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Ford Explorer vs Toyota Highlander...anyone?

Dr. Nole

Dr. Nole

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Sep 13, 2002
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Looks like my 2003 Ford Expedition is close to being put out to pasture.

Need something that can tow just above 4000lbs so looking at the Explorer and Highlander, and anything else in this sort of category(rated to tow 5000lbs)

Anyone with input on these?

Thanks.
 
I was never a big fan of the Explorer but have several friends with the new style and they love it. One of them pulls a very large popup camper and he said it handles it very easily. My daughter is looking between the 2 also and from the reviews she said it just comes down to personal preference. I think she is leaning towards the Explorer, but that could change twice this afternoon.
 
I had an 02' Explorer. Had reoccurring problem with the ABS braking system & with the transmission. Don't think I'd buy another Explorer.

This post was edited on 4/1 4:59 PM by ELONOLE
 
I bought a 2014 Limited Highlander last summer, after being all but certain that we were going to get either a 2014 Limited Explorer or a Limited 4Runner (the latter of which I drove for the preceding 10 years).

I do prefer the look of the 4Runner and Explorer to the Highlander, but man, the Highlander is nice to drive, compared to both of the other vehicles. I would never have bought a Highlander before the redesign last year, as they looked ridiculous; the new ones are sharp looking.

The Explorer has some blind spots that I found difficult to deal with, and the 4Runner just isn't as comfortable a ride as the Highlander.

I got the towing hitch on the Highlander, and I believe it can tow upwards of 5,000 lbs (there is no towing package per se, they're all set up to tow; just need to add the hitch).

The Highlander is AWD, and while I prefer on-demand 4WD for the weather up here, it handled just fine in the snow and ice we've had over the last 5 months.

I have zero regrets about the Highlander (and the Limited has every bell and whistle imaginable).
 
Thanks all....I plan on test driving both of course.

I may be wrong but I assume the Toyota would be more reliable?
 
Those 2 vehicles are not even in the same class.

The Highlander pisses on that Ford.
 
I owned a 2007 Highlander, and my wife currently owns a 2013 Explorer. The Explorer is nice, but it isn't a Highlander. Whatever category or item I would rate would be at least 1 notch higher on the Highlander than on the Explorer.
 
I've got a 2002 Highlander Limited that has 247k miles and has been a wonderful car......after I hit 170k miles I started looking for a replacement but the ol' gal just keeps running so I am hanging on to her til she dies!

Have also owned a Ford Explorer and a Chevy Blazer in the past........never again. I'm really pleased with my Highlander.
 
I'm on my fourth Explorer, reason being they didn't do me wrong and I'm loyal to good products. I put approximately 150,000 miles on each and put maybe a thousand bucks in non warranty repairs total on the four. I'm currently driving a 2013 Limited with every creature comfort known to man. The technology and safety features are pretty much mind blowing. Ride is amazing and quiet as a mouse. I have a neighbor with a 2008 Eddie Bauer Expedition, he was blown away when I took him for a spin. I'll admit that early on the Japs were cranking out better vehicles, but I think the US companies have pretty much caught up.
 
Never had a ford, but like other posters, my 02 highlander just hit 200k miles - with only regular maintenance.
 
Find a 2002 Ford Excursion with a 7.3 diesel. You will thank me later. 137,000 miles and I'm just breaking mine in.
 
Originally posted by hatsbo:
I'll admit that early on the Japs were cranking out better vehicles,
Click to expand...
LOL what? Are you posting from 1944?
You are aware that phrase is widely regarded as a slur, right?
 
I love my 2013 Explorer! The new body style makes it look smaller but it actually has plenty of room inside.
 
My wife bought a new Explorer about two months ago. Her salesman was Bert Reed. It is the Sport Edition ( Garnet in color ) and has the twin turbo V-6 and every option you could get. ( Nav, collision avoidance, twin sunroofs, heated and cooled seats, etc.). That SOB will freakin fly. I think she is going through a midlife crisis! She loves the car. I think Bert signed a contract to play arena football in Las Vegas.
 
Originally posted by KevNole:
Love my Toyota albeit a Tundra

Posted from Rivals Mobile
Click to expand...
And the early models were some of the biggest POS on the road too. The newer ones are very good if you can afford the gas for them.
 
We pretty thoroughly searched this vehicle class about 2 years ago and ended up with a Honda Pilot AWD, tows up to 4,500lbs.

I am not a fan of Ford, having had an Explorer that had a lot of problems, I liked the Nissan Xterra best, it sat high and felt more rugged, I liked the Highlander but it felt the least like a truck, and more like a car.

My wife's pick was the Honda, so that's what she got. It has a ton of room and is very fuel efficient for a AWD car.
 
You really have to get specific on trim level to make a good comparison. The base model vs top end are practically different vehicles.

Personally I wouldn't tow 4000 pounds of anything in this vehicle class unless I didn't do it often. Front wheel drive vehicles aren't exactly considered the workhorse tow machine. The expedition would be better suited for hauling 4000 pounds. We have friends that were towing their boat with the explorer and they dumped it in favor of a truck. They said it was only ok for short trips and that it sucked on longer trips or the highway.
 
^ we got the Mazda CX9 and love it.

Although I don't know about the towing capabilities bc I have a Tundra for that.
 
Originally posted by LT4PLY:
You really have to get specific on trim level to make a good comparison. The base model vs top end are practically different vehicles.

Personally I wouldn't tow 4000 pounds of anything in this vehicle class unless I didn't do it often. Front wheel drive vehicles aren't exactly considered the workhorse tow machine. The expedition would be better suited for hauling 4000 pounds. We have friends that were towing their boat with the explorer and they dumped it in favor of a truck. They said it was only ok for short trips and that it sucked on longer trips or the highway.
Click to expand...
I'd second this.

Wife has a 2012 Explorer, great "little" SUV. Very quick, zippy feeling vehicle compared to my V8 Expedition. Towing, however, is tricky. Towed a 6x12 covered Uhaul trailer from south Florida in it. Had plenty of power, but since it's light, the trailer made the drive feel a little scary at times. Empty trailer weighed around 1,900 lbs and we towed about 600 lbs of stuff.

Those new brand of SUVs are just a little too light to tow heavy trailers consistently. Sure, you can do it but for long drives, it may feel a little slippery.


We use my older Expedition for anything larger (up to 9,000 lbs towing capacity). Sure, it doesn't get the gas mileage of the Explorer, but if you're towing over 4,000 lbs, I'd go with something larger.

Here's the load rating sheet for the 2015 Ford Explorer: LINK
 
Originally posted by dmm5157:

Originally posted by LT4PLY:
You really have to get specific on trim level to make a good comparison. The base model vs top end are practically different vehicles.

Personally I wouldn't tow 4000 pounds of anything in this vehicle class unless I didn't do it often. Front wheel drive vehicles aren't exactly considered the workhorse tow machine. The expedition would be better suited for hauling 4000 pounds. We have friends that were towing their boat with the explorer and they dumped it in favor of a truck. They said it was only ok for short trips and that it sucked on longer trips or the highway.
Click to expand...
I'd second this.

Wife has a 2012 Explorer, great "little" SUV. Very quick, zippy feeling vehicle compared to my V8 Expedition. Towing, however, is tricky. Towed a 6x12 covered Uhaul trailer from south Florida in it. Had plenty of power, but since it's light, the trailer made the drive feel a little scary at times. Empty trailer weighed around 1,900 lbs and we towed about 600 lbs of stuff.

Those new brand of SUVs are just a little too light to tow heavy trailers consistently. Sure, you can do it but for long drives, it may feel a little slippery.


We use my older Expedition for anything larger (up to 9,000 lbs towing capacity). Sure, it doesn't get the gas mileage of the Explorer, but if you're towing over 4,000 lbs, I'd go with something larger.

Here's the load rating sheet for the 2015 Ford Explorer: LINK
Click to expand...
Wow, great link. It is actually worse than I thought. Only 2k pounds without the tow package and you can only tow up to 5k pounds with a weight distribution hitch is really telling. These new 'SUV's are actually cars that look like an SUV.
 
Originally posted by LT4PLY:

Originally posted by dmm5157:

Originally posted by LT4PLY:
You really have to get specific on trim level to make a good comparison. The base model vs top end are practically different vehicles.

Personally I wouldn't tow 4000 pounds of anything in this vehicle class unless I didn't do it often. Front wheel drive vehicles aren't exactly considered the workhorse tow machine. The expedition would be better suited for hauling 4000 pounds. We have friends that were towing their boat with the explorer and they dumped it in favor of a truck. They said it was only ok for short trips and that it sucked on longer trips or the highway.
Click to expand...
I'd second this.

Wife has a 2012 Explorer, great "little" SUV. Very quick, zippy feeling vehicle compared to my V8 Expedition. Towing, however, is tricky. Towed a 6x12 covered Uhaul trailer from south Florida in it. Had plenty of power, but since it's light, the trailer made the drive feel a little scary at times. Empty trailer weighed around 1,900 lbs and we towed about 600 lbs of stuff.

Those new brand of SUVs are just a little too light to tow heavy trailers consistently. Sure, you can do it but for long drives, it may feel a little slippery.


We use my older Expedition for anything larger (up to 9,000 lbs towing capacity). Sure, it doesn't get the gas mileage of the Explorer, but if you're towing over 4,000 lbs, I'd go with something larger.

Here's the load rating sheet for the 2015 Ford Explorer: LINK
Click to expand...
Wow, great link. It is actually worse than I thought. Only 2k pounds without the tow package and you can only tow up to 5k pounds with a weight distribution hitch is really telling. These new 'SUV's are actually cars that look like an SUV.
Click to expand...
Yeah, pretty much.

My wife's Explorer drives smooth and feels like a car. Great gas mileage overall.

My Expedition drives and feels like a truck (it's based on Ford F-150) and you would never mistake it for a car. I enjoy the ride, but with city driving the gas mileage is terrible compared to hers.

If you are going to tow stuff regularly, definitely want to make sure you do your homework on what the max load you will tow is and how much the tow package extras are going to cost you. And what you will actually be able to tow, too.
 
the highlander is a more a car than an suv, and more so than the explorer. not surprised people like driving them, but am surprised people tow stuff behind them.
 
We're looking at a CX-9 too. Currently have a '98 Protégé with over 200K miles and still runs like a champ.
 
Thanks for all the input.

I have read that the Highlander is car based which is a concern as far as towing goes. The base vehicle tows only 1500 lbs yet the "towing pkg" makes it 5000?

I literally tow the boat maybe once or twice a year, just around town to get work done when needed. The rest of the time it's on a lift.

So I wouldn't be on the highway or going long distances with whatever vehicle I get.
 
Not sure of its towing capacity, but the Buick Enclave is one heckuva SUV! US News Top 3 in reliability since 2011.
 
Originally posted by alaskanseminole:
Not sure of its towing capacity, but the Buick Enclave is one heckuva SUV! US News Top 3 in reliability since 2011.
Click to expand...
Living here in SW Florida...surrounded by senior citizens in Buicks....I just can't do it...
embarassed.r191677.gif
 
Originally posted by Dr. Nole:

Thanks for all the input.

I have read that the Highlander is car based which is a concern as far as towing goes. The base vehicle tows only 1500 lbs yet the "towing pkg" makes it 5000?

I literally tow the boat maybe once or twice a year, just around town to get work done when needed. The rest of the time it's on a lift.

So I wouldn't be on the highway or going long distances with whatever vehicle I get.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I believe the highlander is built on the Toyota K platform...which is the Camry. Still, if you're just towing the boat twice a year around town it's going to be fine for that.
 
Originally posted by Dr. Nole:
Originally posted by alaskanseminole:
Not sure of its towing capacity, but the Buick Enclave is one heckuva SUV! US News Top 3 in reliability since 2011.
Click to expand...
Living here in SW Florida...surrounded by senior citizens in Buicks....I just can't do it...
embarassed.r191677.gif
Click to expand...
I thought the same thing, but we traded in our Pathfinder (ranked #22 on that same list) for the #1 ranked SUV, the Buick Enclave. Dadgum thing is like a Mercedes. Its bells has whistles.

2014-Buick-Enclave-140.jpg
 
Bells and whistles don't impress me. Not breaking down and looking like a POS after 6 years...that impresses me. Never seen a Buick do that.
 
Originally posted by F4Gary:
This one's 7 years old. Looks fine to me. Exaggerate much?

ec
Click to expand...
The top end buicks are positioned as a less flashy Cadillac. They certainly aren't cheap.
 
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