V6 or V8 for 06 Eddie Bauer

[13Riggs]

Hello everyone.
I am new to the board and new to Explorers.
I had a f-150 crew cab but was recently in an accident were I was rear ended and my truck was totalled.
With a new addition to the family on the way figured it was time to get something a little more family friendly.
Its going to be a second vehicle for making Home Depot runs and 1000+ mile round trip to see family a couple of times a year. So mpg is something to think about.
After reading consumer reports and the board I want to get and 06+. I have found two 06 Eddie Bauer locally.
Option One:
06 v6 4.0 Eddie Bauer, Mineral Gray, 27,842, leather, 3rd row, class II, $14.5K
Option Two:
06 v8 4.6 Eddie Bauer, Mineral Gray, 29,778, leather, 3rd row, sunroof, class III $15K
Both look like great deal to me. I am leaning towards the V8. After reading the board it looks like mpg for a v6 and v8 are about the same. Are there any major drive train differences or issues with either. Anything I should specifically check out when I go to test drive?
Thanks again and sorry for the long first post.

 

[08 Mountaineer]

mileage is similar cause of the 6spd tranny. i would go for the v8

 

[uh60james]

The V8 is known to have some tranny issues and the earlier V6s are know to have radiator issues.

 

[Essex4x4]

I just drove home from valencia which for me is a 110 mile round trip, and i averaged 27.5 - 28 mpg
Of course i was going really slow, 55mph the whole way. I wanted to see how high i could get my mileage to go.

I have never had problems with a lack of power, ever. I don't tow a trailer, but if i did i don't see any issues with towing. It has more than enough power and the 0-60 is really good. Now i am comparing this to my previous vehical which was a 1999 4cyl accord...... I Love it though. I just felt like if i got a V8 i would get it too much trouble.

 

[IAmTodd]

My dad recently got 22MPGs on a trip with their '07 V8 EB. The more miles(and transmission updates) it gets, they better its been doing.

 

[Rob_EddieB]

V-8 all the way. It's not a light vehicle HP(and torque) to weight ratio I feel comes into play with this car. I just got over 27 mpg on a leg of a long trip with cruise set at 65. I have a 2007 Eddie Bauer 4.6 V-8. Any car will have problems if you don't treat it right or they made an error at the factory. The tranny thing people have been mentioning I haven't experienced yet but....

 

[13Riggs]

Thanks everyone for the info.
Unfortunately the 2 I was looking at were both sold by the time I got to the dealer and then they tried to bump a 06 v6 that did not have a sticker up 2k. So I will not be going back to that dealer.
I know this if the 06+ side but what does everyone think of the 05 EB V8. I found one closer I am going to go check out. Any major issues?
Thanks again.

 

[IAmTodd]

I much prefer the interiors of the '02-'05s. They may not have all of the toys, but the quality of the materials is much better. The 4.6 actually feels like it has more guts in the '02-'05s despite 50hp less and down a cog.

 

[cwescapexlt4x4]

The newer V8 is the way to go!

I get 16 - 22 MPG depending on where .. what .. how you are driving.

(I have 46k on mine...)

 

[devlinz34]

I looked for over a year before finding my '07 Eddie Bauer. I would stick with an '06 or newer because of the newer v8 and quieter. They also have more options if you are into that sort of thing. As for the mileage between the v6 and v8, they are rated pretty darn close but it is all a matter of how you drive it and what you are using it for. I went with the v8 in hopes of getting a travel trailer in the future and wanted the 6 speed tranny.

As for issues, I think that earlier '06 v8 models had more problems with the tranny but Ford seemed to figure out which program was the correct one and most of those problems seem to have disappeared.

 

[DocHoliday]

I got the 08 V8 Limited...Tranny crapped out on me after maybe 1000 miles!! Had to be completely replaced. Obviously it was covered and it's been fine since. I would suggest purchasing an extended warranty on these vehicles because had the truck not been covered it would have cost $11,000 to replace the tranny.

 

[shadowless127]

the 4th gens are a bit more luxurious then the 3rd gens, but if you're going to be using it as a second vehicle to do Home Depot runs you might want to consider saving money and getting an 05. IMO they're a bit more "rugged" then the 4th gens, which are making a run at the luxury SUV market with authority. Even tho the 3rd gen v8 has 50 less horses, even w/ AWD my Mountaineer is a really quick SUV.

As far as trans goes, the 6r100w is just as buggy and obnoxious as the 5r55w in the 3rd gens. You can prolly pick up a fully loaded 05 mounty or ex with all the goodies for a very fair price.

 

[MichiganMan]

I'm working through this decision right now. You can pick up an '06 EB 4x4 with under 25K miles for less than $15K around here - sometimes much less. The market has really fallen out on these.

Unfortunately, the V8's are few and far between; the guy at one of the local dealerships said that they (the V8's) didn't really lease out well, so most Explorers had the V6, and those are the ones now coming in off a two year lease. I'd like the V8, but I'm guessing I'll end up with a V6.

 

[Rob_EddieB]

Michigan Man,
Check all the Ford dealers. Barber in Holland had 4 of them with V8's when I bought mine a few weeks ago. Worth the wait. My buddy in Chicago has one with the v6 and he's jealous big time