FordExcursions.com Forums
Mike Margolis
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• Hartford, CT, USA |
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• Registered on 3/4/2004 |
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• 45 posts |
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 Posted:4/17/2005 23:07 |
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OK, I have been lurking and posting for a year or so while I kick around the decision.
This will be a family car, we have four kids and lots of musical equipment. 95% will be around town driving, the rest long highway trips (we're leaving tomorrow for a 1000 miler).
I don't tow anything, never have, never will.
I am looking for a used vehicle, 4x4, a year or two old, 20K miles at the most.
Diesel is about $0.50 a gallon MORE here than regular, and it seems that the buyin to a diesel is at least an extra $5000, and my mechanic tells me that an oil change is about $100.
There is a 2003 loaded on ebay, 15K miles, V-10 for $30K. With the 7.3 or 6.0 diesel that truck would be more like $40K
So, on paper, the diesel makes absolutely NO sense at all. To get an extra 10 or so MPG and have all the added expense, the break even point is at about 100,000 miles. After that, I can save a littlewith a diesel.
I will run the vehicle to about 150K miles. If I like it, it'll go longer.
Anyway, I'd love some pro's and con's. I am in New England, if the weather matters.
2003 Excursion 5.4L |
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E. Long
 
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• Subscriber since 1/1/2001 |
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• Atlanta, GA, USA |
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• Registered on 1/23/2001 |
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• 2,228 posts |
• 1 Vehicle
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Posted:4/18/2005 00:29 |
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Hi Mike,
I'll take a stab at it.
First off, read the article on Diesel vs. Gas: http://www.fordexcursions.com/articles/article_3/index.php
It covers the general pros/cons of V8, V10, and Diesel.
| Quote: | | This will be a family car, we have four kids and lots of musical equipment. 95% will be around town driving, the rest long highway trips (we're leaving tomorrow for a 1000 miler). |
Around town driving will result in really horrible mileage on a V10. My '00 7.3L gets 15 consistently around town. 650 miles on a tank before I fill up is very convenient because I do a lot of driving, and it takes a while to fill a 44 gallon tank. I fill up every 7-10 days. It would be much more often with gas.
| Quote: | | I don't tow anything, never have, never will. |
Me either, but I went with a diesel. You don't need to tow to enjoy the benefits of the Diesel. 
| Quote: | I am looking for a used vehicle, 4x4, a year or two old, 20K miles at the most.
Diesel is about $0.50 a gallon MORE here than regular, and it seems that the buyin to a diesel is at least an extra $5000, and my mechanic tells me that an oil change is about $100. |
Diesel is an extra $5000 on a new Excursion. On used, it will be less. The Diesel will have a higher resale value than the V10.
Oil changes are closer to $75. You have to throw a big filter at it and about 16 quarts of oil. But it's every 5,000 miles. I use Amsoil synthetic oil and go 10,000 miles between oil changes. The filter still gets changed out every 5k, though.
| Quote: | | There is a 2003 loaded on ebay, 15K miles, V-10 for $30K. With the 7.3 or 6.0 diesel that truck would be more like $40K |
I would say $40k is too much for an '03 with 15k miles on it. At that point, you might as well take advantage of a better interest rate on the purchase of a new X. You could probably find better.
| Quote: | | So, on paper, the diesel makes absolutely NO sense at all. To get an extra 10 or so MPG and have all the added expense, the break even point is at about 100,000 miles. After that, I can save a littlewith a diesel. I will run the vehicle to about 150K miles. If I like it, it'll go longer. |
Going back to economics class, let's talk about the "utility" you get out of a diesel. On paper, yes, the diesel in the above scenario doesn't make sense. Here are some other things to consider:
1.) Powerstroke engines come with a 100,000 mile warranty by default. You do not need to purchase any other extended warranty for the engine.
2.) Fuel economy is excellent with a diesel during highway trips and around town. While you have kids and are probably stopping for "potty breaks' every couple hundred miles, I find the convenience of being able to get 700+ miles out of a tank (on a highway trip) to be of value. My wife's family is from out of state, so the non-stop 400+ mile trips go by really, really quickly.
3.) Drive the diesel -- see how it handles. The power is really worth mentioning because it doesn't skip a beat at all. Up hills or whatever you throw at it, you'll be amazed how long it holds in Overdrive, how fewer downshifts it has to make, etc. At 2,000 RPM, these things make peak torque. To cruise on the highway around this range is really, really nice.
4.) Longetivity. The diesel will last a long, long time. I've got 140,000 on my '00 7.3L right now and I'll keep it until at least 300,000 at the rate I'm putting on miles.
With all that said, if you're only looking at doing short trips around town 95% of the time, and if you don't plan to keep it any longer than 150,000 miles, the V10 in my opinion sounds like a better solution for you. Diesels do require more time to warm up in colder climates. Short trips during the winter time aren't the best thing for a diesel.
Hope that helps.
-Eric
'67 Galaxie 500 - 390 FE, .030" over, FE to AOD adapter, disc brake conversion. The Daily Driver.
'00 Excursion - 7.3L PSD, LANDYOT Gen-II Radius Rods, Factory Tech Valve Body, 200K+ miles and going |
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Nelson Pereira
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• San Diego, CA, USA |
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• Registered on 4/11/2005 |
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• 5 posts |
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Posted:4/19/2005 00:21 |
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Hi,
I struggled with the same decission as you and couldnt see going with diesel either since my wife would be driving it back and forth to work and it would be used to go out to the desert about three times a year. We do pull a travel trailer and the v10 does just fine for that. We will probably put about 8k miles a year on this rig so it would take a long time before we started seeing the return on the extra cost of a diesel. I test drove a 2002 7.3 diesel and they do seem to have lots of get up and go but the only thing I didnt like was the noise ! in my opinion it was excessively loud even inside the cab, on the v10 you can barely here the engine. Thats my .02 hope it helps
Nelson
2003 Excursion front and rear Hellwigs Billstein shocks Fox heavy duty steering dampner Bullet performance exhaust V10 Landyots Radius Rods soon to come |
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E. Long
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• Subscriber since 1/1/2001 |
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• Atlanta, GA, USA |
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• Registered on 1/23/2001 |
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• 2,228 posts |
• 1 Vehicle
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Posted:4/19/2005 08:43 |
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| Quote: | Hi,
I struggled with the same decission as you and couldnt see going with diesel either since my wife would be driving it back and forth to work and it would be used to go out to the desert about three times a year. We do pull a travel trailer and the v10 does just fine for that. We will probably put about 8k miles a year on this rig so it would take a long time before we started seeing the return on the extra cost of a diesel. I test drove a 2002 7.3 diesel and they do seem to have lots of get up and go but the only thing I didnt like was the noise ! in my opinion it was excessively loud even inside the cab, on the v10 you can barely here the engine. Thats my .02 hope it helps
Nelson |
Around town, the 7.3L is loud. On the highway, the only thing I hear is the turbo whistling away.
The new 6.0L's are extremely quiet. Test drive one of those and it's a night and day difference in noise compared with the 7.3L.
-Eric
'67 Galaxie 500 - 390 FE, .030" over, FE to AOD adapter, disc brake conversion. The Daily Driver.
'00 Excursion - 7.3L PSD, LANDYOT Gen-II Radius Rods, Factory Tech Valve Body, 200K+ miles and going |
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Pharmer
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• Mackinaw City, MI, USA |
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• Registered on 12/19/2002 |
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• 52 posts |
• 2 Vehicles
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Posted:4/22/2005 21:04 |
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Mike,
First of all you won't get 10 more mpg. You should also be able to get an 03 V10 for closer to 25-27K. I've owned a 2000 Ex with V10 for almost 5 years now and it has been trouble free, now near 90K miles. I considered a 6 liter last year and a Ford tech steered me away from it. So after that I looked for a used 7.3L. Have not been able to find one at a fair price. Used PSD Excursions are usually 7 - 8 grand more than V10's You answer your own question. Get a used V10 and enjoy it.
Kevin |
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Pharmer
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• Mackinaw City, MI, USA |
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• Registered on 12/19/2002 |
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• 52 posts |
• 2 Vehicles
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Posted:4/22/2005 21:07 |
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Sorry for the double post Eric.
The best advantage for used PSD is that they hold their value really well. On the other hand the V10's have really suffered due to gas prices. That being said, the V10 is a good buy as a low mile used vehicle. In Mike's case it may be best.
But we all know the diesel is the coolest Ex to own. in retrospect for me the PSD would have been a good choice back in 2000. Now in 2005 with the Ex being phased out and the only major change over 5 years was a change to the 6.0L. it's not the same, at least for me. I plan on keeping mine till the new Expedition longer version comes out. |
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