Explorer vs Highlander advice?

[HntnFsh]

Toyota/Lexus are the most overrrated vehicles on the road.
Only buy the Highlander for the styling.  The quality/design is mediocre at best.
Explorers have great drivetrains and the interior quality and design really stands up over time.

Really? The styling? The highlander will outwork and outlast the explorer with out a doubt. I have owned both in the last couple years and the Ford can’t even compete with the Toyota. I drive an f350 diesel daily, but trust me in the suv department Toyota is the only option.

I was thinking the same thing. Ive owned Avalons, Camry's, Tundras, and Tacomas. All extremely dependable, extremely low maintenance, Extremely good resale, almost zero repair costs running them over 200,000 miles. I bought my wife a GM luxury car, nice rig but not as dependable, not as well built, nothing on it is a smooth as the Avalon. I had a 2000 Avalon with 239,000 miles on it. The leather interior still looked new. Not that way on any ford or GM product Ive seen. Start getting up around a 100,000 and the leather doesn't usually look to good. Huge difference in quality. My Silverados and Fords have been good trucks, but not trouble free like my Toyotas. I would never say Toyota is over rated! Thats just from my personal experience. In fact Ive been looking at another Avalon. We'll see!

[opdinkslayer]

This is an interesting debate here. My son & daughter-in-law have a 14' or 15' Exploder. It has had some mechanical issues and is starting to develop an issue with the paint (silver). I've road in it & drove it on a couple of road trips. It is just ok for me when it comes to ride,comfort & fit n finish. I find it interesting they call them an suv because my gravel driveway would be the furthest off the pavement it went. My wife has borrowed it a couple times to go to a dr apt that our pickup wouldn't fit in the parking garage and she hates it and would never buy one. No experience with the highlander but our friends have a similar year Toyota 4 Runner that's 10 times the vehicle in every way. So for me it would be an easy decision in this case based on Toyotas reliability and resale and my meh experience with an exploder.

[Bofire]

  "ThinkingMan" hates Toyota and does not think much about it. He also hates Leupold. You can find many posts about it.
Carl

[Mtnwalker]

Well we decided to go with the Highlander after a lot of back and forth. Picking it up on Saturday, thanks again everybody for the input

[JWEBB]

Well we decided to go with the Highlander after a lot of back and forth. Picking it up on Saturday, thanks again everybody for the input

Great choice!

[thinkingman]

"ThinkingMan" hates Toyota and does not think much about it. He also hates Leupold. You can find many posts about it.
Carl

Having owned two Toyota’s over the past 15 years and racking up over 200,00 miles, I’m more than qualified to make a few observations.
I’m constantly amazed that the RAV4 and Lexus GX have the side-mounted door that swings TOWARD the curb.
I’m still boiling over the Tacoma rear spring failure that I reported to TOA in 2010 that they flatly denied which became a RECALL, among other ridiculous shortcomings. Somehow, my Tacoma passed the FRAME REPLACEMENT RECALL WITH RUST HOLES IN THE FRAME. The axle wrap on that truck was laughable. I can’t believe people ignore or simply fail to realize how lame theses cars really are.
The gas cap door RUSTED OFF.

The Tundra drivers who ignore driving bed rust case with flat rear suspension amaze me.
How do people ignore this stuff and still suck Toyota ‘s popsicle?
Unbelievable.
These are recalls, not just my opinion.