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tidester, host
I have an '02 AWD with the V8, towing package and my new transmission courtesy of the dealership that trashed my original one when replacing the solenoid that was causing rough shifting (rough shifting is better than no shifting!). :mad:
Anyway, took a trip over the weekend and coming home filled up on the south side of Nashville headed back to Atlanta. After getting up to speed and setting the cruise on 80, I reset the fuel mileage computer and didn't touch it again until I got home. After approximately 280 miles, including a rainstorm getting into Atlanta, the computer showed 19.4 mpg average. Unfortunately, by the time we got home I was too tired to go fill up again to make my own calculation before I drove in rush hour traffic to work the next morning.
My point, I guess, is that I routinely get better than 19 mpg in freeway driving in excess of 70 mph. I can't wait to get a new '06 with the more powerful engine and 6 speed tranny!
The moon and the stars must be in alignment.........(however, I would not trust that onboard computer!)
I own a Nissan Altima 1998 and I hadn't any problems with it but now I have 3 girls and it is time for me to change the family car. I am very unconfortable driving my small Altima with my three girls, and 2 of them still in car seats. Do you recomend me the Mountaineer as a good save family SUV?
I would appreciate any recomendations. I also don't want to get in deep debts and hight car payments because my car deal was a ripe off. I didn't know better back them but now I am making sure I do my homework researching in deep my next car before I purchase.
Thanks,
Spring25
I would be very disappointed if I bought another truck that is roughly the same size with a larger, more powerful engine and got the same mileage. The bigger engine will use more fuel from a standing start, but SHOULD use less to keep it going since it does not have to work as hard.
I used to get about 10 mpg in town with my '70 Mustang but would get 25+ on the highway since it didn't have to work hard. I actually would de-tune it for long cross country trips and once got around 40 mpg on the highway, but it barely ran at idle!
I always use cruise control and don't vary my speed unless I am forced to, unlike many other folks I come across that seem to accelerate every time they change lanes :confuse:
http://www.media.ford.com
They are vehicles which offer the top safety features, planty of space, but not the bulk of larger SUVs or minivans, so they are easy to park, make U-turns and save on fuel (over larger vehicles).
Choose whichever one looks best and gives the features you want, as they are the same, except for appearance and option combinations. You should be able to buy either for invoice or below, even if the "employee pricing" promotions do not continue - simply send bid letters to several dealers if your first choice dealer's fleet / internet department wants too much.
OK-guilty as charged. I haven't been through a whole tank of gas yet on the new 4Runner. I was looking at the onboard computer. The 4Runner has 5,000 miles on it. It was a dealer demo. So, I will measure this tank. Although with only 5K on it, don't know if it'd quite time to figure real world mpg. But I will let you know! :surprise:
Secondly - it's not uncommon for the larger engine option to equal the smaller one in economy, since you have so much mass to move, the smaller engine often works much harder than the 8 does, which uses about as much gas.
It takes so much energy to move a vehicle. The power plant that moves it needs to use a quantified amount of fuel to do it generally.
The 4-runner is a great truck - but it's very trucky. Too trucky for my taste. I need more comfort for most of my driving, easier steering, better ride, etc.
NVbanker.....the V6 in my Explorer was rated at 210HP. The V8 in the 4Runner is now at 270HP! It is a DOHC 32 valve motor! Also, it is a sport Edition and has the "X-REAS" suspension setup. It uses hydraulic fluid lines run to the opposite corners of the vehicle (example left rear to right front) shock absorbers to put the fluid where it is needed most. Hence, an "almost" sports car feel on corners. Also, the five speed automatic is so buttery smooth you can't even tell it is shifting. I hate to say this-but when it comes to powertrain refinement-the Toyota has the Explorer beat "hands down". Yeah, it has a solid axle, but with the sophisticated suspension setup, one can hardly tell. You know NVBanker-you have very discerning taste, you should take one on a test drive! The steering...very accurate. It is a VARIABLE GEAR rack and pinion setup!
Probably true for 2005 & earlier. Explorer leap-frogs Toyota in 2006 with the 292 HP, 3-valve 4.6L engine and world-class SIX speed, buttery-smooth transmission.
I am interested in purchasing a 05 Explorer XLT but was wondering if anyone had experience with the Explorer and Car Seats. We currently have two children under the age of four both in car seats. We would like to add to our family in the coming year and we are looking for a vehicle that can handle three car seats across in the second row. Like the XLT because if we needed to carry an extra person we could put them or one of the kids in the third row. Any one with knowledge about this i would love to hear your thoughts! Want to get an idea about how car seats may fit before i drag the family to the dealership for a test drive. Thanks in advance!!
Well, the five speed in my '02 was supposed to be a great transmission. While making the motor turnover low RPMs at highway speeds - translating in to 20 mpg; it wasn't very smooth around town. Having the solenoid replaced helped some! So I guess time will prove your statement accurate.
Happy Motoring.
Chuck - Toyota is my second favorite brand in the world. I bought an 04 4-runner for my neighbor, and drove it extensively. I'm very familiar with it. I was quite disappointed with how it drove. Much more like a Jeep, frankly, except the hood bubble is so high, you can't see the ground in front of you, which if you're off road, is a problem. No question, the power train is probably the finest in the world, and that's why she wanted it - reliability. She's happy with it. But it didn't work for me - if the car is too hard to drive, too much effort in the steering, and these have a LOT of effort to steer, I don't like 'em. YMMV. Enjoy your Runner. It'll last forever.
Just bought a 2001 Explorer Sport and notice that all the messages under the Explorer Sport Heading are read only. Were they folded into the regular Explorer postings in 2002 when they were marked read only? If that's so, is this where I should be looking for info and comments?
Thanks
I thank yo very much Steve because you were the only one that reply to my message, I wonder if there is anybody else that would like to add their 0.2 in this?
Steve, Host
just put on some new tires. based on how they feel, seems like they have lower rolling resistence than my original tires, i think i'll be able to better the miileage i had been getting.
hey lat... i had a '97 explorer v8 awd. back then the towing package was standard. loved that transmission, no slop in it. the rpms would hardly drop during shifts. the biggest drawback was that the second row seats were not very comfortable, and we like taking long road trips. i'd tell you that i could get over 19 mpg on long trips, but chuck1 might have a heart attack, so i'm not telling you that.
things such as nice ride, etc. Other bad things such as various rattles and middle of the road build quality in the interior.
Let's see what '06 brings!
I think the new Explorer is far superior to the old one. Granted, it's less trucky, but still gets me anywhere off road I wanna go with no problems. A Jeep would be better, or a Land Rover, but for the money, I think the Explorer is the best value on the road.
http://vnews.ironmanlive.com/vnews/topstories/1121463254
General advice for dealing with dealers: Leave the kids at home. Take a friend who is experienced negotiating with dealers. Research the value of your trade, and the car you are buying, and know the correct price difference between your trade and whatever you're buying. Don't pay more than that difference, and don't let them confuse you by fiddling with the trade and sales price, which they WILL do. If the deal isn't to your liking, be ready to walk away. You the customer hold the ultimate power tool: Your money. Remember: Unless your car is totally dead, :sick: you don't have to buy, but they eventually have to sell or they're out of business.
I already have 2 friends that volunteer to go with me, and wont allow those shark car sales people to take advantage, we will be ready to walk if the deal they are giving me, it is not such of great deal for me. Thanks again for your input.
Anybody??? suggestions please?????
Steve, Host
Toyota Sienna - BEST, but most expensive.
Honda Odyssey - Also great, older design, also expensive.
Dodge Caravan - Darn good van, good design, pretty good reliability.
Ford Freestar/Mercury Monterey - Better than you think. Older design, but hold up surprisingly well.
GM any of the 5 copies they make - Too narrow, old tech, worst of the bunch.
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Potential rear-end problems. transmission solenoid, reflash of computer for transmission, power window motors.
the tranny flush recommended by service at 30k fixed all that.
don't point it out to sales and expect it to be done. just set aside the money for it and have it done as part of scheduled service.
have 47k miles and the rear axle has gotten noisy. my warranty is to 75k, so i'm not in a hurry to get it fixed(yet). i really don't know how prevelant this problem is, but it is not unheard of.
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