Expedition

[ReevesRd]

I drove a new Ford Expedition XLT today while having my rear brakes replaced. I don't need (or care to have) a large SUV, but the XLT is nice.
And now I have the car bug.

 

[GAD]

As someone who is a die-hard sports sedan kind of guy, I hate all SUVs because parking between them is like trying to navigate a canyon in the dark.

Driving them is awesome, though. Except for the gas, repair bills, and so-on.

 

[ReevesRd]

When driving an SUV of that size, you have limited vision near the vehicle. It's like driving a bus.
They are just too big.

 

[Opsimath]

I drove a new Ford Expedition XLT today while having my rear brakes replaced. I don't need (or care to have) a large SUV, but the XLT is nice.
And now I have the car bug.

Get the Navigator version, always nicer. And, no, not too big!

 

[ReevesRd]

Get the Navigator version, always nicer.

+ $20,000
I had an Explorer Limited once with the 5.0 V8 that was nice enough for me.

 

[twocorgis]

As someone who is a die-hard sports sedan kind of guy, I hate all SUVs because parking between them is like trying to navigate a canyon in the dark.

Driving them is awesome, though. Except for the gas, repair bills, and so-on.

This! I too am a die hard sports sedan guy, and also a manual transmission junkie, and both seem to be a vanishing breed. I'll take my Transit van (or previous Sprinters) company car over any SUV or crossover.

Get the Navigator version, always nicer. And, no, not too big!

Not too big? They're enormous!

 

[Opsimath]

This! I too am a die hard sports sedan guy, and also a manual transmission junkie, and both seem to be a vanishing breed. I'll take my Transit van (or previous Sprinters) company car over any SUV or crossover.

Not too big? They're enormous!

Lots of room for my stuff!

 

[beecee]

I drive a sedan, wife has a Durango but we have four dogs....that's her rational. It is actually a pretty damn nice car...designed by Mercedes during their ownership of Dodge, paddle shifters great interior very capable in two to three feet of snow.

My brother, MENSA member and top five at Columbia Law, has always said if ego or testosterone weren't involved the Subie Forrester would be all someone needs.

Not sure I disagree, I had driven Volvo wagons for years....you could slide a few 4 x 8 sheets of luan or thin plywood in the back, hoist a canoe or kayak to the top without doing a military press and they were unstoppable here in northern NY. The V90 is lovely but too nice.

But to the OP...she has her eye on an Expedition as well unless Dodge does a quick upgrade on the Durango like they did on the sister vehicle the Grand Cherokee.

I bought a 99 Expedition three or four years ago with 60k on it. Paid $1,500.....biggest thing I've ever owned..absolutely loved it. My typical going to camp hauler is my 95 Toyata T100 but that beast supplanted it for a year or so until I sold the Expedition to a friend who really needed it.

I think the vehicle I miss most was my 99 4Runner. Sold it because the snow kept coming through the rotted out winshield frame at Thruway speeds. Sold it to another friend 10 years ago....he's still driving it!!! Come to think of it he bought my last Volvo wagon too.

 

[twocorgis]

Lots of room for my stuff!

Even more in a Transit or Sprinter! And, you can get both with 4WD/AWD now.

 

[GAD]

My wife has a Subaru Outback that is mostly because of our enormous dog. She used to have a Nissan Pathfinder which resulted in me swearing (for the second time) that I’d never buy another Nissan.

 

[twocorgis]

My wife has a Subaru Outback that is mostly because of our enormous dog. She used to have a Nissan Pathfinder which resulted in me swearing (for the second time) that I’d never buy another Nissan.

I will say that corgis are nicely sedan sized, but that has also kept me from buying the Porsche Cayman that I've always wanted.

 

[FNG]

I drove a new Ford Expedition XLT today while having my rear brakes replaced. I don't need (or care to have) a large SUV, but the XLT is nice.
And now I have the car bug.

What was the sticker price? 85k?

 

[ReevesRd]

What was the sticker price? 85k?

It didn't have a sticker. They let me use it as a loaner while they fixed my car. I would assume it would be about that price.

 

[Opsimath]

I buy 1 to 3 years old, let someone else take the depreciation, and then drive it forever or as close as I can get.

 

[crank]

I love SUV's. But not the huge ones. We have a Toyota Highlander and a Subaru Forester. The Forester is a few inches taller so the ski box in winter and the kayak racks in summer go on top of my Highlander.

 

[bobouz]

I love SUV's. But not the huge ones. We have a Toyota Highlander and a Subaru Forester. The Forester is a few inches taller so the ski box in winter and the kayak racks in summer go on top of my Highlander.

Totally with you on this. Small SUVs are incredibly versatile, and a few are even fun to drive. Since 1980, we've bought our cars new in order to know exactly what's been done to them, and I've done all the oil changes myself. Our last car purchase was a 2010 Forester - a rock solid performer. But with the Subaru cresting 120,000 miles, we decided to trade in our 2003 Camry (170,000 miles) for something that would carry us through the next 10+ years as probably our last new car purchase.

We knew we wanted a small SUV, and we knew we wanted a hybrid. What surprised the heck out of me is that in this segment, only one historically reliable car rose to the top with the kind of superior gas mileage I expected to see, and that was the Toyota RAV4. In July, we took delivery of a 2023 RAV4 XLE Premium Hybrid shipped directly from Japan. After logging the first 500 miles, it's been averaging 43 mph, which seems very impressive for a loaded SUV with AWD. But even more amazing to me is the overall build quality that shines through in the car's handling, ride characteristics, low road noise, interior comfort, and acceleration.

I'm not going to vouch for every RAV4 model being built, as I've read some rather mediocre road test reports for the non-hybrid models, and they're being manufactured in multiple factories with different outsourced components & configurations (such as tire & wheel sizes). But from my old motorcycle days where I valued predictable handling over most everything else, I must say that this particular model as sourced from Japan is a winner, and I'd recommend a test drive to anyone contemplating a similar purchase. Here's a pic the dealer took as ours arrived fresh off the boat:

 

[Roland]

I drove enough big boats in the Navy, I don't want to try and navigate one down the street.

 

[Uke]

I drove enough big boats in the Navy, I don't want to try and navigate one down the street.

I've heard big SUV's referred to as "land barges."

 

[Uke]

Totally with you on this. Small SUVs are incredibly versatile, and a few are even fun to drive. Since 1980, we've bought our cars new in order to know exactly what's been done to them, and I've done all the oil changes myself. Our last car purchase was a 2010 Forester - a rock solid performer. But with the Subaru cresting 120,000 miles, we decided to trade in our 2003 Camry (170,000 miles) for something that would carry us through the next 10+ years as probably our last new car purchase.

We knew we wanted a small SUV, and we knew we wanted a hybrid. What surprised the heck out of me is that in this segment, only one historically reliable car rose to the top with the kind of superior gas mileage I expected to see, and that was the Toyota RAV4. In July, we took delivery of a 2023 RAV4 XLE Premium Hybrid shipped directly from Japan. After logging the first 500 miles, it's been averaging 43 mph, which seems very impressive for a loaded SUV with AWD. But even more amazing to me is the overall build quality that shines through in the car's handling, ride characteristics, low road noise, interior comfort, and acceleration.

I'm not going to vouch for every RAV4 model being built, as I've read some rather mediocre road test reports for the non-hybrid models, and they're being manufactured in multiple factories with different outsourced components & configurations (such as tire & wheel sizes). But from my old motorcycle days where I valued predictable handling over most everything else, I must say that this particular model as sourced from Japan is a winner, and I'd recommend a test drive to anyone contemplating a similar purchase. Here's a pic the dealer took as ours arrived fresh off the boat:

I drive a 2002 Camry from Japan. Best car I've ever owned, hands down.

 

[GAD]

I drive a 2002 Camry from Japan. Best car I've ever owned, hands down.

Wow! How'd it do in the salt water?