New owner 2015 XLT

[mikepier]

Just picked up a new 2015 XLT. I love this car. Been driving around in my 99 XLT for 16 years ( original owner) and still intend on keeping it. A lot has changed since then.

Mine came with the 20" polished rims, and they make a huge difference in appearance, and they ride great too.

2015 XLT

1999 XLT

 

[Halwg]

If you are living in NY, you better get some dedicated winter tires and loose the 20" street tires.

 

[markymark0509]

Just picked up a new 2015 XLT. I love this car. Been driving around in my 99 XLT for 16 years ( original owner) and still intend on keeping it. A lot has changed since then.

Mine came with the 20" polished rims, and they make a huge difference in appearance, and they ride great too.

2015 XLT

1999 XLT

Good luck. Nice Ride.

 

[mikepier]

If you are living in NY, you better get some dedicated winter tires and loose the 20" street tires.

Part of the reason why I'm keeping my 99 XLT.

 

[Miami-Beach]

Congrats!! I like the color..Your 99 still looks brand new..I can see you maintain your vehicles to the highest standard.

 

[mikepier]

Congrats!! I like the color..Your 99 still looks brand new..I can see you maintain your vehicles to the highest standard.

Thank You. Yes, I do try to maintain my vehicles religiously, not just mechanically, but physically also. I work on my own cars and wash them myself.


My 99 has had a string of bad luck lately:
1)fuel injector went bad (open coil), replaced passenger side bank (for now.) Still have the other 3 new injectors for drivers side, I'll wait till weather gets nice.
2)Tranny went (complete overhaul, $2,000)
3)Master cylinder leaking( waiting for part from Rock Auto).

I just felt it was time to get something more reliable to get to/from work and as a daily driver.
Prior to buying the 2015 XLT, I also looked at the Pilot, Traverse, and Highlander. They are all different animals, but the Explorer won hands down in styling. The Pilot I felt was dated, and the Traverse, well, was not as appealing.
The Highlander was actually nice, but I did not care for the looks, and the 3rd seat was the worst of all of them.

 

[Rick369]

Thank You. Yes, I do try to maintain my vehicles religiously, not just mechanically, but physically also. I work on my own cars and wash them myself.


My 99 has had a string of bad luck lately:
1)fuel injector went bad (open coil), replaced passenger side bank (for now.) Still have the other 3 new injectors for drivers side, I'll wait till weather gets nice.
2)Tranny went (complete overhaul, $2,000)
3)Master cylinder leaking( waiting for part from Rock Auto).

I just felt it was time to get something more reliable to get to/from work and as a daily driver.
Prior to buying the 2015 XLT, I also looked at the Pilot, Traverse, and Highlander. They are all different animals, but the Explorer won hands down in styling. The Pilot I felt was dated, and the Traverse, well, was not as appealing.
The Highlander was actually nice, but I did not care for the looks, and the 3rd seat was the worst of all of them.

How many miles does the 99 have on it?

 

[mikepier]

147,300 miles

 

[Halwg]

I started driving Explorers in 1994. It's interesting how they have grown in size over the years. Those early Explorers were definitely compact. They slowly grew into mid-sized, and now with this version are pushing the lower end of full sized.

I happen to like the older Explorers, and they were truly 4WD. They started getting away from that when they went to the RSC and AdvanceTrac, which tried to take over the control of the vehicle. Now they are strictly AWD suited for light duty, mainly on-road operations.

It's sad what they did to our beloved Explorer!

 

[tmg19103]

I had my Jimmy for 16 years. Gotta appreciate holding on to a vehicle - and you can get away with this many years if you only put 10K a year on. Last 8 years my Jimmy was secondary so it only got 2-3K a year.

Now the nice thing is having a back-up/winter vehicle if you keep all-terrain tires on the old one while having a smooth driving newbie.

 

[tmg19103]

I started driving Explorers in 1994. It's interesting how they have grown in size over the years. Those early Explorers were definitely compact. They slowly grew into mid-sized, and now with this version are pushing the lower end of full sized.

I happen to like the older Explorers, and they were truly 4WD. They started getting away from that when they went to the RSC and AdvanceTrac, which tried to take over the control of the vehicle. Now they are strictly AWD suited for light duty, mainly on-road operations.

It's sad what they did to our beloved Explorer!

It's interesting to compare the two pics trend wise.

Note how much higher the '99 is off the ground, how much space in the wheel well, the smaller wheels and the higher sidewalls. Made much more for off-road.

Since most SUV owners don't go off-road, it's now about drive quality and appearance. Fill out those wheel wells, when in the true off-road vehicle you want a lot of space for when the suspension gives on bumps, ruts, etc.

Also interesting to note how much more glass there is all around on the smaller '99. Certainly more practical. Now it's about the looks. Pillars and small rear window make seeing in the back and rear sides tougher in the new vehicle, but you get a back-up camera and can get BLIS.

Two different animals. Nice to have two as they bring their own things to the table.

 

[amd2800barton]

I started driving Explorers in 1994. It's interesting how they have grown in size over the years. Those early Explorers were definitely compact. They slowly grew into mid-sized, and now with this version are pushing the lower end of full sized.

Congratulations on noticing the trend of the entire auto industry over the last 20 years.

 

[BlueLine14]

Congrats! Mine's almost identical. Is that magnetic grey? It looks a bit darker than the sterling gray.

I've also owned previous explorers and IMO this one is the best by far. 99% of my driving is on pavement and I came back to the explorer after driving a full size truck and needing something able to handle winter weather with better fuel economy and interior room.
If I needed something with better off road capability, I would have leaned towards the jeep grand Cherokee or 4 Runner.

Enjoy your new explorer!!

 

[mikepier]

Congrats! Mine's almost identical. Is that magnetic grey? It looks a bit darker than the sterling gray.

I've also owned previous explorers and IMO this one is the best by far. 99% of my driving is on pavement and I came back to the explorer after driving a full size truck and needing something able to handle winter weather with better fuel economy and interior room.
If I needed something with better off road capability, I would have leaned towards the jeep grand Cherokee or 4 Runner.

Enjoy your new explorer!!

Thanks, yes it's magnetic grey.

 

[BlueLine14]

Thanks, yes it's magnetic grey.

Very Sharp, Great choice!

 

[Rubberhead]

I started driving Explorers in 1994. It's interesting how they have grown in size over the years. Those early Explorers were definitely compact. They slowly grew into mid-sized, and now with this version are pushing the lower end of full sized.

I happen to like the older Explorers, and they were truly 4WD. They started getting away from that when they went to the RSC and AdvanceTrac, which tried to take over the control of the vehicle. Now they are strictly AWD suited for light duty, mainly on-road operations.

It's sad what they did to our beloved Explorer!

I am right with you. Got my first in 1995...then 2003...then 2007...and now a 2014. I must say, though, that after a major ice storm and having to drive in 2" of frozen sleet then on not more much than a sheet of ice, I am impressed with the surefootedness of current incarnation of the Explorer.

I can, and will shortly, get into all the downsides of the 5th generation compared to earlier Explorers but having driven it in some mud and now heavy winter weather, I do like the 4WD (AWD?) system as implemented in the Gen 5 Ex.

 

[mikepier]

Been about a month now, so far its been great, but I'm sure as others have stated, the Sirius sound quality is not great. I wonder why Ford did not make HD radio standard on the XLT, but yet put in Sirius.

The other gripe obviously is trying to keep this car clean. With all the snowcover in the Northeast, it's been a challenge.
I actually washed it last Sunday, and kept it in my driveway all day, and used my old truck . Then I went to work the next day, and of course all the melting snow on the roads got it dirty again.

 

[mikepier]

Another thing I noticed that's missing on the 2015 that my 1999 had:

Door lock button in rear cargo area. I thought this was very convenient every time I had to take something out of the rear hatch area, I would just hit lock and close the hatch.

Sometimes I go out to the new truck just to get something without the keyfob, I enter through the keypad, then open the rear tailgate and get my stuff out, So to lock, I need to go to the front door, and hit lock.

Just one of those things I noticed.

 

[Rubberhead]

Another thing I noticed that's missing on the 2015 that my 1999 had:

Door lock button in rear cargo area. I thought this was very convenient every time I had to take something out of the rear hatch area, I would just hit lock and close the hatch.

Sometimes I go out to the new truck just to get something without the keyfob, I enter through the keypad, then open the rear tailgate and get my stuff out, So to lock, I need to go to the front door, and hit lock.

Just one of those things I noticed.

I miss it too but it disappeared in the 4th Generation Explorer.

 

[jarettp]

Why don't you unlock the door, open the door, hit the tailgate button below the headlight knob, close and lock the door and not have to worry about going back to the front?