Today Good price or no dice Expedition shows what happened when Ford took its successful Explorer formula and doubled the ingredients. We have to decide if this old-school SUV is still big and commanding given its price.
Being the youngest in the family usually means getting something from the older siblings. The result is having to play with broken toys, pre-filled Mad Libs, and dealing with clothing that is frustratingly molded to someone else’s body shape. Last Friday 2002 Chevy Corvette track day car It wasn’t obviously broken, but someone else had built it and played with it. These factors called into question future playability and the $32,000 price tag. In the end, that meant a massive no-dice loss of 86 percent.
Chevy has long competed with Ford for sales and market leadership as “America’s Brand.” Every company has its hits – Chevy with the Corvette and Ford with the Mustang are just two examples – as well as a number of spin-offs. When it comes to SUVs, Ford has long been the frontrunner in the midsize market, with the company’s Explorer defining the segment for decades. When it comes to the “Johnny Bigg” segment, however, the benchmark has long been set – nearly a century, if you can imagine such a thing – by Chevy’s Suburban.
Of course, Ford wanted to give the legendary Suburban – and its slightly smaller brother, the Tahoe – a run for its money (and buyers) and so launched the “Explorer on Steroids” expedition in 1997. The eight- and nine-seat station wagon didn’t dethrone Chevy’s rivals, but it carved out a solid market niche and created a base for the upscale Lincoln Navigator, which would serve as the sole reason to keep that brand alive for the last 20 or more years years. The later Excursion, which even outperformed the Expedition, struggled with the long-wheelbase Suburbans.
The 1997 Ford Expedition comes from the very first year of production. However, because it’s based on Ford’s best-selling F-Series pickup, there are no significant issues to consider in the first year.
The truck appears to be in good condition for its age and 181,000 miles. That’s a lot of road under the tires, but when it comes to expeditions, time and miles don’t seem to matter as the trucks are solidly built and easy enough to keep rolling. The only obvious issue with this edition is the fading paint, which the seller rates “6/10”. This mostly affects the clear coat, and a good paint conditioner could probably minimize the worst of it by sanding the paint and bleeding.
Aside from this unconventional top layer, the body appears to be solid and free of major damage. There are aftermarket headlights and an insect screen to keep your nose tidy. The factory alloys are still original. These appear to be in solid condition and appear to be wearing brand new Michelin Defender tires. According to the seller, everything underneath is just as solid.
What’s truly amazing is the interior of this truck. It benefits from mouse fur padding instead of the high quality but usually far less durable leather and vinyl. This upholstery covers an eight-passenger seating area with two captain’s chairs in the front and two three-seat benches in the rear.
If you prefer more luggage, the second row can be folded flat and the third row can be removed entirely. Just don’t forget where you left it! To match the space of this large SUV, there are numerous comfort and convenience features, including power seats, windows and locks, as well as air conditioning and a standard AM/FM/cassette stereo with remote CD changer.
As far as mechanics go, the truck also has the goods. The engine is the optional 5.4-liter Triton V8. This SOHC eight-valve mill makes 260 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque, all delivered through a standard four-speed automatic and Ford’s solid ControlTrac all-wheel-drive system. Another special feature of the truck is the optional trailer hitch package, which offers a seating capacity of 8,100. Two other things this truck has going for it are a clean title and a recent clean bill of health from a smog tester. The price for the large blank is $4,800.
If you look at size per dollar, that’s in line with Cheesecake Factory’s numbers. The question for us is whether it is a good deal in today’s car market.
What do you say? Is this expedition worth the $4,800 quoted in the ad? Or is it, like everything about this truck, just too much?
You decide!
Sacramento, California, Craigslistor leave Here when the display disappears.
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