lins and Stef McLachlan

Hi

I know there is a thread on SUVs but I would like some honest feedback on one in particular. The Ford Explorer XLT, probably looking at a 2003. I would like to know if anyone has one, and any thing good or bad which we should be aware of. Also what sort of cost insurance would be with letters to prove max no claims from UK insurers.

Any feedback would be great
lol
Stef

SDDep

You want honest opinion right?

Ford= Found On Roadside Dead..

The explorer is an ok SUV, if a bit small...they have a more appropriate nickname..The Ford Exploder..due to their tendancy to rollover and explode..

Of course this will depend on how you drive...SUV's, just like trucks, have a higher center of gravity and handle differently...

Bearing all that in mind, I drive an Expedition at work and its great...

I would just research...look at crash rating and consumer reports etc...

Your insurance rating will be determined by the vehicle, driving records, age, zipcode etc etc...good luck...

lins and Stef McLachlan

Thank you
Are Fords that different in Canada? Or is it just this particular vehicle? We have driven Fords (Mondeo and KA) for a number of years with no problems whatsoever. I will have a look at the reports you suggest. I do appreciate that it is higher off the ground and therefore a different style of driving is needed. Thanks again
lol
Stef

GavinR

The Exploder nickname referred to the previous model, an entirely different beast. However the 2002-2004 vehicles weren't particularly reliable, later ones are better. Incidentally, Ford now has one of the best reputations in the industy, though it usually takes the public about 10 years to cotton on.

Atlantic Xpat

As Gavin says, it was an older generation explored (1990's) that had the reputation for turning over (and that was to do with the Firestone tires as much as the vehicle.) I almost bought an 04 Explorer last year but I believe that the 02-03's have a poorer reputation. The 4.0L is thirsty and the V8 thirstier but apparently a preferred option.

Insurance will be enormously expensive pretty much irrespective of car.

lins and Stef McLachlan

Thanks for your replies. I think a trip to see an insurance broker first might be in order....we will go and have an informal chat. Thanks for clearing up the 'Exploder' tag.....that had me worried. So if the price is right we need to look for anything from 04?
Thanks again for your replies. What a minefield we are treading...so it seems.
lol
Stef

Danny B

Don't forget to research the value here http://www.vmrcanada.com/ and then compare it to what the dealer is asking. I printed my value off and took it to the dealer, they matched the retail value almost to the dollar.

lins and Stef McLachlan

Oh that is very useful
Thank you.....was the saving significant?
Good for you
lol
Stef

lmartin999

Any idea how accurate this is or how they calculate the figures? I've been looking at a car online (it's a little bit unusual so there are not many to choose from etc). Asking price is $25,995. VMR shows retail at $16,900.

In this case I can't ever see there being one of these at $16,900, but maybe $25,995 is rather too high. I suspect they won't take $9K off the price. The car new was $67,390!

Atlantic Xpat

I'm skeptical about VMRcanada. You get to tick a lot of boxes with adds and deletes that are immaterial or come as standard on the vehicle. For example are you really going to pay $150 more or less for 'leccy windows? More likely a certain trim level is going to make a difference to price.

One method I've used to weigh up price is to do a national search on autotrader.ca to see what cars of the make and year are typically going for in different provinces. Then you can make some assessment of whether the car you are looking at is a good deal or not. In a smaller market like Nfld, vendors often try and command a premium for vehicles that are in short supply compared to the mainland.

blue monday

The anagram I have always known in the uk is Fix Or repair Daily.

As for the Escape XLT, it looks really nice but the downside for me (besides it being a Ford) is it not a 'proper' 4 x 4 in the way an Explorer is or a landrover is (as it has an electronic transfer system and it runs as FWD untill it senses slip then it moves power to the back) but unless you intend to go off road that wont be much of an issue i guess.

Tuppence

Seem to be stupidly small on the inside for the huge outside. Value plummets, so you should be able to save a chunk on the new price, if you end up going that way.

lmartin999

Just curious as to why (while still in the UK) you chose this vehicle to consider?

Danny B

Just be sure to tick the boxes for every single option that it has, you'd be surprised how much extra it adds to the final value.

Dealers never expect to get the sticker price, it's just a starting point. For a vehicle whose original value was $67k, negotiating several thousand would be perfectly normal.

transatlantic

TD Insurance seem to give you a sensible quote online... one of the few places I could find that were not astronomical! Plus when I bought the insurance they reduced the premium by $200 'after reviewing your details'