GB:
I like the idea, but it may have some practical limitations for me. The car has almost 300,000 miles on it and for my situation it's been historically a better option to buy a lower mileage car and then start piling the miles onto the newer car. I'm considering getting one that's a couple of years newer, but with under 100k miles. It all depends on finding the right car. Things just start to go wrong with the combination of years and miles, and it gets expensive.
One thing I must say about this Explorer though, is that if ever there were a car worth putting restoration money into, this is it. The thing is tight and everything works pretty well. It's got a bit of rust, but nothing serious.
It's a heck of a car. It suits me well.
I will be looking at the Toy-oters too. Lots of options. With the kids growing up, a smaller car is starting to make more sense, though.
Another option now is to get a smaller car for commuting and long distance, and keeping the truck hunting, fishing, and non-work driving. I really don't want to buy a car that's very new.
I've looked at those Subaru Outbacks and Foresters. Pretty nice in concept, but not too good for comfort when you're over 6 feet tall. Kinda cramped.