Why should I buy an Explorer? Which one?

[bobbyg123]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some perspective from other SUV owners as to why I should consider purchasing a Ford Explorer. I'll briefly explain my driving habits and what I'm looking for, and hopefully you can "steer" me in a certain direction.

I'm a married (no kids) outside sales rep living in the Pacific Northwest. My current employer provides me with a company car, however my new employer will provide me with a car allowance and expect that I furnish my own vehicle. Living in Seattle, we deal with a fair amount of foul weather. Rain/Slush, a major mountain pass, and the snowy conditions east of the mountains. Yes, up here you can make an arguement that people actually "need" 4wd/AWD. I'm looking for a solid, durable 4wd/awd that can haul my gear (sales stuff and ski equip) and also be comfortable around town. I've toyed with the thought of getting a car based SUV such as the Toyota Highlander or the Nissan Murano, but frankly they don't do much better on gas and in many cases are more expensive than a closeout Eddie Bauer or Limited Explorer. What do you guys think? The Escape is also an option, but once again it's not much better on gas and doesn't seat 4 as comfortably. Obviously I'm leaning towards the Explorer now, particularly because I can get a closeout Eddie Bauer for $27K after rebates. Here are my key questions:

Will driving 18K miles/year beat the explorer into the ground, or are they as tough as Ford claims?

What are the advantages/disadvantages of the V6 vs. V8? I don't plan on towing too much, but if the V8 is superior I'll consider it.

Since I'm not an offroader, I'm assuming AWD will work just fine for me. What do you think, 4WD or AWD for MY situation?

Thanks for your help.

 

[axionplaya]

Go for the Explorer. You'll be better off using the extra space and cargo room in the Explorer rather than the small-ish Highlander or Murano. Also, although all three cars have AWD as an option, the Control Trac 4WD II in the Explorer/Escape isn't too shabby either when getting through the slick roads in Seattle and Portland hehe . But seriously, go for the Eddie Bauer V6 with 4X4 option instead of AWD. In reality, the 4X4 is much like an AWD in some respects because of how the default setting is "4WD Auto", then "4X4 High", then "4X4 Low". I'm pretty sure that with lots of care and regular maintenance of your explorer, it can go well over 20k miles a year with no major problems. Good luck with your choice Bobby.

Roy
_________________
1996 Ford Explorer XLT
4WD
4.0L SOHC V6
K&N Filter
Flowmaster

 

[Electrohacker]

my AWD v8 '96 explorer is awesome in the snow, has awesome power and sound (stock, but I want to try some upgrades) gets decent milage (17.5 mpg) and has good hauling poer and interior cargo capacity

I also put more than 24k on it per year... mostly highway

 

[Afboy143]

I have a 99 Explorer Sport with 96k miles on it right now and the biggest repair I had to do so far are the brakes

Its a pretty solid truck and had no complaints so far. I am sure you will be happy with an explorer, after all they are the best- selling SUV

 

[00XLS]

With all the driving it sounds like you'll be doing, I'd go the V6 route but there isn't a huge diff. in the mileage compared to the V8 so why not get the extra power right I'd go for it, and if you can get the 4x4 with the auto feature, its like awd when you need it and not when you don't.

 

[Electrohacker]

there is a diffrence between AWD and 4wd... awd turns easier

 

[stubborn1]

How long are you going to hang on to the vehicle? If you are gonna keep it 3-4 years and then dump it, you'll take a bath on resale with the Explorer which would make the Toyota a better looking option. Granted, if your vehicle allowance is good enough, who cares.

Have you checked out any of the Subaru wagons? Might be worth a look if you aren't doing any offroading.

 

[yosh18981898]

Keep in mind that the post-2002 Explorer is whole different animal than the 1st (1991-1994) and 2nd (1995-2001) generation explorers. The new explorers have IRS (indepent rear suspension) that makes the ride more comfortable but severly limits the truck's off road capability. But then again if you don't plan on wheeling it (I wouldn't wheel a brand new $30,000 vehicle) the new explorer will be just as good as the old ones for snow and ice.

Yeah I gotta admit that I'm biased toward the 1st generation Xs because thats what I drive. Some people would consider the ride on my 2-door almost unbearable, but I like it.

So if you want a hard core wheeling vehicle, go for the 1st generation.

If you just want something that is good in snow, and don't plan on taking it off road, then a new Explorer would be a great choice.

Thats my 2 cents

 

[Jason94sport]

Honestly, I'd shop around. There's alot of new stuff out there. You really only need 4WD if you off roading. Otherwise AWD or a system that directs power to the wheels with most grip will do.

 

[thewishkah]

i have a first generation X and i love it but i also have a 2002 yukon and i like the ride quality in that more however in snow the explorer is alot better then the yukon (ive gone through non plowed streets with 1 1/2 of snow with no probs with the explorer and with the yukon i have fishtaled around a turn ding 15 mph in 6 inches of snow so if ur going for comfort id go look at the yukon its got alot of space for cargo it has alot of nice options but then again so do the new explorers i say take a look compare and see what u like best good luck

 

[yosh18981898]

i have a first generation X and i love it but i also have a 2002 yukon and i like the ride quality in that more however in snow the explorer is alot better then the yukon (ive gone through non plowed streets with 1 1/2 of snow with no probs with the explorer and with the yukon i have fishtaled around a turn ding 15 mph in 6 inches of snow so if ur going for comfort id go look at the yukon its got alot of space for cargo it has alot of nice options but then again so do the new explorers i say take a look compare and see what u like best good luck

dude yoov got a lot of good stuff to say but you have to use puncuation at least periods its hard to understand what your tryin to say when you never break up one thought from another im writing like this to show you thats its hard to understand what you are tryin to say when you dont use puncuation i agree this board is not a grammer class but you got to use enough punctuation so poeple can understad what you have to say dont take this as an insult it would just be nice to be able read and understand what your sayin

 

[thewishkah]

lol ok. Won't happen again.=P

 

[Mbrooks420]

I'm biased to the AWD V8's, but thats what I drive. I had an OHV V6 before and prefer the one I have now. The AWD is very capable in the snow, and and when it gets slushy/slippery. The AWD's get slightly less MPG, I get a little over 17mpg mixed. My OHV got 15-17. The new SOHC's can get about 20. The V8 has more torque down low, and would probably haul a load better. The v8 comes standard with the traction-lok limited slip rear axle(at least all of the 15 or so I looked at did).

 

[bates]

You're not biased Mike, it's your second ex, you bought it that way cause you think it's the best, nothing wrong with that.

I would choose the engine based on how much you like horsepower though, do you plan on modifying it down the road? If so go with V8. From what I gather from your story(you were considering car based SUV's) the SOHC V6 is probably all you need.

 

[n3m3s1s]

hey bobby...made any decisions yet?
In My Opinion,
if you arent going to mod/upgrade the engine or cant afford to(me) then your best bet could be the SOHC V6. in stock form it has half a second better 0-60 over the 302 V8. the SOHC will show you slightly better mpg but less towing.
if you modified the V8 at all(intake, cam, exhaust), it would stomp the SOHC quickly.
the SOHC is going to have 4LO that will get you further offroad if you want some offroad pinstriping...