My first 300D only left me stranded twice (alt went out and had to get a jump, master cylinder seized; locked up and destroyed the rear brakes). That was over a period from 1988 to Jan 2004 of this year (357,000 miles). It was my only car and I drove about 25,000 miles a year in outside sales. The car was very clean and I would take clients out to lunch in it. If the car needed service or repair that was beyond my level of skill or I just didn't have the time, I would rent a car for the day.

My current 300D is also my only source of transportation during the week. Its also very clean, has lower miles than my other car and I prefer its Orient Red paint scheme to the deceased puke yellow. It had to be towed once due to plugged fuel filters from an algae attack (AAA thank you)

My wife drives the Explorer. We have two kids at an age where we are hauling the kids and their friends around, going to afternoon activities (soccer, gymnastics etc) and the Explorer works well for this purpose. We also take the Explorer on vacation. Its a 2002, 2wd V6 and gets about 22mpg on the road. Around the hills and back and forth to school the mileage really sucks on that (12mpg the way she drives it)

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84 300DT Puke Yellow. Totalled after 438,000
84 300DT Orient Red. 169,000 (actual mileage may vary)
2002 Explorer EB (wife's)