Bringing up an old thread - my wife has a 16 LX570 and with our 3 kids growing, we needed an adult-functional 3rd row seat.

Sequoia Platinum - Topping out at over $70k, we felt bad for the salesperson for having to justify why the Sequoia was a viable choice. Yes resale values and reliability are a big factor, but the cheap interior (hard plastics), unrefined ride (based on the Tundra after all) and some notable missing features like a 360 camera for such a big vehicle was a deal breaker for us. We could have even dealt with the old infotainment system. No doubt Toyota will sell these, as it is pure profit at this point, and has massive interior space with the 3rd row seat being comfortable for adults on long rides.

Ford Expedition Platinum - After the initial $77k sticker shock, found out Ford are discounting these like crazy ($11k-$14k off), the only 2 things my wife didn't like about this was the dash (copied off the F-150) and the fact this was a Ford. It drove much lighter and easier than its 5,500 lb weight, had ample leg room across all 3 rows, took regular gas (premium recommended to get 400hp), had the massaging seats with decent leather quality. The white interior looks pretty good actually. I have some concerns on long-term reliability (i.e. power running boards) but can get a 8yr 100k Ford plan for ~$1700, and resale value (rental fleets use Expeditions; find a 16 Expedition on Autotrader to see how cheap they're going for).

Lincoln Navigator Reserve - One trim down from the range-topping Black Label with a $91k sticker, Lincoln apparently is selling as many as they can make, only discounting these by ~$6k. While mechanical twins to the Expedition, Lincoln did a great job in completely making the interior different; this is no longer just a rebadged Ford. The quality of the dash and leather all the way to the buttons and dials on the dash all felt very premium. It also didn't look like a bloated whale which the Expedition may resemble. Same concerns as I have on the Expedition on long-term reliability (8yr 100k Lincoln plan is ~1900) and unsure future values (rental fleets also use Navigators...)

On the other options:
Telluride/Palisade: My wife won't even consider these due to brand stigma
Traverse/Enclave: Good but a pass
Suburban/Yukon: Ride was too truck-ish
Pilot/MDX: Dislikes exterior looks and MDX 3rd row small
CX9/XC90/Explorer: Too small 3rd row

Going to explore the X7 and new GLS next, but happily surprised 2 Ford products are the frontrunner in this decision process!

 

Keep the LX is my vote.

 

That is also a very viable option: still has warranty, almost paid off and the notion of having no car payments is very alluring! And we've taken the brunt of the depreciation; the speed of value diminishing slows down significantly!

 

Navigator is my vote. It also has a 450 HP version of the Ecoboost, versus the 400 HP version in the Expedition.

 

My buddy bought an Expedition Max Limited about 12 months ago brand new. I think he paid around $77k or so if I remember correctly. He put 20k miles on it and sold it to get a Model X. He got $54k for it.... lost 30% in a year. That's just crazy to me.

On a positive note, he really liked it. Said it was great for long trips, worked well for their family of 2 mostly-grown kids (10 and 13) and hauling them and their friends around to games, practices, etc. He got wowed by the Tesla and once he drove it he was hooked. Otherwise I think he would have kept the Expedition.

I also own an LX570 and occasionally wonder if we need something with a bit more functionality. I don't see that you listed the QX80 but I'd recommend you check that out. Second row captains chairs, really nice interior on the newest ones, and drives relatively similar to the LX. My aunt has a 2019 and let us borrow it for about a week- I did a write-up on my experience about 2 months ago and posted it in Car Chat. For what it's worth, she got the QX80 after having a GLS for two years. She much prefers the QX.

Edit: link to my experience in the 2019 QX80. https://www.clublexus.com/forums/car...2019-qx80.html

It's relatively tempting for me, but there's something about the LX and I still just can't get away from it.

 

I think one needs to keep an LX or any Toyota body on frame SUV for the long haul for the full value. The LX you have is made for 15 years minimum before it needs some repairs. Can't say that about any domestic brand.

 

We did look at the QX80 and Pathfinder last year but the 3rd row seat was a little cramped - but they are amazing buys! And yes to the resale value hit, that is a genuine concern no matter how good the Ford/Lincoln product is, the brand stigma remains...

Absolutely agree - value is important but can't trump kids whining at this point - we'd keep the LX forever since we bought it for that reason, physical dimensions however can't be reasoned with. =)

 

So I will warn you (LOL) The Ford will break on you at the 4-5 year mark compared to the LX. The CR reliability report for a few years back is not good, it is average to below average, I do not expect great long term reliability for a Expedition.

 

Are you sure you looked at the QX80 and not the QX60 (the Pathfinder equivalent)? The QX80 is larger than the LX and is larger than almost everything else you listed you're looking at with the exception of a Suburban/Yukon XL. The QX80 is 9 inches longer than the LX, is wider than the LX, and in my opinion had a better laid-out 3rd row with more room for the passengers and behind the seats when in use.

 

Ford trucks are very reliable, and the Expedition is basically an F150 which is a very robust truck. I wouldnt have any issue buying an Expedition.

 

LOL.

Sounds like somebody who's never owned one. Their trucks are very solid.

 

Yeah - thought I did double check =) The QX80 3rd row legroom is ~ 28 inches (which is the same as the LX). In comparison, the Expedition is almost 40 inches and the Sequia is ~39 inches. The 2nd row is magnificent but where we got stuck was the 3rd row...

Absolutely agree the Lexus (or a Toyota variant) will be more durable, but given the current playing field (and the Sequoia being ruled out), buying an extra 8-year Ford/Lincoln warranty isn't too bad of an option? Couple that with the twin-turbo Ecoboost engine, which has been in Ford's main moneymaker (the F150) for 7 years, and the 10-speed tranny has been around since 2017, Ford would have a lot to lose should either powertrain component have big issues.

All that said, we're not jumping the gun quite yet; the LX is "almost" paid off but end of 2019 does mean pretty good incentives. Just floating this out there to see if we're missing out on anything (like the QX80!)...

 

Oh wow - didn't realize you could get that much extra 3rd row legroom in the segment. Good to know - I like your attention to detail!

 

That's only 3" short of the rear legroom in the F-150. Pretty impressive.

 

Tow the kids in a trailer.