Sell me on an idea...why should i buy an explorer instead of a truck? I finally have an opportunity to get a vehicle I want, And I have missed owning a truck. But with all available options being equal, explorers in my area are cheaper.

Are they as tough/durable/long lasting as the bigger trucks?

Are there any other points I should consider?

Thanks for the help on an otherwise vague question!

-dk9

 

What are you going to do with it? In terms of longevity/durability, an Explorer will last as long as any other Ford with proper maintenance and care. There are many Explorers around that have gone 200K miles or more.
In terms of "toughness" which I'm interpreting as payload and towing capacity. An Explorer is going to be roughly equivalent to a 1/4 ton pickup like a Ranger. A V8 Explorer (optional '96+) may begin to approach a low end 1/2 ton pickup in terms of payload and towing capacity.
Those are some thoughts. With a little more input as to your intended use, we can give more thoughts regarding this decision.

 

I'm with Mrshorty. What are your needs and what do you want to use your truck for? An Explorer is good for hauling the wife,kids and hockey equipment. A 1/2 ton is good for hauling wood, drywall,etc. Do you intend on 4 wheeling? Tow a trailer?

I went with a Screw, it hauls the family, and I can use the box to haul the farming stuff without getting the inside dirty. I find that the F-150 hauls trailers better (better feel and handling) then the Explorer.

What I'm trying to say is, get what suits you the best, If both are the same, get what you want.

 

I would kill for a Ford Crewcab p/u if I could find one AND get it to me for $3000 or less. And I have been looking for four months. Its the reason I might have to cave and get an explorer.

I need to haul one child and a wife (for now on the wife part anyway) and occasionally two dogs. I make one 50 mile round trip a week, otherwise on a regular basis its just 10-20 around town miles.

about once a month, I'd like to be able to go and get wood/firewood/drywall/flooring material or the occasional car engine or body part.

Twice yearly, I would be taking it "off road" but not for the sake of offroading, rather, for the sake of hunting. 4wd+snow+deer=stew.

Explorers with higher miles (160k-220k) around here are common, and affordable.

 

Sounds like you need a truck, not an SUV.

Steve

 

I own both a 1996 4WD Explorer and a 1991 2WD F150.

The Explorer is better for commuting/running errands. The F150 is better for large, bulky, or dirty cargo. The Explorer is better if you want to keep the cargo out of the rain/snow/weather or if you don't have a garage and want to leave your tools in the truck overnight. The Explorer is much nicer for longer trips.

Despite the fact that a pickup has a bed that can take a "4x8 sheet flat on the floor", you can't get a week's worth of groceries into a pickup. Unless you have a cap or crewcab, the stuff in the bed will blow away, get rained on, etc, and there isn't enough room in the cab to hold all that much besides 2 or 3 people.

The F150 will tow a larger trailer than the Explorer. But either will tow a utility trailer or small equipment trailer without a problem. In my case, the clutch and Mazda 5 speed in the Explorer limit the towing capacity more than the automatic in the F150.

The Explorer is more lightly built than the F150, and heavy-duty offroad 4x4 use will beat it up. Ground clearance is not great. But I have always been surprised at how well my Explorer does when I do try to push it in these situations, and much of the time while I am hunting, I never get off at least a somewhat improved road or trail.

You can toss a deer into the back of an Explorer without a problem. Your wife might object to blood on the carpet/bumper/liftgate/etc. Bring some garbage bags or carboard, etc with you when you go hunting. An elk will fit back there as well, but you will have to quarter it up out in the field. With a pickup, you can just drop either into the bed without concern, assuming you have some way to lift the animal up. And you can wash out the bed with a garden hose.

Neither is great on gas. The pickup is 12 to 15 MPG, the Explorer is 15 to 19 MPG.

One option to consider is an Explorer plus a small utility trailer. You can get fairly nice used trailers for $500 or so. You can tow the trailer to get your once-a-month wood/firewood/drywall/flooring/car engine/body part. The rest of the time you have a smaller vehicle, easier on gas, with a nicer interior, and generally more suitable for use as a "car". I drive my Explorer 5x as much as the pickup.

 

I've had both PU and Explorer. Each has advantages and disadvantages in particular circumstances. Currently have an Explorer, but really miss not having a PU, so may switch back to a light duty 1/2 ton full size (currently looking for just the right one).

In MY opinion, you just cannot beat a PU for versatility and hauling. Main drawback (as has already been stated) is unprotected cargo in the bed. I have found that by installing a light aluminum camper shell, you can solve this problem and the shell is easily removed when large/ bulky loading is needed. The light shell is removable by 1 man (but a wife/teenager helper works even better). Just remember that the shell does NOT provide a secure storage location and is easily broken into.

All other things being equal, it is a tossup.

Dialtone

 

My 2 cents worth -- Based on what you describe you're going to do with it, and Explorer will probably do just fine. Mostly depends on how much firewood/drywall/etc. you gather in one trip. Firewood/drywall can get heavy fast. Figure you'll need to add several hundred to the purchase of your Explorer for a utility trailer to haul the stuff you want to haul. My V6 Explorer pulls my camper trailer (~1 ton) regularly without complaint. Properly equipped, you should be able to haul 2 ton worth of stuff behind an Explorer. I don't see any reason you couldn't do what you want with an Explorer.

 

If you do get an Explorer and you plan on using it for hauling make sure that the rear end springs are up to the job. It was my experience, and from reading here and at other sites, that the spings on these vehicles are not really up to the task in the 1996-2000? model years (I forget when they changed styling to the newer versions). Considering the mileage vehicle you are looking at, I also have one, you might be in for some bucks to replace the rear springs.

 

Get both, Explorers are just 4x4 station wagons. They are great for the above reasons, but not really good for towing heavier loads. Especially the earlier ones with A4LD trannys. For your parts hauling a 2x4 1/2t would be cheap. Besides a trailer can be a pita. Around here beater 2 wheelers are cheaper than trailers anyway and a backup vehicle is nice to have.