What a workhorse!

I purchased my 1995 Ford Explorer, 4x4 Eddie Bauer edition, in 2000 for $13,000 when it had 60,000 miles on it. Now, in October of 2007, it has 184,000 miles on it and it still humming along! In the fall winter of 2005 I had to have the transmission rebuilt, but I really blame myself for that, due to a lack of maintenance. The transmission fluid had never been changed, so what did I expect? I have used the 4-wheel-drive feature fairly often, including heavy-duty (non-recommended) things like pulling out tree stumps! The rebuilt transmission (approx. $1800) has been my only big expense with this SUV. It is my daily driver and has proven itself to be extremely reliable. I've had to replace "consumable" types of things, such as tire, brakes, wipers, etc. but *every* vehicle needs those things. Additionally, I had to replace CV joints last spring, at about 179K miles. My fuel economy is not the greatest, probably about 17 mpg, but I save so much money by not have a car payment that it is well worth it. The ride is still very comfortable, though we have really reached the mileage point where some new shocks are in order. And the paint is very faded, so it is certainly a beauty. Ditto for the leather interior that is finally showing its age - the center console has cracks and missing pieces, and the seats are very well-worn. All in all, I love this SUV and will be very sad the day we have to "put her down". Its replacement will likely be another (slightly used but newer) Ford Explorer. I would HIGHLY recommend this vehicle for anyone who wants reliable transportation and doesn't care about glamour.