Ford E 250

[Metalartist]

I’m thinking of getting a Ford E250. I’m curious if anyone here has had experience with them and if they recommend them?  I’m definitely looking at a later model because of the price.

 

[Tam O'Bedlam]

I bought a 2002 E350 with 130k on it. It has run like a champ for me. I have done the brakes once, and replaced a power steering hose. It has 170k on it now and still going strong. I have no regrets! My brother had a E250 as a work van, it did great for him until he had the spark plug thread problem that you hear about, he put over 200k (hard miles most of them) before he had any trouble with it.

 

[Uncle Todo]

I was looking at Econolines when I was looking, that's the E series, either 150, 250, or 350.
I was looking for pre 97 vans with either the 5.0 or 5.8 engine, tried and true blue oval engines.

You can't go too new, they disco'd them in 2015!

Honestly if I'd came across a good deal on one within reasonable distance I'd have one now.
When the Astro popped up, the price was right, the distance was right, and only 62k miles.
Plus in case you didn't know, i really like the rear doors lol.

 

[grumpenstein]

I’m thinking of getting a Ford E250. I’m curious if anyone here has had experience with them and if they recommend them?  I’m definitely looking at a later model because of the price.

I bought a 2001 E250  with 219k miles I did buy it needing repairs the main need was an inherent problem, bad intake gaskets this is common on the 4.2, so keep that in mind while looking But they are a great van, good luck.

 

[tx2sturgis]

In 2014 I bought a used 2011 E250 with the flex fuel 4.6 L V8 engine. It did the job and got around 20 mpg on the highway...so with the 35 gallon gas tank I could go about 600 miles on the highway before I had to fill up again. 

On a trip across several states, it's nice being able to drive ALL DAY before I had to find a gas station!

It was no powerhouse but I could easily pull a small trailer. But larger heavier trailers were a problem...so I eventually sold it and bought a vehicle with a bigger engine. But if I had no need for pulling a larger trailer, I'd probably have kept that van.

 

[Metalartist]

@Tx2Sturgis
Good to know about the gas mileage using flex fuel.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Just to be clear, that was on regular gasoline....not E-85, which will cut fuel mileage quite a bit.

I took lots of pics of the gauges over the years, these are typical readings when on the open highway and just after a fillup:

 

[user 423]

I bought a used 2011 E250 with the flex fuel 4.6 L V8 engine. It did the job and got around 20 mpg on the highway...

Did the van have overdrive?  I used to drive Dodge vans and they only offered OD with V8 engines.

 

[Uncle Todo]

They may not call them OD any more with autos having many more speeds than years past, or they just count it as a 4 speed auto vs 3 speed auto w/OD.

tx2sturgis, what's that display in the 1st pic?
Edit, I looked it up, how do you like it?

 

[user 423]

LOL...I was thinking the 4.6 was a V6.

Mixed up with another thread that mentioned a 4.2 V6 in a Ford van.

Never mind...

 

[Freelander]

My RV (Chevy 6.0L Vortex) has a 6 speed tranny, and I am correct 4th is direct, and 5 and 6 or both overdrives. The rear axle is geared lower for better pulling power and the overdrives are only needed on flat road.

It can do a lot of shifting.

 

[user 423]

You have to wonder how much more expensive a rebuild would be on one of the newer trans with all those speeds.

 

[Freelander]

You also have to figure in the cost of the electronics package inside of the Tranny, the last GM 4 speed tranny I had rebuilt was $2500.

 

[Uncle Todo]

There are always junkyard/used options for tighter budgets.

For that $2500 I'm guessing that was labor as well, you can get remanufactured transmissions for $1700 - $1800, well for a 4L60E anyway which is what my Chevy has.

 

[Freelander]

This was for my wife's wheelchair van, I didn't what to take any chances on a used one.

 

[Uncle Todo]

Totally understandable, no judgement, just throwing it out there to be seen as an alternative option to spending several thousand.

 

[tx2sturgis]

tx2sturgis, what's that display in the 1st pic?
Edit, I looked it up, how do you like it?

It's a ScanGauge2, I let that one go with the van and bought another for my new pickup within a couple weeks of ownership. They provide a 'plethora' of valuable information, and especially for vehicles with a limited number of factory gauges.

It will display 4 pieces of information simultaneously, and you can scroll thru dozens of measurements, depending on the sensors your vehicle has.

 

[treesprite]

If you're looking for an older e150, look for a 96, because it's the last year they came with a straight six engine.

 

[user 423]

If you're looking for an older e150, look for a 96, because it's the last year they came with a straight six engine.

'96 is also the last year for V8's that didn't have the sparkplug problems.

'96 is the first year for OBDII (Onboard Diagnostics) which is an improvement over OBDI.