I actually never prefer wood exterior doors . Where do you live / Why wood? It is hard to suggest anything without some info.

I work prdomintly in a historic district that requires wood doors. Old wood doors that are solid and have tight grain are great. New wood doors with veneer over staves- meh. At my office water started leaking through the door panel after the first rain and the manufacturers warranty won't cover it because their warranty only applies if you have 14' of cover over the door!!! Custom solid hardwood doors are better in my experience, sapele, cypress, cedar...

Yes, I agree with HALLETT. The best results are going to come from a custom door, and you may be able to find a skilled local manufacturer for a similar price to the larger manufacturers if you are savvy.

Thank you! My current door is solid oak, and in good condition, but the style was never appropriate for my house (the moulding and glass style). I’m in the Chicago area…anyone happen to know a local fabricator that’s great?

I think look for cypress it should be the best choice IMO if solid wood is a must.

J can your current door be reworked? I had a solid wood door at my last house which had an elaborate leaded glass panel, I made a panel to match it that matched the rest of the door.

@HLAAETT, it would be ideal if it could be reworked, but I’m not sure how to find the right person to do it. I have looked into glass companies replacing the glass (to make a little better), but can’t even get anyone to provide a quote as it’s too small of a job.

I have Simpson doors and they've been great, however they are under substantial roof overhangs so rarely get rain. They are a veneered door, like most "wood" doors these days, with engineered wood insides.

Good reviews. Not sure if you searched on line; hope this helps.

Evanston Lumber is where we bought our alder wood (stained mahogany) entry door in 2001. I can never remember which name comes first, but think it's Jeld-Wen. This is a 42" wide archtop within an arched surround with side lights, but I'm sure they have stand alone *doors*. We have a 6' deep covered entry over this north-facing door. It's been great -- one refurbishing in 20 years. A lumber yard should have names of carpenters to recommend to you. Door-hanging is an art.