My liberal concious...should I not buy that FORD EXPLORER?

[iconoclastNYC]

Ok so here's the deal. I live in NYC and I use the subway all the time. But the thing is you want to get out of the city now and then...maybe tool over to Philly or upstate or out to the beach.

A few years back my mother was working a position at her company which required her to actually drive over train tracks so she had to buy a vehicle with higher clearance and she got a used Explorer.

Now she doesn't have that position anymore and when gas prices spiked she bought a car. She's mothballed the Explorer.

OK so she's offered to sell it to me very cheap. It has high miles but still I think $2,000 is a good price.

Now I hate SUVs more then anyone, but this thing is basically going to sit parked all by five days or so a month.

Can I rationalize buying the SUV by thinking that I prevent a commuter from buying it?

And then there's that whole FORD issue. What do you think I should do?

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. We have an explorer and it is lovely for bad weather but it costs

an arm and a leg to fill up so we still use the VW as our main car.

So ask yourself if you want to insure this thing if you are only going to use it once in a while. We live in a rural area and have to use it sometimes since hubby has a lot of driving to do for his job. So for us the expenses outweigh the other concerns. (Yeah we would so rather have a hybrid SUV or Subaru but you have to buy the car you can afford.)

[don954]

2. buy it, your only using it part time on demand

like any SUV should be used and not day-to-day. $2000 is a good price depending on mechanical condition. watch the drive train, the tracks can be brutal on it (i used to work for a rail road so i had the same problem).

[soleft]

3. seems like a case for special dispensation

1- you're not driving it a lot, so you're not using a ton of resources

2- you're not buying it from Ford, you're buying it from your Mom, so it's not putting $ in their wallet


Go young driver, be free

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. It's used

so you're not supporting Ford by buying it. Just make sure you take it to an independent shop for repairs, and don't go to a Ford dealership. If you use it for long distance journeys only, and you really need the 4WD, there's no problem.

[Hello_Kitty]

12. I agree and it'll just go in a landfill anyway if you don't buy it. n/t

[unpossibles]

5. well, it's used, so Ford will not profit from it n/t

[bunkerbuster1]

6. Operating a used vehicle doesn't do much for Ford's bottom line

unless/until you have to buy Ford-supplied replacement parts, which may or may not ever happen.

If it's just your beater/weekend vehicle, what the hey.

[kay1864]

7. My $0.02...

IMHO...

Your rationale works except that with your Philly/upstate trips, you'll probably use as much gas a local commuter would use in a week. (I'm guesstimating, of course)

What about a used *small* SUV, like a Honda CR-V or a Toyota RAV4? Better mileage than you'll get with an Explorer. And still plenty of room (my CR-V seats 5 comfortably).

[iconoclastNYC]

21. Valid Point

But i'm not going out looking for a car. Half of this is just beacause my mom told me she was selling it. I'm not going to go out and buy a different vehicle.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. I couldn't do it

I am so offended by their latest moves against the gay community I can't in good conscience buy any Ford products. But I made my mind up about Explorers back when they had the exploding tire problems. I also have owned a couple Fords that were pieces of crap. I buy only Honda and Toyota products now.

[gulfcoastliberal]

9. Get a RAV4 or CRV

You'll spend more time driving it andless time at the pump or garage.

[Nimrod2005]

29. RAV is very good on gas...We have one, rated very high for gas mileage!

[HereSince1628]

10. You might want to see if it's one of those rolly-over suv designs

Particularly if you don't do a lot of driving. I now they tried to blame the tire company, but it would be a concern for me if I was buying an older Explorer

[donco6]

11. Work out the total cost of ownership, then decide.

How much is insurance? Parking? Gas/month? Maintenance, incl. oil changes?

If it works out, I'd say go for it. Ford isn't going to be impacted either way.

[ohio_liberal]

13. Ah, a dilemma

I own a older Chevy Blazer that sits 90% of the time. I don't feel guilty about it at all.

The money for the purchase is going to your mom, not Ford or a Ford dealer. I dunno what year it is or its condition, but $2,000 sounds like a good price this time of year for 4WD. SUV's are expensive to fill up but most of the midsize ones like S-10's and Explorers get around 20mpg. Just keep the engine and the tires tip-top so you're getting the best possible mileage.

edit: typo

[goodhue]

14. Buy the Explorer off your mom and then trade it in for a Focus ZX5

[calico1]

15. Use it.

But you are to say two Our Fathers and three Hail Mary's every time you do, ok? Just kidding. But I would advise only using it when necessary as you have indicated you will.

[walldude]

16. I think the anti-SUV crowd is a little too zelous... buy it.

Seems like a good deal to me. It'll help you, it'll help your mom, and since you are only going to drive it occasionally the gas won't kill you. I have an older Bronco II it's a "small" SUV it has run great for years and I live in Colorado so 4WD is a must. I'd love to drive small hybrids or high milage cars, but with a limited income and 3 kids it's just not practical. You can fit 3 kids in the back of a hybrid, but you better have a lot of Valium onhand....

[Touchdown]

25. I live in Colorado and 4WD is NOT a must.

You mentioned Denver as your home town...even worse. The snow melts by noon (not this week, but mostly), and there are plenty of plows in town. Quit justifying.

I would buy this too, sicne it helps her Mom and gives her a get-away car. She's not going to use it much, so the gas usage should be minimized.

[MadHound]

17. Politics aside, don't buy that Ford

High mileage Fords break down often, at the most inconvienent times. Besides, while Explorers have horrible gas mileage to begin with, it gets worse as they age.

Besides, do you really need an SUV for anything other than transporting people? If not, then you don't need an SUV, go out an buy a nice used Toyota Camry or something similar.

But whatever you do, leave those Ford lemons alone, you'll regret it otherwise.

[iconoclastNYC]

24. Well I'm going to fill it up with friends on these weekend trips.

So honestly......yeah it will be to transport people. I have a friend who has a mini and it's a bare to be in the backseat.

[Gman]

33. Actually, I have a 98 Explorer

that I bought brand new in early 98, it now has 130K miles, and has never broken down or needed a bit of work besides oil changes, a recent tuneup, and a year ago it's 3rd set of tires (the first set was recalled). I get 22-23 mpg on the road with a 4.0L which I don't think is bad considering I've had V8's that get 15 mpg. But overall it has been the best truck I've ever owned. I have to get a few other maintenance things done like a new belt and it should be as good as new.

[electron_blue]

18. buying it to keep a commuter from buying it is stupid, imo

Buy it if you want/need it. Another option: Are you really going to need the SUV part of the vehicle even 5 days a month? Realistically, woudl it be more like a week or two a year? I'm just saying.... I don't see why you need a SUV to go to Philly or the beach (maybe I'm missing something). If you honestly don't need the SUV part but a few days/weeks a year, consider renting a SUV for special trips. You'll save a ton of money on insurance if nothing else.

[Ready4Change]

19. What do YOU need in a car?

Are YOU going to be driving over train tracks?
Off roading?
Carrying 4-5 people and gear?
All of the above at the same time?

Buying a car, any car, just because it's there, is a poor choice.

Instead, think about what YOU want a car for. It sounds like you are just going to use it for the occasional short road trip. You don't mention needing large carrying capacity. You don't mention travelling on badly maintained roads or trails. To me, it sounds like an Explorer (or any other SUV) is not what you need.

[iconoclastNYC]

26. Here's what I want.

Cheap
Dependable
Comfortable
Holds a lot of people and stuff.

[Proud_Lefty]

20. I have an Explorer

and I've wished I could unload it for a long time now. The repairs are really expensive and the gas mileage stinks. I just can't afford to take the loss on it and just buy new or even used yet. The smaller SUV's that Honda puts out are real nice if you need an SUV. Ford really does seem to mean "fix or repair daily". After this car, I'm totally done with Fords.

[starchimes]

22. I have a 98 explorer sport. It gets 14 miles a gallon.

It's been pretty reliable. I bought it new. It only has 59K miles on it. The only repair I had to do was the break light switch under the petal went out. The rest was normal stuff, like new battery, brake pads. I never use the dealership for repairs. Hope this helps.

[BJW]

23. put some pink triangles and pro-dem bumperstickers on it!

[BJW]

35. and pro-American and pro-union too!

[Nimrod2005]

27. Please don't buy it....I am trading down from my Blazer this week.

[TreasonousBastard]

28. When I lived in NYC...

I just rented a car for the weekend or two a month I needed one. Back then it cost me about a hundred bucks a weekend-- a lot less than insurance, maintenance and parking on my own car would be.

Two grand is a good deal on anything that runs and passes inspection nowadays, so if you've got the other logistics worked out (like parking) go for it.

You're not going to destroy the world any more than it already is by putting a couple thousand miles a year on this thing, and the gay, environmental, and other Ford-hating communities will most likely forgive you.

[info being]

30. Better than buying a new car

one less car on the road.

[KG]

31. if you don't drive it, someone else will. go for it.

[mcscajun]

32. Having lived in upper, UPPER Manhattan many years ago

with a car, yet, I'd have to say, Don't buy a car at all. If you want to get out of town now and again, Rent a car for the time you'll need it.

Parking's a beast anywhere anytime in Manhattan, the Parking Violations Bureau LIVES to suck your money away, and the cost of insurance for a vehicle you only use now and then is just too much.

That $2000 for the purchase plus insurance premiums rents you a lot of vehicle over the year.

Just my two cents, FWIW. :shrug:

[iconoclastNYC]

38. I live in Queens.

And if push comes to shove I can get a parking spot for $100 a month.

[GrumpyGreg]

34. Buy it for heaven's sake. Don't overthink this thing !

Your mileage is so low you might as well take advantage of the bargain.

[malachibk]

36. Ford also just pulled its advertising from gay magazines after pressure

from some anti-gay "Family" group who threatened to boycott.

I'd never buy a Ford, SUV or otherwise

[hobbywizard]

37. Don't do it.

I've read this entire thread to see how people would respond. Nobody wants to hurt a cohort's feelings, which is cool.

If you have strong feelings about how humans impact their planet, then you should pass up the Explorer. Period. It gets poor gas mileage and to me, that's all she wrote. You aren't a rancher or some other professional who needs the space or power the Explorer offers. You don't have a valid reason to waste all that energy.

It doesn't matter what another buyer of the Explorer would do with it or how much they'd drive it. You have to worry about your principles first, and then consider the example you set to everyone you encounter in life.

I'm not saying this to get under your skin. I'm just sayin'....

Final thought - you've gotten along fine without a vehicle. There are cheap vehicles in the papers and on car sale websites all the time. This is not an opportunity. Buying it doesn't fulfill a need. And if you buy it, you no longer have the right to say Boo! about how anybody else wastes energy. You'll be a hypocrite if you buy it and profess to be concerned about our environment or our need to conserve energy.

[yankeedem]

39. Do you live in Manhattan?

Keep in mind that garages often charge up to $10 more/day for SUV parking.

[iconoclastNYC]

41. Nope.

Out in Astoria where you only have to move your car once a week.

[Catherine Vincent]

40. I say go for it.

You may need it one day to pack all your belongs and loved ones and head out of NYC in case of a disaster. When Hurricane Rita was heading toward Houston (though shen ever came), I would have preferred heading out of town in an SUV instead of a Camry.:)