Give what you have described, the new Explorer sounds like it could be a good fit.
My advice would be to purchase it with the plan of getting rid of it right around the 40-50K mark.
Good luck.
I have to agree with Shugs on this one. I used to be an American car guy mainly because my father and grandfather were GM employees. But now I will not buy one. In 2000 I got rid of my truck that was only 2 years old and was breaking down already and I traded it in for a new V6 Accord coupe. I owned that for 3 years and could hardly get myself to part with it. I loved that car. I never had any issues with it ever and i got rid of it with about 65,000 miles on it. After that I bought my Infiniti and I have had that for a year and so far it is magnificent.
As for SUV’s I bought my wife a 4-Runner Sport last year and so far it has been wonderful. I have pulled boats and tandem jet-ski’s and had no issues whatsoever. However it does have the new V6 in it and Toyota definitely stepped it up in the torque department with the new engine. I have heard that the old V6’s can be a bit sluggish when pulling but will still get the job done.
My brother had 3 Land Cruiser and the first two he got rid of when they had over 250,000 miles on them and they were still running strong and one of them was a '67 Cruiser no less. He currently has a '98 and it is approaching 200,000 miles and he still has yet to do any major maintenance on it. In my opinion a Cruiser is always a safe bet and you can pick them up used for decent prices.
I dont know much about the Explorer and I guess that is becuase I have never given it any consideration. But if it fits you and is the right price then you should get it. However I think you wont go wrong with a Toyota, Honda, or a Nissan. I hear the Armada is real nice.
Good Luck and happy shopping
RK
I have a '95 Explorer XLT with over 135,000 miles on it. I love this truck and it seems to drive better with each oil change. However, I know people who own them and the front end craps out after 40k miles. Maybe I got lucky with a good one? Who knows.
I had a Pathfinder which I loved, but got rid of because of gas mileage. Even with the higher gas prices now, I would still consider getting another one. The picture is of the 2005 which starts at $25K with 270 HP engine and 3rd row seating standard.
I have a 2001 4Runner SR5 and love it. I’ve never had a problem with power or torque. I do second most of the other posts saying “Go Japanise” I owned 3 Domestic cars and will never own another one. I’d buy American if I was buying a full sized truck, but for anything else i’d go import.
la’
Redsol1
This of course is hypothetical and not intended to highjack this thread.
How many of you would buy a SUV if purchasing one would involve a six-month stint in Iraq?
We have a Xterra. My wife likes it. Its more truck-like than most SUV’s. Not overly comefortable, but we wouldn’t get rid of it. It’s not a car to commute in, but you definately feel safe.
Let an x salesman / carsuv nut give a little advice. I feel your best 2 options are the Jeep Gran Cherokee since the 05 is new you can get a deal on a 04. Also Chrsler/Jeep has a certified program now where you can get a steal (usally 4k below the already reduced price) I used to hate the grand cherokee till I drove it. Superb quality for the dollar. The other option is the 4runner 2002 or newer. I prefer the v8 on this baby,handles extremely well and has great pickup. Same with the Jeep when it has the high output motor. The Xterra is basically a Japanese Wrangler which is cool but it is not a soccer mom friendly SUV and whoever recomended the Land Cruiser please get me a job where a 70k SUV us mid priced. If anyone has further ?s or wants to shoot the shit on cars or suvs let me know. PS I am hoping to make my next car the new 300c w/awd. plenty of room, speed and luxury for under 45k. PS stay away from the explorer they suck and have no resale value. Remember anyone with a car loan has negative equity anyone with a Ford is buried. I do love the F-150 and new Mustang though.
[quote]brunoG wrote:
This of course is hypothetical and not intended to highjack this thread.
How many of you would buy a SUV if purchasing one would involve a six-month stint in Iraq?
[/quote]
What if freedom of speech had the same cost?
La’
Redsol1
I can’t comment on the newest model Explorer but I’ve had three previous models and loved them. Never had any problems. I have a 03 Aviator which is basically a luxury Explorer and I love it also. I also have a 04 Explorer Sport Trac. Got it for 19K after rebates a couple months ago. My wife drives it daily and loves it. I’m pretty sure it’s the same as an Explorer but just has a little bed instead of the Cargo/third seat area.
[quote]redsol1 wrote:
brunoG wrote:
This of course is hypothetical and not intended to highjack this thread.
How many of you would buy a SUV if purchasing one would involve a six-month stint in Iraq?
What if freedom of speech had the same cost?
La’
Redsol1
[/quote]
???
BMW X3
BMW X5
If you’re going to drive drive in style
I’ll post my responce in the politics section.
La’
Redsol1