For timing chain issues on this 3.6L GM V6, see Great BITOG Discussion on Timing Chains - Link.
Any notable 2008 Suzuki XL7 issues ?
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Originally Posted By: Hootbro
Originally Posted By: ElastoHydro
I don't think there are any big issues with Suzuki XL7s of that model type. Check Consumer Reports reliability breakdowns by component group, instead of some statement thrown out on the internet like "they sludge".
I would take Consumer Reports data with a grain of salt. Most of their data comes from subscribed members who fill out vehicle survey data for their vehicles. If the sample pool is very small, defect rates can skew considerably.
Consumer Reports statisticians are not stupid. They know they need to get a decent amount of data on many vehicles of a particular type for validity. And they do. Its much better to trust the percentage of people having a problem than just listen to the loudest voices of the (relatively) few.
Originally Posted By: ElastoHydro
I don't think there are any big issues with Suzuki XL7s of that model type. Check Consumer Reports reliability breakdowns by component group, instead of some statement thrown out on the internet like "they sludge".
I would take Consumer Reports data with a grain of salt. Most of their data comes from subscribed members who fill out vehicle survey data for their vehicles. If the sample pool is very small, defect rates can skew considerably.
Consumer Reports statisticians are not stupid. They know they need to get a decent amount of data on many vehicles of a particular type for validity. And they do. Its much better to trust the percentage of people having a problem than just listen to the loudest voices of the (relatively) few.
Originally Posted By: ElastoHydro
Originally Posted By: Hootbro
Originally Posted By: ElastoHydro
I don't think there are any big issues with Suzuki XL7s of that model type. Check Consumer Reports reliability breakdowns by component group, instead of some statement thrown out on the internet like "they sludge".
I would take Consumer Reports data with a grain of salt. Most of their data comes from subscribed members who fill out vehicle survey data for their vehicles. If the sample pool is very small, defect rates can skew considerably.
Consumer Reports statisticians are not stupid. They know they need to get a decent amount of data on many vehicles of a particular type for validity. And they do. Its much better to trust the percentage of people having a problem than just listen to the loudest voices of the (relatively) few.
Garbage in, garbage out. Ever listen to a coworker or family member discuss a problem with their car? They have no idea what repair they just paid for or what the dealer did. The surveys CR sends out are vague, and completed by people who have no idea what they are talking about.
Originally Posted By: Hootbro
Originally Posted By: ElastoHydro
I don't think there are any big issues with Suzuki XL7s of that model type. Check Consumer Reports reliability breakdowns by component group, instead of some statement thrown out on the internet like "they sludge".
I would take Consumer Reports data with a grain of salt. Most of their data comes from subscribed members who fill out vehicle survey data for their vehicles. If the sample pool is very small, defect rates can skew considerably.
Consumer Reports statisticians are not stupid. They know they need to get a decent amount of data on many vehicles of a particular type for validity. And they do. Its much better to trust the percentage of people having a problem than just listen to the loudest voices of the (relatively) few.
Garbage in, garbage out. Ever listen to a coworker or family member discuss a problem with their car? They have no idea what repair they just paid for or what the dealer did. The surveys CR sends out are vague, and completed by people who have no idea what they are talking about.
Originally Posted By: dishdude
Garbage in, garbage out. Ever listen to a coworker or family member discuss a problem with their car? They have no idea what repair they just paid for or what the dealer did. The surveys CR sends out are vague, and completed by people who have no idea what they are talking about.
This!
Garbage in, garbage out. Ever listen to a coworker or family member discuss a problem with their car? They have no idea what repair they just paid for or what the dealer did. The surveys CR sends out are vague, and completed by people who have no idea what they are talking about.
This!
Harping on this Consumer Reports accuracy issue, understand that it doesn't have to be perfect to get a picture of whats going on with a particular make. The categories of things going wrong are major, simple categories, like transmission, electrical, engine mechanical, body parts falling off, just broad categories that will paint a picture for you. ... Proof is when you see Honda always doing better than Chrysler, you know what the picture is there.
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Originally Posted By: wsar10
No your very incorrect here, a chain just like ANY mechanical part will wear PERIOD. I work with a mechanical engineer on my team at work, we have this conversation all the time.....I agree that a belt should need maintenance before a chain. Contact ANYBODY with an engineering background or a professional engine builder and they will tell you the same. To make that decision based on what a manufacture says is "maintenance" is foolish ! Thats half the purpose of this forum, dismissing the "maintenance schedule" and educating yourself through science about your REAL maintenance needs of a vehicle.
Since you already know that every moving part will be subject to wear during engine operation. Why are you suggesting to change only the timing chain at 100k miles? What about cam shafts, valves, pistons, main bearings? They all wear and you can be sure that they will not be exactly the same as brand new.
What you're not getting from your engineer friend is that all mating parts are made to specific clearances and unless those clearances go beyond the maximum specifications, the engine will not be considered worn out by any mechanic or engineer. Same thing applies to the timing chain.
The "foolish" part is squarely on you
+1
wsar10, have you priced the replacement cost of a timing CHAIN in a modern OHC or DOHC engine lately? Call a Ford dealer and ask them how much it would cost to replace the timing chain, gears, and tensioners in the Explorer you are looking at. If/when you do, you are in for a rude awakening! On some FWD/AWD vehicles the engine has to come out to do this.
Yes, timing chains DO wear, but so do all of the other internally lubricated engine parts like pistons, rings, cylinders, bearings, oil pump, camshafts, followers, valves, etc, etc. One would hope that the engineers have designed their engine in such a way that all of these internally lubricated parts wear out at about the same time, including the timing chain. That is what is SUPPOSED to happen, although we all know that it rarely works out that way.
Originally Posted By: wsar10
No your very incorrect here, a chain just like ANY mechanical part will wear PERIOD. I work with a mechanical engineer on my team at work, we have this conversation all the time.....I agree that a belt should need maintenance before a chain. Contact ANYBODY with an engineering background or a professional engine builder and they will tell you the same. To make that decision based on what a manufacture says is "maintenance" is foolish ! Thats half the purpose of this forum, dismissing the "maintenance schedule" and educating yourself through science about your REAL maintenance needs of a vehicle.
Since you already know that every moving part will be subject to wear during engine operation. Why are you suggesting to change only the timing chain at 100k miles? What about cam shafts, valves, pistons, main bearings? They all wear and you can be sure that they will not be exactly the same as brand new.
What you're not getting from your engineer friend is that all mating parts are made to specific clearances and unless those clearances go beyond the maximum specifications, the engine will not be considered worn out by any mechanic or engineer. Same thing applies to the timing chain.
The "foolish" part is squarely on you
+1
wsar10, have you priced the replacement cost of a timing CHAIN in a modern OHC or DOHC engine lately? Call a Ford dealer and ask them how much it would cost to replace the timing chain, gears, and tensioners in the Explorer you are looking at. If/when you do, you are in for a rude awakening! On some FWD/AWD vehicles the engine has to come out to do this.
Yes, timing chains DO wear, but so do all of the other internally lubricated engine parts like pistons, rings, cylinders, bearings, oil pump, camshafts, followers, valves, etc, etc. One would hope that the engineers have designed their engine in such a way that all of these internally lubricated parts wear out at about the same time, including the timing chain. That is what is SUPPOSED to happen, although we all know that it rarely works out that way.
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Originally Posted By: wag123
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Originally Posted By: wsar10
No your very incorrect here, a chain just like ANY mechanical part will wear PERIOD. I work with a mechanical engineer on my team at work, we have this conversation all the time.....I agree that a belt should need maintenance before a chain. Contact ANYBODY with an engineering background or a professional engine builder and they will tell you the same. To make that decision based on what a manufacture says is "maintenance" is foolish ! Thats half the purpose of this forum, dismissing the "maintenance schedule" and educating yourself through science about your REAL maintenance needs of a vehicle.
Since you already know that every moving part will be subject to wear during engine operation. Why are you suggesting to change only the timing chain at 100k miles? What about cam shafts, valves, pistons, main bearings? They all wear and you can be sure that they will not be exactly the same as brand new.
What you're not getting from your engineer friend is that all mating parts are made to specific clearances and unless those clearances go beyond the maximum specifications, the engine will not be considered worn out by any mechanic or engineer. Same thing applies to the timing chain.
The "foolish" part is squarely on you
+1
wsar10, have you priced the replacement cost of a timing CHAIN in a modern OHC or DOHC engine lately? Call a Ford dealer and ask them how much it would cost to replace the timing chain, gears, and tensioners in the Explorer you are looking at. If/when you do, you are in for a rude awakening! On some FWD/AWD vehicles the engine has to come out to do this.
Yes, timing chains DO wear, but so do all of the other internally lubricated engine parts like pistons, rings, cylinders, bearings, oil pump, camshafts, followers, valves, etc, etc. One would hope that the engineers have designed their engine in such a way that all of these internally lubricated parts wear out at about the same time, including the timing chain. That is what is SUPPOSED to happen, although we all know that it rarely works out that way.
I understand the expense, 4 guys at work just had theres done (1 4.0 Ranger and 3 explorers, and the guy I spoke of earlier just did his own in his V10 F-350 @160K. We have an old Subaru that we just had done last winter (Ive owned many subarus and had every timing belt replaced as normal 100k maintance. Out all the fords that were done only 2 exhibited issues, (v10) lost all its power and dipped to less than 10MPG, the other (03 explorer) just had allot of valve train vibration and noise due to the tensioners being worn so bad therefore the chain was vibrating around (due to the normal stretching that happens to chains). On all 5 engines the highest mileage was 160K and the lowest was 110K, and the tensioners on all engines were maxed out out.
As far as our explorer I was quoted 2 grand today, If we are going to keep this truck until the wheels fall off than I will have the service done next summer or if I start hearing the oh so common slap or vibration. The only (long term use) vehicle that I have NEVER done timing chains on are my 4.0 JEEP's, IIRC they are a dual style chain. Wait till some of you guys have one fly apart without warning....THAN you'll wish you had spent the money on the service vs a motor rebuild.
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Originally Posted By: wsar10
No your very incorrect here, a chain just like ANY mechanical part will wear PERIOD. I work with a mechanical engineer on my team at work, we have this conversation all the time.....I agree that a belt should need maintenance before a chain. Contact ANYBODY with an engineering background or a professional engine builder and they will tell you the same. To make that decision based on what a manufacture says is "maintenance" is foolish ! Thats half the purpose of this forum, dismissing the "maintenance schedule" and educating yourself through science about your REAL maintenance needs of a vehicle.
Since you already know that every moving part will be subject to wear during engine operation. Why are you suggesting to change only the timing chain at 100k miles? What about cam shafts, valves, pistons, main bearings? They all wear and you can be sure that they will not be exactly the same as brand new.
What you're not getting from your engineer friend is that all mating parts are made to specific clearances and unless those clearances go beyond the maximum specifications, the engine will not be considered worn out by any mechanic or engineer. Same thing applies to the timing chain.
The "foolish" part is squarely on you
+1
wsar10, have you priced the replacement cost of a timing CHAIN in a modern OHC or DOHC engine lately? Call a Ford dealer and ask them how much it would cost to replace the timing chain, gears, and tensioners in the Explorer you are looking at. If/when you do, you are in for a rude awakening! On some FWD/AWD vehicles the engine has to come out to do this.
Yes, timing chains DO wear, but so do all of the other internally lubricated engine parts like pistons, rings, cylinders, bearings, oil pump, camshafts, followers, valves, etc, etc. One would hope that the engineers have designed their engine in such a way that all of these internally lubricated parts wear out at about the same time, including the timing chain. That is what is SUPPOSED to happen, although we all know that it rarely works out that way.
I understand the expense, 4 guys at work just had theres done (1 4.0 Ranger and 3 explorers, and the guy I spoke of earlier just did his own in his V10 F-350 @160K. We have an old Subaru that we just had done last winter (Ive owned many subarus and had every timing belt replaced as normal 100k maintance. Out all the fords that were done only 2 exhibited issues, (v10) lost all its power and dipped to less than 10MPG, the other (03 explorer) just had allot of valve train vibration and noise due to the tensioners being worn so bad therefore the chain was vibrating around (due to the normal stretching that happens to chains). On all 5 engines the highest mileage was 160K and the lowest was 110K, and the tensioners on all engines were maxed out out.
As far as our explorer I was quoted 2 grand today, If we are going to keep this truck until the wheels fall off than I will have the service done next summer or if I start hearing the oh so common slap or vibration. The only (long term use) vehicle that I have NEVER done timing chains on are my 4.0 JEEP's, IIRC they are a dual style chain. Wait till some of you guys have one fly apart without warning....THAN you'll wish you had spent the money on the service vs a motor rebuild.
OVERKILL
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Originally Posted By: wsar10
I understand the expense, 4 guys at work just had theres done (1 4.0 Ranger and 3 explorers,
Did you see my earlier post?
BTW, the 4.0L SOHC is known to have timing chain/tensioner issues. It is not a typical example.
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and the guy I spoke of earlier just did his own in his V10 F-350 @160K.
Certain years of the Modular had issues with the finish on the guides which caused them to wear out prematurely. I don't remember the exact year but they make a noise when they go and you will often find nylon in the oil when drained. This happened to my buddy's '03 F-150, which has less than 60K miles on it.
Quote:
we have an old Subaru that we just had done last winter (Ive owned many subarus and had every timing belt replaced as normal 100k maintance. Out all the fords that were done only 2 exhibited issues, (v10) lost all its power and dipped to less than 10MPG, the other (03 explorer) just had allot of valve train vibration and noise due to the tensioners being worn so bad therefore the chain was vibrating around (due to the normal stretching that happens to chains). On all 5 engines the highest mileage was 160K and the lowest was 110K, and the tensioners on all engines were maxed out out.
Yes, but as I said above those are not typical examples. It sounds like the V10 jumped time, which is what happened to my buddy's 4.6L when his tensioner went south. The two banks were out of phase. The 4.0L SOHC is a known problem child.
Quote:
As far as our explorer I was quoted 2 grand today, If we are going to keep this truck until the wheels fall off than I will have the service done next summer or if I start hearing the oh so common slap or vibration. The only (long term use) vehicle that I have NEVER done timing chains on are my 4.0 JEEP's, IIRC they are a dual style chain. Wait till some of you guys have one fly apart without warning....THAN you'll wish you had spent the money on the service vs a motor rebuild.
I've never seen a chain fly apart. I've seen a tensioner fail. I've had nylon timing gears fail. But I've never had a chain come apart. BTW, many OHC engines have large double row chains too.
I understand the expense, 4 guys at work just had theres done (1 4.0 Ranger and 3 explorers,
Did you see my earlier post?
BTW, the 4.0L SOHC is known to have timing chain/tensioner issues. It is not a typical example.
Quote:
and the guy I spoke of earlier just did his own in his V10 F-350 @160K.
Certain years of the Modular had issues with the finish on the guides which caused them to wear out prematurely. I don't remember the exact year but they make a noise when they go and you will often find nylon in the oil when drained. This happened to my buddy's '03 F-150, which has less than 60K miles on it.
Quote:
we have an old Subaru that we just had done last winter (Ive owned many subarus and had every timing belt replaced as normal 100k maintance. Out all the fords that were done only 2 exhibited issues, (v10) lost all its power and dipped to less than 10MPG, the other (03 explorer) just had allot of valve train vibration and noise due to the tensioners being worn so bad therefore the chain was vibrating around (due to the normal stretching that happens to chains). On all 5 engines the highest mileage was 160K and the lowest was 110K, and the tensioners on all engines were maxed out out.
Yes, but as I said above those are not typical examples. It sounds like the V10 jumped time, which is what happened to my buddy's 4.6L when his tensioner went south. The two banks were out of phase. The 4.0L SOHC is a known problem child.
Quote:
As far as our explorer I was quoted 2 grand today, If we are going to keep this truck until the wheels fall off than I will have the service done next summer or if I start hearing the oh so common slap or vibration. The only (long term use) vehicle that I have NEVER done timing chains on are my 4.0 JEEP's, IIRC they are a dual style chain. Wait till some of you guys have one fly apart without warning....THAN you'll wish you had spent the money on the service vs a motor rebuild.
I've never seen a chain fly apart. I've seen a tensioner fail. I've had nylon timing gears fail. But I've never had a chain come apart. BTW, many OHC engines have large double row chains too.
The only time I've ever heard of a TIMING CHAIN replacement interval was from an indy BMW specialist. I was very surprised to hear that. Just my 2c.
Originally Posted By: wsar10
Well...we test drove it, ran great. Upon pulling the dipstick I found the oil to feel like grease.....looking in the fill spout all you could Se were chunks of sludge and junk.....how frustrating....
Told you, Im not sure what causes the sludge issue, but some of them have it. Best to stay away.
Well...we test drove it, ran great. Upon pulling the dipstick I found the oil to feel like grease.....looking in the fill spout all you could Se were chunks of sludge and junk.....how frustrating....
Told you, Im not sure what causes the sludge issue, but some of them have it. Best to stay away.
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- Jan 9, 2009
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Oh man OP is so off with this timing chain talk. Sometimes you have to admit you are wrong and learn something new
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the crowd here is more reliable and informative from a mechanical and reliability standpoint than ANY consumer report..........
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the crowd here is more reliable and informative from a mechanical and reliability standpoint than ANY consumer report..........
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OVERKILL:
Yes I saw your post but my replay would have been too long and probably would have seemed argumentative (although not my intentions).
In my life I have just simply witnessed too many issues to not consider a preventative maintenance strike. Roughly ten years ago we had a legacy (H6) that had chains (that everybody said "no need to replace them @ 100K") and a chain broke @160K and bent 2 valves and scored 2 valve guides, I stopped the mechanic there......it would have been a $3100 bill and not worth it to fix, BUT had I stuck to my guns and did the 100K maintenance that car would still be running.
Yes I saw your post but my replay would have been too long and probably would have seemed argumentative (although not my intentions).
In my life I have just simply witnessed too many issues to not consider a preventative maintenance strike. Roughly ten years ago we had a legacy (H6) that had chains (that everybody said "no need to replace them @ 100K") and a chain broke @160K and bent 2 valves and scored 2 valve guides, I stopped the mechanic there......it would have been a $3100 bill and not worth it to fix, BUT had I stuck to my guns and did the 100K maintenance that car would still be running.
Originally Posted By: gregk24
Originally Posted By: wsar10
Well...we test drove it, ran great. Upon pulling the dipstick I found the oil to feel like grease.....looking in the fill spout all you could Se were chunks of sludge and junk.....how frustrating....
Told you, Im not sure what causes the sludge issue, but some of them have it. Best to stay away.
IMO, people rely on a sensor to change there oil and try to run a "quick lube" dinno for 10k mi.........
Originally Posted By: wsar10
Well...we test drove it, ran great. Upon pulling the dipstick I found the oil to feel like grease.....looking in the fill spout all you could Se were chunks of sludge and junk.....how frustrating....
Told you, Im not sure what causes the sludge issue, but some of them have it. Best to stay away.
IMO, people rely on a sensor to change there oil and try to run a "quick lube" dinno for 10k mi.........
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Originally Posted By: wsar10
OVERKILL:
Yes I saw your post but my replay would have been too long and probably would have seemed argumentative (although not my intentions).
In my life I have just simply witnessed too many issues to not consider a preventative maintenance strike. Roughly ten years ago we had a legacy (H6) that had chains (that everybody said "no need to replace them @ 100K") and a chain broke @160K and bent 2 valves and scored 2 valve guides, I stopped the mechanic there......it would have been a $3100 bill and not worth it to fix, BUT had I stuck to my guns and did the 100K maintenance that car would still be running.
See, my approach is different in that I typically avoid engines that have costly issues like requiring the timing chain to be replaced associated with them
Though technically the Expedition was a small gamble on that front as it was possible for me to get one with the poorly finished guides, but that didn't happen. We've had 3x Expeditions (see my Expedition thread for more info if you want) and they've all been bulletproof.
Some engines, with chains, are going to have guide, chain, sprocket...etc issues. The Yamaha (IIRC) Taurus SHO engine liked to have the timing gears fall off, the M62 (non hi-po version of the engine in my M5 which has a single row chain) has been known for guide failures. The 4.0L SOHC, as I mentioned earlier, is also a problem child in this regard.
That said, there are plenty of engines out there where the timing chain will truly be a lifetime item. I don't expect to ever have to touch them in either of our current vehicles. The Scoobie has a belt of course so it doesn't count
I'm not looking to change your mind or argue with you, just give you a little perspective on the issue, which was the intent of my earlier post as well. They aren't all something that needs to be PM'd and in many applications you'd truly just be wasting your time and money doing so. Others? Yup, you'll have catastrophic failure if you don't PM. This is also why it is important to know your vehicle, its quirks and of course its potential issues. This is what makes forums like this so great as people are able to share those experiences and you'll find out pretty quickly if something is common or not.
OVERKILL:
Yes I saw your post but my replay would have been too long and probably would have seemed argumentative (although not my intentions).
In my life I have just simply witnessed too many issues to not consider a preventative maintenance strike. Roughly ten years ago we had a legacy (H6) that had chains (that everybody said "no need to replace them @ 100K") and a chain broke @160K and bent 2 valves and scored 2 valve guides, I stopped the mechanic there......it would have been a $3100 bill and not worth it to fix, BUT had I stuck to my guns and did the 100K maintenance that car would still be running.
See, my approach is different in that I typically avoid engines that have costly issues like requiring the timing chain to be replaced associated with them
Some engines, with chains, are going to have guide, chain, sprocket...etc issues. The Yamaha (IIRC) Taurus SHO engine liked to have the timing gears fall off, the M62 (non hi-po version of the engine in my M5 which has a single row chain) has been known for guide failures. The 4.0L SOHC, as I mentioned earlier, is also a problem child in this regard.
That said, there are plenty of engines out there where the timing chain will truly be a lifetime item. I don't expect to ever have to touch them in either of our current vehicles. The Scoobie has a belt of course so it doesn't count
I'm not looking to change your mind or argue with you, just give you a little perspective on the issue, which was the intent of my earlier post as well. They aren't all something that needs to be PM'd and in many applications you'd truly just be wasting your time and money doing so. Others? Yup, you'll have catastrophic failure if you don't PM. This is also why it is important to know your vehicle, its quirks and of course its potential issues. This is what makes forums like this so great as people are able to share those experiences and you'll find out pretty quickly if something is common or not.
My stepdaughter drives a well-used XL7... maybe 06? 08? that her dad bought her. It's my first experience with a suzuki that uses 4 wheels. It has been a reliable and reasonably well-put-together vehicle as for what I have seen in the year she's had it.
- it handles very well, and is RWD (some like, some don't)
- it is a little thirsty for its size
- it has more get-up-and-go than the average cute 'ute in it's size
- the dash styling is polarizing, you like it or you don't
- I think it's around 80k on it. it consumes little to no oil. the transmission was mysteriously low when she brought it home but it doesn't leak.
- engine bay is a little tight, about like a late 90's Nissan. I have yet to actually *see* the oil filter.
- door seals don't leak, cabin feels solid, materials are nice.
For her it has been a very nice vehicle. I think it's fun to drive and easy to live with.
- it handles very well, and is RWD (some like, some don't)
- it is a little thirsty for its size
- it has more get-up-and-go than the average cute 'ute in it's size
- the dash styling is polarizing, you like it or you don't
- I think it's around 80k on it. it consumes little to no oil. the transmission was mysteriously low when she brought it home but it doesn't leak.
- engine bay is a little tight, about like a late 90's Nissan. I have yet to actually *see* the oil filter.
- door seals don't leak, cabin feels solid, materials are nice.
For her it has been a very nice vehicle. I think it's fun to drive and easy to live with.
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2009
- Messages
- 1,798
Originally Posted By: meep
My stepdaughter drives a well-used XL7... maybe 06? 08? that her dad bought her. It's my first experience with a suzuki that uses 4 wheels. It has been a reliable and reasonably well-put-together vehicle as for what I have seen in the year she's had it.
- it handles very well, and is RWD (some like, some don't)
- it is a little thirsty for its size
- it has more get-up-and-go than the average cute 'ute in it's size
- the dash styling is polarizing, you like it or you don't
- I think it's around 80k on it. it consumes little to no oil. the transmission was mysteriously low when she brought it home but it doesn't leak.
- engine bay is a little tight, about like a late 90's Nissan. I have yet to actually *see* the oil filter.
- door seals don't leak, cabin feels solid, materials are nice.
For her it has been a very nice vehicle. I think it's fun to drive and easy to live with.
The earlier RWD/AWD XL7 you are talking about is totally different than the GM platformed more recent FWD/AWD XL7.
My stepdaughter drives a well-used XL7... maybe 06? 08? that her dad bought her. It's my first experience with a suzuki that uses 4 wheels. It has been a reliable and reasonably well-put-together vehicle as for what I have seen in the year she's had it.
- it handles very well, and is RWD (some like, some don't)
- it is a little thirsty for its size
- it has more get-up-and-go than the average cute 'ute in it's size
- the dash styling is polarizing, you like it or you don't
- I think it's around 80k on it. it consumes little to no oil. the transmission was mysteriously low when she brought it home but it doesn't leak.
- engine bay is a little tight, about like a late 90's Nissan. I have yet to actually *see* the oil filter.
- door seals don't leak, cabin feels solid, materials are nice.
For her it has been a very nice vehicle. I think it's fun to drive and easy to live with.
The earlier RWD/AWD XL7 you are talking about is totally different than the GM platformed more recent FWD/AWD XL7.
GM built engine and solid construction. I think Suzuki offered a lot of bang for your buck. The engine sludge issue is due to the DI engine which a lot of people are finding complaints for. Run a decent synthetic and dont go for long intervals and you should be fine. Little narrow in the cab but lot of bells and whistles and a comfortable ride. My mom had a 03 which I liked more than the newer ones (older ones had full 4wd versus awd) but I think it is a decent choice for the price point.
FWIW:
when driving and riding in a 07 an up XL7 you feel like your in a mini-van......I did not really like the vehicle all that much for ONLY that reason, that being said if this one did have the sludge issue we would have bought it, SHE loved it, and it already had the TC service done.
In my honest opinion after looking at a few XL7's, if your looking for an SUV than stay away these have respectively (unfortunately) "sold-out" to the common cross over/ mini-van market.
BUT
they are VERY well equipped with options that are common on vehicle twice there price point, good on gas for a 7pass vehicle, comfortable interior, VERY powerful V6 engine (250hp),firm transmission,nice leather, a ton of air bags you WILL NOT find a 3rd row vehicle this well equipped at this price point.
when driving and riding in a 07 an up XL7 you feel like your in a mini-van......I did not really like the vehicle all that much for ONLY that reason, that being said if this one did have the sludge issue we would have bought it, SHE loved it, and it already had the TC service done.
In my honest opinion after looking at a few XL7's, if your looking for an SUV than stay away these have respectively (unfortunately) "sold-out" to the common cross over/ mini-van market.
BUT
they are VERY well equipped with options that are common on vehicle twice there price point, good on gas for a 7pass vehicle, comfortable interior, VERY powerful V6 engine (250hp),firm transmission,nice leather, a ton of air bags you WILL NOT find a 3rd row vehicle this well equipped at this price point.
Originally Posted By: wag123
In 2008 the XL7 was basically a GM product and comes from the same GM family as the Chevy Traverse, Buick Enclave, Saturn Outlook, and GMC Acadia (but has a slightly shorter wheel base than these others).
Originally Posted By: silverrat
The earlier RWD/AWD XL7 you are talking about is totally different than the GM platformed more recent FWD/AWD XL7.
There is understandably a lot of confusion about what the 2006-2009 Suzuki XL7 is. Its a stretched version of the Chevy Equinox (Theta platform)using a slightly Suzuki-customized version of GM's High Feature 3.6L V6. (Acadia/Enclave/Outlook are sumo-sized obese crossovers on the Lambda platform.)
In 2008 the XL7 was basically a GM product and comes from the same GM family as the Chevy Traverse, Buick Enclave, Saturn Outlook, and GMC Acadia (but has a slightly shorter wheel base than these others).
Originally Posted By: silverrat
The earlier RWD/AWD XL7 you are talking about is totally different than the GM platformed more recent FWD/AWD XL7.
There is understandably a lot of confusion about what the 2006-2009 Suzuki XL7 is. Its a stretched version of the Chevy Equinox (Theta platform)using a slightly Suzuki-customized version of GM's High Feature 3.6L V6. (Acadia/Enclave/Outlook are sumo-sized obese crossovers on the Lambda platform.)
Originally Posted By: wsar10
In my life I have just simply witnessed too many issues to not consider a preventative maintenance strike. Roughly ten years ago we had a legacy (H6) that had chains (that everybody said "no need to replace them @ 100K") and a chain broke @160K and bent 2 valves and scored 2 valve guides, I stopped the mechanic there......it would have been a $3100 bill and not worth it to fix, BUT had I stuck to my guns and did the 100K maintenance that car would still be running.
wsar10, I'm going to do my "Good Deed for the Day" and try to explain to you why your line of thinking is an error in judgement and why you would wasting good money on a timing chain replacement at 100k miles.
$2000 is a substantial amount of money to spend on UNNECESSARY maintenance at 100k miles. Let me explain why.
I know that you are trying to make the Explorer (or whatever else you purchase) last a long time, "until the wheels fall off" as you put it. Let's say for the sake of argument that you go ahead and spend the $2000 to replace the timing chain at 100k miles. Now, let's say that some moron runs into it 6 months later and it is totalled, or, at 120k miles something else inside the engine lets-go, you just LOST your $2000.
Now, let's say that you DON'T replace the timing chain and you put the $2000 aside into a "rainy day fund". At 130k miles the transmission lets-go, you now have the funds set aside to fix the problem, or, let's say that at 160k the timing chain DOES let-go (an abnormal occurrence), you can buy a used engine with under 60k on it and have it installed for less than $2000 (a low mile used engine for an Explorer is MUCH easier to find and MUCH less expensive than a Subaru H6 engine). Now you have a 160k Explorer with a 60k engine in it, plus, you drove it for 60k miles before this happened, FOR THE SAME TOTAL CASH OUTLAY! Don't you think that you would get a much longer usable life out of it and a much lower total cost of ownership under this scenario? Think about it.
In my life I have just simply witnessed too many issues to not consider a preventative maintenance strike. Roughly ten years ago we had a legacy (H6) that had chains (that everybody said "no need to replace them @ 100K") and a chain broke @160K and bent 2 valves and scored 2 valve guides, I stopped the mechanic there......it would have been a $3100 bill and not worth it to fix, BUT had I stuck to my guns and did the 100K maintenance that car would still be running.
wsar10, I'm going to do my "Good Deed for the Day" and try to explain to you why your line of thinking is an error in judgement and why you would wasting good money on a timing chain replacement at 100k miles.
$2000 is a substantial amount of money to spend on UNNECESSARY maintenance at 100k miles. Let me explain why.
I know that you are trying to make the Explorer (or whatever else you purchase) last a long time, "until the wheels fall off" as you put it. Let's say for the sake of argument that you go ahead and spend the $2000 to replace the timing chain at 100k miles. Now, let's say that some moron runs into it 6 months later and it is totalled, or, at 120k miles something else inside the engine lets-go, you just LOST your $2000.
Now, let's say that you DON'T replace the timing chain and you put the $2000 aside into a "rainy day fund". At 130k miles the transmission lets-go, you now have the funds set aside to fix the problem, or, let's say that at 160k the timing chain DOES let-go (an abnormal occurrence), you can buy a used engine with under 60k on it and have it installed for less than $2000 (a low mile used engine for an Explorer is MUCH easier to find and MUCH less expensive than a Subaru H6 engine). Now you have a 160k Explorer with a 60k engine in it, plus, you drove it for 60k miles before this happened, FOR THE SAME TOTAL CASH OUTLAY! Don't you think that you would get a much longer usable life out of it and a much lower total cost of ownership under this scenario? Think about it.
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