I currently drive a 2019 Honda civic EX. I enjoy the vehicle but I’m needing a 4x4 with moderate towing capacity for winter driving and my landscaping business. My eyes are currently set on a 2014 ford explorer sport. It checks my boxes for drivetrain and towing capacity but it’s also extremely fast (for a full-size SUV) and luxurious. It’s got 110,000 miles for a price of $12,500. Is there anything I should know before pulling the trigger? Any vehicle in the same price range which is explicitly better?
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Looks to be a fairly reliable vehicle with a long pedigree and ample replacement parts. 6 recalls listed, so be sure they have been taken care of, if effected.
If i remember on the 3.5 ecoboost engine the water pump is run off the timing chain. It’s a very expensive replacement since it’s labor intensive.
Biggest thing with these motors’/drivetrain. ^
Im not super familiar with that suv, But from what i gathered from online. Its decent, doesnt do anything spectacular. It may not be suited for rock climbing type of off-roading, but for fire trials and snow. It should be fine. Im not to impressed with the v6 as far as 0-60 being close to 7sec with an engine thats running 365hp. Common complaints I read so far has been about it feeling bigger than it really is for a crossover suv. The transmission seems to be the biggest thing that goes out on them. Getting a car at 110k miles for a job seems risky since you wernt the one who drove it that far so who knows how hard the last person drove it.
Over all: It seems solid and can do what you want it to do. But iv never owned one and just researched reviews people have about it. Are you getting rid of the civic?
Idk why there are so many conflicting 0-60 times online but the videos I’ve seen present a time in the low 5’s with sand mode and high 5’s in regular drive mode.
I’d stay away from anything made by Ford that has a turbo. Nothing but problems. That v6 itself is good, but the turbos don’t last. The PD one town over got rid of all their turbo explorers and switched to non turbo models due to always having them in the shop.
The transfer case tends to self destruct. It doesn’t hold much oil, and what little it does have evacuates through the vent pipe. Proper fluid checks and maintenance can keep this from happening by keeping an eye on the level, but no one ever checks their transfer case. You can also add a long hose to the vent pipe to keep it from happening.
At that mileage, it’s probably going to start leaking from the water pump soon. Expect a few thousand to change that pump out. The entire timing chain has to come off to access the pump.