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As for matching paint, never trust a dealer run paint/body shop. You need true pros who do it all the time for these new paints. Even then, many body shops that do it all the time are not too good. I have one excellent one that I know will get it right if I need them. However, if it is Ford...

Good choice. Updated MFT is key. The '11 model year is still a great looking vehicle that is not showing any age. I wish I had seen this thread earlier as the one thing I would have recommended is checking under the hood lip for paint bubbles. Hopefully yours avoided that or already fixed...

I paid cash for my '11 when it was 2.5 years old. That way I got a $43k car for $28k with 6 months on bumper-to bumper to play it safe since it is used and 2.5 years on powertrain. I buy and hold as long as it will last. Pay cash as I won't get 0% financing on a used car (at least not with a...

My Saab calipers had rusted out. I sanded them down and brush painted them silver with the G2 caliper paint ($30) and put red vinyl "SAAB" stickers on them ($6). The paint is smooth looking. The vinyl stickers are a deep red, which fades to pink in pics. Stickers and paint holding up great years...

Don't forget the rear seat-belt leak could be as simple as the rear roof rack leaking where it attaches to the roof. Not enough sealant put in during production. This is a cheap, quick and easy fix for any shop that has done it. Just take off the rear part of the roof rack and insert sealant. 25...

Ford is a dealership model is based on $30k cars. Don't expect luxury dealer service for the higher end Ford's. You want luxury dealer service, buy an X5. They will treat you better, and you get a courtesy car under the regular warranty. Since I buy used with about 6 months left on bumper to...

I wipe down the whole Ex with UPGP. The paint, the glass, all the plastic trim (with a different microfiber applicator), the plastic chrome, the tail and headlights (sun can haze them up) and even the rubber trim around the windows. Only thing I am not sure it will work on is rubber, but I do it...

IMO, if you are going for a "permanent" coating, no need to apply for the first couple of years of owning - or put on if you buy a used car after it has been clayed and buffed back to the brand new look. As the above poster said, it is really just like another coat of clear. HOWEVER, many of...

Great points. I use Ultima Paint Guard Plus and while I am a clean/detail freak on my cars (it's an enjoyable hobby for me too) I also don't like to spend too much time. I will clay and lightly cut with an orbital buffer every 12-16 months, but only hand washes so swirls tend to stay away. One...

Depends. No need on a lease. If you buy used at 2.5 years like me and look to hold as long as possible and the car is outside a lot, you need to protect the paint if you don't want the clear peeling or paint fading when the vehicle is 8-10 years old. My Saab is 13 years old and the black paint...

My jet black Saab has been parked outside for over a decade. Black really shows swirls (and dirt) so I never go to a car wash unless it is a hand spray jet in the winter. I wash about every two weeks. Sometimes once a week. Two bucket method with a quality sheepskin mitt (that gets washed...

What I like about White Plat outside of looking cleaner when dirty than dark colors are two things. It's not a true white. It's metallic and looks cool. Silver metallic tint to it. Not like a fleet white. I think it shows the lines of the vehicle better. If you like the lines, they show...

Google is close to offline nav, though. Right now I can save a Google map of the entire Philly metro region (and any remote region I may choose) on my phone. If I have no signal, I can pull up the offline map and see where I am on the offline map by GPS and it shows you moving along the...

That is one downside, but it works when you lose signal if the route was set when you had signal. You are out of luck if you have no signal to begin with. Being in a major east coast corridor city, not a concern for me, but in the middle of Wyoming I can see the need for onboard nav.

As long as CarPlay also allows you to have your Google Nav from your phone work on the MFT, I see no need for Nav. The latest aftermarket Pioneers allow that. Nothing beats Google Nav, IMO. That's what I use now except I look at the map on the phone in a cradle next to the MFT and stream turn by...

I only put about 3.5k miles on my Ex last year as I have been able to use a relative's car as a daily driver. The oil life monitor in the Ex did not tell me to change until 11 months.

This sounds like a viable reason. I'd test drive a '16 XLT next to a '16 LTD to get a true comparison. Generally 18's give a softer ride over bumps than 20's with a higher sidewall, and 20's will provide for better cornering and skidpad grip with a lower sidewall and more width given the...

Let's face it. Lot's of reports on here of rattles and noises on the Ex. I get one I can't isolate when it gets below freezing. Long threads on other known issues with early model years of this generation. I had the hood paint bubble issue and third row roof rack leak. Body panels in and out are...

The air being let in/out by the moonroof is not needed for the ventilation system. Has its own intakes that suffice. Chicken and egg. Letting hot air out, cooler air in. Which comes first? I think it lets more air in than out and helps with air circulation where you generally want cooler...

The tilt does not rise much, but the point is to let air in, and if you move your hands up, down and around while driving, you will note is it calculating a fair amount of air. It's also pretty quiet when titled up, as opposed to cracking a window. So the interior stays pretty quiet. Good...

Yep. I get flashed all the time too in my 2011 with halogens. Have not motivated to look in to readjusting the headlights. I will note I get flashed by both sedans and higher up SUV's, so not sure what I even need to do to fix this. Aim them straight up?

Haha. That Toyota does not seem to concerned the way you are parked in. EDIT: I see it was answered on the second page as I posted form the first. I guess you had to climb out the passenger side. Oh, and I have white plat with the silver/gray grill. Have not gotten the impression anyone...

If that is true, I'm surprised they let it go one full year for low mileage driving. Some people are more comfortable with 6 month changes with a lot of short, stop and go trips that may total 3k miles a year. While I think we do have an oil change industry that is motivated financially for...

And why did gandpa and pa change their oil every 3k? First, oil was not the quality it is today, but also so gas stations and then quick oil change places could make more money. We didn't have mail out oil analysis companies 30 years ago (that I'm aware of) - and since then semi-synthetic oil...

Haha. I just got my Ex inspected today and watched the mechanic input the info in the state computer. State computer indicated the Ex was a station wagon, but he said it did that for all SUV's. I will say this, I got under the Ex when it was on the lift and there is a lot of surface rust. My...