I was not planning on buying an Explorer but my brother works in the service dept. at a Ford dealership and tried to sell me on this vehicle. I was trading in my Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited and saw the Explorer and was surprised. I havent been a big fan of Explorers of the past. This one looks different to me and really caught my eye. It is a very nice, smooth ride. I have been getting about 18 MPG with the 4.0L V6. I love when you are out at night and hit the unlock button on the key fob, the inside and the outside of the vehicle REALLY light up. There are some pretty bright lights underneath the outside side mirrors. Its kind of cool really. Pleasantly surprised with this vehicle.

Although the console is rather deep, and the door pockets and glove compartment provide some additional storage, I was hoping for a place to throw my loose change as I usually do. There just isn't anywhere to put it. Loading CD's in the 6 disc changer is a time consuming process, but this is the first CD changer I've had so maybe that is just the way it is.

Although the sticker on this vehicle read $35,770, I was able to get it for $25,143 after my brother's Ford discount and the $4000 in rebates and my trade-in which wasn't worth much and in need of some repairs. I love this SUV a lot more than even I would have expected.

DRIVES EXCELLENT
HANDLES EXCELLENT ]
GREAT EXCELLENT ON ACCELLERATION
GREAT ON GAS MILAGE.

VERY ROUGH RIDE,,,

NONE

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NONE

always starts.....excellant sound system...great pick-up speed,handles in any weather

I bought this SUV when it was 9 months old, have putting nothing more that brakes and one wheel bearing on it in 5 years. Love it so much I just ordered a 2010. Cant wait for it to come in!
amazing vehicles, Canada winters are terrible and this vehicle gets me through the 4 months of snow with ease. Has never let me down, starts in -28 weather. Purrs like a kitten.
When I went to get a trade in value, I was amazed how they hold their value. Has 114,000 KM on it, but still got 13,000 trade in

Lots of Power, Competent 4WD, Leather, Rear climate control Power everything. No extras ever broke. Solid transmission.

Ride, shaky suspension, Bad A/C condenser under powered cheap factory part. Use of plastic parts to hold timing chain. Replacement part not very much more initially. Ford needs to spend more on development, to build better machines. Ford's Economic attitude. Build it very cheap while making the fixes very expensive as long as they were not footing the bill.

Bought Explorer when I learned my family was growing. It had the same 4.0l V-6 engine as my Ranger. However with the added weight it got far worse gas mileage only about 15-18 Highway. I felt the pinch last year when gas hit $4.50 a gallon. Aside from the fuel economy the SUV had nice features to it. 6 CD changer leather seats, power everything that all worked, temp and compass, rear climate controls. The A/C condenser is bad. replaced right off it was summer in So-Cal so I needed it. It cost about $450 and worked great ever since. Got very cold. Roominess turned out to be a problem can hold five very close friends but not great for kids that tend to quarrel as they are only about 15 inches apart. Lots of fighting from the back seat. Hauls well 6 feet of cargo area with back seats folded down. They did fold down flat as long as you made sure there was nothing on the floor or under the seat. With an infant turned out to be a major pain. Good for long trips as for comfort if you had an extra $100 for gas as compared to my Camry. Ford is headed the way of GM and Chrysler if they don't build a better mouse trap. The engine started making a clanking noise on my way home from work. It turned out that the timing chain guide had broken off inside the engine. Plastic it was made of Plastic. I couldn't believe it. $2700 to have my engine taken apart and have this cheap guide replaced with a metal guide. $15.87 for the better guide. American car companies have lost their focus and the quality issues have finally caught up with their bottom line.

I moved to a 2000 Honda Odyssey and it was the best move I ever did.

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Ford Ranger, Honda Odyssey Toyota Camry

safe--very strong body
excellent engine quality

...

Overall very good
Changed starter at 170000km
Centre arm rest broken at 170000km
Heating system control door failed

dependability,stability,safety

gas mileage,but not that bad

This is a lease return I purchased the summer of 2007.It didn't have a scratch on it,perfect inside also.It came with a factory 6 disc cd player and sub woofer,sound isn't bad for a stock unit.I've owned it for almost a year and everything works like new.The explorer I traded in on the 2006 was a 2000 EB.I liked the 2000 but,after doing a panic stop on the freeway,it scared me.Way too much body shift,even if you move the stering wheel a small amount.The 2006 explorer is extremely stable.Also on the 2006,the traction control seems to be quicker.From what I've read the 2006,2007 and 2008 are the same,not for hot rodders.I hit the throttle a little hard once and very quickly the computer cut the throttle and applied the brakes to the spinning wheels.If you are looking for a safe,dependable suv for your family,this is it.

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2000 explorer EB

good looks
smooth riding
very quiet
lots of interior room

a little hard shifting in the mornings but stops after a few minutes.

My family's explorer runs very well.we've had few to no problems with it, and we plan to purchase another one.The interior has a DVD player and a touch screen navigation, which also runs very well. The seats are heated and theres also curtain airbags. I do recommend this suv.

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1992 explorer
2002 explorer

roomy,fits 7 people with 3rd row, number pad to unlock doors can be helpful

not very comfortable, no leg room for front passenger, frostbite on passenger toes during summer months, plummeting value, rear differential, gas gauge sticks

My explorer has been reasonably dependable, but it was definitely over-priced new, and has absolutely no resale value. It is not very comfortable on long trips. The passenger side leg room is awful. There is no way to get comfortable if you have to sit there more than half an hour, and I am only 5'5". Also, there is a vent that blows onto the passenger's feet that CANNOT be turned off unless the air conditioner is turned off. This is not so much of a problem in cold weather, but is a killer in the summer when feet tend to be bare. We have also had occasional problems with the gas gauge and the rear differential which seems to be a common problem with these.

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Chevrolet Tahoe (a much better vehicle)

It looks great!

Transmission, weather stripping falls off, fuel gauge works when it wants to, rear differential problems.

I've been having transmission problems with my explorer for as long as I can remember. The first RECORDED time was when I had been driving it for 19 months. I say recorded because they do this, when they know something is not right with the vehicle (like Ford's transmissions) and I tell them that there is something wrong, they do a full point inspection. This way when it's not under warranty anymore it's not in the files. I've been fighting with Ford for months and have gotten nowhere. They make u fight until you either have no choice but to fix your car or have to buy a new one. Now after making my final payment I'm looking for a new vehicle but I can assure you it will NOT be a Ford! Their customer service is horrible, they know they have a bad product and DO NOT stand behind it....if you're in the market...DON'T DO IT!

Thank you all for your candid remarks about the FORD EXPLORER. I was about to pay $6,000 for a 6 cylinder 2001 for my son. He currently drives a 1991 VOLVO that is running well. I just wanted to buy him a newer vehicle with the size to move him from home to dorm.
You all probably saved me from years of headache and unnecessary expense. I am greatly indebted to your critiques. I'll be looking at JEEP and/or PATHFINDER instead.