New ex vs highlander

[VRG]

We need help ASAP. We are getting ready to buy a new vehicle this weekend. We have narrowed the choices down to an Explorer or a Highlander. We like the Ex Limited over the over the Highlander Limited in every way except I am concerned about the reliability of the Ex over the Highlander in reference to Maintenance Issues. I am not sure what issues are on either vehicle, except it seems everyone is telling me the highlander is the way to go on this.Explaining this to my wife she says that's why you buy the extended warranty. Can someone give some input on this? We will have to wait on the Ex because of the color, but can purchase a Highlander now. Thanks

 

[new to ford]

We need help ASAP. We are getting ready to buy a new vehicle this weekend. We have narrowed the choices down to an Explorer or a Highlander. We like the Ex Limited over the over the Highlander Limited in every way except I am concerned about the reliability of the Ex over the Highlander in reference to Maintenance Issues. I am not sure what issues are on either vehicle, except it seems everyone is telling me the highlander is the way to go on this.Explaining this to my wife she says that's why you buy the extended warranty. Can someone give some input on this? We will have to wait on the Ex because of the color, but can purchase a Highlander now. Thanks

Test drive them both and you and your wife decide.
I vote for the ex, no doubt, but I think that is the answer you can expect around here!

 

[MikeFreas]

If you put any stock in CR rattings the 2011 Explorer scored a 65 with the Highlander scoring best with a 81.

Being the vehicle is so new it's hard to get real owner costs data but CR lists the Explorer the worst in that catagory.

Just because CR ratted it poorly doesn't mean it's a bad vehicle and I'm told the ride is much better than the Highlander. I would drive them both and decide.

 

[JohnnyDop]

If you put any stock in CR rattings the 2011 Explorer scored a 65 with the Highlander scoring best with a 81.

Being the vehicle is so new it's hard to get real owner costs data but CR lists the Explorer the worst in that catagory.

Just because CR ratted it poorly doesn't mean it's a bad vehicle and I'm told the ride is much better than the Highlander. I would drive them both and decide.

A few years back, before the Ex was redesigned, i was leaning towards the Highlander. Upon seeing the redesign i was immediately drawn to the Ex. My wife and I both went to the see the Ex and the Highlander and my wife initially liked the Highlander more than the Ex but then changed her mind when she got a better look at the Ex. She thinks, as I do, that the Ex's interior is much more refined looking and the technology (with some hiccups) is much more advanced.

My two brothers (mercedes and bmw owners) were both extremely impressed with the interior design and techonology.

As with every redesign there are always some hiccups that will occur but thats the trade off you make for having the newest features.

 

[jrmexplorer]

The highlander is nice, but I just feel that its a boring vehicle, both inside and outside - nothing to get excited about.

 

[peterk9]

We need help ASAP. We are getting ready to buy a new vehicle this weekend. We have narrowed the choices down to an Explorer or a Highlander. We like the Ex Limited over the over the Highlander Limited in every way except I am concerned about the reliability of the Ex over the Highlander in reference to Maintenance Issues. I am not sure what issues are on either vehicle, except it seems everyone is telling me the highlander is the way to go on this.Explaining this to my wife she says that's why you buy the extended warranty. Can someone give some input on this? We will have to wait on the Ex because of the color, but can purchase a Highlander now. Thanks

I have had 3 Highlander Limiteds ('02, '06, 09). The '09, as all the others, was on a 48 month lease. When I saw the news about the 2011 Explorer no longer being on a truck frame and saw a picture of the interior, I became very interested in it. A friend at work who had previously bought my '06 Highlander upon the lease return, mentioned that he would take my '09 off my hands. So that is what I ended up doing. I transferred the vehicle to him with 30 months left on the lease. I an now leasing the Explorer Limited for 48 months and thinking of possible buying it out after that. I had no problems with the Highlanders but for some reason while Toyota builds very reliable vehicles, they always seem to lag behind in the latest 'nice to have' things. By the way, I took out extended warranties on all the vehicles. As it turned out, they were not needed. But like an insurance policy, it gives you peace of mind, because you never know!

Peter

 

[stripesace]

My wife drives a toyota product (not a highlander) and of course I drive the ex. While at the dealership she sat in a Fusion which was on the short list of cars before the Camry, and she almost had buyers remorse almost a year later! The quality of the Ford interior is pretty superior to the Toyota in almost every way.

 

[RandyH2]

I haven't driven the Highlander and driving experience is important to me. So is driver experience- and that is something Ford has really missed with MFT. Also, I don't especially like the seats in the Explorer- I always feel like I am sitting a little crooked in them.

Here are my thoughts: (Highlander Limited, V6 AWD vs Ex LTD AWD)
1) Towing capacity advantage goes to the Highlander. Both rated at 5000 lbs but TH is 400 pounds lighter so you realistically get all 5000#.
2) Dash design goes to the Highlander- real buttons and knobs, thank you.
3) Interior style- I prefer the Ex, personal preference
4) Gas mileage: Almost certainly the Highlander. Though it is rated 17/22, I bet it actually hits those numbers. My Ex is rated 17/23 and I average 18.7 with mostly highway driving. Edmunds is testing the 2012 Ecoboost (20/28 mpg) and they averaged 19.1 over the first 1100 miles. The Ex is aerodynamically "challenged", so the higher the speed the worse it is going to do relative to the Highlander.
5) Long term reliability- tough call. I have some concerns about the still unresolved vibration in my Ex. The A-Pillar rattle sounds like it could return someday and be out of warranty when it does.
6) MFT update may or may not be a retrofit option. Current Nav is not a favorite.

 

[VRG]

After reading these comments we are going with the Ford Ex. We went to the dealers this morning and drove both vehicles. We liked driving the Ex better. We really like the interior. My wife likes the Tech things on the Ex and I like the idea that I still have manual operation on most of the things I will Use-(Until I can learn the MFT functions.) I also like the fact that the Ex comes with a trailer hitch already installed. We are buying the Ex Limited, 301A package, Tow Package, Ginger Ale Metallic exterior, and the Medium Lt Stone Interior.
Thanks to PeterK9 for the picture of the two together. This really convinced me.
I like the wider track of the Ex and the longer wheelbase. May be the reason the ride felt smoother and quieter.
Thanks to everyone for responding to my questions.

 

[ExplorerTed]

A little late, but we have a 11 Explorer and a 08 Tundra. We also looked at the Highlander but found it very boring and blah. We wanted some style.

The interior pieces on the Tundra are really cheap. Especially the dash and interior of the doors. The paint is also very thin. If you rub against the truck you get a scratch. The EX has a much high quality interior and paint. I did have the head unit on my stock Tundra replaced because it stopped working just under the 3 year warranty. I cannot comment on reliability of the EX, we only have 4500 miles.

I am also replacing the stock tires at only 32k within the next couple of months on the Tundra. The guys at the dealer's service desk were surprised I made it this long, most people did it around 25k. They said the stock tires were really cheap. This is a major expense for a truck that is only 3 years old and doesn't have many miles.

I do like the Tundra and plan to keep it for a very long time, but the items above will make me think twice about purchasing another Toyota.

 

[2011EX]

Toyota's are the most boring cars on the road period. They are designed for people that have preference and just want to get from place to place and never worry about servicing them. Sorry to anyone that owns one.

 

[alexk]

After reading these comments we are going with the Ford Ex. We went to the dealers this morning and drove both vehicles. We liked driving the Ex better. We really like the interior. My wife likes the Tech things on the Ex and I like the idea that I still have manual operation on most of the things I will Use-(Until I can learn the MFT functions.) I also like the fact that the Ex comes with a trailer hitch already installed. We are buying the Ex Limited, 301A package, Tow Package, Ginger Ale Metallic exterior, and the Medium Lt Stone Interior.
Thanks to PeterK9 for the picture of the two together. This really convinced me.
I like the wider track of the Ex and the longer wheelbase. May be the reason the ride felt smoother and quieter.
Thanks to everyone for responding to my questions.

I think its a great choice you made. I had a customer come in today who hasnt had an american car since 1982 look at an explorer. His wife has a highlander now and he couldnt believe how much better it is than the highlander. He is bringing her back to see if she will trade her highlander hybrid in on one in addition to his camry.


Just curious, have you seen the Ginger Ale color in person? Because online it looks VERY different than in person.

 

[jrichracing]

I too was looking at the Highlander.
The EX is much nicer looking inside and out. Drives nicer as well.

The Jury is still out on the Quality though. Ford needs to get their Sh_t together and fix the issues with the A-Pillar rattle and MFT.

I love my 2012 XLT, but at 1100 miles and counting, it is going in the shop for the 3rd time.

First issue: USB ports stopped working.
Second: A-Pillar rattle/Windshield noise
Third: Check Engine Light/ O2 sensor failed. Really! at 1100 fricken miles!

 

[new to ford]

Third: Check Engine Light/ O2 sensor failed. Really! at 1100 fricken miles!

It not uncommon with all OEMs to have electric/electronic systems/components fail at a higher rate at the very beginning of their life. Statistically, this is called "bath tub" failure rate or something to that effect: early on, failures occur at a higher rate, then the go down and later on, the failure rate starts to creep up towards the end of life.

 

[chucksc]

It not uncommon with all OEMs to have electric/electronic systems/components fail at a higher rate at the very beginning of their life. Statistically, this is called "bath tub" failure rate or something to that effect: early on, failures occur at a higher rate, then the go down and later on, the failure rate starts to creep up towards the end of life.

Actually I think it's called "infant mortality"....

 

[astrorex]

These were also my two choices when getting a new vehicle.

Things I like in highlander:
- Its a standard vehicle, none of the 'techy' stuff like explorer. So, yes, you do miss some of the voice commands, but hey, it works ALL the time.
- Feels like a little smaller when you drive
- Had lots of thoughtful features, like kid-view mirrors, lights. A variety of small helpful updates.
- Known to be reliable, not a new car like Explorer, so hopefully less problems.

Things we like about Explorer:
- New design, new look.
- Interiors are a class different from highlander.
- Yes, MFT has its problems, but no other vehicle (in this class) has anything like MFT.
- The back and third row seats are little bigger in EX.
- Explorer has lots of hi-tech stuff in it. I don't know whether this is good or bad for you. Things like all of the instruement cluster, dimming lights, rear air control etc.

Things that are same:
- Both give comparable mileage (My friend has a highlander, both mine and his is AWD, and we both get 18 - 20)
- Both are huge on the road, none is necessorily small.

 

[deerfarm]

I considered a Toyota Venza. It felt more like the EX than the Highlander to me. It does not have near the features of the EX. Two that were important to me were memory seats and automatic wipers. At the time I looked, it didn't have BLIS or the EX's cruise control either.

 

[peterk9]

I considered a Toyota Venza. It felt more like the EX than the Highlander to me. It does not have near the features of the EX. Two that were important to me were memory seats and automatic wipers. At the time I looked, it didn't have BLIS or the EX's cruise control either.

deerfarm, your observation does not surprise me. I drove 3 Highlanders over a 10 year period and was very happy with them. When I switched to the Explorer from my '09 Highlander, I mentioned to my Toyota salesman that while Toyota makes a good reliable product, they always seem to lag behind in offering some of the latest technology and 'nice to have' features.