New SUV - Buy Bye Stang

[DocG]

Well fellas....getting really really close to trading in my stang for a new suv. Been looking at Ford Explorers and Expeditions. 2006 models have some great sales right now. And with my boat....an SUV would be nice....and I'd get rid of this lemon car. From Ford it came, to Ford it goes back. I'm sure some of you think its ****ty to trade in a bum car....but I don't want to be stuck with it either.

Anyways, anyone got any experience with the Explorer or Expedition?

 

[2002GreyGT]

I had a 2001 Explorer Sport, and my parents a few before that. Loved all the old ones, but the new ones I don't like. They feel cheap now.

Look at a Jeep Grand Cherokee, a co-worker of mine just got a killer deal on one last week.

~K

 

[Dope 97GT]

get one of the jeep srt8s

 

[01Steeda]

well we all get old at some point

j/k hope ya find something u like

 

[Mike97gt]

the 06 exlorers are GREAT... I love the way they ride, the old ones 95-01 rode like rangers but the 06's ride awsome.

wait for 07 if you go with a expedition. the new redesigned one is way better

 

[DocG]

Yeah, we definetely liked the 06 Explorers after they've been redesigned. I know the 07 Expeditions would be better....but I can get a $40k Expedition for about 32k out the door right now, and that's losing almost 4k on my damn mustang trade in. We're gonna go look a little more closely at the Explorers too. Only reason we're favoring the Expedition is cuz we can get 0% for 72 months. While I hate to do 6 years, it doesn't seem so bad with 0% financing....plus the Expedition we can get for 6 years has upgrading towing, moonroof, and some other options.

I've eyeballed some jeeps, but the 0% financing is the only thing getting these damn expensives SUV's in our price range. I'll be rolling a new 40k Expedition for only 25 bucks more a month than my used Stang!

Anyways, if we do this trade....I'll be looking at possibly trading up our Hyundai for another mustang in about a year. Probably go a little more used and cheaper. Here I paid 20k for a low mile 04 that had more problems than most of you have probably seen in your stangs in years. Might as well go with a few year old model for 12k.

I'll keep ya updated!

 

[scupking]

About 5 years ago my father had an explorer and he used it to pull are old boat. One day when we were going on vacation to Cape Cod the engine blew (literally) on the highway. My father then bought a used 97 Expedition and we bought a bigger boat that weighs over 5,000 lbs and the Expedition has no problems pulling it.

 

[DocG]

The one we're looking at has the tranny cooler and upgraded radiator....supposed to pull 8000lbs. Damn thing should have no prob pulling my 3000lb boat.....and the boat I want to get down the road! Might as well go big!

Although....right now....I'm getting very very depressed I'm about to lose my stang.

 

[LI98GTStang]

I've got an '03 expy that had some first model year woes, but those were ironed out a long time ago. It also has the 260hp 5.4 compared to the new models, 300hp, but feel that it's got enough power/tq for around town driving and towing. I love driving the expy coming from the mustang and vice versa.

Now, you do need to drive them for yourself decide, but giving you my impressions are that I love the way the '03 Expy drives especially compared to the explorer. Overall ride and handling I think are much superior with the expy. There are a lot of explorer fans out there, so you definatly need to judge for youself. Yes, I did test drive a V-6 version of the new '06 Explorer when they came out. I personally liked the older explorer '05 models better as the new interior I thought looked cheap, didn't care for the new seats and the pull handles are in the way wrong place, which really bugged me. There are still some '05 leftover explorers around here in the lots that they are discounting huge amounts.

Mpg, with the expy we get 12 around town, 17 highway, and 10 towing a travel trailer.

 

[tomustang]

my 04 explorer rides great but doesn't take turns fast

 

[tomustang]

Mpg, with the expy we get 12 around town

that's not bad considering i have a V8 explorer and get 13mpg around town

 

[streetstang03]

get a Tahoe instead. Ford SUVs are cheap. the Tahoe rides, looks, & feels much better.

 

[DTNODYA]

If you don't have kids, get a truck instead of an SUV. To me, all SUV's look like shoeboxes on wheels.

 

[LI98GTStang]

get a Tahoe instead. Ford SUVs are cheap. the Tahoe rides, looks, & feels much better.

I certainly don't agree here. My father in law is a GM guy so I'm able to compare the trucks directly. Traditionally his chebby trucks had smaller brakes which faded real bad, cheaper interior materials - especially cloth, hardware pieces don't hold up i.e. exterior pieces like door guards. Also GM stuck with recirculating ball setup compared to Ford going with Rack & Pinion that has with it much better road feel.

I agree with DTNODYA. If you don't have kids and need to tow, a supercrew would be tops on my list, as they are lighter than full size SUVs. When Chevy redoes their pickup with a new interior/exterior, I would also put that up there - I admit the new Suburbans seemed to fix all the problems I've had with GM trucks, so if they carry it through with the p/ups they could have a good truck there.

 

[Cory281]

I don't know about Chevy. I used to work at a lube shop and looked at the underneath of these things all day. It was actually common to see a 3000 mile chevy first oil change ever on it leaking from the t-case or front diff. And they were always at least a qt. low on oil whenever they came in. Especially the 8.1l and 6.0ls.

 

[DropTopPony]

We all have to make tough choices...if the car is giving you problems then get rid of it. You could always find a cheap Mustang later.

 

[281pony]

gotta make tough decisions sometimes.

i just traded an 03 cobra for a kia spectra

suprisingly i havent regretted it though. take out all my need for speed aggression on my new quad and im good.

i know the feeling with problems in a mustang though, i havent had one that didnt put me through hell at least once. cobra included.

 

[DropTopPony]

gotta make tough decisions sometimes.

i just traded an 03 cobra for a kia spectra

suprisingly i havent regretted it though. take out all my need for speed aggression on my new quad and im good.

i know the feeling with problems in a mustang though, i havent had one that didnt put me through hell at least once. cobra included.

oh damn now thats sacrifice!
I'm one of the lucky ones i guess because i never had any issue with my car in ten years except the IAC.

 

[Gearbanger 101]

the 06 exlorers are GREAT... I love the way they ride, the old ones 95-01 rode like rangers but the 06's ride awsome.

Agreed, the new Explorers are super nice. Even the '02-'05's are light years better than the previous models. Larger over all, wider/longer wheel base, IRS, available 4.6L V8.....a nicer all around SUV.....and good looking to boot!!! Not sure what it is that 2002GreyGT is talking about. If anything, it's the other way around and the old Explorers are the "cheap" feeling ones.

I've got an '01 Sport right now and although it's really nice and is a great all around SUV, that short 2dr wheel base makes it ride like hell. As a matter of fact, I'd even say that it rides as bad if not worse than my old Bronco II. The clunks, creaks and groans drive me nuts at time. Glad it came with the 6-disk premium stereo. My next one is going to be a loaded '02-'05 4.6L for sure.

 

[03ghoststang]

my aunt has a 06' expedition and that thing rides nice, since i do all the oil changes and whatever it needs i get to drive it around and it gets one of these guys from me