV's. We may still look at it in a year or two as a long term vehicle choice. I think I should be able to get a good price for my Expedition on a trade, I think the trade-in is $24,000.00 now, and invest the money for something with more long term potential. No problems with the Expedition, I just don't see it as a keep forever, durability monster like the Suburban.
