Hi there!

I'm doing a lot of research on my next vehicle purchase and an 08 explorer is one I'm seriously considering. I've also been looking into the new 4 door Jeep wranglers, and the Toyota FJ cruiser. I'm currently driving a 03 Honda Element and before that I had a 2000 Pathfinder.

The Jeep and FJ, I was interested in just for looks. Both are geared/marketed more toward off roading and I honestly don't see myself doing much of that, not hardcore anyway. So I'm looking for a great daily driver. I test-drove all 3, and out of all of them the Explorer is the one that "felt right" the most. I was actually surprised at how comfortable it was and everything was right where I needed it. I also thought it was kinda funny how the dealer was showing me how the Sync radio worked, and then we started talking really low so the radio wouldn't hear us talking about it.

So now I have a bunch of questions I'm hoping you fine folks can answer.

What is the real differences between the 3 versions (XLT, Eddie Bauer, Limited) and is it really worth the extra investment? The only real features I want are 4WD and the Sync radio, and the 3rd row seats are a strong maybe. Leather seats, sunroof, all those other things aren't really something that would make me buy one over the other. However, I really like the 2 tone look of the tan bottom that the EB and Limited seem to all have. The one I drove had leather seats and they were real nice. I do have a dog who will be riding with me a lot, so I kinda worry if I get leather he'll mess it up somehow.

I didn't get a chance to really do much more than look in the back to see the 3rd row seats. They seemed a little small. Is it something really only kids could fit in? How easy is it to climb into the "back back" to get to that 3rd row? I know you can flip up the 2nd row for access, but it seemed like it could still be a tight squeeze. If I do get the 3rd row, would i be better off trying to get it with just the 2 seats for the 2nd row, so folks can access the 3rd row through the middle? Or, if I really want a 3rd row, is that really just something that's only gonna work good on the bigger SUVs like the Expedition?

The XLT I drove was $34k. I was really hoping to keep things at or below 30. I could go higher but I just would rather not. The FJ Cruiser and the Jeep are both around 28k from an online no-haggle internet dealer (fitzmall.com) who I will either buy from or use as a haggling point and tell my local guy "I'm gonna buy it from here unless you can match their price" .. But they don't sell fords Does anyone know of any similar online dealers I might want to look into for extra haggle power? Are Explorer's mostly collecting dust on the lots and I could have a lot of room to talk the guy down?

And even though I said I don't do any off roading, how well does the Explorer handle 4WD situations, especially snow? Will tires be something I want to look into upgrading or are the stock ones generally good? I do go camping on occasion and once or twice a year I may need to drive on a beach for a fishing trip or 2, but I doubt I'll ever be rock climbing or driving through rivers like the Jeeps are supposedly meant for.

Last but not least, any serious reliability problems I should be concerened about / aware of? A lot of folks that I talk to seem to think that Ford's aren't built very well but I believe just about any car will take care of you if you take care of it... plus I think most folks just like to bash other cars so they can feel better about their own...

Anyway thanks for reading this far. Just wondering if anyone has any ideas or advice?

Thanks