2016 vs 2018 Explorer purchase

[Tucker Dunlavey]

Hey, new to this forum, just seeing if I could get a few additional opinions here before pulling the trigger on purchasing a used Explorer.

I'm currently looking at two rigs. One, is a 2016 Explorer Limited trim, 4 cyl-turbo, with the heated leather seats, premium audio, essentially all the bells/whistles you'd expect from a Limited. It has 49K miles and is selling for around 24,000 after taxes and title fees.

The second option is a 2018 Explorer XLT. It's pretty much a stock XLT, 6-cyl variant, with 33K miles and is selling for around 22,000 after taxes and fees.

They both look relatively the same (minus the fog lights - the 2018 has much slimmer and sleek fog lights), but the creature comforts are very different.

I guess I'm asking, what would you choose? Is a 2016 too old at this point to start a new 5-year loan without having to worry about rust/mechanical problems? Is it worth it to skip the fancy stuff and go for the newer XLT? Would the difference in engines make up the difference in cost (the 4-cyl turbo gets around 27 highway, the 6-cyl 22).

I honestly just can't decide, and I'm not familiar with the longevity of these cars, and if the additional 15K miles or two years makes a big difference in reliability.

Thanks!

 

[Michael Lopour]

Limited ecoboost:
Sync 2 (-)
4 cylinder turbo (+) - more fuel efficient, I believe it has external water pump
XLT:
Sync 3 (+) - although this might not be optioned to that level, which removes this as a plus
V6 (-) - same fuel efficiency as a Sport, same reliability issues with water pump, no extra power or MPG

I think you could potentially upgrade the Sync 2 in the 2016? You'd need to search the forum and see what's involved if you ever want to go that way. Based on the engines though I think the ecoboost should be better overall and that car is better optioned anyway, it sounds like. I'd base your choice on how long you plan to keep it vs. how important the options are to you.

 

[peterk9]

Welcome to the Forum Tucker.
I don't know where you got the mileage figures from. If those are published by the manufacturer then I wouldn't rely on them too much. Very few if any owners achieve published figures. I keep a log of mileage using Fuelly.com and of the 3 previous vehicles the 2011 Limited with the V6 has been better than the 2014 MKT and 2017 PLatinum, both 3.5L Ecoboosts. I don't have enough fillups on my current one yet.
As Michael pointed out, the 2016 will have the external water pump, if what I've read from others is correct and the 2018 would have the internal pump. Water pump failure leads to dead engine
Your Powertrain Warranty is 5 years, 60k miles. Factory warranty is 3 years, 36k miles so the 2018 would still have that left. It might be a good idea to seriously look at Ford's ESP Warranty. Here is another thread with some info; https://www.explorerforum.com/forum...issue-with-ventus-s1-noble-2-hankooks.457805/

Peter

 

[Tucker Dunlavey]

Thanks for the warm welcome, guys! This is all very helpful information, here's what I've gathered:

- Buying anything with the 2.3 Ecoboost 4-cyl might save me a lot of headache if the water pump ever fails. I read through the other post, that's awful! I DO plan to buy an extended warranty, but that will only cover me for 2 years, or to 90K miles.
- I checked: Sync 3 is not an available upgrade for the 2016 unless I tear out and replace the unit, which costs around $1500. Not something I'd probably be into. The 2016 DOES have the larger 8" touchscreen. What is the difference between Sync2/3? I can tell you sync is my LEAST favorite feature on my Fusion—no song descriptions over Bluetooth (which is super difficult to find in the first place). BUT, depending on the features I may not mind having Sync2

Again - I'm OK with buying a 2016. I just worried about undercarriage condition or frame decay. The vehicle is coming from out of state (we live in northern vermont, lots of salt on the roads in the winter) so it probably won't be an issue. I'm planning on driving this for at least 5 years (my loan term). I put between 12-15k miles/year on my fusion, which means I need something that will last until at least 150K miles, and I'm not familiar with Explorers and their longevity.

 

[Michael Lopour]

I should have been more specific; when you look at how much more power the V6 eco engines have, it's surprising how small the mileage penalty is, that's all I was saying. It's even more surprising to compare the 4cylinder ecoboost to the standard v6 in terms of fuel economy and power. Over the years I think the standard V6 has been squeezed between the other engines, which is why it is no longer offered and just something to strongly consider.

Ok then I'd be sure you're ok with Sync 2 for that long. I wasn't going to be which is why I limited myself to '17 and newer. I'm really not sure how Sync 2 would be worse than no Sync at all in the newer XLT however - unless you were going to look at replacing that with an aftermarket head unit, depending on cost/ambition.

 

[Tucker Dunlavey]

Thanks, Michael. I'm not super concerned with the added horsepower. At least, I'm not AS concerned as I am about a potentially flawed internal water pump. It looks like this even picked up national news coverage summer of last year, and there was a class action lawsuit filed. I can't seem to find what actually ended up happening (maybe it's still ongoing). But at the very least, it states that millions of explorers were affected by this.

I think I'll likely stick to the turbocharged i4 if its pump is external (like most cars!)

 

[Michael Lopour]

I agree that's reason alone to stay away from the V6, but you're also not paying a performance penalty so I don't see any downside there. Good luck!

 

[Tucker Dunlavey]

Thanks man! This has been really beneficial. And, I didn't think that the Sync2-3 would really matter all too much, but after doing a bit more research (thanks to your suggestions) I think I may be trying to find a new car altogether! Something with the i4 Turbo engine that also has Sync3, it looks like Sync2 was nearly as much a flop as Sync1 (which is what I have in my Fusion)

 

[Adrian Gitch]

I’d go with the limited. You’ll like the options and the 4cyl turbo would be a plus for me.

 

[jhu8]

I went with the 2.3 as well to avoid the water pump issues. I'd definitely recommend finding a 2017 an above. I hear sync 3 is much better than sync 2, plus sync 3 supports Android auto and carplay. But between the two you mentioned, I'd def go 2.3. I love my loaded limited 2.3. Thing really has just about any feature you'd need.

 

[DelcoGary]

I had a similar purchase in August and ended up with a 16 XLT with the 2.3L. I am not a fan of the naturally aspirated (non-ecoboost) 3.5L and felt that the 2.3L ecoboost makes enough power (and more torque than the 3.5L n/a). I do notice that it is a little down on power when in a highway passing situation. The n/a 3.5L may be a little better in that situation.

For reference, we also have an '18 Focus with the Sync 3. I find the Sync 2/MFT just fine. While I miss Android Auto, I actually like that Sync 2 shows the song and temp in the lower quadrants when the map is in full view and I don't think Sync 3 does that in full map view. It's the little things...

I picked it up with ~29k on it and am now at 35k. In that time the power steering (EPAS) went out but the dealer covered that (being a reputable used car dealer). It's been quite good on gas so far and overall I am pleased.

I'd be glad to answer any questions you may have on my experience with the 2.3L.

 

[chartquist]

You might want to check the leading edge of both hoods for the dreaded hood bubble corrosion too. Both the 2016 and the 2018 should be covered by the 5 year hood corrosion warranty, but it's a total pain to get it replaced (if your dealer will even agree to submit it to Ford).