Explorer Thread!

[ifcar]

Some older cars acquire a reputation for dependability that may not be entirely deserved. "My car is still on the road at 300,000 miles (though it needed lots of repairs to get there)" or "oh yeah, sure, well, THAT breaks, but what do you expect for something so old?"

[GoCougs]

You know we're talking about the 2002-2009 vehicles, right? They're all the same platform.

Hmmm. I see. Well, what with different body panels, glass, etc., they're still not really close to the same vehicle, and it's a stretch to even say one is related to the other, when compared against GX vs. Prado (which are basically the same).

[GoCougs]

I'm gonna agree with Rupert and ifcar here. A newer Nissan or Ford will be far more reliable/dependable than than a 15+ year old Cherokee first sold in 1984.

Review you'll read about 15+ year-old vehicle will probably be from dedicated fanboys. In the past I've known many that have owned the Cherokee, and in committing the sin of anecdote, they are troublesome to own for people who just want a vehicle to drive. The engine and transmission (built by Toyota actually) are solid but pretty much everything else (esp. cooling and electrical) is trouble. Sure it was refined throughout its production run but it's still a vehicle designed in the late '70s/early '80s.

As to Nissan, they're cheaper because they are generally considered to not as "good" as a Honda or Toyota but they are still good - much better on average than a Cherokee.

[BimmerM3]

As to Nissan, they're cheaper because they are generally considered to not as "good" as a Honda or Toyota but they are still good - much better on average than a Cherokee.

Unless I can find a way to guarantee that a particular example never encountered the coolant-in-transmission issue, I'm not going anywhere near them. It's a common and very expensive problem.

[MX793]

Based on the track record of friends and family who have owned Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep products over the past 15 years, "dependable" is not a word I'd attribute to them.

[GoCougs]

Unless I can find a way to guarantee that a particular example never encountered the coolant-in-transmission issue, I'm not going anywhere near them. It's a common and very expensive problem.

I checked my area on AutoTrader - lots of M/T Xterras out there with under 100,000 miles and under $20k.

[BimmerM3]

I checked my area on AutoTrader - lots of M/T Xterras out there with under 100,000 miles and under $20k.

Haha - if my budget were 20k, this whole ordeal would be a lot easier!

Good point though - there's one MT in my area under the original $13k price point. Maybe I'll take a look this weekend if its still there.

[BimmerM3]

Actually, I didn't want to drive that way today because traffic normally sucks, but everyone stayed home today due to a light dusting of snow this morning , so maybe I'll go by after work today.

[BimmerM3]

I have test driven Xterra! Well, two of them, actually.

The first one was a 2006 2WD manual for $7,999. I think it was a base model - lots of buttons that weren't actually buttons lol. Drove really well. Shifter was pretty good - didn't have to hunt for gears or anything. Good ride. Great engine - lots of pep... dare I say fun? Honestly, if this had been a 4x4, I'd probably be taking it by my mechanic tomorrow to get it checked out.

The second one was a 2008 4WD manual Offroad Edition (Bilstein shocks, fog lamps, first aid kit, offroad rims and tires). Lots of the same as above. The ride was definitely softer, I'm assuming because of the shocks, and it was just slightly slower but still more than adequate. The first one's suspension was better for on-road driving, but otherwise I really liked this car. One cool feature (honestly not sure if stock or left in by the PO) - it had a pop-up Garmin mount just above the radio. Only real problem with it was that it very much smelled like the PO was a smoker - not sure how hard that'd be to clean out. If someone can convince me that it's not that bad, I might have to go take it for a longer test drive.

But... even if I don't buy that second one, I think I've found the answer. They're cheapish, newish, comfortable, have personality, and seem to be pretty reliable with the manual transmission. I might just have to wait around to get a good deal on a manual one. I also asked on an Xterra forum if there's a way of guaranteeing that the ATs haven't had the coolant leak problem, but no response yet.

EDIT: Fixed link for "The second one."

[SVT_Power]

Didn't even know you could get the XTerra with 2wd. Figured they were all 4WD considering the model image 

[BimmerM3]

Didn't even know you could get the XTerra with 2wd. Figured they were all 4WD considering the model image 

Yeah, it seems a bit odd, but I guess there were people who bought them for the image.

There are a handful of 2WD Wranglers floating around the world too, which seems even more silly.

[GoCougs]

Sweet. This thread has me thinking of going back to a dual vehicle household.

Getting smoke out will be a lot of work BTDT - new carpet, steam clean all cloth surfaces, and disassemble interior and scrub everywhere esp. interior panels.

[Rupert]

Nice. Too bad about the auto trans, but you wanted a stick, anyway...

No way on the smokey car, though. That's a 100% immediate fail for me. My Explorer still smells like Mexican perfume from the previous owner sometimes.

[SVT666]

The worst part about buying a smoker's car is the HVAC.  The smell never comes out of the HVAC system.  You can cover it up for a bit by spraying Lysol into the air intake at the base of the windshield , but it always comes back. Trust me, my Explorer is one of those vehicles. I've had it 5 years now and it wasn't until recently that I can go more than 8 months without emptying a can of Lysol into it. When we first got it, the dealership had done a good job of covering up the smell with the smell of automotive shampoo.  It was 2 weeks later that the smell started to appear and the battle began.  The dealership dickheads lied to us about the smoking thing and I couldn't take the truck back since I bought it in the US.

[BimmerM3]

Have you guys ever tried an ozone generator? Reviews on them seem pretty good.

[Rupert]

Nope. Explorer is too cheap to care.

[Laconian]

Have you guys ever tried an ozone generator? Reviews on them seem pretty good.

PLASMACLUSTER! Trep's favorite feature.

[Submariner]

[93JC]

<good suggestion>

[BimmerM3]

PLASMACLUSTER! Trep's favorite feature.

Oh man, whatever happened to that kid?

[CALL_911]

PLASMACLUSTER! Trep's favorite feature.

That's what Plasmacluster is?

[BimmerM3]

That's what Plasmacluster is?

No the Plasmacluster is an "ionizer" style air filter. Ozone generators put ozone into the air, which react with things that smell and turn them into things that don't smell. Ozone is not exactly healthy for you though, so you wouldn't want it running all the time.

[CALL_911]

No, I get what an ozone generator does, but I always thought Plasmacluster was a special display or something for the Camry's climate control.

[Rupert]

Oh man, whatever happened to that kid?

I'm sure he's a multiple-Toureg owner now.

[SVT666]

Have you guys ever tried an ozone generator? Reviews on them seem pretty good.

Yes.  Worked for about 9 months or so, then the smell came back.  Lysol is cheaper.

[Laconian]

No, I get what an ozone generator does, but I always thought Plasmacluster was a special display or something for the Camry's climate control.

Dumb brand name for an ionizer.

[BimmerM3]

Any reason I shouldn't consider a vehicle that was registered out of the country? The low miles on this Explorer are... intriguing. There's a free link to the CarFax if you want to see specifically what I mean by registered out of the country... looks like it was a vehicle owned by a military family.

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=30363&endYear=2016&photosOnly=true&engineCode=8CLDR&maxPrice=13000&showcaseListingId=0&pricesOnly=true&mmt=%5BFORD%5BEXPLOR%5B%5D%5D%5B%5D%5D&lastExec=1425391253000&vehicleStyleCodes=AWD4WD&modelCode1=EXPLOR&photosOnlyActual=true&sortBy=mileageASC&showcaseOwnerId=50757774&startYear=2006&makeCode1=FORD&engineCodes=8CLDR&maxMileage=150000&searchRadius=200&listingId=393964679&Log=0

[Rupert]

Is that really a white interior?

[BimmerM3]

Is that really a white interior?

I think it's a light tan. Not the same car, but this is what I found searching for "Camel" as is listed there:

[Laconian]

Is that an autotragic shifter, or is the car just happy to see you?