Well, we're in the market for a new SUV now. My '96 Grand Cherokee has been problem after costly problem(I've easily got $10k of non-warranty covered repairs into it). Including a cracked water pump, all sorts of blown tranny seals(thanks to some retard that massively overfilled the ATF at a scheduled maintenance), 3 of the 4 wheel bearings replaced(just past 100k) and one of the rear disc calipers rusting open(driven almost daily). Now the driveshaft bearing in the rear axle is going, accompanied by a not very pleasant "whirring" noise from the rear end that's steadily been getting more prominent over the past few weeks. No matter where I go, it'll be over a grand to get it fixed, and I have neither the tools nor skill to do something like that myself.

I've been looking at some alternatives(no way I'm getting another Jeep) and have really been impressed by the Ford offerings. I rather like the Expedition(whatever I buy will be a main towing vehicle), though upon further investigation I really don't need the extra space or power, which led me to look at the Explorer instead. The price isn't a huge factor, but if I can save a few grand, might as well. The two engine options, a 4.0 V6 and the 4.6 V8 are also in debate. I'm used to V8 power and get-up, but the V6 is rated to haul up to 5500lbs, which is plenty. I don't need the extra thousand or so pounds the V8 offers. Listed MPG is a nominal difference.

So would the V6 suffice? The heaviest thing it'll tow is a 3500 pound 18' boat. The Jeep's V8 handled this easily, but I've heard a lot of stories about the Ford V6's being total dogs under load.

If I need the V8, I'll probably lean towards the Expedition. If not, then I'll probably go toward Explorer instead.

And while this may be taboo here, anyone know anything about the Chevy Trailblazer? It doesn't seem to offer as many features as the Explorer(or they're optional where on the Ford they're standard) but is also a little cheaper. It's base straight six also beats out the Ford base V6. I'm not really considering it, but I figured I better check all the options. I made the mistake of buying on reputation with the Jeep and look where that landed me.

Any thoughts or experiences would be appreciated.

 

i had a 2005 expedition with the same engine as in that truck and it is very powerful and on the expedition the mpg was pretty good i liked it but im just a truck person!

and if you are looking for new the new bodystyle just came out,www.fordvehicles.com so the 06 probably has large discounts

if you are looking into used check into the excursion it has v8,v10,or psd there are plenty of them on www.ebaymotors.com

if i were buying new i would go with the expedition

 

A word of advice: If you are pulling an 18' boat, I advise you not to get a V6, because I have first-hand knowledge that they are not adequate. My dad's friend takes us fishing all the time on his 20' boat, and when he first got it he pulled it with his V6 Explorer, and he said it performed poorly. Not that the Ford V6 is a bad motor, it's just that it's not enough for that large of a boat. He said he felt very uneasy pulling it, so he bought a 2005 Toyota 4Runner 4WD with the V8, and he said it has made all the difference.

So, in my opinion you have two options:
1) Get a 4WD Explorer with the 4.6L V8
2) Get an Expedition

I guess which one you choose now depends on the size vehicle you want, seating, price, and which one you like better overall. Personally, although the Explorer is a fine vehicle, I'd go with the Expedition. It's not only a quality SUV but it looks great, both the old body style and the new.

 

The explorer is a nice vehicle, but for towing anything I would go with the expedition.

BTW... I hear ya on the grand cherokee. I had a 2000 Limited V8 4x4 that was the biggest hunk o crap ever made. Everything that could go out in 44,000 miles did. Some things as much as 4 times including the tranny, t-case and rearends.

 

If you plan on towing anything, you'll want a 5.4L V8 with at least a 3.73 rear end. From experience, the 4.0L V6 is not enough and the 4.6L V8 is little better.

I've got a V6 Explorer Sport Trac, and for lack of a better word, it's a dog. No where near as much get up and go that my 6 cyl Grand Cherokee and Liberty had. When you think about it, the Explorer is nothing more than a '94era Ranger with a different body. Pretty much the same chassis and power plant. Gas mileage with our Trac is pretty good averaging 18 MPG. The weight of the vehicle alone is about all that engine can handle safely. Before we bought it, we did compare it to Chevy, Nissan & Dodge offerings. Ford definitely offers the best interior room, luxury and comfort. The Chevy engine was fine until the A/C kicked on and speed would drop 5 MPH on the highway! My wife did say Chevy did a better job with the cup holders

The Expedition would be the better choice. It's built with a full size truck power train that's more than capable of pulling a decent load. You can usually save $12-15K off of retail buying a used 2006 model.

 

We had a Grand Cherokee before our Expy and loved it. However, we love our Expy more. Since you tow, I'd recommend the Expy. Not only do you have to pull a load, you have to stop it also. A larger, heavier vehicle really helps. As for the Trailblazer, I knew someone with one and it was constantly in the shop. They couldn't wait to get rid of it.

 

I have pulled the same boat with a 99 2dr Explorer Sport (4.0 SOHC & 4.10 gears) and a 2003 5.4 F150. My boat was a 19 1/2 foot deepV aluminum with a Merc 115. Maybe it was the power to weight ratio or the Explorer's low gearing but I swear that the Explorer did a better job towing my boat. My F150 seems to search for gears much more than the Explorer did and the Explorer felt like it had more passing power. The one thing I like about the big truck is that it gives me much better vision while towing. I love my F150 but I really do miss my little Explorer.

 

I stopped by the local Ford dealer today to take a closer look at both. They had an Expedition EL(?)(the long extended one) in the showroom. It was of course standard with the V8 and was rated for 9000 something pounds, way more than I need. The idea of $100 fill-ups also didn't do anything for me. The boat/trailer weigh around 3500. Even the standard Expy just looked too large for what I needed once I got in the cavernous interior. While I liked the added power and more towing capacity, in all frankness I had no need for that much seating or space.

So I went to the Explorer(they had an Eddie Bauer model on show, which I rather like) and took that for a test drive. It had the standard V6, and I was satisfied, though not really wowed by the performance. I noticed it tended to rev fairly high(it easily passes 4k on a hard acceleration), though on normal driving it was very quiet and hovered around 2k, fairly standard. Ride was very comfortable and car-like, Ford's constant bitching about their new frames and suspensions really have some truth to it. I did consider that towing the boat would be at about the limit for that motor and that doggish performance would probably follow, I don't tow that often(never more than 4 times a year, and almost all of that is highway) so even if it is sluggish with the boat it's not a big issue. I'll probably use my truck to haul the jetski and sled to save wear on the new car if nothing else.

 

Before I got my Expedittion, I looked at Explorers. I have never towed anything so I'm out of the loop on that. I thought the V6 Explorer felt pretty good. That 5-speed auto is nice and does a good job of using the avaliable power. The V8 Explorer is much better. That 5-speed does a real good job with the 4.6.

My Expedition is an '06 with the 24v 5.4. I traded in a much more powerful truck and didn't expect the Expedition to even come close to it. The Expedition is pretty good in the power department for what it is. It's better than the V8 Explorer and I've still got the 4-speed auto.

There are only two of us that generally ride in my vehicle and yes the Expedition is really big. The Explorer felt small though. I've had mostly pick ups. I got used to having all that space in the bed. I got used to loading certian equipment. The Explorer would have been stacked to the ceiling with our camping stuff. The Expedition will load more like a pick up.

What ever you choose I hope you have better luck than you did with the Jeep.

 

My brother had a 98 Explorer with the v6 and it had pretty good power. I pulled a Dakota king cab back from south FL on a dolly with it, and the Dakota weighed more than the Explorer! Personally, though, I'm all about the power. If the Expy is too big, I'd go with the v8 Explorer for those " just in case" times.
Regarding the chevy, I did a GM invite comparison test and found the Trailblazer to be significantly underpowered. IMO
Good luck!

 

There is nothing wrong with an explorer v6. I have had several and they tow just as well as any of the big rigs with the v8's, it just takes a second longer to get to cruising speed. My Nav has some ungodly high tow capacity which I never use.

All that being said (and me being the biggest V8 fan in the world) I prefer the older Explorer 5.0's That had massive torque (as all 5.0's inherintly do) and good speed. And they could be modified easily for more. The Cherokee's are a steaming heap of crap once that odometer hits 6 digits, bar none. Fuel pumps, internals and so forth seem to know when you hit 100K and they all start making noises and failing. If you don't need the space nor capacity of the Expy, I wouldn't get it. Its not $100 to fill it, but it isn't far from it. (a full 30 gallon tank is only about $60 right now) but it goes a long way with disciplined driving.

I had several of the old OHV V6 motors and towed an 18ft bass boat behind them and never had a problem. I wasn't trying to win a race to the lake or anything, but they never missed a beat.

 

Don't tow with a go-cart by a TRUCK, get the Expy with a tow package.
Massive brakes/power with comfort and Luxury.