Time for a new car Chevy vs Ford Vs Toyota... soory too long ;-)

[rama1200]

Howdy ya'll... ok.. here is the deal, I currently own an 01 x sprt, and it's time for a change, I bought new new and saw the resale value go to the floor throughout the years... so since I decided not to a buy a new car (at least until I'm rich)... I am considering 3 options, all of them 2002 year models:

1. ford explorer 4D,
2. chevy trailblazer
3. toyota 4runner

Each of the truck has defenite pros and cons over the others... to helped me get even more confused, i have gone to a lot of site with cars reviews... it looks like all of them have user riviews that are negatives and positives, so I'm still not sure what should I get... so here I am asking ford king help to make up my mind (man... and to think that I complaint when my wife can't make up hers about what shoes to wear...)

I was wondering if you all have opinions as far a quality, mechanic relaibility, mpg, etc. when it come to one car or another...

chevy: I've read that chevy have great ride, suspension, engine (270 hp), but I also have read that it has a lot transmission and electrical problems problems, and that mpg is not that great (eventhough it advertises better milage than ford).

ford: i've read ford is the most "sophisticated" ride of the 3, 3rd row seat, all-wheel independent suspension and other goodies make it a nice choice (plus it really looks good and I have own explorers all my life); but also have read a lot of people complaint about explorers breaking down a lot... but there doesn't seem to be a specific point that is really a clear as the transmission problems on the chevy, for example.... Oh I also read that the transmissions enclosure is sealed from factory and will not need any servicing until about 150k mi... an big point to ford's favor.

toyota: I've read that defenitelylyly is the best quality among the 3, decent ride and prooven off-road ability... on the other hand, it looks like it has the worst gas milage out of the 3 (even when it has the smallest engine out of the 3), that dealerships are horroble, and I really dislike the facts that is (by far) not as wide as the other 2 and the engine is not as strong as the other 2...


... as you can see, I'm in a predicament... if you have any comments regarding either truck, good or bad, I'll greatly appreciate any input...

 

[LBarr2002]

if your main problem with the 4runner is power, get a V8 one. My girlfriend has one and they are very strong and its averaged 18 MPG over 60,000 miles, and the last year of that has been mostly in town stop and go. Also, it hasn't had any mechanical problems so far.

 

[briwayjones]

I don't think they had V8s in the 2002 4Runners?

Tough choice. Personally I like to go American and try to stay away from the foreign vehicles. I like the look of the Trail Blazers but don't like the cheap looking interior of Chevy's. I've had a lot of bad experience with Chevy. On the other hand it seems the quality of the 3rd gen explorers aren't as good as it was with the 1st and 2nd gens.

 

[LBarr2002]

not sure, i know '03 has a v8...

 

[rama1200]

toyota superchearger and other things

supercharger:
I think in one of the posts that I read, a guy purchased a TDR superchager for his 4runner for about $3k and that increased the HP to about 270HP... but I'm on a limited budget... that is why I'm looking a '02 instead of '04+ which are totally reliable just due to the fact that they are newer.

american vs nipon quality:
I've had 2 x sports my 1st one was a 94 with about 70k miles, rarely had a problem with it (or maybe don't recall) and my 2nd (current) with about 56k miles and never a problem with it... so foreign or domestic makes no difference to me... I'm kindda bigger guy so american comfort suits me better, but japaneesee resale value would be a nioce thing to have (if needed to sell)...

 

[huskyfan23]

Buy the X. Trailblazers are fugly and GM interior is trash. 4Runners are alright but I'd take an X over one of those.

 

[rama1200]

Buy the X. Trailblazers are fugly and GM interior is trash. 4Runners are alright but I'd take an X over one of those.

that's kindda what I'm thinking... I a big factor will be the test drive... but still will be second-guessing myself about the all the pros and cons

 

[Wht Knight]

mom owns an envoy and 2 friends have trailblazers ... the AC has broken several times on each. each has also had other problems.

 

[Cdaddy78]

I would for sure say to rule the Trailblazer out. Between the problems of others I know that have them and various other reasons, an Explorer is just plain better than a Trailblazer.

 

[SE3P]

Also I have read that the Ford's 2002 rear differentials are prone to making noises~failure. I think they made a switch in 2005 to fix that problem. I would not buy a 2002....it is the 1st year of production for the GEN IIIs.

 

[jrford]

Ford X. I can't comment on the TB, or Toy but having driven many vehicles here is my input or opinions based on my experience 20 years - I now own a '04 X, I have owned 2 Jeeps '95 XJ, '96 ZJ for over 10yrs, and a couple of imports before that. Note: There are exceptions in every car/truck company.

quality - in the past it has been a factor, not so anymore. All car have problems now not matter where built.

mechanic reliability - imports have a little edge but when they have a problem no one knows how to fix it and parts are expensive. (co-worker had a toy in the shop for 2 weeks, finally replaced the engine to fix it)

mpg - That's up to the Engine and drive train.

Parts - Imports cost more and parts are hard to find, domestic have lower cost and are everywhere.

Profits - stay in the country and provide jobs for many people. Even the imports that are made here, the high profit items come from Japan, as in the engines.

Since I work in Detroit, I will now always buy from Detroit. On a side note after owning a Ford I'd buy another over the Jeep.

 

[rama1200]

Thanks for all of your input... I'm thinking more ford now than before...

Also, I'm guessing that all the reported problems with any car, should not be more than isolated incidents (correct me if I'm wrong), otherwise all of the cars from a production line (out of thousands of cars) should report the same problem, and then a recall should be in order...

I guess is more luck than anything... I guess it is very subjective to say which truck is better then other, but it looks like the ford is the best compromise between all the others??

 

[Cdaddy78]

Well, as previously stated, Trailblazer=junk. So, between the X and the 4 Runner, I think both are nice. In my opinion, the 4 runner may have the edge in reliability, if only b/c there are a few bugs in the '02 X. (I willl say I have an '02, I bought in '02 that has 57 k and no problems besides things I've done to her myself.) If the 4 runner does have problems, it won't be cheap. (damn imports) Gas mileage is likely in favor of the X, depending on various engine sizes of course. With my 02 6 cylinder I get around 19/20 miles to the gallon. Most other things are personal preference. You can fit a lot of buddies in the X, not so much with the 4 runner. You can use the bed of the 4 runner to haul stuff, but not as much freedom with the X. (I personally think I can haul quite a bit in the back of mine, but its probably nicer when you can just toss a load of crap in the back of the bed) In any event I don't want to sound jaded since I already have an X myself, so just decide which features you prefer and go with it.

 

[TheFox88]

I don't know why everyone thinks that the imports cost more to fix and the parts are harder to find. That is just not the case anymore. Back in the '80s when they were still actually made in japan, that was the case, but anymore, most of Toyotas are built in the US and parts are easy to find. In fact, there are actually specific shops that do work only on "imports" that are fairly cheap. And afterall, how many of us really take our trucks to shops for repairs? By just buying the parts, (which aren't that expensive compared to domestic parts, they ARE built in the same places as the domestic parts most of the time), and fixing the truck yourself, you can save a buttload of money. We all know that.

As for Quality, we all know that Toyota has an exceptional name made for itself. While the other two have had somewhat spotted histories with quality, especially in recent years.

Here's what i came up with after a few minutes of research, (found most of it on MSN autos).

Toyota 4Runner 2002-
Average user rating- 8.5 out of 10
3.4L V6 183 HP 217 Lb-ft torque
MPG- 16 city -19 highway
Problems- MAF sensor failure causing check engine light to come on.

Chevrolet TrailBlazer 2002-
Average user rating- 8.1 out of 10
4.2L Inline 6 270 HP 275 Lb-ft torque
MPG 16 city - 22 Highway
Problems- Moderate transmission problems along with AC/Heater trouble.

Ford Explorer 2002-
Average user rating- 7.9 out of 10
4.0L V6 210 HP 254 Lb-ft torque
MPG 14 city - 20 highway
Problems- Engine sensors failing, Transmission and T-case problems, Brake problems

Now we all know that the MPG will vary with every car and driving habits, (look at Aldive for a good example). Also, the Toyota has the smallest engine, which means that it will be less powerful. But, as long as you aren't towing things always, then it will not be a problem. Comfort seems to be important to you. I cannot argue with a larger interior, because i prefer smaller.

The 2002 4Runner is the last year of the 3rd generation of 4Runners. This will have allowed for plenty of time for Toyota to work out the problems. The Trailblazer's first year was 2002, not really allowing much time to work out the bugs. The 2002 Explorer was the first year for an entirley new platform. About the only thing that stayed somewhat the same was the engine, ( and that didn't really stay the same). Would you rather buy something that has had time to improve, or something that was brand new when it came out?

My reccomedation- Go for a 2003 4Runner with the V8 in it. This will give you plenty of added power and close to the same MPG. It also got a ton more room in 2003. This is my opinion and no one else's. I am very partial to Toyotas and did not mean to offend anyone if i did. This is my $.02, (even if it was more like a dollar ).

The choice is yours, use it wisely.

 

[HappyGilmore]

Buy the X. Trailblazers are fugly and GM interior is trash. 4Runners are alright but I'd take an X over one of those.

i agree with husky. i also hear that GM has a lot of electrical issues.

Also I have read that the Ford's 2002 rear differentials are prone to making noises~failure. I think they made a switch in 2005 to fix that problem. I would not buy a 2002....it is the 1st year of production for the GEN IIIs.

on my dads '04 expidition the rear diff was makin some noise but a simple warrenty claim at the dealer fixed it. i dont know if the warrenty will still be in effect though on your '02. and his was also an expidition.

 

[rama1200]

the final note

Ok... it looks like it will be an 2004 xpl xls (not sure if it is sport... i think)... I'm getting it from enterprise... it looks to be cheaper than anything else, and (eventhough it is over 36k mi), they have some kind of extended service plan service/backed up by GM (I hope recent GM problems don't affect this) that will cover bumper2bumper and will allow me to roll trouble free for 48 more months... now they wll take my 01 xpl sprt w 56k mi in trade in a give me $8k for it (way more than book value and auction price).

the questions that I have is that I read that the explorer comes with a tire inflation sensor... is that for the xls sport too? (if anybody knows)

I got the dealer to allow me to keep my alloy wheels from my 01 sport in exchange from the steel wheels that come with the xplr xls... does anybody know if this will affect the tire pressure sensor (if in fact it does come with the xls sport trim)???

thanks

 

[410Fortune]

Step away from the trailblazer

ROI = Return on Investment

ROI = Toyota is your best bet.
I personally would get the Ford cuz Yota's are expensive, but I am not looking for god ROI, instead I look for something I can keep running forever with a cheaper purchase price

 

[jah81592]

I've had two Explorers and my current one is turboed and the other one was bone stock. To make a long story short if you look in the newspaper you'll see explorers with 150K-250K all day long. So I wouldn't say they break down alot. Never have been stranded with either of mine. The first one had 230k when I got rid of it and my '98 has 130K never had the first problem. If you need better dependability than that I don't know what to tell you. I have several other friends with explorers and all are approaching 200K and none have ever been broken down or left stranded. Keep in mind these people maintain thier vehicles. It doesn't matter what you own if you don't take care of it, it will not be dependable. It gets me how people think just because it says Toyota or Honda it is automatically superior. I work in the service field and I will tell you Honda and Toyota don't have service departments for nothing!

 

[rama1200]

I've had two Explorers and my current one is turboed and the other one was bone stock. To make a long story short if you look in the newspaper you'll see explorers with 150K-250K all day long. So I wouldn't say they break down alot. Never have been stranded with either of mine. The first one had 230k when I got rid of it and my '98 has 130K never had the first problem. If you need better dependability than that I don't know what to tell you. I have several other friends with explorers and all are approaching 200K and none have ever been broken down or left stranded. Keep in mind these people maintain thier vehicles. It doesn't matter what you own if you don't take care of it, it will not be dependable. It gets me how people think just because it says Toyota or Honda it is automatically superior. I work in the service field and I will tell you Honda and Toyota don't have service departments for nothing!

Thanks for info, James...
I decided for the explorer... this will be my 3rd one, and me too... don't have any complaints with either one of them... I'm kinda glad the deal with the dealership unfolded like it did, because I had to purchase the only thing they had (long story)... the bottom line is that I'm glad I purchased another explorer... I think I would not be happy if I had purchased anything else... plus I got an extended service plan, which is supposed to cover bumper2bumper...

now the problem that I have is trying to find performance parts for it is just a 4.0L 2004 xls... got some emailes back from K&N/EE saying that they don't have anything yet, but that they are working on it... I can't wait

 

[jah81592]

No prob! Hope you have good luck with your new purchase!