Seeking advice PRE-Purchase: please read/help!

[Mr.Grumpy]

The "read" conts in the nOOb section are so small, but I'm not sure where else to aks these questions.

Any way, I am looking for a vehicle to augment my leased truck wich runs out of miles about 8 months before it runs out of time. I was looking at Cherokees, but dorve a couple of Explorers and I hoestly liked the explorers better! They are cheep and plentifull! For the vast majority of my use (all weather commuting and "normal" things) I'm sure that the Ford / Jeep thing is going to be a wash BUT I would really like to do some mild off-roading. There the Jeep / Ford gap widens....

IF I enjoy the sport I can modify a XJ/ZJ and advance some and still have a daily driver. What about the Explorer? How about stock? They don't look to have the same ground clearance as a stock XJ/ZJ does? ll of the ones that I was test driving were newere (98+). Are the older ones better on the trails? Are the components tough enough? I just read on the FAQ here that there are NO suspension lifts for the newer Explorers! What's that all about? There has to be two explorers on the road for every Jeep and there are no lift kits?

Please show me your stock trucks wheeling. Please tell me that the FAQ is outdated. Please tell me that the Explorer will handle mild-moderate off roading and that I can get a Wrangler if I like the dirt so much.

Thanks for all your help and stuff.

Ken

 

[IZwack]

Between the 2nd gens and the XJ, IMO I would get the XJ.

Even though the XJ does not have as much interior room, it has a lot more ground clearance compared to the 2nd gen X. Even though the XJ's wheel wells arent as large as the 2nd gen X's, a set of taller coils and a lift block in the back will fit 32" tires and wow, XJ's are HUGe with 32's.