The time has come for all of you habitual readers to end my COAL series. What on earth will Curbside do without all of these Volvo posts?! I think you will all live. Fear not though, I will still be buying after the series ends!
After many miles on the 2015 F-150, I was ready to move on. It was starting to develop a few hard shifts while I was towing. I noticed this at first when I was pulling the Highlander back from STL. If I downshifted from 6-4 it would slam into 4th. I feared that the outdated 6 speed, that Ford no longer uses, was on its way out again. My wife was really concerned about this issue, as I was well out of warranty on the drivetrain. So that was a great excuse to go car shopping!
This was well into COVID, and dealers were paying stupid prices for trade-in, especially on trucks. I really was not sure I wanted another Ford after the problems that I have had with my last one. I looked around for several different brands. I knew that I wanted a 360 degree camera, and that was about it. I looked at the new Tacoma as I first thought I wanted to downsize and get a smaller truck. I really liked it, but just could not find myself spending close to 50K on a small truck. Plus I was looking at used trucks at the time, and could not find a Tacoma Limited that had the 360 camera. Next, I looked at the GMC Canyon, and quickly ruled that out as it was just not comfortable, even in the Denali trim. Lastly, I looked at the Honda Ridgeline. I know there are some mixed feelings on the Honda, but I actually really liked it. The only thing it was missing was the 360 camera, which I came very close to forgetting about. In the end I just was not crazy about the options that Honda was offering. To get what I wanted in the exterior color, I would have had to order it, and I just did not want to do that. So in the end I searched for a F-150.
I found a low mileage 2018 at a dealer in Tulsa. At first I really wanted the dark red called Magma, but found this nice blue that Ford calls Blue Jeans. The deal was too good to pass up as well. I was getting a 2018 with around 20k miles for $42,000. Plus it was certified, and had more options than my 2015 had. I had been looking for a lower trim model F-150, just to save some money, but a Platinum at this price was hard for me to pass up. I called the dealer, sent pictures of my trade, and basically did the entire deal over the phone. All I had to do was look the truck over while they checked my trade out, and write them a check.
This truck has the 3.5 6 cylinder twin turbo engine. My dad has had this engine in his trucks for years, so I was used to it, but it was still different. I found it to be a little slow to get going, but once the turbos spooled it took off. It is also great for towing because once I get going, and need some extra power, it’s already there. My V8 had to find the right gear to downshift, and then provide the power without the help of any turbos. In the end I would prefer the Ecoboost over the V8, but either one gets the job done. The turbos rattle as part of the wastegate when I cold start. I have been to two dealers and they both say that is normal for the wastegate to rattle on cold starts. It eventually goes away, but is kind of weird to me.
This is the Magma Red
One of the biggest selling points of this truck was the interior. I was getting tired of the black interior on my 2015. It would show dust and dirt easily, and I was constantly cleaning it. This one came with what Ford calls Marsala, which I think is supposed to be a brown, but is more reddish orange. Either way I liked it, as you do not see many of these trucks with that interior color.
About a month after I got the truck I was backing up a trailer at my in-laws’ house. I did not notice how close I was to their fire pit, and turned into toward the corner of it. I ended up denting the lower part of the door. To add dirt to the wound, later that night on my way home I hit the power tailgate release button on my key fob by accident, and the tailgate lowered onto the trailer jack. I drove the 30 miles home like this damaging the paint on the tailgate handle. Luckily I was about to source a new handle in the right color off eBay, as that was the only thing damaged. The door on the other hand needed some body work. My father-in-law is an insurance agent, and set me up with a body guy that was great, and I got a discount. They tried to pull the dent out, but the aluminum was just ripping, so they had to replace the door. $2300 later, and I was set.
As we are slowing returning to work, I am able to drive more and more. I would often just go for a drive after work to get out of the house. We also are camping more this year, and I think I like pulling our camper with this truck better. With the 360 camera coupled with the Pro-Trailer Backup Assist it makes it easy to back into the shop. Now, before we go on about how everyone can back up a trailer without any assistance, I can too, but the truck came with the feature, so why not use it? Well, actually I currently can’t use it. As I write, the truck is in the dealer getting repaired. Somehow the truck lost all of its camera measurements that are set at the factory, and would not work. The dealer has had it for about a month, and Ford is sending someone down to look at it and figure out how to get it back. Go figure. Oh well, things happen, and the dealer gave me a nice new Ranger to boot.
That’s it, readers – that’s all I have for you currently. I suspect that I will be writing again as I buy more cars, but until then thank you all for the comments and support! Thank you Paul and Jim for allowing me to flood the site with Volvo content. I really enjoy this COAL series, and find myself Googling “COALs” to read in my down time. I have read many great series by all of you, and they have inspired me to share my stories. I hope you all have enjoyed, and maybe I have inspired someone else to write!
Sorry this is the end of your series, Connor! I’ve really looked forward to reading your new posts each Saturday morning.
Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed it!
“To get what I wanted in the exterior color, I would have had to order it, and I just did not want to do that.” – the story of automotive color today.
That marsala interior looks really nice
That is very true. So many different options and different packages to have now. It would be very hard for a dealer to keep a big variety of the same model in stock.
Never got the downside of ordering a new vehicle, especially if is a domestic model.
Ahh, parlour trucks and their fans. The transmission in my Ford is failing after only five years! Let’s go buy another Ford! It will be better than the last one!!
Until it breaks down, too.
Ford laughs to the bank
Well, let’s think about this. Sure Connor could have purchased a Hino, but he opted for an F-150 as it is more versatile and maneuverable while providing more creature comfort. By Connor’s own admission, he pulled some respectable loads some respectable distances and in terrain that is not flat.
Yes, the transmission failed, which we agree isn’t desirable. But it also seems somebody else once had an Acura in which the transmission failed and it never pulled anything other than people. 🙂
More concerned with the camera than the trans. The whole point of a truck is that it can work for 200k miles
Well, yes that is a fair comment. However, the only reason I went back to a Ford was because they changed the transmissions completely in 2017, and I got a 100k warranty, which my other one did not have.
ok fair enough
Connor, I think you hold the record for number of COALs by one COALer. But then most COALers aren’t in the habit of flipping cars.
If I were local to you and into Volvos, I might want to hire you to find me a good Volvo.
This is true. I think Jim might have me beat at this point.
I can always help point you in the right direction with a Volvo!
Know of any good P1800s in the NW Arkansas area?
Ford did own Volvo for a while, so there is a nexus to the rest of the series! Just need to put a Volvo emblem in the center of the grille along with a slanted stripe.
Any automobile manufacturer that makes a transmission that doesn’t last at least 150k (with regular fluid and filter changes) before malfunction is pretty pathetic in my eyes. It doesn’t do them any favors and only erodes credibility. Anomalies will always occur among all makers. Ford modus operandi is to force thousands into class action lawsuits to resolve known design issues. That is a known documented fact.
Man, I have been enjoying the trials and tribulations you have been sharing, gonna miss them. If you ever haul the Casita over to the Mtn. Home area let me know and I’ll come over and we can talk cars and all the follies of there ownership . Thanks for the memories
. Mark Bremer