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A model year 2017 or a $17k one? That's likely a mid-2000s. Either way we have zero issues with parking. The turning radius on the Expedition is one of the big selling points for us. It turns like a car.
As for reliability? We have 78k on the 2014 and have literally not had one single thing mess up. Our previous 2005 had well over 140k miles and the only thing done to it was a set of coil packs, and one fuel injector ($30). I would say they're darned reliable. Oh... and it's the 5.4L that some complain about being problematic. I've owned 7 vehicles with that engine and zero failures out of any of them. It all boils down to maintenance.
Yes, $17k and suitable for urban southern California with limited parking is the OP's requirement. I wouldn't want to be parallel parking or trying to stuff an Expedition into compact parking spots. Nor would I want it to be subject to California's strict emission testing. Overall they rate as below average reliability.
We drove a full sized conversion van in Southern California for nearly 20 years. It was wonderful. Most of that time we had to park on the street. It really was not a problem once we became good at parallel parking. We could squeeze into almost any place a sedan could get into. It takes a few month, but you eventually become really good at it. After years of driving and parking my wife's full size van I had a group of onlookers stop to watch and then cheer for me when I squeezes a minvan into a spot in one go where there was only about three inches clearance front and back. We humans are very adaptable and you gt good at what you need to be good at. (Although my wife did hit the curbs often enough that I threatened to put curb feelers on the wheels.)
There is noting more convenient and comfortable with kids than a full sized van. We kept trying all sorts of other options minivans, suvs, cuvs, nothing compares.
Do not buy them new. The dealer mark up on them is at least $10,000 often more. It is hard to find a good lightly used one because people love them and tend to keep them until they are thrashed. Also some people who pay the full dealer mark up want unrealistic prices for them. But if you are diligent, search often and have a considerable range, you can find a very nice one for $17,000. That was the price of our current one. It was three years old and had 50,000 miles on it when we got it. It had been used exclusively for road trips and tailgating, so it was clean and in good shape. We have had it for close to ten years and put about 150,000 miles on it. It is thrashed now, but it has been a terrific family vehicle.
You will never find a better vehicle for road trips, nor for day to day family life. My wife carried everything a mom could ever need in the van at all times. Folding chairs, a case of water, snacks, change of clothes for everyone, jackets swimsuits and towels, first aid, diapers and formula, a portable baby cage (playpen), some kind of small tent or a changing shelter, a complete bathroom and kitchen just about. No matter where we went or what was needed she pulled it out of that van. Still there was plenty of room for groceries, the new bicycle, a crib, dogs, bunk bed, whatever, plus all the spare kids that always seemed to be around. She learned to park it and became excellent at it (other than hitting curbs). We took it camping, mild off roading, on ten day cross country adventures, to school, soccer games, even through the snow, over the river and through the woods to grandmas house.
After the kids grew up, I told her she could pick out pretty much any car out there since we no longer had a lot of need for the big van and she deserved a great car after over 25 years driving a van. She tried a bunch of different vehicles, SUVs Minivans, CUVs economy cars, sporty cars, luxury cars, everything. She came back and said she wanted another full sized van.
High top vans are nice in some ways, but a problem in others. My wife could stand up fully inside the van, that made things much easier with kids. They fit into almost no parking garages. They are like a sailboat in high winds when you are out driving in the desert areas. Scary stuff. Sooner or later a parking garage will be mis-marked, not marked or you will miss the sign and crack the top open. After our first two high top vans, we stopped getting them and stuck with normal tops.
Full size vans have good ground clearance. They are built on truck chasis. You can even get 4x4 version of some of them. They also have nice big V-8 engines. I will accept 15 - 18 MPG for more comfort, acceleration and power anyday. A full sized van can tow almost anything a truck can.
Whatever vehicle you get, make sure it has rear doors on both sides.
One neat thing about them is they are unique looking. Easy to find in a parking lot, and the kids know when you arrive at school or a friend's house to pick them up. You will end up driving on field trips a lot. Also never try to do anything sneaky in one. I have people tell me all the time, "Oh I saw your wife at **" What they really mean is they saw her drive by or saw the van in a parking lot. Everyone who knows you knows your vehicle on sight. That is a good thing most of the time.
A Minvan is really no different than a small SUV or CUV. Look at the length and width. Minivans have slightly better access to the rear seat(s), and they tend to be easier to stow or remove the back seats so you can haul stuff. CUVs often have better ride.
SUVs have more snob appeal even though full size vans are much more comfortable and accessible, carry more. . . They do not have a good an image though. Image is very important in Southern California, but I pm pretty sure we did not lose any freinds because we drove a van. At least not any we wanted to keep.
We rented lots of Minivans, and CUVs and SUVs on vacation trips over the decades. SUVs and especially CUVs are very troublesome to get to the third row. Minivans really have very little space in them. With five our six people, you are going to be stowing your luggage and/or some of your camping gear outside the van (on top, the back or a trailer). Although I would choose a minivan over an SUV or CUV as they are much more versatile.
BTW the Ford Transit is awful. If you are considering one, rent one for a while first. The only thing they have going for them is they are kind of neat looking. Engine- terrible, Transmission - terrible. Use of space inside - terrible. Handling - terrible. Towing - nope. There is nothing good about them.
Last edited by Coldjensens; 12-12-2017 at 04:06 PM..
A model year 2017 or a $17k one? That's likely a mid-2000s. Either way we have zero issues with parking. The turning radius on the Expedition is one of the big selling points for us. It turns like a car.
As for reliability? We have 78k on the 2014 and have literally not had one single thing mess up. Our previous 2005 had well over 140k miles and the only thing done to it was a set of coil packs, and one fuel injector ($30). I would say they're darned reliable. Oh... and it's the 5.4L that some complain about being problematic. I've owned 7 vehicles with that engine and zero failures out of any of them. It all boils down to maintenance.
5.4 is a great engine. It is Ford's flagship engine like the GM 5.7 or the Chrysler 318 (whatever liters that is - 5.2?).
The 5.4's issues are coil packs which are a big cost if the dealer does them and oil pump. Watch your oil pressure gauge. If it starts bouncing around, pull over and call a tow truck.= Oil pump is not bad to replace, engine is. Lots and lots of 5.4s go 200,000 miles or more. (Sometimes you need a transmission rebuild, but the engine keeps going).
Yes, $17k and suitable for urban southern California with limited parking is the OP's requirement. I wouldn't want to be parallel parking or trying to stuff an Expedition into compact parking spots. Nor would I want it to be subject to California's strict emission testing. Overall they rate as below average reliability.
I've never had an issue parallel parking our Expedition (and it's the oversized one) and emission testing is not really an issue. It is equipped with the required emissions equipment just as any other vehicle.
As for reliability ratings.... where do you get that info?
For one that is only $17k it would be about as reliable as any vehicle with close to or right over 100k miles on it. Again, I base my statements on experience from owning multiple Expeditions for over 10 years now. I've spent less working on them than just about any other vehicles I've owned.
If the OP thinks a minivan is the best fit, then fantastic. But there is no sense in trying to paint a negative picture of an SUV just because you don't like them.
5.4 is a great engine. It is Ford's flagship engine like the GM 5.7 or the Chrysler 318 (whatever liters that is - 5.2?).
The 5.4's issues are coil packs which are a big cost if the dealer does them and oil pump. Watch your oil pressure gauge. If it starts bouncing around, pull over and call a tow truck.= Oil pump is not bad to replace, engine is. Lots and lots of 5.4s go 200,000 miles or more. (Sometimes you need a transmission rebuild, but the engine keeps going).
Agreed. The oil pump isn't a big issue either as long as the maintenance is kept up. The 5.4L doesn't take well to people attempting to run past oil change intervals. If the OP has an 8mm socket and ratchet and a minimal amount of mechanical knowledge they can change all 8 coil packs for less than $200 in about an hour.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Get the van:
Family will grow
VERY cheap to buy, fix, insure
Excellent utility
Safe (thus they are cheap to insure)
replaceable
upgradable
EZ for camping
Can tow medium weight (~3000#)
Very comfortable for travel
EZ to see out of and to be seen
commodity (many benefits) ez to find various models at various prices
Get the Sport version (better cooling, suspension, brakes, towing package, bigger Dia wheels)
Have had both (SUVs and Mini vans and lots of other varieties)
Minivan and a 'Snowbear' 2200GVW utility trailer is ideal!.
Wanted... Diesel Minivan... 35+ mpg (Only available in Canada) or... make your own.
If I find / make a TDI transporter (HUGE space)... it will get a pop-top and fridge and water heater and outdoor shower. I really enjoyed traveling in my VW Westies (with young kids) We used Squirt Guns for AC... memories / war stories.
I've never had an issue parallel parking our Expedition (and it's the oversized one) and emission testing is not really an issue. It is equipped with the required emissions equipment just as any other vehicle.
As for reliability ratings.... where do you get that info?
For one that is only $17k it would be about as reliable as any vehicle with close to or right over 100k miles on it. Again, I base my statements on experience from owning multiple Expeditions for over 10 years now. I've spent less working on them than just about any other vehicles I've owned.
If the OP thinks a minivan is the best fit, then fantastic. But there is no sense in trying to paint a negative picture of an SUV just because you don't like them.
Regardless of how proficient one is at parallel parking or how small the turning radius is, an Expedition EL is one of the largest vehicles on the road. There is no escaping that 80" x 220" footprint. An 19ft truck is not going to fit into a 15ft space.
Agreed. The oil pump isn't a big issue either as long as the maintenance is kept up. The 5.4L doesn't take well to people attempting to run past oil change intervals. If the OP has an 8mm socket and ratchet and a minimal amount of mechanical knowledge they can change all 8 coil packs for less than $200 in about an hour.
Close - They cost $45 each. $45 x 8 = 360. It also takes a lot more than an hour. Two of them are inaccessible. Unless you meant an hour each. That could be a reasonable average. Many of them take a few minutes, a few take about an hour. The two nasties take all day - or it seems like all day, it is probably two or three hours.
You should be able to buy a base/Premium trim level 2015 Outback by now at the OP's price point. It has a fair amount of rear cargo area behind the two kid seats. 33 mpg highway. I see one near me on a dealer lot for $17,500 with 50k miles on it. You can probably find one with less miles for $17K with a bit of negotiating.
Personally, I don't see why most people would need more than 4 seats and that amount of cargo volume with two small kids. Put a receiver hitch on it and buy a 4x8 folding trailer at Harbor Freight that mostly lives folded up against the back wall of the garage for those Home Depot runs.
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