file.newsgroup.cars.103732 Maven / Gradle / Ivy
From: [email protected] (Karl Elvis MacRae)
Subject: Ford Explorer question, and SUV review.
Ok, so in my ongoing search for a sport utility, here's the latest;
Toyota 4runner:
Small. Small Small Small. The interior of this vehical is impossible
for a large person. Too bad; it would have been the winner otherwise.
Nissan Pathfinder:
Very low ceiling. My head hit the roof, Fun on bumps, no? Also has
a cheap-looking interior.
Isuzu Trooper:
Class act. This is a really, really nice vehical. Very comfortable,
handled ok. Has really cool grab handles EVERYWHERE. But it's huge,
and the engine is a bit too small for it's bulk; also the manual shift is
weird and kind of awkward. I'd buy this if it were $3k cheaper or 10"
shorter. But at this size and for this price, no. I kept picturing trying to
park in in San Francisco. No Thanks.
Chevy Blazer:
Cheap looking. Small. Not as small as the Toyota and Nissan, but still
too small.
Ford Explorer:
This is no sports car, and it's certainly not for the serious off roader.
But it's big enough to be comfortable without being as huge and heavy as the
trooper. It's engine has plenty of power for everyday driving, though it would
be nice if it had a *bit* more. The automatic tranny is pretty nice; head and
shoulders above my '90 mazda MPV. The steering is not as tight as I'd like,
but it's acceptable. The two door has easy-to-enter back seats (Easier to get
into, in fact, than the driver's seat of the 4runner!) and with a 10" shorter
wheelbase and the easier availability of a manual tranny, (Yes, I'm a manual
shift biggot, I admit it...) it's the one I'm thinking of buying.
So, that said, is there anyone out there who has one of these and hates it?
Anyone had any major problems? Heard any horror stories?
Also, any reason to buy the ford over the mazda Navajo, both being essentially
the same vehical?
Thanks-
-Karl
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Karl Elvis MacRae Software Release Support Cisco Systems
[email protected] -or- [email protected] 415-688-8231 DoD# 1999 FJ1200
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"Shovels and rakes and implements of destruction"
-Arlo Guthrie