3 Best Fords for the Money (All Costs Calculated)
Ford is the oldest American and second-largest automobile manufacturing brand, founded in 1903. Its company name Ford is after its founder Henry Ford.
Over the past 120 years, Ford has been manufacturing passengers, trucks, SUVs, hatchbacks. It is the sixth most valuable brand in the automotive sector. As per Statista, the company sold around 4.2 million units worldwide. And the Ford F-series was the bestseller among these.
Now, since Ford has been different types of vehicle, I will be discussing the best Fords which provide the best value for the money. I’ll name three Ford cars, which are quite reliable, cost-efficient and their repairs are cheap and provide better value for their cost.
What’s the Best Ford for the Money?
Before, I tell you which car is best in terms of money. Let me mention, the top Ford cars, that are currently available in the market. The small hatchback cars made by Ford include Fiesta and Focus.
Similarly, the Sedan cars made by Ford are Focus, Escort, Mondeo, and Escort. A famous sports car made by Ford is Mustang. The notable SUVs include Ford Explorer, Expedition, Escape. Ford is quite famous for its truck series, and F-series trucks are the most popular and reliable ones.
Based on the initial cost, repairs & maintenance cost, safety features, parts availability; the three best Fords are Ford Escape, Ford-150, and Ford Mustang.
1. Ford Escape
The first car on our list is Ford Escape. It is a compact SUV with excellent on-road performance, above-average fuel efficiency, and a well-equipped cabin. Due to its excellent safety and reliability ratings, the Escape was named Best New Car for Teens for 2020.
The new models of Ford Escape are available with multiple power train options. The base model comes with a 181-hp turbocharged, 1.5 L, three-cylinder engine. The upgrading is possible till 200hp with 4 cylinders in upper variants.
The car gives a fuel average of 26 mpg in the city and 31 on the highway. Now, since Honda and Toyota are also offering SUVs with hybrids, this car also has a plug-in hybrid option, which provides a much higher fuel average of 44 mpg in the city.
Speaking of the car’s interior, the seats are spacious and cozy. The inside has plenty of room for both people and goods. Like other modern cars, it is equipped with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, GPS, and the SYNC 3 infotainment system with an 8-inch touch screen are standard on higher levels.
J.D. Power gave the Escape an above-average projected dependability rating, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety designated it a Top Safety Pick. Some of the worth mentioning safety features that aid the driver of this car include a head-up display, adaptive cruise control, and evasive steering.
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Now, after you have learned about this car, let’s talk about its cost. As of 2022, the new base variant of the Ford Expedition costs around $27,255. The plugin hybrid costs up to $37,250. The price of the car depreciates to about 53% after a span of years, and yearly depreciation is about 11%. The annual insurance cost of the Ford Escape is about $1157.
According to RepairPal, the average annual maintenance cost of Ford Escape is about $600. The cost is low compared to the compact SUVs of this range, making it a better choice for the money paid.
The common problem reported by multiple people includes ignition misfire, internal transfer case problem, and blower motor malfunctioning. But since the parts are also readily available in the market, and they can be bought from Ford’s official website, you might not face any difficulty in repairing side.
With the mentioned technologies, engine specifications, and fuel efficiency, I think the SUV is worth this amount of money. And that is why I have mentioned it as one of the cars which are best for the money.
Also read: Are Fords Good Cars? (and Models to Avoid)
2. Ford F-150
After the compact SUV, the second Ford car on our list is the famous Ford truck, Ford-150, For more than four decades, Ford F-150 has been the best-selling pickup truck in the United States. It is a top-rated full-size truck, thanks to its powerful engine, strong towing and hauling capacity, good off-roading ability, and comfortable cabin.
Speaking of its engine specifications, six different powertrains are available for the adaptable vehicle. Its standard 290-horsepower V6 engine performs admirably all-around. An all-wheel drive is an option, although the rear-wheel drive is standard.
The fuel economy is also quite good, it can give 20 mpg in the city and 26 on the highway. The newest model, launched in 2022, also offers a hybrid powertrain for the very first time, this is an actual revolution in the truck segment. The hybrid powertrain comprises of 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine and a 35 kW electric motor. It is more fuel economical, it gives 25 mpg in the city.
The XL base grade of the Ford F-150 has a spacious cabin with comfortable seating, but not much else. Leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, and a heated steering wheel are available on higher variants. Like its competitor cars, there’s Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and the easy-to-use SYNC 3 infotainment system with an 8-inch touch screen.
Safety is equally important in a truck as it is in a normal car. The truck’s safety features are autonomous emergency braking, advanced cruise control, lane assists, and pedestrian identification. The American analytics and consumer intelligence company, J.D. Power, gives the F-150 an outstanding projected reliability grade. Its reliability score is 79.
With all these features, the truck costs around $31,000 for the base variant, and the premium variant costs around $71,000.
According to RepairPal, the average annual repair and maintenance cost of Ford F-150 is $788. It is much lesser than other full pickup trucks of this range, and its parts are readily available in the market. Since it has been the best-selling car, the replacement parts are quite easier to find. And the annual insurance cost of F-150 is about $1,442.
The problems reported by F-150 owners are: sometimes the heater stops working, and the engine runs rough at Idle.
The price of the car depreciates around 39% percent after a period of 5 years or you can say about 8% each year. So, I would suggest that you should buy a year or two years old truck, that could provide you with a cheaper option.
Also read: Are Ford Parts Expensive? (All You Need to Know)
3. Ford Mustang
The third Ford car on our list is the sports car, Ford Mustang. It is one of the top sports cars in the world. Ford Mustang is available in multiple power trains. The basic variant has a 480-hp V8, 1.5 L four-cylinder engine.
Now, let’s talk about fuel economy. Despite being a sports car, it is quite fuel-efficient. It gives a fuel average of 21 mpg in the city, and up to 24 mpg on the highway. The fuel efficiencies vary across different variants.
The inside of the Mustang is attractive, with supportive seats. Its premium features are heated and cooled front seats. Although the sports vehicle seats four people, adults in the back seats may feel tight. Like all new modern vehicles, it comes with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, satellite radio, and the 8-inch touch screen SYNC3 infotainment system.
According to JD Power, Mustang’s reliability score is 85 out of 100. Ford is equipped with multiple safety features such as blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning, forward emergency braking, pedestrian detection, and adaptive cruise control. It also has a rearview camera and has performed well in crash tests.
With all such features, the base price of the car is $28,400 and the top-end model costs $55,195. The Auto Repair Information Provider, Repair Pal, states that the average annual maintenance cost of the Ford Mustang is about $709.
And the average Insurance cost is around $1571. If you compare this maintenance price with any other sports car, then it’s quite less than other competitors in the market. Being a popular Ford car, its parts are easily available in the market.
The Price of the Ford Mustang depreciates about 39% after 5 years. If you want to save some money, buying an old one can be an option for you.
The common problems which have been reported by Ford Mustang include, squeaking noise due to worn outer road, leaking oil of gaskets, rough idle due to malfunctioning EGR sensor. Apart from that, it is quite good. If you are looking for a reliable and comparatively easy-to-maintain sporty car, Mustang is a very good choice.
Also read: 3 Worst Ford Diesel Engines
3 Best Fords-Summary
In this article, I have mentioned the three best fords cars in terms of money. Now, let’s compare the costs and features of each of these. To make it easier for you to compare, I collectively mentioned the key highlights of each car in a tabular form.
| Ford Escape | Ford F-150 | Ford Mustang | |
| Cost | $27,000-37,000 | $31,000-71,000 | $28000-$55,195 |
| Maintenance & Repair Cost | $600 | $788 | $709 |
| Annual Insurance Cost | $1157 | $1,442 | $,1571 |
| Fuel Economy (City/Highway) | 26 mpg/ 31 mpg | 20 mpg/26 mpg | 21 mpg/ 24 mpg |
| Depreciation (5 years) | 53% | 39 % | 39 % |
| Safety Features | A head-up display. Adaptive cruise control. Evasive steering. | Emergency Braking with pedestrian identification, Lane assist Advanced Cruise control | Blind-spot monitoring forward collision warning, emergency braking, Pedestrian detection Adaptive cruise control |
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