Posted on 08/21/2024 8:13:06 AM PDT by Red Badger
I just picked up a 2015 Explorer Sport. With how little I drive nowadays, it will probably be the last vehicle I buy.
Good choice. I look for two things: great drivetrain, and availability of parts. If I were up north still I would also look for a car that is less prone to rust.
Whomever was pushing the EV thing at Ford should have long sense been terminated, and that includes members of the Board that approved the idiocy. The purpose of The Ford Motor Company is to produce profits for the owners (shareholders), nothing more. All the other “feel good” stuff is just a deterrent and drain on that purpose.
With Camaro gone, they’ve got a nice opening. A lot of the ‘stangs here have an exhaust note that says “not stock” too.
Want that, Get a Wrangler YJ or a CJ7.
You can get new parts for literally everything. I can get the tub or frame shipped to my door. Wiring harnesses, Reman transmissions windshield frames. The works. Only possible issue is Engines and full doors. But you can repower those to a Buick V6 or a Chevy Small block Fairly easily.
Ford announced a few years back that they were moving sedans and coupes to the back burner and ramping up pickups and SUVs. I think they got nailed during that transition when the FedGov let it be known that any USA car maker that didn’t fully and happily embrace the GND and commit to EVs would find their future rough sledding. So then Ford had killed a significant cash cow (cars) and had to swallow billions in R&D for all the EV bull-shiite.
It helps to explain how an entry level Ford pickup can have a $60m price tag after just a few options. And an ‘Eddie Baur?” - forget it.
I am not a Jeep kind of guy. But sounds like an excellent choice. For one thing, the Chrysler Torqueflite is a great transmission. I also find straight sixes easier to work on.
Many Jeeps are 4WD. I don’t have RWD now, but that would be my preference.
If a GM 3.8l can bolt in, that is fantastic, so is a Chevy 350.
My wife loves her Toyota, and I like the storage capacity of the minivan. The Jeep sounds like an excellent choice, provided you can find one with an intact at a reasonable price.
I should also mention that I like buying very used cars whose owner profile is “old “ and “mild”. That’s why I have always favored Dodge Darts (NOT the faux Darts after ‘76), B body Roadmasters/Caprices (sedan or wagon), Buick Park Avenue or LeSabre. I also have a soft spot for the the Ford 4.0l engine in an Aerostar or Ranger. Good experiences on those.
Ford. Found On Road Dead.
Ford. Fixed Or Repaired Daily.
EV semi are only allowed to be 2000# heavier than regular semi 82,000 vs 80000 unless it’s a permit load and then the individual load is permitted like oil refinery equipment or concrete bridge rails those go upwards of 120,000lb.
PepsiCo is running tesla semi because they max out volume well before they max out mass with chips or sodas in the trailer. Floor to ceiling sodas and chips doesn’t hit 80,000# limits. That and that do regional delivery with a 500 mile range on a Telsa semi more than enough for multiple stops per day.
87% of all truck freight by weight was shipped less than 250 miles. Tesla doubles that. Here is the industry data.
As for cars I have a 5 passenger S60 Volvo AQD T5 that is 200# heavier than the Tesla Model 3 sitting next to it also a 5 seater and both are within one inch of each im footprint size. Both ride on identical P4 Pirelli tires 18” low pros so tire footprint weight is less for the Model 3. Not every EV is a hummer even the Model S my lawyer drives weighs less than my Ford Expedition both have about the same tire patch width with the tesla having wider low pro tires. Wear is directly related to tire footprint psi. This is what semi trucks have 16,000 times the wear rate on roads vs LDVs. So it’s not black and white . If I take the Expedition out I am doing more road wear than the Model 3 every time. Same for my F250 it’s not on wide tires it’s on narrow commercial truck tires even more wear. Those are at 65psi front and 75 rear that’s double the Expeditions psi. Road wear is a exponential function of tire patch psi that’s quantifiable data.
I use my trucks for truck things and truck things only. For in town driving the Model 3 gets the pick it cost me near zero in fuel since my panels charge it or I bank power and use that either way it only sees retail power on road trips which it is being used more and more for given my confidence in FSD and the access to destination charging is ubiquitous in Texas or really any major city now. I do have the CCS/J1772 to Tesla adapter so every charge port is open regardless of brand. Tesla was happy to send an over the air update so my Model 3 would recognise every other brand of charger. That $16 plug adapter opened up 15,000 more fast ports and tens of thousands of destination ports, already had the mobile charger in the boot for 240V AC dumb plugs and the plug tails for 30/50/80amp plugs. Airbnb is good about listing rentals with 240V plug access,or a dryer plug works too with a extension cord. Most hotels above 2 stars have valet that will charge for you or on-site L2 ports. Every Hilton property does, same for every casino. I was hesitant only on my first 1000 mile trip after going to Biloxi and back with zero effort the tech schedules a stop for 15 min then zoom zoom on long enough for a leak and a stretch. My Volvo is about to be sold I use it so little now.
Does Greta have a car or does she still thumb it ?
Good!
“DJT brought up a good point the other day, the bridge and overpass infrastructure on our roads was never designed to handle the weight of EVs...especially tractor trailers.”
That’s a good point. The same goes for parking decks (wasn’t there a parking deck collapse last year that was caused by excessive weight of the EVs?) And what about ferries? They would have to reduce their capacity to account for the extra weight.
I put a GM throttle body on my ‘86 CJ7. Runs great and removed miles of emissions crap.
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