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2011 Honda Pilot, Chevy Traverse, Ford Explorer

15 years ago

Hi all,

I am considering buying a 2011 Honda Pilot, 2011 Chevy Travese, or a 2011 Ford Explorer.

Anyone out there own one of these vehicles? What do you like and dislike about it? Would you buy it again?

I'm leaning toward the Pilot right now, with the Traverse a very close second. Not too sure about the re-designed Explorer.

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Comments (4)

sjorstad
11 years ago
I also am considering one of these vehicles as a replacement for a 2003 Grand Caravan with 150,000 miles that has served us well and still gets 18 mpg. We want something that averages 19 or 20+ mpg and seats 6 (including 2 college kids, when they're home, and 2 teens... sometimes with their friends).

Considering the Pilot or another crossover that is somewhat roomy inside, or another minivan. We don't care for how the newer Grand Caravans handle (our '03 is agile and responsive - for a van - whereas the '15's feel cumbersome).

Looking at used with a $20,000 max budget. Some storage capacity behind the 3rd row is a must. Not too interested in AWD all-the-time; prefer FWD or at least an 'eco' feature.

Does anyone else have tall teens and a crossover? How's the space/function using the 3rd row? Would you go back to a minivan or it is worth less cargo space for better handling?
User
11 years ago
I just purchased a new vehicle, and I was looking at the same things you were. Space, ride, etc. I was looking at a mini van, a Honda Pilot, a Ford Explorer and the Transit Connect. But where I live 4WD or AWD is a must.

When I was at the Ford dealer I expressed my frustration as nothing really stood out. The salesman then said "I'll be right back". He brought out from the side of the building a Ford Flex. My wife pointed and said "It's a station wagon!" It was the AWD SEL model with very few options. (White roof and the tow package) He handed me the keys and said "take it for a spin". It was like driving a sofa. The seats were large and comfortable, the driving position was good, and the visibility was excellent. When we got back and looked at the sticker, we saw it cost LESS than a similarly equipped Explorer or Pilot.

We bought it and in the three months we've had it we absolutely love it. It's got plenty of room and so far I'm averaging 23.6 MPG with it.

Car and Driver rated it at #5 on their "ten best cars nobody buys".
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hrajotte
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Wow, kind of strange to be getting responses four years later! I ended up with a 2012 Ford Edge, which I absolutely love. I bought it in August 2012, and have had no problems whatsoever, except for a couple of flat tires - no fault of the vehicle! Alas, it only seats 5 and there is no 3rd row seating. I got only the base model, FWD only. Thinking about buying another one, this time I'll look at AWD and more options. Replacing my wife's 2005 Taurus, which has also been a very reliable car. All I've replaced on that is one ball joint and of course tires, battery, belt, etc. Ford quality has really improved, IMO. I had a 1986 Bronco, which I bought new. I loved the vehicle because it was my first NEW vehicle, but in retrospect it was a turd. In the 8 years I owned it, aside from normal maintenance, there were constant carburetor problems, vacuum leaks, a cracked exhaust manifold, broken rear drive shaft, the gas tank and tailgate rotted out, several alternators and the ignition computer failed, the windshield cracked several times for no apparent reason (but those were covered by insurance,) replaced rear end pinion bearings twice, and the air pump failed. There were also chronic problems with chassis components and the alignment seemed to be always off. Gee, I think a shorter list would be what DIDN'T go wrong: The transmission worked perfectly! Ultimately, the engine threw a rod in 1994 at 112K miles, less than 8 years after I bought it. I'm pretty sure I spent more on unexpected repairs than the vehicle cost. I sold it to a friend who replaced the engine. Less than a year later, the Bronco caught fire in his driveway and was destroyed.
User
11 years ago
I was responding to sjorstad.

I was in the market for a new vehicle sooner than I planned as I always keep a car for a minimum of 10 to 12 years. We then start socking money away and pay cash for the next one. I had purchased a new Expedition is 2003 and kept it until it was costing me more money than I knew it was worth. It had 262,000 miles on it and it just plain died.

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