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Buying new suv- reviews opinion?

OEM Kevin said:
CG did you ever check out the new Dodge Durango? If you did Im just curious what you thought of it?
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I sat in one - they didnt have it available for test drive. It looks solid - and reviews were great - but its not for me. Going to try a Ford Explorer tomorrow however if you are curious, i think it was you who linked the dodge/explorer motor trend article... i am really curious how this explorer will turn out.

JRod said:
No matter what you buy do not follow their service intervals for their "free" maintenance. You go 5k on a full synthetic oil change and 3k otherwise. This 10k and 15k intervals they are trying to push is ridiculous.
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I spoke with the service manager today -and he said BMW recommends 15k oil change intervals. Is there a reason you recommend otherwise? As long as they don't have special engine code resets or something silly that requires me to have them change the oil - i can certainly change the oil in it at 5k myself for cheap. Its paying them $100 for an oil change every 5k that would bother me. But $100 at 15k is a good deal.

Free service for 50k or 4 years. I know probably no big service would need done anyway- maybe brakes. But i would try and take it in before its up to get most of the stuff done. They said they have an extended program too for a 6 year 100k free maintenance. Which i doubt i can put 100k on a car in under 6 years.

Im taking the G/F up tomorrow AM for another test drive so she can see it - and i may jump in an X5 too and see if its worth the added cost. But i was very happy with the X3. Awesome intuitive IDRIVE system. And it just felt so stable and quick. Anyways thanks for the help. I do really appreciate criticism at this point.

JRod said:
Speaking from experience here Chrysler has the highest cost of ownership, they are ridiculously expensive to repair and require frequent repair. I will admit I am a Toyota homer, but in my professional opinion I would stay as far away from any Chrysler product as possible. I have done this for 13 years unfortunately.

I'm sure 10 people could come on here and tell you that their 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee has been the best vehicle they have ever owned. But in my experience they are extremely expensive as a manufacturer to maintain.
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The test drive was very promising for the newly remodeled Jeep. Again it was only a test drive - but it felt just as solid as the germans. But the track record on these things is just miserable. And with chrysler throwing in the chips - i couldnt throw that kinda money into one. especially with the radio system the way it was.

NoLine said:
Good luck with the purchase and remember, Germans cars are supposed to be Silver on Black, at least every BMW and Mercedes I've owned has been, it just fits the them for some reason.
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I know! my brother in law drives an m5. sick looking in silver/black. Funny because every other car ive test drove - ive requested black on black - yet i get to the BMW dealership and the black on black just doesnt FEEL right. The silver on black just LOOKS right. SO weird. I drove a black on black AUDI that was sick looking. Same with the VW. Strange how different the BMW felt color wise. Must be hardcoded in my head somewhere! Im going to check out the diff blacks tho - of course there are 3 diff blacks to compare heh. As well as 3 silvers.
 
enlightenening day on the car shopping front. Took the G/F to test drive the BMW - i still really like it - but it was getting on the pricey side (55k). doable - but not loving the monthly payment lol.

went to audi - to compare intial thoughts on both - really liked audi drive - but the MMI wasnt as good as the BMW idrive.

Then - my last dealership - Germain Ford. I ask for a limited Explorer 2011 - 4WD - rapid spec 302A option pkg. They have on in white on tan. Not my fav combo - but im giving everything a shot.

Well - it blew me away. there has always been a sort of disconnect for me between the "american" and "foreign" cars. the GMC/Chevy/Buick just dont feel like quality builds in comparison to the BMW/Audi.
I get into this and it "feels" like im sitting in a "foreign" built car. Very comfortable seats - the trim is amazing - contrasts great - buttons well laid out for windows, locks. But the real clincher here is the INFOTAINMENT center radio stack. Its a nice big screen - touchscreen AND has knobs as well for radio and tuning. (you could learn something here jeep lol) Great Sony sound system - you can change just about anything via the touchscreen - or the buttons/knobs below - or the controls on the steering wheel. Very nice to have options.

Ill admit im a techno geek - i can usually start playing with something and pick it up - but this system was pretty complex. After 15 minutes in the lot - i decide ive made this poor girl in the passenger seat wait patiently (and quietly) long enough. So i stop fiddling with all the buttons and take it for a spin.

First impressions was - this thing is HUGE. Its no tiny Audi, Acura or BMW. There is some serious girth. 3 row seating - and i fit fine in the 3rd row - which could hold 3 adults for a short 30 min drive somewhere. ( im 5'8", nah 5'7" lol, and 170)

The leather seats are very comfortable - the 2nd row has tons of legroom - and folding down the 3rd row - it collapses nice and flat for luggage. i am just blown away. I went in with an open mind - and i think i am FINALLY done car shopping.

A very special thank you to THP forum member, Osahar, for telling me about the explorer and all its technology goodies. Im glad i took your advice and went in. I was skeptical - after reading about all the explorer problems of past - but i am not anymore. This is one well built vehicle.

The drive was solid as hell, the v6 gave it plenty of power IMO, but its not going to win any races. Not what i need it for, just needed more room/space - and a nice comfy ride for longer road trips. This thing is going to be a nice addition to my garage!!!

They even were able to find a black on black one in the city - taking the GF back tonight at 7 for a 2nd test... From experience - i calm down a little more and get a better feel for it the 2nd time around. So we will see if i feel the same tonight - but i cannot imagine being talked out of it.

***one of my fav features is the my sync. pair my phone to it - and i can stream music from my iphone to the stereo, if someone calls it cuts out the radio - and plays it handsfree over the speakers. I can talk and end the call with one little button on the steering wheel. (just about every car ive tested has this too but ford did it best.)

In addition to handsfree calling - it has a host of other options i browsed but didnt test - one i did see that was pretty promising was the reading of texts from my phone. Apparantly the ford sync wiill read my incoming texts to me and convert them to speech! Awesome!! I dont think i can speech to text back tho.... yet.

it stored all my contacts quickly into the computer too - so another little button on the steering wheel was VOICE ACTIVATION. Say call Nikki work - it called the GF at her desk! brilliant!
 
I'm glad you've found a solution, and a domestic one at that!
 
Love the Ford Sync system. Sounds like a nice vehicle and good luck if you get it.
 
thanks! i knew youd approve rat! haha - well see they offered a great deal on my g/f tradein - and osahar mentioned extending me a family/friends discount -which just floored me.

THP members are just first class.


If it works out - I owe you a round of golf and then some osahar!!!

:banana:
 
Seems like a winner CG! How's that bad boy on fuel? Thirsty or is it ok?
 
9-Iron Man said:
Seems like a winner CG! How's that bad boy on fuel? Thirsty or is it ok?
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17/22 on the reviews. on my test drive it averaged 20 - some highway some city. Not terrible. the audi that i was driving pretty spiritually this am was 16 when i was done. But i got that bad boy up to 120 on the outerbelt haha.
 
cg13 said:
17/22 on the reviews. on my test drive it averaged 20 - some highway some city. Not terrible. the audi that i was driving pretty spiritually this am was 16 when i was done. But i got that bad boy up to 120 on the outerbelt haha.
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Was that on the onboard computer? I find they are about 2 mpg higher than what they really get. My Outback is off by that much, and friends I've talked to find the same in their vehicles.
 
CG, I thought about the Explorer but went a cheaper, got me a Edge Limited. love the Sync & stuff!
 
cg13 said:
17/22 on the reviews. on my test drive it averaged 20 - some highway some city. Not terrible. the audi that i was driving pretty spiritually this am was 16 when i was done. But i got that bad boy up to 120 on the outerbelt haha.
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That's a bit thirsty for me. My car gets about 24 in the city and 37 on the highway with my 3.5L V6. That's on premium gas though. If I ever switch I'll need something that gets better mileage than that. I know you can't compare them directly, but my parents have an 06 RAV4 with the V6 and it gets low 30s on the highway.
 
Oil breaks down. I could go into all kinds of lubrication properties and what heat, mileage does to them but I won't bore you with the details. The fact of the matter is after 5k miles a synthetic oil begins to rapidly deteriorate causing engine breakdown. A lot of people seem to think synthetic oil is a "fake" or "manmade" oil. This is not true. It's still a fossil based oil that goes through a process called synthesis to remove sulphur, which is what causes oil to break down. They then put in whats called an additive package to replace the properties the sulphur provides to the oil. Heat dissipation, viscosity, etc.

The fact of the matter is, oil breaks down. It doesn't matter if its in a BMW or a Yugo. You would be doing yourself and your investment a severe disservice changing the oil every 15k miles. The reason the manufacturer suggests this is when a customer see's that the vehicle only needs an oil change every 15k they see it as a selling point, much like you did. This is a reasonable assumption to an uneducated consumer. I would be the same way buying a boat, or a plane...as I have no knowledge of either.

I could go on for days about this subject but I don't want to bore you or any other forum members. Engines produce heat, heat breaks down oil. It's really just that simple. Between the lower nominal engine temps and direct injection this is why diesels are so much more efficient.
 
JRod said:
Oil breaks down. I could go into all kinds of lubrication properties and what heat, mileage does to them but I won't bore you with the details. The fact of the matter is after 5k miles a synthetic oil begins to rapidly deteriorate causing engine breakdown. A lot of people seem to think synthetic oil is a "fake" or "manmade" oil. This is not true. It's still a fossil based oil that goes through a process called synthesis to remove sulphur, which is what causes oil to break down. They then put in whats called an additive package to replace the properties the sulphur provides to the oil. Heat dissipation, viscosity, etc.

The fact of the matter is, oil breaks down. It doesn't matter if its in a BMW or a Yugo. You would be doing yourself and your investment a severe disservice changing the oil every 15k miles. The reason the manufacturer suggests this is when a customer see's that the vehicle only needs an oil change every 15k they see it as a selling point, much like you did. This is a reasonable assumption to an uneducated consumer. I would be the same way buying a boat, or a plane...as I have no knowledge of either.

I could go on for days about this subject but I don't want to bore you or any other forum members. Engines produce heat, heat breaks down oil. It's really just that simple. Between the lower nominal engine temps and direct injection this is why diesels are so much more efficient.
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Nice jrod, thanks for that: most of these have engine oil coolers on them, think that extend the life for th purpose of 10-15k oil changes?

Took a 2nd test drive at night- nice! I have them searching for a black on black with the right options. Hopefully they can locate someing im done already!

Bulldog: how long gave you had that edge? I test drove one today- but i wanted more room, and i love the new look of the explorers.

Can't wait to get behind the wheel again! Top notch ford! Im still in shock of the quality build and tech components. I sat in a gmc Acadia today after the explorer and couldn't even fathom it, felt so poorly constructed in comparison
 
CG: Do NOT skimp on oil changes.
Do them as regularly as possible, they are the cheapest way to keep your engine in running form.
Some engines may say they can do 10k or 15k but that is probably not a good idea in the interest of the engine - especially if you plan on keeping your vehicle for a long time.
Like I said before, 5,000km is about as far as we'll go before our cars get new oil - this works out to be one every season for us.
As a point of comparison, before we bought our charger in 2008, our last car was a 1980 cordoba, it was in PERFECT mechanical condition, the only problem was that the floors were rusting out!
My uncle on the other hand, decided that since his pathfinder was "new" it didn't need an oil change. He went 20,000 miles without doing a change and ended up toasting his engine because new cars DO in fact use some oil. It's normal!
 
5,000 miles is every 1-1/2 to 2 months for me, ugggh. I use synthetic and change every 4,000 to 5,000 or so. When I get to 4,000, I start trying to figure out when I can work it in! As often as I do it though, I should start changing my own, but I HATE changing oil!
 
Smallville said:
5,000 miles is every 1-1/2 to 2 months for me, ugggh. I use synthetic and change every 4,000 to 5,000 or so. When I get to 4,000, I start trying to figure out when I can work it in! As often as I do it though, I should start changing my own, but I HATE changing oil!
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Yep, it's a pain in the ass, but it's the most important thing you can do for your car.
Seriously, maintaining a car is way cheaper than fixing one.
 
yea when i was younger id just go to sams club or wherevever and stock up on oil and filters. should be pretty easy to change the oil on the explorer - just pain in the ass lol
 
You're extremely welcome, cg13! I'm just glad you liked it, especially with that extensive list of vehicles you've tried out. I've driven it back-to-back with most of the competition and been extremely impressed, but I can't say that I'm completely un-biased either. Hearing that from someone else is great!

And remember, if you have any issues with the dealership let me know.
 
Spent the morning on the phone with dealership - and emailing OSAHAR back and forth- Unbelievable the level of generousity on his part. Truly a great THP member and person. Has truly gone out of his way to help me with this. Special Ordering a black one - dealer expects 6-8 weeks - probably sooner.

Can't wait for a road trip now !
 
Congrats on finally picking the SUV for you. Post pics when your new baby is delivered.
 
Congrats on your decision!
 
cg13 said:
hell no- thats like 15-18 hour drive. ill fly ty lol
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Sounds like a nice shake-down/road trip!
Load it up with some good tunes, some good friends, and just hit the road!
Maybe hit the BBQ joints on the way down?
 
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