Is this a good deal for an Expedition?

[outdoor fanatic]

Going to be buying a boat soon and am looking at a vehicle in which to tow. I now have an explorer and am looking at trading it in for a used Expedition. It is a 1999 Eddie Bauer edition with 44,000 miles on it. It has the 5.4 Triton V8, so towing would not be a problem. I've got them at 24K for it. Is the Expedition worth it? Thanks

[Hogslammer]

I traded in by 98 Eddie Bauer Expedition in June of 2001 and they gave me $18,000, which I thought was quite good at the time. I also just looked up the Kelly Blue book trade in value on your 1999 and for good condition it was $17,255. I think the SUV market is quite soft right now with the slow economy and the flood of SUVs coming in off lease. Personally I think you should be able to do better, as in closer to $20,000 if you're not in a hurry.

ALso, I don't want to get into the Ford vs. Chevy debate as I have owned both. My Expedition only got 14.5 to 15 MPG on a flat highway without pulling a boat and around 9.5 to 10.0 when towing. It was a very good vehicle with little if any problems, but the gas mileage was really poor. I traded for a 2001 GMC Yukon XL, which has more horsepower and much better gas mileage. I get 17 to 18 MPG without the boat. I'm on my 4th Suburban and I think they also have a better resale value at trade in time. Good luck with your negotiating, but you should be able to do better. Be prepared to walk away from the dealer and DON'T EVER let them think you have to have that vehicle. Once they think they've got you hooked, you've lost most of your negotiating leverage.

[spooled]

If you live in Minnesota leave your email address. I may know someone who could help you. I don't want to leave a message here that might look like a classified ad.

[Bob G2]

If in doubt, check out Kelly's Blue Book at www.kbb.com or edmunds.com