Advice on upgrading our 2004 Eddie Bauer to a 2012-13 FWD XLT or Limited

[breddy]

Hey forum,

New user here. My wife's 2004 RWD 6cyl Explorer now has 133K on it and we're ready for a change. I'm doing the research on the new models and while I've searched the forum somewhat, it's hard to tease out some of the details that might be important. So, knowing that we're ready to pull the trigger on a 1-2 year old vehicle, what are some of the things we should know?

* Should we avoid the dreaded "first year" 2011? It's a bit older than I'd like at this point but if we found a good deal and the 11's are solid, I'd consider.

* Are there any material differences between 2011, 12 and 13 beyond minor option groups changes? Anything not obvious when perusing the dealership?

* I haven't driven the turbo 4 yet but the sales guys generally say they're pretty pokey. The specs put them faster than our existing 4.0L but 0-60 and quarter mile times don't tell the whole story. Are they reasonably peppy? Are y'all seeing good mileage around town?

Thanks and sorry to ask stuff I'm sure has been covered elsewhere; I haven't spent as much time yet as I'd want to researching these vehicles since we've made a fairly recent decision to upgrade.

 

[peterk9]

Hey forum,

New user here. My wife's 2004 RWD 6cyl Explorer now has 133K on it and we're ready for a change. I'm doing the research on the new models and while I've searched the forum somewhat, it's hard to tease out some of the details that might be important. So, knowing that we're ready to pull the trigger on a 1-2 year old vehicle, what are some of the things we should know?

* Should we avoid the dreaded "first year" 2011? It's a bit older than I'd like at this point but if we found a good deal and the 11's are solid, I'd consider.

* Are there any material differences between 2011, 12 and 13 beyond minor option groups changes? Anything not obvious when perusing the dealership?

* I haven't driven the turbo 4 yet but the sales guys generally say they're pretty pokey. The specs put them faster than our existing 4.0L but 0-60 and quarter mile times don't tell the whole story. Are they reasonably peppy? Are y'all seeing good mileage around town?

Thanks and sorry to ask stuff I'm sure has been covered elsewhere; I haven't spent as much time yet as I'd want to researching these vehicles since we've made a fairly recent decision to upgrade.

Welcome to the Forum breddy.:wavey:

I have a 2011 Limited and it has been an excellent vehicle for me. There are many others here that share the same opinion. I can guarantee that you will get a few very negative responses as there are a few that have had several issues with theirs.

I believe the heated steering wheel and lane departure warning features were introduced with the 2013 model year in some of the packages.

As for the 4L turbo, I suggest that you take one for a test drive to see for yourself if it is suitable for you. There are quite a few posts by members saying that a V6 would be better. As far as 0-60 speed goes, I can't answer that. It isn't one of my concerns when buying an SUV. If power is what you want, buy the 13 or 14 model year Sport.

No matter which model you get, I'd advise you to check the wheel well where the spare is kept for any signs of water or moisture residue. There are quite a few reports of water leaking from the roof and that is usually where it shows. Also check the 3rd row seat belts near the roof for the same signs.

Happy hunting.

Peter

 

[breddy]

* How do you feel about a CPO '13 that was acquired from a Rental/lease agency? It's a Limited and the price is pretty good...

 

[breddy]

Thanks, Peter - great advice! I'll keep an eye on the spare tire well as a symptom of leaks.

 

[peterk9]

* How do you feel about a CPO '13 that was acquired from a Rental/lease agency? It's a Limited and the price is pretty good...

Some good deals can be had on these vehicles IF they were looked after. I would suggest that no matter which model you buy that you ask the dealership to supply you with a list of any recalls and/or TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) were done on the vehicle. Another item to keep in mind is the possible purchase of a genuine Ford ESP (Extended Service Plan). These Explorers have many electronic features in them and even though a '13 would be the 3rd year of production, I don't think all the 'bugs' have been totally eliminated.

Peter

 

[breddy]

Some good deals can be had on these vehicles IF they were looked after. I would suggest that no matter which model you buy that you ask the dealership to supply you with a list of any recalls and/or TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) were done on the vehicle. Another item to keep in mind is the possible purchase of a genuine Ford ESP (Extended Service Plan). These Explorers have many electronic features in them and even though a '13 would be the 3rd year of production, I don't think all the 'bugs' have been totally eliminated.

Indeed - will follow up on TSBs. The additional warranty cost is pretty minimal and we're definitely going to do that esp since the factory bumper-to-bumper is only 3/36K. Between the CPO 7/100 and the extra 2 years bumper to bumper, it's a pretty good value. Definitely agree on the electronics!

Can you confirm that the back-up camera is always bundled with MyFord Touch?

 

[peterk9]

Indeed - will follow up on TSBs. The additional warranty cost is pretty minimal and we're definitely going to do that esp since the factory bumper-to-bumper is only 3/36K. Between the CPO 7/100 and the extra 2 years bumper to bumper, it's a pretty good value. Definitely agree on the electronics!

Can you confirm that the back-up camera is always bundled with MyFord Touch?

I believe the camera is only standard equipment on the Limited. It is optional on the XLT. Not 100% sure if it is part of MFT, but I would think so.

Peter

 

[roamingphantom]

When i think of orlando i think of families vacationing and not too much wear and tear on a vehicle outside of the normal. There are mainly highway driving - most folks that live in ORL dont rent, and folks coming to ORL are families more or less with kids.

Perhaps you can inquire or somehow try to determine where the car was driven. IMO if mainly in ORL then probably gently driven and not a bad option.

Just dont get the 2012 silver XLT, with the gouge in the passenger door panel. Thats the one i thought was a space shuttle and had my first Gen 5 experience with.

 

[baddceo]

I just picked up an 2011 AWD Limited with Captains Rows and only 24K miles with all the goodies but Bliss and Adaptive Cruise which I hear is pretty nice feature if you are on the highway a lot.

Not many people think about the second row but the bench seat does not slide back like the captains so your passengers are a little more cramped. If you have younger kids or grand kids the pass through to the third row is nice.

If you are getting the third row, the power option is a must otherwise they are a pain to move around. Power liftgate, you will miss it if you don't get it, trust me. As competitive as the resales are I would go for the gold on options because the mark up is generally not that much for most of the power features.

There are thousands of these cars out there and a pretty big swing between FWD and 4WD. Don't know what your budget is or your mileage requirement but look around and don't trust the car sales sites like Auto Trader and Cars.com to get it right you really need to look at the pictures they provide to see if the option you are looking for are on there. So many that I called about either listed one thing and didn't have it or another and did..

Good Luck.

 

[tinner]

Starting in'13 the 2nd row passenger side of the 60/40 bench seat does slide back and forth about 8 inches, also added on is on the switch pack on the powerfold seats they are back lit now as well as the dual moon roof overhead switches.

Probably one of the biggest safety differences are the brakes, as of Dec. of '12 the front and rear calipers and rotors were increased in size to that of the police interceptors which are the biggest the Explorers have now over previous years. Much better stopping distance.

Also on the LTD is the heated steering wheel, but in Florida you won't be needing that too much. Depending on what option you get the front seats are heated and cooled and in the Midwest I use both of those.

Good luck and happy motoring

 

[breddy]

Purchasing today!

Thanks for all the advice, folks. Really great stuff. We're going to pull the trigger on a '13 Limited with Nav, Grey on Charcoal. Miles are a bit high but the price is right and they gave us good money for our trade. No TSBs outstanding and it was built before Dec '12 so I don't think we'll have the upgraded brake package (book). Will keep an eye on wear. No moisture in the wheel well.

We definitely did not want (and are not getting) the rear buckets. Our Bauer has that and it's annoying not to be able to shuttle kids around 3-abreast. Not gonna make that mistake again.

We won't have the power rear seats but I will say those are freakin COOL. Wish we could have swung it. Alas...off to the MFT forums to see what kind of wizardry I can do with the infotainment system!

 

[peterk9]

Thanks for all the advice, folks. Really great stuff. We're going to pull the trigger on a '13 Limited with Nav, Grey on Charcoal. Miles are a bit high but the price is right and they gave us good money for our trade. No TSBs outstanding and it was built before Dec '12 so I don't think we'll have the upgraded brake package (book). Will keep an eye on wear. No moisture in the wheel well.

We definitely did not want (and are not getting) the rear buckets. Our Bauer has that and it's annoying not to be able to shuttle kids around 3-abreast. Not gonna make that mistake again.

We won't have the power rear seats but I will say those are freakin COOL. Wish we could have swung it. Alas...off to the MFT forums to see what kind of wizardry I can do with the infotainment system!

If you haven't already, register your vehicle here;

http://support.ford.com/media/syncmyride/intercept.html

Peter

 

[pingbling23]

congrats on the new ex, enjoy!!!!!

 

[breddy]

congrats on the new ex, enjoy!!!!!

Thanks. It's sweet! Removing dealer-installed Armor-All and sticker

 

[FordIVTteam]

...Alas...off to the MFT forums to see what kind of wizardry I can do with the infotainment system!

Congratulations on your new Explorer, Breddy! If you have any MyFord Touch or navigation questions, don't hesitate to contact me. Like Peter mentioned, be sure to register on www.Support.Ford.com. That is where you'll be able to get helpful tips and tricks, software updates for MFT, access to SYNC Services, and more.

Rebecca

 

[breddy]

Congratulations on your new Explorer, Breddy! If you have any MyFord Touch or navigation questions, don't hesitate to contact me. Like Peter mentioned, be sure to register on www.Support.Ford.com. That is where you'll be able to get helpful tips and tricks, software updates for MFT, access to SYNC Services, and more.

Rebecca

Hey thanks, I appreciate it. We're just learning the system now and if we stumble on anything we'll post over on the IVT forum. There have been a few possible quirks but I haven't yet updated to 3.6.2. Probably do that today. The most obvious thing is that the interface is sluggish. Faster hardware would be very welcome. Compare the responsiveness of the IOS simulator to the actual thing

 

[FordIVTteam]

You're welcome!

Rebecca