Should I???

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steve benjamin

Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2001
Messages
36
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Location
Binghamton, NY
Hi gang...I would love some help with a decision. I have a 2001 that just turned over 233,000. I LOVE this truck and I've kept it well maintained and its in excellent shape in all respects.



That said, it isn't going to last forever and since Ford has stopped building them...well, don't let me start crying again!!! :bwahaha:



My plan was to go for 300,000 and then see what alternative is available or buy used at that point, probably 3 years down the road.



But I've unexpectedly stummbled across a 2007 XLT, 4x4, tow package, with 38,700 miles. Its at a Ford dealer and a "Certified" pre-owned. Same color as mine.



The dealer has offered me $2800. trade-in discount for mine and so the bottom price of the 2007 is $19,225. The only thing it doesn't have that I must have is the opening rear window. The dealer has offered to install it for me at their cost (about $700., so they say anyway).



I'm struggling with this becuase, if I didn't mention it already, I LOVE me truck. I'll have to say that the 2007 sure rides nice and much quieter and much nicer stereo as well (multi-cd changer).



Does this sound like a reasonable deal and should I jump on it and never look back???



Thanks. I could not have enjoyed my truck as much as I have without all the help from this site. It just rocks!



Steve
 
IMO, keep the trac. Try to make a better deal on the '07 without trade. IMO, most of the time you realy dont get the trade amount, once you reveiw the contract.



Drive the trac to the end. An '01 with that mileage. Is woth more to you than a trade or sale.
 
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Thanks Eddie. Your advice is where my heart's at. But my brain says...233,000...ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!! I do a lot of traveling (obviously), tow a small camper, and planning yet another cross-country trip this year. So my trac getting long in the tooth is begininng to concern me. If I was just a daily drive I would be less concerned.



Steve
 
My advice is wait or look for a newer one. I traded my 2007 XLT for a 2010 Adrenalin, and I have to say that my two main complaints about the '07 was the ride and the tranny. They've made vast improvements on both, among other things. I'm not sure when the improvements were made, but there is a definate difference.
 
233K? Wow.. That makes me happy... My 01 has 143K on it.



If you can afford to have 2 vehicles, I would keep it and use the 01 for the hauling, and day to day chores. Get out the 07 for date night, and general pleasure driving. JMO.
 
IMO, don't trade your 01. Keep it since it is still in excellent shape. Try to haggle with your dealer and stay with the $19K OTD w/o trade in.
 
Agree with Brad. My 2010 Limited is so much better/improved over my old 2007 Limited. Although the basic options were similar, and the same V8 powertrain, Ford really did a great job in polishing and improving the trac from 2007 to 2010. :banana:
 
Steven,



congratulations on keeping that ST running like a champ.

ive hit 160k on mine and planning on driving it till the end.

i highly agree with eddie. youve got invested so much more in that truck than what they will give you for the trade in. and like stated above, you actually give it away for free once they do the numbers on the contract not worth it. youd look good driving a gen 1 and a gen 2 ST.



but one suggestion from my part, ive heard the 07 ST were diagnosed with alot of problems such as anitfreeze leaks and tranny fluid leaks. its the first models of the ST so some malfunctions will happen. and you know you need the rear sliding window. dont listen to them when they say theyll put it on there for no cost but to come back in a week. when you return they will act as if they dont know what your talking about. just my two and half cents lol
 
PlayaTro (Arturo),



I agree about the back window. My '07 came with the cheapo hitch, they said they would change it over. I got it in writing on the sales invoice, specified oem setup. They thought it would be a wiring pigtail and a hitch. Boy were they pissed.......



 
I really appreciate everyone's thoughts and advice on this. A complicating issue is that though I live in upstate NY, I'm currently in Florida escaping the "you know what" for the winter. If I was home I'd consider keeping mine and getting the second one.



I've been following the issues some have had with the 07 but they don't seem to be too major nor all that common either. Mine had issues as well, of course, but got through them all (including a rebuilt tranny at 128,000).



The other issue is that I have an A.R.E. cap that won't fit the 07 so that's another $1300+ I'll need to shell out to get a new cap. Another must have for me.



I'm now leaning heavily toward keeping with my original plan and letting this one pass by. Point well taken in maybe getting an 09 or a 10 in couple of years.



That said, maybe tomorrow I'll stop by and throw a 'hail mary' offer to the dealership to see what kind of response I get. If they will throw in the window AND give me another $700. or $800. on my truck then it might be too good to pass up. If not, then, well...like I said...I LOVE my truck!!!



Thanks everyone. As usual, great support to a fellow sport trac owner.



Steve
 
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Steve, what a decision you have put yoourself through to make. With all that has been said here as a comparison, you are getting good advice. But you have to decide for yourself on this. My 2001 ST, bought new at 9 miles, now has over 253,00 miles on it. A few rattles, sqeaks, moans and groans later, it is still the best vehicle I have ever bought from FMC. All my life I have bought Fords, and this one has hit the spot many times over. I am now about to go through the process of getting a 2008 or 2009 STA but will DEFINITELY be keeping the 2001 until it falls apart. So, do yourself and your conscious a favor, make a decision that you can live with with no "after" effects of departure if you decide to trade in your 2001 ST. Good luck either way.:banana:
 
I would suggest dropping more money into the truck you love. Instead of dropping 20k on a different one, why not put 10k into your current ST?



Replace all the suspension bushings, upgrade the rearend, add a tranny cooler, redo some of the interior, etc...



Make the truck you love exactly how you want. Just like not being able to trade in our wives, there are still upgrades that can be made to make them feel younger. :bwahaha:
 
I agree with Vince, but it is obviously your decision. If it were me, and its not, I would figure roughly what the monthly cost of the new ST would be and put that money aside for a few months. Then take it and put it into your current one. An engine rebuild would be an awesome use of your money if you really like your ST and it comes in at way less than buying another.



Then again, a new vehicle is always fun too.
 
Marvyn....253,000...that's got me beat! This is the first Ford I've ever owned, being an long time chevy guy. Never in my dreams did I think I'd ever so much as LIKE a FORD product let alone own one. My friends thought I had flipped my rocker when I bought this thing. But I have to admit that its been the perfect vehicle for me and the traveling I do. I've taken back all the bad stuff I've ever said about FORD! lol



Vince...I've replaced nearly everything on the truck, some things more than once. I don't wait for things to break and very pro-active on maintainence. That's why its in such good shape. In fact I drive the garage I go to nuts becuase I ask them to replace stuff that they tell me isn't necessary. A couple of months ago I did the entire cooling system...wasn't having a problem but thought it was just about time to do it. I damn near have a new truck with all I've replaced. The only exception has been the exhaust which I haven't touched. Was going to several times but never did. Now I'm absolutley amazed that any exhaust system can last well over 200,000 and still going strong as far as I can tell...and I'm in upstate New York to boot.



The engine still runs strong and the mileage is still in the 19/21 highway range so I don't feel it needs an overhaul.



The only thing that no longer works on it is the led lights in the outside keypad. Apparently you have to buy the entire assembly and can't simply replace the led lights. And somehow its called "progress" in automotive technology???



I stopped by the dealer today and they've agree to give me another grand on mine (so $3800. instead of $2800.). They offered it after I told them I couldn't take the truck becuase since my cap won't transfer I'd have to get a new one for $1340. I told them if they could put the rear window in at their cost and throw in a new set of brake pads all around that we could have a deal. So they are going to get back to me on the window after they check and see if one can be put in and what their actual cost is going to be.



So we shall see.



They've got 4 2010s there but no 4x4s. One of them has a sale price (their "special" of the week or something) of $25,100...the window sticker has $36,000. Great buy for someone, I think.



I guess if I wasn't planning on another cross-country trip towing my trailer and hitting some of the national parks out west for a couple of monthsI wouldn't even be considering it. But having such high mileage on an extended trip sometimes in the boonies concerns me a bit.



Still, I can easily walk away from this and be comfortable keeping my truck for a while yet.



Again, I appreciate very much all of you taking some time to respond.



Steve
 
I say get a new one or a slightly used Gen 2. Have you driven a Gen 2? The ride and handling is so much better than a Gen 1 that it isn't funny. I've had both and went from an '05 to an '08. At this point with your current Trac, regardless of how much money you put into it stuff will begin breaking or leaking on a regular basis. If you winter in Florida I wouldn't worry much about getting a 2wd. They still have traction control if you do get snowed on before you leave NY and the mpg is a little better.
 
JohnnyO: you give a good perspective and what's prompted me to even be looking (in fact I wasn't really "looking" at all actually...just killing some time and stopped by a dealer to look at the 2010s sitting on the lot).



I drove the gen2 STs when they first come out and yes, the ride is like night and day. Especially mine because I have the suspension really stiff. I added leaf springs, bilstein shocks, the bigger sway bar, and the active road suspension system. It rides like a TRUCK and I use it like a truck but its really stable in the handling department so no complaints.



But you are right about what it may take to continue to keep it in this condition. Sooner or later more and more parts are going to fail, no doubt about it.



I do need the 4wd becuase I spent a lot of my spare time driving old logging trails in New York State forests and they can be pretty rough and muddy sometimes. I don't usually spend more than a couple of months in Florida and snow comes early where I live so the 4wd is a must have for me.



Still undecided and waiting for a call from the dealer with their latest offer.



Thanks.



Steve
 

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