Hi. I'm considering purchasing a new or used Edge or Lincoln MKX. I just want information right now. I've drive pickups for the last 25 years and I think I want something a little shorter with a smoother ride. I love the way the Edge/MKX looks and drives and I've wanted an SUV for years. My parents have a Toyota Sequoia and it's pretty nice but a little large for my needs. The parents think I should get a Toyota, of course.
Any advice for me? I'm a little concerned that Ford dropped on overall quality according to Consumer Reports. Toyota seems to be topping the lists as far as reliability is concerned. I've had nothing but trouble with a used Toyota I purchased, though, so I'm leaning back towards Ford.
So here are my questions:
1) new or used? I'd like to save money but I've read the brakes are better on the newer Edges...
2) AWD or FWD? We have a ranch and we get bad weather... obviously the Edge isn't a "real" 4x4 but would AWD be best for navigating pretty good caliche ranch roads with snow and/or mud or would FWD suffice? We have a 4x4 pickup for the bad ranch roads so I just need to get to town and back and possibly travel on the better ranch roads we have during good weather.
3) Ford Edge or Lincoln MKX? Both are nice... Lincoln is pricier but you know, its a Lincoln... pros? cons? (other than price)
4) Buy or Lease? I've never leased a vehicle before but I've also never had anything but a pickup, either. Would leasing be better so I can easily get rid of it if I want to go back to a pickup? My credit isn't the best at the moment although it is getting better and certainly isn't the worst it could be. How hard is it to get Ford's special finance deals (like 2.9% for 60 months)?
5) Advice on the purchasing process... the last time I bought a new vehicle was in 1999 and I ordered it from an online dealer who sold for $600 UNDER invoice (and yes, I checked out other dealers both local and online). It was painless and easy and I didn't have to haggle or put up with any crap from salespeople. How can I make the whole process smoother and more fun?
6) Any other ideas or advice? I'm a novice at purchasing cars and I'm a little nervous about it. I think that's one reason why I've got 173,000 miles on my current Ford pickup. The dealers in my area are not known for lowering prices so I'm okay with traveling to a metro area to purchase a vehicle or with ordering from a dealer online.
7) Trade-in or sell one of my current vehicles? I would like to wait another 6 months to buy but my 2nd vehicle (the Toyota) is literally falling apart and I don't know how long it will last. I need to unload it but I don't know whether to trade it in or sell it. It has had a LOT of work done to it and it has a LOT of miles. One of the kids is using it right now so if I get rid of it I need to get something else to take its place.
Well, if I haven't just driven everybody off from this long post, I hope someone will advise me on at least a couple of these issues. Thanks ahead of time...
