Looks like you already got your mind set on a SUV

I would go if with a SUV for your first car.. a little safer and if you live somewhere where it snows then it will be better as well. But get what you like!

The expeditions are nice, the only thing is they are hard to find wheels ford. Ford used a 5x135 lug pattern for the 97-03 F-150 and expeditions, so those are the only vehicle with that pattern. The great thing about that is the 97-03 F-150 and expedition parts are interchangeable (besides rear suspension), and beings that the 97-03 F-150's are so popular, you can find your axles, fenders, doors (super crew only for rear doors), etc. pretty easy.

The expeditions use a coil spring rear suspension and a torsion bar front suspension so the ride is great. Put some Bilstein 5100 series shocks on it and it will be awesome. Also with torsion bars you can crank them up a bit to level / lift the front (but it ruins the ride).

I have a '97 F-150 that I've tone a ton of crap to so I know a tad bit about these vehicles lol. Another good thing is 1a-auto on Youtube shows you how to do work on the expedition. The only thing I would be concerned about when buying a used one is that the ECU is good, I know in the F-150's they had a windshield issue where the ECU would get wet.


EDIT: The Mustang will cost you a lot in insurance if you go V8. I pay about 100/mo for my '97 F150. If you can, I'd try and find a 97-03 Expedition King Ranch with the 5.4L engine. look up the king ranch interiors, they look great.

The only crappy thing about Expeditios from 97-2002 is that the rocker panels are always rotted out, my parents had a 2002 expedition in 2008 to 2011 and the rockers didn't have rust holes well no rust actually it was in perfect condition, it only had some bubbling inside bottom of the doors, I see it here and there in my city and the driver side rockers has holes and crap, my mom and stepdad in the past 13 years they been together had a total of 15 vehicles so I kinda have a liking of the vehicles they owned so everything they had i would drive for my self but only a handful I would not drive

I assume you live in an area where they put salt on the roads in winter?

Ford did have a problem with the rocker panels, but if you can find one without rust, use bedliner on the bottom 6" of the vehicle and get the bedliner painted. That's what I did and I have no problems. It also helps to get the vehicle undercoated, but I Didn't do that.

If it does have rust, it's as simple as cutting that piece out and welding a new piece in.

I've found a gold color 2001 expedition EB and the rockers where in great shape im not sure if the body was redone or what but it would had bubbling inside of doors which I see all the time in fords from that generation

Was the clearcoat gone? I would sand it down to metal, primer it, and spray paint it so it doesn't rust.

Those Eddie Bauer's are nice though.

From what I remember it still had clearcoat I saw it forsale a few months ago so I dont remember by hand

Just look around man. I have a 2015 Dodge Ram (it's my first car too) and love it to death. I was going to get a Camaro at first but then I made the rational decision and got a truck instead.