help me decide which SUV should i get

[majinbu]

hi guys.. im really having a hard time to decide in which car should i buy.
im 23, male. im currently driving a civic 03 model. pero im planning to sell it na and buy a second car which i prefer to be an SUV. for personal use lang..and i love to drive around..

im looking on
Ford Escape 2004 XLS A/T 4x2,
a Ford Explorer 2001 Sport trac A/T 4x4 and
a Mazda Tribute 2004 A/T.

without looking at gas consumption. kunyare same lang sila lahat ng konsumo sa gas.. for you guys.. anu aadvise niyo sakin na bilin? budget wise kasi same sila lahat ng prices.. kaya lalo ako nahirapan magdecide. please help...

thanks in advance!

[niky]

hi guys.. im really having a hard time to decide in which car should i buy.
im 23, male. im currently driving a civic 03 model. pero im planning to sell it na and buy a second car which i prefer to be an SUV. for personal use lang..and i love to drive around..

im looking on
Ford Escape 2004 XLS A/T 4x2,
a Ford Explorer 2001 Sport trac A/T 4x4 and
a Mazda Tribute 2004 A/T.

without looking at gas consumption. kunyare same lang sila lahat ng konsumo sa gas.. for you guys.. anu aadvise niyo sakin na bilin? budget wise kasi same sila lahat ng prices.. kaya lalo ako nahirapan magdecide. please help...

thanks in advance!

Easier to maintain would be the Escape or Tribute... as long as they have the newer 2.3 liter engine (the 2.0 was a dog. Slow AND thirsty).

The Explorer Sport-Trac is nice, mind you, (better than most local pickups) but aside from the fuel consumption, parts and maintenance will be harder.

Don't limit yourself to just these choices. Shop around. Lots of secondhand CUVs and pickups within your price range.

[majinbu]

thanks niky.. actually my first option was the explorer.. super nagustohan ko yung looks niya and the add ons included was really great.. though yun nga madami nagsasabi maintenance will kill me. then kaya ko napili escape and tribute among all. kasi sila lang yung medyo konte sa kalsada.. not like CRV xtrails rav4.. na parang peoples car na.. sana may makapagshare ng experiance nila on these 3 SUV's.. im really confused on what to get..

[LucasVN]

Go for the Escape, the explorer is 4x4 and rather too old already and the tribute is already dropped by Mazda, so probably can be a problem on parts, support, but for escape, the looks still not far with the latest and parts and support are there. Good Luck!

[majinbu]

Go for the Escape, the explorer is 4x4 and rather too old already and the tribute is already dropped by Mazda, so probably can be a problem on parts, support, but for escape, the looks still not far with the latest and parts and support are there. Good Luck!

good point there lucasVN.. but isn't it mazda and ford car parts are basically same? since they have the same maker? correct me if im wrong... badtrip kasi i like the sun/moonroof of the tribute.. hehe but reviewing write ups of the escape .. medyo mas maganda feedback sa escape.. aaaahh.. kung may budget lang eh! tucson na.. hahahaha

[jimnyeatworld]

ford sport trac is a pickup. sayang space mo. you will not enjoy the real benefit of a suv.

in my personal opinion, if you'll going to buy a ford or a mazda suv, buy brand new. mahirap na. if you'll buy 2nd hand suv, go for the japanese like the crv or rav4 or x-trail for durability. although mazda is jap, wala eh still it's like its sister.

[majinbu]

ford sport trac is a pickup. sayang space mo. you will not enjoy the real benefit of a suv.

in my personal opinion, if you'll going to buy a ford or a mazda suv, buy brand new. mahirap na. if you'll buy 2nd hand suv, go for the japanese like the crv or rav4 or x-trail for durability. although mazda is jap, wala eh still it's like its sister.

noted sir.. thanks thanks.. as much as i want to get a brand new car.. hindi talaga pa kaya sa budget.. sayang..

[niky]

The Tribute and the Escape are the exact same cars. Down to the shape of the inner door handles. The only difference is cosmetics. And they're basically Japanese, since they're built on a Mazda 626 chassis.

Parts are easy to find if you live in the city. Just fill your phonebook with numbers from the auto-suppliers in Banawe. There's an entire block dedicated to Ford/Mazda parts.

The only reason I'd have for NOT buying an Escape/Tribute is that I'm not sure of the long-term durability of the AT. But then, that's a problem with ALL secondhand AT CUVs.

Even the vaunted CR-V and RAV4 have their share of niggles (suspension kalampag on RAV4... and rust under plastic fenders on 1st gen RAV4... the notorious CR-V engine mount issue... as well as the notorious gas-guzzling issue)...

What will decide the purchase is what's the best condition vehicle you can buy for your money... be it a RAV4 (I particularly like the older 1.8 MT...), the CR-V, the X-trail, the Escape/Tribute or even a Vitara/Grand Vitara . Kaya nga: look around, don't limit yourself. If it has to be, specifically, an Escape or Tribby, look around, don't rush into the purchase, and wait for a gem to show up before committing to the purchase. Oh... btw... older Escapes had an issue with melting tail-light clusters... not sure if this was the same with the Tribute, but it's best to check, anyway.

[majinbu]

The Tribute and the Escape are the exact same cars. Down to the shape of the inner door handles. The only difference is cosmetics. And they're basically Japanese, since they're built on a Mazda 626 chassis.

Parts are easy to find if you live in the city. Just fill your phonebook with numbers from the auto-suppliers in Banawe. There's an entire block dedicated to Ford/Mazda parts.

The only reason I'd have for NOT buying an Escape/Tribute is that I'm not sure of the long-term durability of the AT. But then, that's a problem with ALL secondhand AT CUVs.

Even the vaunted CR-V and RAV4 have their share of niggles (suspension kalampag on RAV4... and rust under plastic fenders on 1st gen RAV4... the notorious CR-V engine mount issue... as well as the notorious gas-guzzling issue)...

What will decide the purchase is what's the best condition vehicle you can buy for your money... be it a RAV4 (I particularly like the older 1.8 MT...), the CR-V, the X-trail, the Escape/Tribute or even a Vitara/Grand Vitara . Kaya nga: look around, don't limit yourself. If it has to be, specifically, an Escape or Tribby, look around, don't rush into the purchase, and wait for a gem to show up before committing to the purchase. Oh... btw... older Escapes had an issue with melting tail-light clusters... not sure if this was the same with the Tribute, but it's best to check, anyway.

thank you sir niky.. yeah.. i guess i have to wait till i find the best car for my budget. btw.. is it true that 2004 escape 4x2 XLS have a different HU size? which means i cant fit in there my 2din HU?

[GTi]

The Explorer Sport Trac's engine is rather weak for its displacement at 205hp for 4 liters which means heavy fuel consumption and slow performance. If you want a V6, get the Escape/Tribute 3.0V6 which makes the same amount of power. Melting tail lights? That must be an isolated case since I have a relative who has an '03 XLT who has never changed any exterior parts to date. There really isn't much difference between the Escape and the Tribute, except that the Escape goes the rugged route and the Tribute goes the luxury route. For me, between the choices I'd get a Gen 1.5 (1st gen with clear front headlights) V6 or 2.3NBX Escape (best looking Escape for me), or perhaps a Suzuki Grand Vitara of comparable price since these are among the few CUVs that can actually go off road.

[niky]

Peak horsepower numbers don't tell the whole story. The Explorer has "only" 203 hp, but it has a waffle-load of torque from 3000 rpm and up. Which means, while the Escape V6 is still building up steam, the Explorer is already pushing along hard. The Explorer is faster to 100 km/h than the Escape V6 by a second or two (heck, even the five-door Eddie Bauer has a lot of beans), and it feels more muscular.

We only got the Escape V6 in the punier 200 hp version, and paired with the AWD, it's nice, but nowhere near as quick as the Outlander V6. More fun with the FWD version the Tribute is available in.

Melting tail-lights was a common issue with earlier Escape owners. It's something to look out for on secondhand cars. If the lights look okay, then either the owner replaced them with pieces with better plastic or it's not happening. In either case... good.

thank you sir niky.. yeah.. i guess i have to wait till i find the best car for my budget. btw.. is it true that 2004 escape 4x2 XLS have a different HU size? which means i cant fit in there my 2din HU?

If I remember right, just requires an adapter.

[majinbu]

FORD ESCAPE na lang po Sir pero mas better po kung mag brand new na lang po kaya kung konti na lang yung difference.

Stella Natividad
09232430578/09232430578

layo po ng price pag brand new.. 450k lang po budget.. kaya im stock to those 3 options na pumasok sa budget.. hehe