Thinking of an explorer 4 winter YOUR THOUGHTS

[needsducktape]

just as the title says-

I am selling my toyota solara and getting a better winter car now that I have to drive back and forth to UPSTATE NY (from pittsburgh pa) - can you say snow belt?!

I would love to find an old pathfinder or 4 runner or subaru but EVERYONE wants way more than they are worth- So I have been looking at the 2002 - 2004 Ford Explorers -I have heard they have transmission issues...

This one I am looking at has 2004 96K and apparently 2/3 years ago (under warranty) Ford "upgraded" the transmission?
Does that sound fishy?

just as an FYI, I don't plan on keeping it forever (I prefer cars) its likely I will sell it in the spring.

 

[OilProfessor]

The Professor steers clear of FOMOCO products. The Professor recommends a GM product, with good tires.

 

[Brons2]

Originally Posted By: needsducktape
I would love to find an old pathfinder or 4 runner or subaru but EVERYONE wants way more than they are worth


According to whom?

 

[needsducktape]

Originally Posted By: Brons2
Originally Posted By: needsducktape
I would love to find an old pathfinder or 4 runner or subaru but EVERYONE wants way more than they are worth


According to whom?


Craigslist - People are asking 6/7/8 grand for 120K cars/trucks c'mon

At some point, no matter how reliable the Toyota 4 runner is, its simply not worth it.

Side note, I am looking at a 2002 Blazer 4.3 5 speed...but its 2 wheel drive... eeakk !!

Also an OLD (but cheap) 1998 MBenz ml320 with 116K is on the list but I have heard NIGHTMARES about these trucks...

 

[sciphi]

Slap some snows onto the Solara and call it good.

Remember, just because it has 4WD doesn't mean it's going to stop/turn any better than a regular car. Without good tires 4WD means that all 4 spin when accelerating.

 

[Nick R]

Originally Posted By: OilProfessor
The Professor steers clear of FOMOCO products. The Professor recommends a GM product, with good tires.


What would the reason for this be?

If you pick up an explorer, if it's the 4.0L V6 make sure the Timing chain has been taken care of. I can't remember what year they fixed that. An escape with AWD would be a good option too.

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: sciphi
Slap some snows onto the Solara and call it good.

Remember, just because it has 4WD doesn't mean it's going to stop/turn any better than a regular car. Without good tires 4WD means that all 4 spin when accelerating.



+1

 

[Brons2]

Originally Posted By: needsducktape
Originally Posted By: Brons2
Originally Posted By: needsducktape
I would love to find an old pathfinder or 4 runner or subaru but EVERYONE wants way more than they are worth


According to whom?


Craigslist - People are asking 6/7/8 grand for 120K cars/trucks c'mon



That's your opinion, not Craigslist's opinion. A Pathfinder, 4Runner or Subaru with 120K could be potentially worth a lot more than that down here. I would think up there that rust would be the limiting factor. But at any rate, if the market price for such vehicles is too high for your tastes, just say so, rather than claiming "the price is too high".

 

[mopar_monkey]

how about a cherokee, the best vehicle i ever owned was a 96 cherokee with a 4.0l, you can get them cheap and they are possibly the most durable rig ever produced.

 

[gathermewool]

So, you're looking for a 4WD vehicle just for the winter? Save some money and buy some snow tires/rims.

 

[needsducktape]

Originally Posted By: Brons2
Originally Posted By: needsducktape
Originally Posted By: Brons2
Originally Posted By: needsducktape
I would love to find an old pathfinder or 4 runner or subaru but EVERYONE wants way more than they are worth


According to whom?


Craigslist - People are asking 6/7/8 grand for 120K cars/trucks c'mon



That's your opinion, not Craigslist's opinion. A Pathfinder, 4Runner or Subaru with 120K could be potentially worth a lot more than that down here. I would think up there that rust would be the limiting factor. But at any rate, if the market price for such vehicles is too high for your tastes, just say so, rather than claiming "the price is too high".


I watch prices like a hawk, and I know deals when I see them. Trust me, this year people are RIDICULOUS with their asking prices of certain makes and models...

 

[qr25de]

If I had a nickel for every pick-up/SUV that I passed in my Spec-V (lowered, high spring rate, thick roll bars and anti-sway bars out the yin ynag) I could almost pay for a tank of gas.

If you want a serious advantage in snow, pick yourself up a Subaru. If the chassis works in a rally (notice pick-ups and SUVs aren't used in rallys...), it'll work in snow covered paved roads.

 

[Russ300H]

Originally Posted By: mopar_monkey
how about a cherokee, the best vehicle i ever owned was a 96 cherokee with a 4.0l, you can get them cheap and they are possibly the most durable rig ever produced.


+1 My daughter had a 93 Cherokee that was bulletproof. She now has an Explorer with the 4.0 SOHC. At 140K the engine runs like new. No mechanical problems, just the typical rust issues in the Northeast. Both are high teen, to twenty mpg vehicles.

 

[needsducktape]

Would LOVE a subaru -I bought a 1999 RS 2.5 (before they got popular and doubled in price! ) -Once again, anyone that has one for sale at the moment is just asking more money than I can see being worth it. Although, find me another RS 2.5 5speed and I would pee myself happy.

 

[MNgopher]

No, it doesn't sound terribly fishy. As I understand it there are some commonly known wear parts in the transmission of the third generation explorers (I own a second gen). If the transmission is already past a rebuild, it likely has been through the issues already and taken care of. There is a large explorer board out there to search on if interested.

Have to agree with some other posters - why not invest in a set of snow tires rather than buy a new car for one winter season?

 

[Scotty1981]

+1 on the snow tires. Evn though my tires are not snow tires, they make a HUGE Differance. My Civic does GREAT in the snow. Running some Kumho Ecsta LX Platinum tires on it. Also I have read the Yokohama AVID ENVigor is a good tire.

 

[needsducktape]

Oh I forgot to mention, generally I buy a car every 6 months or so- one that might need a little fixing (or re finishing leather etc etc) to add value.

Then I drive them until I sell them to make a little extra money on the side or at least break even. I've done it for about 6 years now -it keeps me from turning cars into a losing battle.

The Solara has sold quicker than I thought (usually, I have another car lined up)

So I am selling ALSO because its time to sell.

 

[Russ300H]

If you flip them, Jeeps are in amazing demand. Explorers don't have the greatest resale value.

 

[01rangerxl]

If this is a short term vehicle, why not look at years older than 2002? 1995-2001 Explorers seem a little more reliable than 2002-2005 models. $1500 or less can get you a good running 4x4. The pushrod 4.0 is bulletproof. If you find a manual transmission model reliability is even better. Rust is the top concern with 2001 and older Explorers.

I'm kind of eyeballing older Explorers (1991-2001) as a second vehicle. I'll never get the body work done on the Ranger driving it everyday, so I want a cheap beater truck to use while it's getting worked on. Used Explorers seem to be half the price of a comparable used Ranger.

 

[stranger706]

Originally Posted By: needsducktape
So I have been looking at the 2002 - 2004 Ford Explorers -I have heard they have transmission issues...

This one I am looking at has 2004 96K and apparently 2/3 years ago (under warranty) Ford "upgraded" the transmission?
Does that sound fishy?


For any timing chain concerns, affected years were 98-01. The 02+ 4.0 has the upgraded hardware.

For the transmission, some of the 02-03 (and maybe 04, thought it was fixed by then) transmissions had a defect that started with the overdrive. Not sure exactly what, something about the shift mechanism/valve body wearing itself out very early. First you would lose overdrive, then if not fixed you would lose the rest of the gears as well. That warranty upgrade you mentioned may be just that. Wouldn't hurt to find out what was upgraded if you're serious about the truck.