ltc

Correction:
Excursion PowerStroke diesel 4x4

Dennis C

I was going to go with that, but since they stopped making them I left it off the list. 2005 was the last year, right?

Kigiin

Agree on the 3rd row thing, but the wife actually uses it monthly hauling my 13 year old son's friends around. However, in about 2 1/2 years he will be driving (and be bigger) so the utility of the 3rd row will virtually disappear. Anyways, she can get what she wants, 3rd tow or not - I don't need/want a 3rd row so it's not an issue for me.

I think I am sold - will probably order so it may likely be an 2009. I am thinking about leasing during the warranty period and then depending on how things go, buy it or turn in. This will likely cost me more, but I have the safety net of being able to walk away if need be.

I guess the next order of business is to determine the value/utility of all the various options.

Thanks

ltc

Yes, 2005 was the last year. My wife traded in her 2000 Excursion and ordered her 2005 before it was too late.

eclou

FWIW I have many Ford enthusiasts tell me that every PSD since the 7.3l has been garbage, and that the only good Excursion to get would be 2003 or earlier.

ltc

With 2 Ford dealerships in the (extended) family, I can't say I agree.

The 7.3L was a much simpler motor with respect to emission controls (didn't have any) when compared to the 6.0L motors. Factor in the switch to ULSD and it only gets more complicated.
Also, a lot of people with 7.3L engines also 'chip', 'exhaust' and 'modify' their engines; the 6.0L is not as receptive to those modifications.

All of the big 3 had some teething pains early on and even the 7.3L still has its version of the "DME relay" failure....re: Crankshaft Position Sensor. The first year of the non 7.3L was especially frustrating.

Apart from a sticking EGR valve settting off a CheckEngineLight, my wife's 2005 6.0L has been good.

droptop

i was a toyota guy who took the plunge into porsche land "aka, the twilight zone".

i NEVER had a toyota dealer treat me as bad (or as good, in one isolated case) as i had porsche dealers treat me. the cayenne is multiple orders of magnitude lower on the reliability scale than any toyota built.

don't be fooled into thinking more buys better. my current ride (infiniti FX45) will take a CS in both straight line and twisties. plus, in 45k miles it has had exactly 0 trips to the dealer. at this point the cayenne was at 6 or so, and lemon law proceedings had already been started.

buy the MDX, it will run as long as you care to put parts (much much cheaper parts than porsche) into it. 200k? take care of it and use it regularly and get 400k out of it.

the porsche was great for getting a certain type of girl, and bankers to notice you. hmm...come to think of it, the girls and bankers it interested had ALOT in common. the "new" was beginning to wear off of the cayenne before i got rid of it though. with the depreciation hit on these, many of the 03s are now being driven by people who would interest neither the banker or the certain type of girl.

leek

Drove all of the SUV's that were offered last year. The Acura, Toyota and Lexus offerings were pleasant but boring. The Ford and Chevy offerings were lumbering.
I have had no issues to speak of and my dealer (Barrier) has been great.
You won't find a better multipurpose vehicle for towing, off road, winter and sporty driving.
I didn't buy it to impress anyone. It was simply the most capable single vehicle that I found for my purposes.
Lot's of the sniping from the "more established" members is a result of buying the first several model years of a car type that had never been produced by Porsche. The issues that surfaced in those model years have generally been addressed. Porsche recently was recognized as #1 in initial car quality for a reason. The reliability of the Cayenne has improved significantly over time.

droptop

how long was the "first"? i had an 05, which was a disaster, failures in electronics, transmission and MOST ring.

"most capable" doesn't work too well when you are stuck by the side of the road. the cayenne went from "much worse than average" to "worse than average" in CRs report. JD Powers is the company that has a statistic for everyone.

if the new ones are a problem, then the 08, 09 should repeat the process. new engine controls, new injection system, new suspension options....

doberdog

Porsche is #1 in initial quality from JD Power, with the 911 the #1 car overall. The Cayenne scored number three overall in the premium SUV segment behind the Lexus RX350, Lexus GX470 and then the Cayenne. This is very good especially since Porsche just introduced all new engines in the Cayenne. many of the problems you hear about on Rennlist are from the 1st generation Cayenne's with big improvements as the vehicles were updated. Initial quality is a very good indication of how a vehicle will perform over time. Ask 2008 owners how their vehicles have been?
I've ordered a 2009 Cayenne V6 for December 2008, when we return our X5. The X5 has been very good too but I've had too many BMW's over the last few years. I plan to lease for three years, then get the CPO and buy it out.

evolver

droptop,

I cannot send PM on this forum. From what I can see, you have both, Cayenne S and FX45. I'm looking to replace my wife's SUV with either Cayenne Tiptronic or the new FX (FX35 more likely than FX50). May I ask you a few questions offline?

If you are ok with that, please drop me a line at "evolvah" at "gmail" dot "com".


Thanks!

leek

evolver,
You won't get an even handed response from droptop. Search his past posts. There is nothing positive at all to say about the Cayenne. Most who have bought 05 and later have little or no problems. I am 17000 miles and just over a year in and the car has been very good. I did have to augment the i pod capabilities and the bluetooth for the phone and there has been several small issues but nothing to speak of. I keep cars for at least 100K miles and this one should last 10 years or better. The JD powers awards are in keeping with my experience. Consumer reports has not tested the car for several years.
Good luck on your selection.

droptop

if YOU would search my posts you would find that i have said several nice things about the cayenne. let me simply say that i will not characterize you in the same misleading fashion.

at 17k miles you haven't had a problem. well gee boss, i had my first TWO times in the shop before 12k. the fact that you haven't had a problem when you haven't yet made it to your first oil change is a glowing testimonial to the cayenne...

but not for someone who expects 200k out of a car.

i will be continuing this discussion offline with the OP, but don't make the mistake of thinking i am so two dimensional. also, don't forget that i am a ME, PE and know just a touch about the complaints i have had.

could a decent dealer have solved my problem? don't know, you would have to prove to me one exists.

and JD Powers doesn't impress me much, they have a statistic for everyone (for a price). if CR starts saying nice things about the cayenne (as opposed from raising it from "much worse than average" on reliability, to "worse than average") i will take notice.

dustybottoms

Why buy a Rolex when you can get a Timex for $25.00?

It boils down to - How much do you want it and is it worth it to you.

droptop

you are 100% right, if you are buying it as a lawn ornament.

if you expect it to get you somewhere, as opposed to being a hangar queen, the answer may be different. i am convinced that most buy the cayenne as a form of potlach, however. using this analogy, the rolex vs timex argument is quite applicable. they both do the same thing, the timex is probably more accurate, but you can flash the rolex at the local watering hole and get the proper amount of envy.

i was probably the only person on this board who would have preferred having a "debadged" one. i didn't want my banker to get steamed up when i pulled in, and i certainly didn't want the attention of the particular type of girl who showed up to polish the windows with her...attentions.

i will take the FX. it's faster, corners better, and actually works. plus, most folks think it is a murano...which suits me just fine.