I agree. I went looking to replace my 2002 Explorer XLT for something newer and my first thought was to look at the 5th gens. After doing some digging I realized they have mostly been relegated to being pavement queens for the most part. Plus, towing capacity is less and the option for a V8 is gone. The deal breaker for me was learning about the water pump problem with the 3.5L V6 in that a simple water pump failure can easily lead to a $6k+ engine replacement. Then finding that a preventative replacement of the water pump has a $1,400-$1,600 price tag. This would be even more because I would replace the guides and chains at a minimum with this type of repair. Then there is the carbon buildup on the ones with turbo engines.
After stewing on this for a few months I concluded that a decent 2010 model with a V8 was the right choice. It took another few months to find one that ticked all my boxes which turned out to be a fully optioned Mountaineer. I have had it for about three weeks and did the usual fluid changes to the transmission, transfer case, differentials, coolant and oil. It needed a radiator and tires which I used to beat the price down. The Carfax report for it showed two owners who both lived just outside of Washington, DC where there is little salting of the roads. It also had a decent maintenance history with no accidents, salvage title etc. reported. Plus, it was immaculate inside and showed hardly any wear to the seating surfaces and other interior parts. My guess is it was driven by women. The outside was very good too. Overall, I am very happy that I went this route. It will likely serve me for many years to come since I only put about 7k-8k miles a year on my last Explorer. Also, I saved myself a major wad of cash by going with a 4th gen over a 5th gen.
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