Explorers are just plain garbage. So many horror stories about Fords, stay far far away!

There can be no doubt that the Trooper is by far and away the best choice. Reliable like nothing else. My old 1989 was parked outside for most of the time I owned it, and would still start (without being plugged in) when it was -30. Yes, you read that right.

Also, a Trooper gives you the cachet of driving something that not every soccer mom out there has.

I know Troopers are harder to find, but it's worth it, my friend! Good Luck!

I wouldnt say that about fords. Its personal oppinion. I am driving a 98 explorer now and am happy with it, just wish it had more ground clearance and bigger tires (to make it easier to change the oil and a slightly more agressive look.) Every car out there has the potential to be complete junk, its all a matter of how well it is cared for. I can say that GM products have really lousy brakes since Im always selling pads and rotors for them, and Jeep has a very poor choice in tires and sizes for the liberty, etc. Yes, explorers can have tranny problems, but with some preventative maintenance, flushes, an external cooler and external filter, they can last a lifetime, same with isuzu. The explorer 4.0 is a really nice motor, not a power house, but makes a good bit of low end torque, almost as much as the 3.2 DOHC motor, but the newer 4.0 SOHC motor makes close to the same power but more torque than the 3.2. Sure, the frames arent boxed but it does weigh a good bit lighter than the trooper. IMO the explorers, the older ones 95-01 are more on par with the rodeo. The myth about them rolling over is just that, a myth, my explorer handles about 10 times better than my rodeo ever did, and I thought that handled really well. The explorer was built and marketed as a grocery hauler with the ability to hit the local logging road to get you to your hunting or fishing spot. Now the trooper and Montero are probably better at that with the slightly beefier suspensions but are all pretty close stock. The V8 explorers came AWD or 2WD only. The newer explorers 98s and up came with a 5 speed manual or 5 speed auto, which is really nice and close ratio for really good acceleration even with the smaller motor. The trannies are no weaker than the 4L30E. Sorry for the long post, but everyone seems to think they are problematic, but any vehicle can be, its just a matter of taking care of them. I also know a local guy who did a SAS on a 98 Explorer sport. Now thats one mean looking rig. Did I mention the Explorer sports, like I have, have a 102" wheelbase, which is shorter than the jeep liberty and close that of a wrangler. Make for a fun vehicle around town. Again, sorry for the smileyesk post.

Dan

Dude! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />
We don't need brand-bashing.
The fact that an 89 Trooper started at -30 says more about the battery than the car.
Plenty of soccer moms drive Troopers.
They are not at all hard to find.
Your argument has no merit.

My friend couldnt wait to get rid of his ford.I have had 4
new Mitsubishi's since 1990,loved them all. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

I'm not sure if I would buy an Explorer myself, I guess if I was in the market needed something and the price was right, but I'd like to say that I've seen a number of them go over 200,000 without touching the motor. (Something, regretably I can't even say about my Trooper). It all depends on how well they were taken care of, and that goes for all Vehicles, trucks, and cars. So, whatever you decide, try to pick a good one. Dave <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

Having owned a Montero of those years and after spending considerable time in my buddy's Explorer of the same vintage I would definitely stick with Mitsubishi or Isuzu. They all hold about the same amount of stuff, get crappy gas mileage and can take you to the mountains, but that's where the similarities end. A 95/96 Exploper really isn't cut out for anything wilder than a snow covered road. The Montero and Trooper on the other hand, are very capable off-road vehicles bone stock or with minimal modification. Sure the Explorer may corner a little flatter but with its ancient engines and leaf spring rear suspension it really doesn't offer any significant handling advantages.

While parts are cheaper and easier to find for Fords, and Explorers can be perfectly reliable vehicles, they simply aren't constructed to the same level of quality as Monteros and Troopers - something to consider when looking at higher mileage rigs. Even if you never ventured off-road, just knowing that you owned a truly capable and unique vehicle with superior build quality makes the choice easy to me. If I had to make the same decision I'd probably look for a Montero SR. It's DOCH 3.5L V6 is a little complicated but makes great power, it has the most advanced 4wd system, and it's loaded with just about every feature you can think of - including a nice little locking differential in the rear end.