explorer vrs the blazer
Question:
I am looking to buy a utility ve. what is the best value out there? I kinda like the blazer. gm usually makes a better overall vehicle.. I have a chevy club cab pickup and I realy like it. I also have a dodge mini van and it is good. I had a bad experience with a 88 ford pickup.. bad brakes…. are the brakes on this explorer any good? I also like the yukon, but here that the mileage is poor… help this Minn boy. grant
Response:
>I am looking to buy a utility ve. what is the best value out there? I >kinda like the blazer. gm usually makes a better overall vehicle.. I have a > chevy club cab pickup and I realy like it. I also have a dodge mini van >and it is good. I had a bad experience with a 88 ford pickup.. bad >brakes…. are the brakes on this explorer any good? I also like the >yukon, but here that the mileage is poor… help this Minn boy. grant
The best car is the one you know, I guess. Kinda like wives and ex-girlfriends. I tell myself I like dark-haired women, but history says blondes were better. On to your car question: The observation that GM usually makes a better overall vehicle is subjective, and in this case is not supported by the market data. Explorers have outsold the S10 Blazer and the Bravada and the GMC versions combined since the first year. But the Explorer is not without faults– Depending on the year you are considering (buying a used one?), you’ll find references to brake and transmission problems leading the gripe list. Until very recently, Ford has put wimpy brakes on almost all their cars. Many will probably argue that this has not changed much, but at least the latest models are available with 4-wheel disks. Transmission problems are noted from users at as low as 16k miles. Others report well over 100k with proper service. I suspect it has a lot to do with the driving and service habits of the owners. Note that these problems are not exclusive to the Ford cars. GM’s transmissions are also notorious for failures, and the brakes are not far behind. I had the pleasure of a S10 Blazer as a work truck before I bought my Explorer in March ‘92. The Blazer was a company car, and was OK at the time. I had a chance to drive a vendor’s rented Explorer in the snow, and was immediately impressed. I finished that project, but didn’t replace the car for another year. I then bought the Explorer for the space, comfort, styling and conveniences. Since then GM has upgraded their offerings to make them more competitve in the current market. High-line mini-Blazers are now available. But Ford hasn’t been standing still– The newest SOHC V-6 and V-8 AWD models are certainly world-class cars, with the sales numbers to prove it. Consider resale values when you choose, and you may also see that the Fords are doing a bit better than the Blazer. If you are looking seriously in the ‘Tahoe’ class, take a good look at the Expedition from Ford. Based on the proven best-selling F-150 platform, this is a smooth riding limo next to the Tahoe. Rumor is that GM will have a new K-series out in the next two years, so you might want to wait a bit to see what they bring out. Like I said at the beginning, the best one is the one you know. If you have a good history with GM cars, look there. Owning a Ford car with a strong prejudice toward GM will not make you a happy customer if -anything- goes wrong. On the mileage issue, none of these is a star. My car sits smack dab on the EPA mileage ratings that are posted on the windows. While your mileage may vary, my experience is that it doesn’t vary much, and only down when it does. If you are really needing mileage, have the dealer drop a metro in the back of your pickup. :-) There’s no reason to believe there are any exceptional trucks in the class, mileage-wise. Good Luck! And enjoy your new car, whatever it turns out to be! dr bob
Response:
I use to own a 91 Chevy Corsica and I decided to trade it in for a new sport utility vehicle. I had my heart set on buying a Blazer and did much research from magazines and talking to friends and car dealers. I test drove at least 3 Blazers and 3 Explorers from 4 different dealerships. I found the Blazer brakes to be a bit mushy. The Explorer also has much more cargo space. My mind was quickly made up in favor of the explorer. I felt it handled better. I purchased a 96 Explorer with a V-8 engine, put on 25,000 miles in 1 year and have never been happier. The Explorer is a quality vehicle.
Response:
I think the V8 is only in the 97 Explorers. But then again I might be wrong… RPR
Response:
> I think the V8 is only in the 97 Explorers. > But then again I might be wrong… > RPR
The V8 appeared in the 96 explorer. The SOHC V6 is only in the 97. And now it’s rumored the 98 will get the 4.6L SOHC V8. 3 years, 3 new engines (maybe…) — — Allen Kirby AT&T ITS Production Services
Response:
> I think the V8 is only in the 97 Explorers. > But then again I might be wrong… > RPR
The V8 was forst in the 1996 Explorers. — Mark ‘30 Ford Model "A" Tudor ‘94 Ford Club Wagon 7.3L Diesel with Hypermax Turbo ‘97 Ford Taurus SHO The views expressed above are my own.
