Help on which to buy

[E.B. Cornburner]

cornburner speaks with wisdom. Listen to the elders....

Elders??!? I'm only 34!
I guess I should take that as a compliment.

 

[Charlie]

You are 3 years older than Exploderpilot though

 

[Donner]

ElderLY??

Board Elder is going to stick... You might as well add it to your Avatar or signature

 

[A-Mart]

I'm thinking custom user title...

Anyway, so I can order a 2004 interior and it will fit the 2005 if that's the car I choose?

 

[Donner]

Funny that they stop at 2004... You'd probably wanna call about that, seems like they'd fit...

 

[E.B. Cornburner]

Board Elder is going to stick... You might as well add it to your Avatar or signature

ROTFL...Done!:

 

[Donner]

That is hilarious! Exploderpilot knows what he hears... Keep the wisdom coming!

 

[shelbydog25]

I love my 04 XLT NBX. What is under the hood on each? Drive train? 30-60 k miles on a 250k mile truck means little. These trucks are solid, and few issues with the 04.

I chose between an 06 and an 04, and obviously chose the 04 because of the superior drive trian. The only issue with these newer trucks is the sealed transmissions, and both the ones you mentioned have it.

JP

I like the confidence ... just don't visit these web sites:

http://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Explorer/2004/transmission/transmission_slipping_shifts_hard.shtml

or

http://www.mycarstats.com/safetysta...els=EXPLORER&year=2004&ComponentTab=BULLETINS

 

[E.B. Cornburner]

Wow, good price! how'd you get such a low price? Do you know the dealer?

I paid $11,400 for my '04 Eddie Bauer last year. At the time, similar ones were retailing for $15,000-17,000.

I don't just know the dealer...I are the dealer!

Edit: Wait...I can't take all the credit. My boss might read this. We AM the dealers!

 

[EB04FFV]

Any warranty left on the 05? If yes go for that one and purchase an extended warranty for another 4 years bumper to bumper, that included all parts, for an extra $100 get zero deductible. That means if anything happens during the next for years you are covered. And it will not cost you - you prepaid. Cost: about $1500-1700.

 

[A-Mart]

I will probably be given the warranty, We're very close friends with the dealer.

 

[Sheriff]

The price on the 2004 sounds high. I just bought my daughter a 2004 4X4 Eddie Bauer Explorer with every option for $13,500.

Here's pictures of it. Just like new inside and out.

 

[A-Mart]

Thanks for the reply! I always appreciate hearing what other people payed for theirs.

 

[crash594]

If the upload works You will see the 05 I just picked up for 10500. 57000 4.0 leather I could not be happier


View attachment 46569

 

[A-Mart]

very nice. You know what the one thing I can't stand on explorers is (yours doesn't have it)? That \gray bumper. It just doesn't appeal to me. I do, however, think it looks good with a yellow paint job on the body. Very sporty.

 

[jpserra]

Check Consumer Reports

I like the confidence ... just don't visit these web sites:

http://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Explorer/2004/transmission/transmission_slipping_shifts_hard.shtml

or

http://www.mycarstats.com/safetysta...els=EXPLORER&year=2004&ComponentTab=BULLETINS

That is the bad news, but if you realize these are the worst of the problems, and what percentage they comprise among all the rest of the sold vehicles, then your odds are still good you'll buy a good one. Check them over carefully, look and listen. Check those issues against Consumer Reports and do a CarFax on them. Just be an aware buyer.

JP

 

[E.B. Cornburner]

Consumer Reports is all but useless. They're one of the most biased publications out there when it comes to automobiles. If it doesn't say Honda or Toyota on it, they'll throw it under the bus.

You can't tell me that they aren't getting "greased" by some companies to get a good review either...Look at oil filters for example. What one was rated #1? The one with the largest ad budget, but also the worst quality. Fram.
Same with car wax. They rated Turtle Wax #1 one year over products like Meguair's and Blue Coral! Regular green Turtle Wax is junk! But...Which comany advertises the most? You guessed it.

 

[shelbydog25]

wow, some of you all got some good buys. purchased my 04, 4.0, 4x4(AWD), Eddie Buaer in Feb., 33,500 miles. very clean for $17k (was stickered at $21,500).... and I thought I was getting a good deal......

I agree with Cornburner on the Consumer reports.... seems like they sometime contradict themselves. They rate the Explorer as a best buy/recommended, but their reliability ratings are less than average.. Honda, obviously is rated high in CR. My wife just purchased a 2008 Honda accord. nice car, after a few trips back and forth to the dealership, and several power steering parts later for a steering pulsating in reverse, they finally replaced the Rack n Pinion (which was on backorder)... hmmm.. maybe an indication of a R&P problem in the 08's? Cudo's to dealership on treatingt her right.... but I wonder if CR will downgrade Honda's rating? I doubt it.. It took CR several Cam failures and tailgate issues for them not to recommend the all new Tundra.....

JPSerra commented: "That is the bad news, but if you realize these are the worst of the problems, and what percentage they comprise among all the rest of the sold vehicles"...

right on! It would be great if Consumer reports showed the % of their respondents with negative complaints vs. the total volume of vehicles sold. Even if 1 out of 10 Explorers have the tranny problems, there about 400,000 Explorers out there....

 

[jrford]

Consumer Reports is all but useless.

Agreeed!! In the latest issue i noticed that for '04 Explorers they where rated below average while the Mounty was rated average. Same truck. Seems that they and their readers are a bunch 'Honda Huggers' and 'Toyota Lovers' hard to trust-em on anything.

 

[E.B. Cornburner]

Yeah, I remember back in the '99 Annual Auto Issue, they recommended the Dodge Caravan/Plymouth Voyager, but they said the reliabilty of the Grand Caravan/Grand Voyager is subpar. What??!? It's 18 inches of sheet metal that make a Grand Caravan grand! No difference in drivetrains whatsoever!
That was the beginning of the end of CR for me. I used to read it for a mix of education and entertainment, but I stopped buying it even for that reason once I read that.