4door Explorer VS Explorer Sport??

[RangRayy]

i am hoping that this is the right place for this... I was curious as to which everyone prefers Explorer Sport or the 4 door Explorer. I personally have a 99 4 door and haven't had many complaints with it. My sister has a 2003 sport and I love driving it. The reason I ask is I am looking to at the start of the year selling my 4dr and getting a Sport. Just trying to get ya'lls opinions on which you like better. I do realize that it ultimately comes down to personal preference but I'd like to see what others think that have either owned both or one or the other.

with that said the plans a Sport if I get one is to lift it and make it an offroad machine along as a DD which with where I live there wont be much driving. Except to get to the offroad spots.

and begin....

 

[techieman33]

A sport would be better for off road with it's shorter wheelbase.

 

[RangRayy]

gregg said that they "crawl" better. plus they come stock with 4.10 gears or something like that dont they?

 

[techieman33]

A lot of them have 4.10's, but not all. When your shopping take a copy of the axle code chart with you so you can see what they have in them.

 

[Elessar65]

Mine has 4.10s and a LS. Also I think they have larger wheel wells, or I have heard that anyway. I don't know if its true or not. The only thing I don't like about mine is that with all the stuff I keep in the back (oil, coolant, compressor, toolbox, snatch strap, etc) I don't have much cargo room. Also with the shorter wheelbase it doesn't ride as nice as a 4dr. If you have ever driven a short wheelbase vehicle like a wrangler you know what I mean, lol.

 

[RangRayy]

i plan on finding one with the 4.10s and taking the chart to check

true not ment to haul much cargo. well if you want a four door trade ya my 99 lol...

 

[Elessar65]

nah, lol. I like mine too much to part with it, even with 172k on the odometer, haha. I'll let ya take it for a spin though sometime, if you're ever in the neighborhood. You just have to put up your first born child as collateral, haha.

 

[RangRayy]

bahahaha i think i can arrange that. but ya might have to wait 5-7 years for him/her to get here...

 

[bcburlette]

I have a sport, and I have driven my bros old 4door, the sport seems a lot better, I have better pickup(both v6) and better turning. but those could just be because mine is mine and I like it better lol, or because his was like 5 years older...

EDIT- oh and mine has 3.73s

 

[wrigley_1285]

the one complaint i have about my sport is passengers in the rear having to get in or out. or getting a kid out a car seat when you've got 5 inches of lift working against you and all the other **** you have slung over your arm is falling and the kid is jerking around alot, that's always fun. or the lesser amount of cargo space like mentioned before. somethings that i do like about it is the short wheel base, its got an amazing turning radius and it helps out while trail riding also. i don't know if you ever tow but the sport has a lower towing capacity. i would invest in a set of leave springs from a 4 door as well.

i bought my sport when i was 19 and now that i'm older i'm starting to wish that i had bought a 4 door for more practical reasons. just something to keep in mind of you plan on keeping it for a long time.

like others have said check for one with the 4.10s and LS

one thing i would suggest is taking plenty of time picking one out and getting one that already has EXACTLY everything that you want on it from the factory. there's tons of ex's out there so that shouldn't really be too big of a problem.

another great thing is that you can clear some major tires on a sport with out trimming, well atleast in the rear. when i test fitted a set of 35x12.50/15s on mine i had pleanty of room in the rear, even after flexing it.

 

[2000StreetRod]

V8 or V6?

If you're thinking about off road don't forget that you can't get a Sport with a V8. The V8 and associated transmission is heavier duty, more powerful and more reliable than the SOHC with 5R55E. That's why you see so many V8 conversions on the Sport.

The Sport ride is worse than the 4 door on all road surfaces. You'll soon tire of the two door arrangement if you have to use the back seat.

I like my Sport and picked it over a 4 door without any hesitation but as a third (soon to be second) vehicle. I'm retired with no children to ride around in the back seat on a regular basis. If I have something to transport that won't slip between the seat back and the door opening I've find it's easier to open the rear hatch to store it.

 

[Joe Dirt]

I concur with Dale- I've had (2) Sports and (2) 4 doors now. If you have nobody just about ever riding with you that needs the back seat, the Sport is ok. The ride is harsher, but they are a bit quicker (at least with the 4.10's I had) but I love the utility and space of the 4 door. If I bought another Ex, it would be a 4-door, even if they were still making a sport, but I'm an on-roader unless I'm hunting, so nothing major trail/mudding-wise...

 

[Elessar65]

I totally agree about the back seats. On mine since I have a power drivers seat it doesn't fold forward, so I have to put everything in the back or on the passenger floorboard. I would say if you are buying it mostly to modify and off road, then the sport is better with its short wheelbase and excellent turning radius. If you are going to be hauling people and groceries then get the four door.

 

[GCDMD]

I'm not sure of the difference in wheelbase (VERY easy information to find...I am just that lazy!!!) but I would say that if 4x4 is your thing and you don't want to have to do a ton of mods, then a 2 dr is your best bet. I love my 4 dr, and I love it even more now that I have a 5.0L. In fact, my wife is a little jealous of the relationship I have with my V8- we had to go to counseling. My shrink said that I have to stop hugging the engine bay before going to bed...now that's just bad medicine in my book.

Honestly- a 4dr is practical and, with a little modification, can be turned into a great 4 wheeler too. If I were to pick again, I'd pick a red/tan Eddie 5.0L 4dr, but that's me and personal preference really should dictate your decision. It sounds like you like the shorter wheelbase, the 4.10 acceleration (which is pretty sweet, my old 97 SOHC had 4.10s and that thing would really rock and roll), and the better 4x4 in stock form- I say go 2 dr!!!
Either way, I would dare to say you win!

 

[celly]

We chatted about this pros and cons in chat so you know my stand and my history with owning both. The Sport is 10" shorter if I recall. Makes for a pretty nimble handler, but less stable at speed. I think the other guys pretty much nailed the other pros/cons of both versions of the 2nd gen. Now it's up to what YOU want.

 

[Blazepet7]

I vote for a poll... i have driven my cousins sport and it is alot of fun to drive, but i do love the cargo area in my truck and also the fact of not having to pull the seat up when someone has to get in, i had a blazer xtreme (POS) before and i use the back seat too much to have another 2 door. Like you said you have no kids to worry about so screw it dude just go for it if you have compared them and love the sport more get it just be patient there are plenty to choose from. also a couple of people are saying the turning radius is shorter, gees i get great turning radius on my xlt twice as good as my girls maxima thats definitely a plus for the trails. good luck

 

[gmanpaint]

Approach & decent angles are where its at when Froading. The shorter wheel base with modified bumpers on a sport, are going to be the winner off road.

With the proper gearing, T-case and transmission set up, you don't need a ton of horse power to off road. The 4.0 will give you plenty of power. The street guys mentality of having tons of horsepower does not cross over to the off road crawling world. They just don't get it.

4.10's are nice for 31" but for 33" 4.56 is better, for 35" to 37" 4.88 works, etc...

Manual trans & manual T-case will out live the automatics off roading.
These are your power mods.

If your main reason for getting a sport is for Froading, then get one. If you need the room, and towing, don't.

 

[RangRayy]

i agree a poll might be in order...

i love my 4 door now but it has 3.55 gears and i haaaaate it! i do plan on looking for on with a 5sp and adding a BW1354 manual shift T-case to it.

I dont tow anything either if i do its a small trailer with a motorcycle on it or atv... nothing serious.

Keep the pros/cons coming i love the input from you guys/gals...

 

[celly]

Keep the pros/cons coming i love the input from you guys/gals...

I think you've heard them all. Gregg's reply above nails it. Polls are stupid. Make up your own mind. :

 

[FROADER]

It's personal preference like you said, but I like the wheelbase of the 4 door for off-roading. I've made plenty of obstacles with the 4 door that a sport couldn't, or wouldn't even try because of the shorter wheelbase. This also depends on what kind of obstacles there are where you wheel. The longer wheelbase is better out here...