This is the first time in many years that I'll not be owning a Ford of some kind.

Had a 2007 Expy Limited ordered (still hasn't arrived), however, I went test driving and ended up buying an Infiniti FX45. What sold me was the performance (handling and acceleration with tiptronic shifting) and the interior quality. Oh.. and right now it leases amazingly.

The MSRP on the FX45 was $54K vs. $40K for the Expedition.

2 year lease on the Expy with a $4000 drive off -- $560/mo with tax.
2 year lease on the FX45 with a $4000 drive off - $440/mo with tax.

The residual value of the expy just kills it. 54% vs 67% for the infiniti.

It was just way too hard to justify the Ford given I could lease a car thats $15K more for $120 less a month.

I will say tho, I'll miss driving a full size suv. However, it should be a fun change for the next 2 years tho - I was getting the speed bug again, but a vette or a mustang just don't have the space, this fits that gap pretty nicely.

-d

I'd imagine Galpin will probably put it on their used car lot. Only 19K miles and I returned it with the 20" wheels. Car was immaculate - only thing that rode in the back were surfboards.

 

I'm leaning towards an FX-35 to replace my F150. I can't justify feeding the F150 and the Expedition V-8's over the long term. Glad to hear about those lease deals, I may have to head out to a dealer soon before the deals expire.

I hope you enjoy your FX.

Dave

 

Unfortunate to hear, but it seems that you didn't really need a full sized SUV to begin with. A co-worker has an FX-45, looks like a pretty neat unit, albeit a bit smallish to call it an SUV; more like a cross-over.

 

An FX35 will lease even better - the residual is 70% on them (and they are a bit cheaper and you can get an invoice deal with your eyes closed). Under similar terms ($4K drive off) - you'll be looking at around $390/mo with tax (assuming 8.25%). That's assuming a fully loaded FX35 with everything on it (navigation, bluetooth, sport package, etc). Cheaper if you don't need all that.

So if you head into a dealer - the residual is 70% and the money factor is .00150 (~3%) - sometimes dealers like to pad that a little, so don't let them.

I'll say this - I do miss the expedition's over all size (and looking down from above when driving and the elbow room) - plus I've been driving them since 2001. As mentioned in this thread, I've never had the need for the expedition from a size perspective - but need and want are totally different things. Lumbering around in 6000lb fullsized suv does have it's advantages.

However, the FX is just a lot more fun to drive, as it's really more a car than suv when it comes to road manners. Used to have mustangs and was getting the speed bug again - but a mustang just isn't practical (space wise) - so this was a nice blend. Plus the interior quality is what really got me this time. The build and quality is similar to a BMW. I was suprised when I looked at the 07' expy interior in person (looks great in the photos, but in person it's a whole lot of ford plastic again, and some oddly placed power outlets, like one in the middle of the dash?), it was a little disappointing - never mind the near $100 delta in monthly payments.

On my 45 - racing it around town (there will be a speeding ticket in my near future for sure), I'm doing ~14-15mpg. My 05 expy was in the 10-11mpg range on a good day. So it'll be nice not being a line item on Chevrons income statement for the next 24 months, maybe just a notation instead.

I'm sure I'll be back as I've owned quite a few fords (7 total: 3 mustangs, 2 explorers 2 expeditions), but this is a nice change for a while.

-d

 

How can a lease ever be a good deal?

 

Never buy anything that depreciates. Only buy things that appreciate in value.

When you lease, you only pay for what you use.

Buying a new vehicle is one of the worst financial decisions a person can make.

Having said that, I paid cash for mine, so don't pay attention to anything I just said.

 

good luck with your FX!! I bought a FX-35 when they came out back in '03 and loved it. I actually traded it in for a f-150 2 years later and I must admit I do miss it. I wish I would have bought a FX45 but it was just way over my price range and i couldn't justify 9k more just to get the v8. It is a blast to drive and rides like its on rails!!

I actually ordered an 07 Eddie bauer expedition last Friday so i'm an all ford family now. We'll see how it goes for a couple of years and I hpe we didn't make a mistake with Ford, but we'll see.

My gallery shows our last 3 vehicles, including the Infiniti, Lexus and my current F-150

 

Kool Aid,
According to Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover you made the best financial decision you can make concerning car purchases by paying cash. You most likely got a better deal by paying cash and you didn't pay a dime in interest. I can't wait until I can do it like that.