Hey folks! You can call me BT (as my name suggests, lol). I have had a 2000 F-150 Lariat since I was 16, so right at ten years. I have loved my truck, but I've been trying to get into a small-ish SUV for a while. My parents have had an Excursion for about as long as I have had my F-150. Despite its size, I enjoy driving it. Just not parking it in some places!
I had looked at the Escape for a while. I really was interested in an early 2000s (and probably high mileage) BMW X3, but that was a bit of a pipe dream. I could have afforded an older one with high mileage, but common sense tells me that that isn't how to go about buying a vehicle. Besides that any repair/ maintenance costs would be pretty extreme.
So I have really liked the Edge ever since it came out, but it has always seemed out of my price range. Recently, I had decided to search for a late model Explorer. It's a good vehicle, but not the most attractive thing. But just in the past few weeks, I started looking at the Edge again, and it's definitely in my price range now. So as long as it feels right when I do a test drive, it's what I'll be going for.
I'd love to get into one for about $16k, but realistically, I'm thinking I'll have to go for about $19k-- and it be a pretty good deal. I'm trying to go for less than 60k miles so that the 5 year warranty would still be active, even if only for a few months to a year. Leather is a must for me, and power liftgate is top priority.
I am in video production, so I have a good bit of equipment I need to keep with me at all times. I'm currently making do with one of those metal, lockable toolboxes in the bed of my truck. For lights and support/ rigging kind of equipment. Plus the half backseat of the truck for my camera bag and my run and go tripod. But to be able to just pop the back open and grab my camera bag and tripod, rather than have to fumble at the side of the vehicle (if there's another car parked next to me)-- that will just be great.
I know that from 2011 and probably since then, power liftgate is only available on Limited and Sport. But in 2010 and previous, it is available on SEL.
I see a bunch of them on the road now that I'm looking for it. I think it always goes that way. lol. I'm used to having a common vehicle with my F-150, but I've never seen one that looks just like mine. White, Lariat, and flareside. It's an attractive model. So I'd like to get into one that doesn't look like every other one you see on the road (white, silver, and black mostly). I love Kona Blue, and Dark Blue Ink Metallic is also nice. So I hope to find one that looks really nice and sets it apart from the others a bit.
And from reading on here (a great resource), I know that in the first two years, 2007 and 2008, there were brake issues. So I have been avoiding looking at those models. Should I stick to that, or is it not as big of a deal as it sounds like? <------- This is my main important question, if you didn't read the whole thing.
