NO JEEP! How 'bout a Ford Explorer ??

HideStretcher

HideStretcher

New member
Well, after much research (and a little pouting!) I have decided against the Rubicon for numerous reasons, like lack of room, poor security, harsh ride on road, and very little back seat room for our son.

I am leaning towards a Ford Explorer (family owns a Ford Dealership), but I have ONE big concern.....I once "stuck" an Explorer several years ago in a FLAT pasture on a rainy day. No "mar-down", just refused to move and spun all four on top of the clay and grass. Granted, it was wearing "all-terrain" type tires (i.e.=hwy tread), but I was very disappointed in the lack of traction in 4WD. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif

Anybody have any experiences with an Explorer, or opinions, Good or Bad ???
 
Can't help with the Explore but I have had a Ford Escape for 3 years now and I'm VERY satisfied with the traction on this small SUV.

First I live in the Buffalo area, so nuff said when it comes to handeling snow (never been stuck). But what really surprised me is how it handle off roading in very muddy conditions deer hunting. We hunt a OLD farm that is no longer farmed. To save a tough up hill walk we run vehicles to the top of the field. That little Excape has yet to bog down in heavy mud going UP hill where other "men" trucks have failed. I beleive it might have something to do with the independent suspension which now the newer Explores also have.

P.S. this is all with the factory all-terrain tires.
 
You might also consider a Ford Expedition, My friend has one and it's plenty roomy, considering between him and his current wife theres also 6 kids and it's good in 4 wheel drive. The rear seats lay down so you can haul alot of cargo if you need to.

t/c223encore.
 
We've had two Explorers. Great on the freeway, rode like a Cadillac, lousy off road suspensions. We would all be sea-sick one hundred yards into the desert or forest.
 
Getcha' a Superduty! I love mine. We have plenty of room for both daughters and the dog if need be. Of course I have the 4 door. I only have two complaints. The turning radius is very large and the gas mileage stinks. I should have gotten the diesel! I bought mine new for 28,000 as a stripped down XL withj air, 4X4, automatic trans., and put a little bit of aftermarket stuff (bigger wheels/tires, nerf bars, chrome grill/door handle covers, tinted windows, tool box) on it and on the outside it looks better than any fully loaded XLT. I wanted the inside stripped down ie., rubber floor, vinyl seats, etc. so I won't mind getting it dirty! Plus it is nice having everyone on the road looking up at you. The most important reason I am so glad I have that truck is unless we get hit by either someone with a 4X4 with a lot of suspension mods. or a Hummer, my wife and kids will be safe as any standard vehicle would slide under it in a collision.
 
My Brother had an explorer, we ran it all over the 6000 acre home Ranch in Montana. Clay, snow, big hills, it worked real good. Rode nice all the way out there too.700 mile drive.
My wife has an Escape it is a nice little rig.
I think you'll like it better than any Jeep product, personally I'd buy a Jeep about the same time I bought a Dodge. I have purchased 4 new Dodges in my life, I will never own another. Only Jeep I ever had was a 1968 Bobtail, pre AMC, it was ok, but the Ford Bronco 1974, was far better every way. (remember those cool little Broncos never changed from 66 thru 76)
My experience.
Carl
 
First look at cherokees. they have all the off road ability
plus room and security. I have a wrangler and know what you mean. last year i used a full size ram van and left all my camo,boots,back pac,stool,ect. in it for the hole season. not sure what i'll do this year, besides get to where i wanted to go last year and couldn't.

SHAMELESS
 
WELL.........I appreciate all the feedback......but I may have just found the solution: Nissan Xterra Off-Road. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

I just looked at one of these, and they have a selectable rear locker, 265HP, rated for 16MPG, and they come LOADED for only $27500 MSRP. The invioce is around $25000. Sounds and looks like the best deal out there right now for my use. My wife has a 2000 2wd Xterra with 65,000 on it, and it's been a really good vehicle. THink this is where I'm FINALLY going to go. THanks Guys!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 
You may want to stay away from the new explorers and expeditions if you're going to use it in the dirt. They are 4 wheel independent suspension. Not a good thing for off roading and traction. Rides great on road, but is a big liability off road.

Hummers are a different story, they've got suspension travel and a wide wheel base, a typical independent suspension does not.

I'm a Toyota fan, but I have heard the Xterra is not a bad vehicle and is pretty capable as well. A selectable locker is never a bad thing off road.
 
Quote:

Hummers are a different story, they've got suspension travel and a wide wheel base, a typical independent suspension does not.




And the hummers (the original military style) also have portal axles. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

Toyota four runners are good off road SUVs. Cherokee is a little on the small side (smaller than the Explorer) but handles well on the trail. The Grands add a little more room and some better highway manners.
 
I would not trade my XJ (that's Jeep talk for Cherokee) for anything. Had it 12 years and it just keeps going and going and going. Not great on gas, but enough room and great off road capabilities for what I do. It's ole enough now that I just run over things rather than go around them and don't care about the scratches and dings /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Forget about security on any vehicle. If they want it, they are going to take it. I was parked 2 miles back on a logging road and they broke a window out and stole everything in the jeep while I was bowhunting.
 
..ask yourself why the guys in the repair shops have nicknamed the Ford Explorer..."FORD EXPLODER".


Personally, I would rather push a Chevy than drive a Ford!! I have had two Chevy S-10 Blazers, for my hunting vehicles, and am well pleased with the performance. The Blazer will take you places you probably shouldn't be going, but it will bring you back, too. My current Blazer is a 1988, camo-painted, and full of my hunting gear. Great little vehicle, and has decent ground clearance. It gets about 16-18 MPG.
 
I prefer the Blazers over the Explorers, I don't really dislike Fords or chevys but I will never own another Dodge. I had a Jeep Wrangler and I loved it but it has limitations on storage and security. That said I prefer pickups. I have a Duramax Crew Cab that is good with fuel, Great offroad, and rides smooth on the highway.
 
Hidestretcher:

Six months ago I was on my way to buying a freshly shortblocked '90 4Runner, when I happened to find a cherry 2000 4WD Nissan Xterra, 5 sp manual with 100K easy commuter miles instead, for $3600 under KBB and slightly less than the vintage 125K Toyota! Brought it home without much idea of what to expect. Started Googling to find that really the only truly weak area on these trucks that the right side exhaust manifolds have a habit of cracking. ($100 for the part, as I do my own wrenching.) Otherwise, the engines and drivetrains are really robust and tend to drive to 200K with no issues. Confirmed by of my best buds, who's is the GM at the local Nissan store, an impeccably honest fellow. Felt guilty I didn't buy it from him, so I test drove the new 265 HP version that just came out. It was okay, but the extra weight of all the gew-gaws they've added seemed to take some of expected zip out of it. The newer one had different ergonomics, and might have been better on some counts than my 2000, but certainly not $18K better.

I've already put >10K on it in a little over 6 mos. Other than changing the timing belt at 105K, haven't had to do a thing to it. Rides exceptionally well. Fully boxed frame, isolated body. The rated 170HP seems conservative. Don't feel the least bit un-patriotic about buying a Nissan, they're built in Bowling Green nowadays.

I've had two Jeeps, a '67 Wagoneer that I owned for 6 years (great old truck, finally wore it out) and an 85 Cherokee (a real POS). Used both to beat back and forth on 7 miles of unplowed Forest Service dirt road and a long commute from there on pavement to town. Didn't lift either, but did subtantially rebuild both myself. I can tell you that the body-on-full-frame of the old Wagoneer made a world of difference. I started developing serious neck problems shortly after I got the unit-body Cherokee. I will never buy another small SUV that hasn't got a full frame. (Xterra is fully boxed, to boot!)

Recently rented a new Laredo on a trip back East, even encountered a bit of snow. While traction control was nice, thought it steered and handled squirrely. Lots of zip for a six cylinder, had to double-check to see that it wasn't a V-8. But I would never buy one, though. Plasticky interior, bad ergonomics, bad experiences with poor mechanical design on my Cherokee.

LionHo
 
Nissan is the way to go. Toyota and nissan return value will never let you down. I lease all my stuff. I pay $385 a month on the monti carlo. I don't have to crawl under it. I don't even check how much fluids are in it but I love a good car. We had 2 blazers in a row. 3 years apart. Handle a foot or so of snow easiely. It would climb a tree if you hit it just right.

My car is like a giant corvette. It cost me $150 dollars to drive it off the lot. 2005 out of a showroom and that's how it looks right now. Showroom clean.

I never washed those blazers once. Not a single time! I hate SUV's. My wive love them. All of a sudden she could'nt drive anything but 4 w/d. I got to admite it, it went good in snow but they look like a covered wagon to me.

The monti will go thru 9" of snow. Buy a nice car and walk to work. The wife loves it and helps me clean it sometimes.
That nissan will give you the best return value. Smart move.

However, since my wife and I have bought our first NASCAR /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gifthe Fords and dodges won't stop winning /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif
 
A jeep cherokee is a very capable off road 4x4. The 4.0 engines will last forever and they also have solid axles under them making them very easy to lift. I have a cherokee and my wife has a Grand Cherokee and they are both awesome but the grand is a little better on the roads (luxury).
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