Power, Lot's of room, Strero, Towing Cap.,

Gas Mileage, Piston slap, squeaks and rattles, musty smell from AC, ride

This thing sucks gas. I had the 5.4L w/tow pkg and 3:73 limited slip rear. It towed my boat with ease but the price you pay is the poor gas mileage (11 city). Last summer I was paying $60/week for gas (ouch). I had one of the 5.4L engines that had the piston slap problem. When fist started on a cold morning you could hear a loud knock coming from the engine for about a minute or so. Ford was offering to replace the engine with a new one but I traded in the truck for a Honda (due to divorce). I had the air rear suspension and when you shut down the truck the rear would "lower" about an inch or so. Problem was that it didn't lower evenly and listed to the driver's side. The dual air conditioner had a musty smell to it when first started. The smell would go away after some time. The ride was like that of being in a boat. Front end could have been firmer.

I guess the Expedition did what it was suppose to do...carry lots of stuff and people in confort. But it was the little things that gets you when spending 30K+++ for a truck. More time should have been spend engineering a better "smarter" vehicle. Like I said earler, I only kept the truck a year and didn't have the motor replaced (due to the pstion slap issue) so I'm curious as to how this thing would have held up in the long run.

If I were ever to consider getting an SUV again, I would check out the offerings from Toyota first before getting another Ford. FYI, my '91 Chevy Astro Wagon turned out to be a very reliable vehicle, it just didn't have enough power to tow my boat, gear and family.

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chevy astro wagon

Ther are many stengths for this car.
-very comfortable leather seats
-beautiful interir and exterior
-usage of chrom
-pulls boulders!(POWER!!!)
-manly truck
-carries lots of stuff!
-drives through some of the deepest snow-never gets stuck!
-no repairs exept recalls and oil changes
-great truck overall

-gas guzzler
-expensive
-third row seat too heavy!

We are a family of five nand we all are at lest 5'5 tall. We fit in so well and are extremely comfortable. This car is bigger and feels heavier than the explorer but it's smoother and more comfortable! WE take this car camping and it's great! WE recoment this to anyone who lives on a long driveway and doesn't plow it often, goes camping alot and needs a ver hard worker. Oh yeah you better have deep pockets!

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Exlporer, Crown Vic and Windstar.
Smoother than the explorer but alot bigger and harder to park. Much more fun to drive than Crown Victoria or Windstar.

This is the Cadillac of SUV's in my opinion. Mine is the EB 4x4 and it rides like a dream. Love the roominess, sound system, entertainment pkg, and the ton of options that were included.

I have none yet!

Could not ask for a better ride, fuel mileage should get better with break in on motor, plan on re-chipping it. Test drive one, think you will like!

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99 Izusu Rodeo, 95 Jeep Grand Cherokee, 94 Dodge 3/4 ton Diesel 4x4

Looks, Handling

Engine had to be replaced @ 22K miles. Bad heads. After replacement blew a rod less than 10 miles. Bad Luck? Maybe. (Glad I got the extended warentee)

Loved the vehicle at first until the bugs started showing up. Installed overhead video system myself after finding it on the web for 2K cheaper than dealer price. Vehicle is safe when it's running. Be careful, you could have a late rippening lemon as do I. Looking for trade soon.

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None

Safe, roomy, reliable, comfortable

Hard to access third row seats

We've had our Expedition for 2+ years and have not had the vehicle in the shop for anything except for regular service. Not a single problem so far! We take it on long trips (600+ miles one way) and it's as if we're taking our house with us. We pack it full of junk and have room left over. The low mileage per gallon issue is something to consider, but if I'm careful I can get away with a $120 per month gas bill. I don't consider this a major part of choosing a new vehicle anyway.

It also helps that our dealership has the best service department in the world (Kip Killmon Ford, Tysons Corner, VA) and a low or no pressure sales force.

Unfortunately our lease is up at the end of this year and since I can't deal with the difficult access to the third row seats for another 3 years, we won't be getting another Expedition.

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1996 Explorer

1. Huge storage area great for vacation trips with kids and dog.
2. Comfortable
3. My wife likes it!
4. Heater/AC control is good

1. Transmission/driveline problems. Truck was shaking the growling between 40 and 60 MPH. After 3 months and a final 3 weeks at the dealer it turns out the extension housing was LOOSE! During this time the transmission was also leaking about 1 quart of transmission fluid per week. Per on of these reviews you will notice that this is a common problem and is noted under service bulletin SB13725 by Ford. Ford needs to capture it's responsibility to this problem. From reading these reviews I have seen a few didderent people with the same type of symptoms.

I am nervous that when my warranty runs out that I will be spending alot of money repairing the transmission and maybe motor. Should I try to sell it now and buy a newer Expedition? Just have to wait and see. My family is very safe and I have found that it manuevers very well after meeting a person that had fallen asleep and veered directly into my travel lane. I was able to zig and zag at 40 MPH quick enough to avoid this collision. So yes I feel this vehicle handles well. The 4 wheel drive is great (when it works) as I have had the 4 wheel drive worked on twice. 1st time was a vacuum leak and the second was the grease had gummed the spline that engages for the 4wd. I was told it was because we did not use the 4wd enough...guess what!?-we use the 4wd on a daily basis in the winter and at least weekly during the summer. Roomy and comfertable nice sound system with CD changer my family still really likes this vehicle. Have had thoughts for a Tahoe or Suburban but I think a chevy would be worse.

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S-10 blazer,F150's,toyota. Toyota was the best vehicle. after 187,000 miles it still had the original clutch, motor and transmission. The only service was breaks and oil/filter-and tons of rust!

One of the major strengths of this "monster" is the overwhelming feeling of power and safety. I wanted one from the moment that they hit the scene. Also being 6'5" 265 lbs I absolutely love this SUV!!!

Of course one would gripe about the cost of gas, regular being $1.65 a gallon and up, and of course I try 2 use Premium which is now $1.79 a gallon and up!!! But hey, for the overall value and reliability it's well worth the trade-off!

All in all I love this vehicle I have installed a pretty nice music system, plan on upgrading my rims/tires and exhaust/ air-flow systems. Not sure If I'm going 2 get a performance chip or not...oh well. I have had no problems from this vehicle. I also got a great deal on it. It's a 98 XLT with on 29,000 miles on it for a mere $22,000!!! Also I'm only 21 years onld, live in Los Angeles, and work/attend class full time. SO this is a vehicle that is used ALL THE TIME!! I must admit that the jump from about $25.00 to fill up the tank in my Camry to $35-42.00 is quite a difference, and a bit hard 2 swallow, yet it was well worth the trade off. If anyone has had any insight into this vehicle please give it a shot. I've heard good and bad about it, yet has never given me any problems! In fact there are several of them on my street, and we have a kind of bond because of it...kind of cool...

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None

I have owned this monstrosity of a vehicle for a grand total of 3 days and I LOVE it! I was in a 96 Explorer V8 Loaded for about 7 months before this, a 94 GMC Sub, before that and a 96 Grand Cherokee as my first SUV. The Expy is the most comfortable ride and safest feel yet. I dont have the 3rd seat option, but that is okay.

The worst thing Ford has done since 1996 is screw with the physical safety features of their vehicles. I LOVED my keypad on the Explorer because I could leave the air or heat on when I ran into the post office, but now with no keypad and a key that you have to take out a second mortgage to pay for duplication ($80 AT A FORD DEALER BECAUSE OF A "CHIP" IN THE TOP) I cannot do that anymore. You can have any hardware store or Wal Mart cut you a key that will open the doors and gate, but if you put that key into the ignition and attempt to start the vehicle, be prepared for the police to come see why the alarm is sounding. This might be a novel idea if everyone that drove one lived downtown in a major metropolitian city where cars are often found on cement blocks, but how many vehicles are stolen yearly in this country by using a duplicated key?? Please rethink this FORD.

Also, as everyone that has reviewed on this page says, the steering is a bit responsive, but one can adapt to this as well as one could adapt to anything else.

Overall, I think the Expy is a great vehicle with exceptional resale value. I would again purchase this vehicle.

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1996 Explorer XLT - No comparison except for the manufacturer name. The Expy rides 200% better!

1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee 2WD - Just a pup compared to this monster.

1993 GMC Suburban - The Sub feels like you are driving a Sherman Tank down the street, the Expy is much more comfortable as you are up much higher in the vehicle.

Just the right size. Easy to park. Great on the interstate and long trips. Drives very smooth. Never had any problems (only taken back to dealer 2 times in 5 years. I love this car! I've heard lots of complaints of stearing - I love the creamy, easy stearing.

Not the best on gas. Took $40 to fill up last week.
Wife complains getting in with skirt - says to high off ground.

I have had a wonderful experience with this particular Expedition. Very few rattles. I feel safe. The next one may be a lemon but I doubt it.
I would recomend this SUV to young couples with children who don't want to be seen in a mini van. You sit up high and can see over most cars and pick-ups. Fits easily in garage.

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Jeep Cherokee - much smaller and more bumpy

LOTS of room. The Interior is done nicely except the 3rd seat... Great for smaaalllll children only.

Many service notices in the mail... many service notices not in the mail. Wipers turned on without warning. Transfer case needed replacing at 38000. Engine needed replacing at 52000. Thank God I purchased the extended warranty!!!!

I have purchased 7 Ford vehicles over a 26 year period with a big gap of BMW, Honda, and Nissan in the middle. I purchase 2 Expeditions over the last 4 years and had more problems with them than all the other "imports, I hate to say" put together. I can count on 1 hand the number of problems experienced with the imports. The stat sheets on my Expeditions are literally 3 inches thick. May I say that I don't believe Ford really cares about its customers nor do I believe Parkway Ford in Winston-Salem, NC cares about its customers whom over the years the family purchased 20+ vehicles. I can only hope that GM will be better(I still purchased the largest extended warranty available)... If not I will continue to vote with my dollars elsewhere! I find this very unfortunate... I liked the look and feel of my Expedition. I did not like the quality of the Ford product or the service I received from Ford and the Ford dealership.

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Chevy Suburban. More room than the Expedition. Ride not as smooth even with the Premium Ride option. For all else, only time will tell.