No wonder GM can't sell a damn vehicle

[drice]

Maybe I've been lucky, but I've never had any issues with my Fords. I had a '97 F-150 V6 that ran like a top. I don't do any heavy hauling some of y'all, but I towed a small racing trailer all over the southwest with it. It was a great truck until some lady on westbound 8 lost control of her lifted 4x4 Suburban, hit the Jersey barrier, and launched into my eastbound F150...squashing it, and me, flat.

So, F-150 vs. Suburban: No contest.

I then bought a new '03 Expedition XLT. Love that truck. No issues yet and I just clicked over 80K. My mechanic buddies tell me that the tranny will give out at 70K. Hmmm.

Anyway, I agree that buying a new car makes no financial sense whatsoever. Now that I've awakened to this reality, I expect I'll either drive the XP into the ground then buy a used Honda, or I'll buy a used Honda now, sell the XP, and likely never need another car.

[Netpackrat]

If you do your own maintenance, I have found that in my limited experience, GM trucks are easier to work on. Ford makes a decent rig, but doesn't spend one extra cent to make their vehicles mechanic friendly. Things like fasteners that are next to impossible to reach, oil filters that can't be removed cleanly (drains on suspension components), etc. GM at least puts some thought into routine maintenance items, and to a lesser extent, so does Chrysler/Jeep. I totally agree, however, that it's too bad GM has totally priced themselves out of the truck market. My brother is driving an F-150 these days, not because it is what he wanted, but because the GM equivalent was just too expensive.

[Netpackrat]

I purchased a hold-over '07 F-150 King Ranch with every option minus navigation for $35k OTD. I wasn't exactly thrilled about going $35k into debt over another vehicle (already have too many vehicles), but I have been continually impressed with this vehicle. The crew cab is awesome (obviously so is the cowhide interior), and the 6.5' bed can fit about anything I need at the moment, and it can haul anything I have on my 18' dual-axle trailer.

It won't look so pretty once we Alaskan-ize it.

[blackeagle603]

Get the diesel.

Drive it 3 months to get the feel and mileage baseline then take a roadtrip to Azusa and have Banks Eng do the full on end to end upgrade for you. They'll do it all in one day. You'll have giggle fits on the way home with the added power and then laugh out loud at the pump when you prove the extra fuel economy.

I've never regretted paying up for Banks package. Looks like the '08 Dodge doesn't have complete package system pricing yet but they're great with app's engineering and fitting to customer -- no overselling. I installed the Stinger Plus kit and billet torque converter. All I'm missing is the upgraded intercooler. Their compression brake wouldn't fit the Excursion underbody metal (different slightly than F250). Turns out their torque convertor really made a difference on downhill temps and top speed anyway so I don't feel the need so much for compression brake anymore. Maybe I would if I was into a heavier toybox type trailer.


fwiw, and ymmv

That's from a family guy who pulls a bunkhouse camp trailer and regularly fills up every seat in his Excursion.

Only thing is you might occasionally wish you had more seats that the 4 door pickup. However, the tradeoff is prolly worth it with your smaller family to have the ease of P/U bed rather than having to drop seats or hook up utility trailer for 4x8 stock like I do.

[AlaskaTRX]

I purchased a hold-over '07 F-150 King Ranch with every option minus navigation for $35k OTD. I wasn't exactly thrilled about going $35k into debt over another vehicle (already have too many vehicles), but I have been continually impressed with this vehicle. The crew cab is awesome (obviously so is the cowhide interior), and the 6.5' bed can fit about anything I need at the moment, and it can haul anything I have on my 18' dual-axle trailer.

It won't look so pretty once we Alaskan-ize it.

What did you have in mind? It can already out haul the '73 Chev and do it with better gas mileage and way more comfortably. One thing that is kinda sick is that with the silver Jeep on the trailer, I still get close to 13 mpg in the truck, where if I just drove the Jeep on it's own, I get about 12 mpg... lol.

[Netpackrat]

What did you have in mind?

I figured some rock dings, windshield spidering, and alder pinstriping to start with. Maybe after that we can move on to mud holes and snowbanks.

It can already out haul the '73 Chev and do it with better gas mileage and way more comfortably. One thing that is kinda sick is that with the silver Jeep on the trailer, I still get close to 13 mpg in the truck, where if I just drove the Jeep on it's own, I get about 12 mpg... lol.

I would ask you which one would still be running after a nuclear apocalypse induced EMP, but the answer is probably not the one parked five minutes from Elmendorf AFB.... Anyway, we'll just have to wait and see how well the 2007 F-150 is doing in 2043 or so in order to make a fair comparison. It sounds as though you now have two dedicated trail Jeeps instead of the driver and the trail rig.

[randy]

GODS! but I hate dealing with sales weasels!!! They make up a good portion of my personal "alive only because shooting them is illegal" list.

[HTRN]

The reason why they're such weasels, is because they know that if you're gonna be repeat business, it's going to be few and far between. So they try to squeeze every last dime out of every sucker that walks in the door.


HTRN

[Aglifter]

And that attitude is why I have such a problem buying "down-market" cars. Good salesmen/a good sales experience, can be invaluable to a dealership -- however, those managers/salesmen tend to move their way up the ladder pretty quick.