Good Day from Cape Cod

[grizz T]

greetings and thank you for letting me in. I'll try to be responsive though i wont remember to check.
sold my vehicles just prior to the current market and dealer insanity.
been looking for a single vehicle to be happy with. i was driving a king ranch dually diesel crew cab as well as a prius V to get to the base i was at before a bad sugary.

really dont want to be without a pickup. kick myself for letting mine go. can't justify the prices i see for well equipped.
wife already has a small suv - Compass. to me further reinforces a truck. i had always been Ford but do like the Ram trucks. also have admired a few options other SUV options as well as the ridgeline.

Explorer had not been in my radar. i drove one for work when the newer ones came out @2011? but they just didnt seem capable. i.e. no ground clearance , no low range, i didn;t think any locking diff;s either.

that said few days ago i came across and drove a platinum 2020 explorer and it was an OK ride. not as smooth as some but no complaint. it had all the features i'd wanted. it did have a new to me engine. a 3.0 ecoboost. I know nothing of it or its longevity, reliability. I was just getting used to the 5.0 we had in everything and we had actually the 6.0 diesel in our excursion and my king ranch. t

The vehicle just didnt sound right when i'd step into it a bit but i learned later they are piping in engine noise. that could be what seems wrong to me. not sure. as with most new vehicles I despise that i cannot monitor transmission levels

can these be improved for capability without great expense or without ruining all the safety monitors. i'm curious

skid plates, front Tow hooks (i find no reference to adding these), my spine won;t let me run as i did with my CJ5 but my mind needs to feel i can if need be.

so i am arguing about 500- 1k with the dealer. i am thinking i could be happy driving it just that it isn't a truck and doesn't have the low range etc. again knowing nothing about the engine / drivetrain on the new series makes me reticent. i actually like the lines of the explorer . not that same feeling i get when i see a wrangler or gladiator but nice in a different way. today most things look alike to me. similar items seem to be the grand Cherokee L and the ascent touring,

i have allot of reading to do. i have been searching for days and not found much to be honest. i realize opinions may be biased but thats fine and I welcome them.. hopefully minus the sniping that anonymity often brings.

thanks again. i look forward to learning.

so anyway - i found your group. i am trying to research as quickly as possible.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum!

 

[grizz T]

Thank you. Happy to see it is an active community.

I noticed when trying this 2020 that there is no way to fit a current size phone in the wireless charge holder. I only have a note 9 too which is not the largest.

That depressed me a bit. I'm still hunting for an accepted means to install front tow hooks as well. By the time I figure it all out someone will have purchased the unit.

Thank you for the welcome.

 

[CJYoung]

WElcome to the Group. Unfortunately, the opts you are looking for have moved away from Explorer, and Over to the Smaller Bronco. The closest to your taste may be finding a decent 15-18 Police Interceptor Package

 

[Mike65]

Welcome.

 

[grizz T]

Unfortunately, the opts you are looking for have moved away from Explorer, and Over to the Smaller Bronco.

I find the safety and luxury type features in them nut not the drivetrain features. Ground clearance, locking differentials etc. I don't see them in the baby bronco though either merely modes and effects through brakes.
Full size bronco seems to have the features.

Even though prices have dropping , the dealers in the area seem to place confiscatory mark ups