I love the room, it is very practical for Oklahoma, when we get bad weather it really gets bad, snow storms, rain storms, and ice storms. I have been stuck in it 2 times, always got out with in 10 minutes. Love the handeling, started to skid on a bridge, instantly came out of the skid. I love the room inside, great storage in the back, seats fold down flat and smooth when needed. Sound system is very nice, there is not a "tin can" sound when you crank it up. This is an excellent SUV for anyone. Starts ever time I turn the key, very reliable! I have got over 300,000 miles on it since 1996 when I bought it right off the truck.

- The backseat is fine for kids that are 10-11 years old but my 14 year old has a very hard time fitting in comfortably, so if you have kids over 13 you should consider the regular Explorer rather than the Sport version.
- I have 1 complain, I have had to replace the transmission 3 times, the first time it just went out for wear and tear, the second time was 3 weeks later because I decided ot take it to a discount auto repair center and they gave me a bad transmission, but Ford put in the 3rd one and it is fine 2 months later.
-This is a big gas hog, but that is to be expected if you want a SUV.

I paid 17,500 (in 1996) off the truck, would recommend to anyone wanting a reliable SUV and not having to spend a ton of money. Great SUV!!

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- 1998 Rodeo (rental)- Not near as good accelleration and handling, more room, but will stick with mine..
- 1999 Blazer, cheaper quality in the one I was in, handling was great but acceloration was slugish, awful sound system, the braking was awful.
- Lincoln Navigator- Hands down better than Ford Explored but then it is 20-22,000 more.

It's a a good size utility vehicle, so one gets a feeling of being protected. Accomodates a growing family of five easily. Had an accident in it and the damage to the my vehicle was minimal, wish I could say the same for the other guy.

Not enough power to the engine for highway driving. Pick up is very sluggish, tends to lose speed when going up hills.

I purchased this car used from a dealership, it was a lease trade in. Initially I was quite pleased with the vehicle, but now as mileage hits the high end, the vehicle is falling apart. My truck has 169,000 miles of highway driving on it, I travel a little over a hundred miles to and from work each day. I expected this car to hold up a little longer than 7 years. The speedometer went at approx 70,000 miles. The four wheel drive went out this winter and cost quite a bit to get it repaired. It constantly needs to be balanced otherwise the truck vibrates like crazy. It accelerates very sluggishly and is a pain on the highways because of this. I guess the first clue that this was not built for speedy pick ups was the fact that the speedometer only goes up to 85 miles per hour. The cruise control does not hold the speed. Currently, the truck is parked in my garage awaiting some more repairs. The heating and cooling systems is also on the blink. Bottom line, if you are one who trade their cars every few years then purchase this truck, if not, stay away you will be dissapointed in the long run. Would not recommend this vehicle to anyone and would not purchase another Ford. I await the first opportunity to get rid of this vehicle.

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96 explorer xlt awd:Has 56000 miles on it,Highout put v8, cloth sport buckets 6way power,alot of room.

Ride quality is average but kind of sloppy. Other wise overall, the truck is great.

Never failed me yet.

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93 chevy blazer with the tahoe pkg. Does even compare.

Good height and road feel. Comfortable interior and a very functional vehicle

A bit of wind noise from the start. Got noisier over time.

Paid about $26K and I feel in love with this vehicle. My freind had owned one and I always enjoyed riding in his. So I bought 96 XLT and have enjoyed ever since. I will buy another one in the near future as this one was recently stolen. New one will have a security system.

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My first SUV

Very roomy.

Just about everything under the hood has been replaced. It started with the starter being replaced 3 weeks after I made the purchase. It has been downhill since April 2001 with the Explorer being in the shop every weekend. I am trying to work with Ford on getting a new vehicle since there are only 16,000 miles on the explorer and I can't depend on it getting me to and from work and school.

I have a friend who purchased her explorer 3 weeks before I purchased mine. She has close to 20,000 miles on hers and she never takes it in for regular oil changes etc. She has never had a problem with hers. I think Ford was having a bad day on the assembly line. I have talked with others who have had similar problems with their explorer, but they usually happen after the first two years and not with in the first year of ownership. I would not recommend this truck.

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I have not compared it will any other SUVs

Very fast! It's great to have such a high performance 4by4 over here. Australia's "Holden Jackaroo" wouldn't know it's a#se from it's elbow when it compares to the explorer. It's got a heap of power with all the comforts you would expect- perfect for all driving conditions!

None, After owning 2 explorers over the last 5 years I have never had to touch one of them. I have taken both to the Northern Territory- some of the harshes 4wding possible plus unlimited speed limits seen me doing 180km's an hour without a single worry in the world.

10/10
actually no.....

11/10

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Holden Jackaroo- don't waste your time!
Toyota Landcruiser- althought they have a good reputation I think when it comes to intelligent 4wdrives explorer is it.

My brother had a 91 put over 200,000 miles, replaced only the alternator, and a/c. I've got 143,000 on mine, still runs good.

A/C, radius arm bushings, leaky valve covers, battery cables (easily replacable), transmission.

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The styling on the explorer sport has to be the best quality. There is not a better looking SUV out there! This car is great for off roading, or just cruising around town. It gets descent gas milage (18-20 mpg). Good pick up speed, very comfortable and roomy inside. I have not had any Transmission problems as of yet, and the SUV has 140,000 miles on it. I am impressed with the tranny, unlike most others! I think this car is going to last forever!

Air conditioning SUCKS! Had to replace the condenser, seals, and about everything else to actually get the air conditioning to even work! Now it is just O.K., not very good! 4X4 stopped working last winter. I would not recommend push button 4x4, at least not on Explorers. Cruise control stoped working last year too. The car vibrates at 70 mph, Nothing seems to fix it, maybe it is those sweet firestone tires i have on it! (haha) It does bounce a lot, but what do you expect, it's an SUV with 140,000 miles on it and original shocks! This has been an awesome little SUV so far, and I would recommend it to anyone! I LOVE IT!

I would recommend an Explorer Sport to anyone who wants a fun and easy to drive SUV. It's size is very easy to handle. It's an attractive little SUV.
I would recommend this vehicle to anyone.

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1998 Jeep Wrangler - Much better than wrangler, just not as fun.
1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee - Almost the same all around, some might consider Grand Cherokee to be nicer, but I think the explorer is Better!

it was red & had 4 doors.it had a great ride--over 55,000 miles w/ firestone tires.i had two sets of firestone tires & each set got over 50,000 miles.transmission was good,too.

where do i begin??????? The rocking back & forth when going over bumps is why there are so many roll-overs. i tried 2 different types of shocks & even a stabilizer bar under front end but, to no avail.From everything i've been told,i purchased a bronco II with the name explorer stamped on it.It will be a cold day down south before i ever buy another ford product.

it was cheap & i kept it until i relized how dangerous it is.

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i own a gmc yukon,but you can't compare it to an un-stable,roll-over prone ford explorer.

Interior space and quality of materials

Transmission

I had to put a new automatic transmission in it at 63000 miles. I never towed anything, just drove me and my dogs around town. Talked to several shops and it is a recurring problem with the Explorer. They all told me the transmission is undersized, especially the overdrive gear, and wear material from that gear takes the rest of the parts out. Of the 5 shops I talked to, 4 of them do at least 3 Explorers a week. They tell me Ford has slowly improved the design but still should expect transmission problems between 50 and 75000 miles in all model years.

The interior and exterior have held up well and still look new. Fuel mileage at 65000 miles is still the 15 city and 20 hiway I got when it was new

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Ford Bronco II before the Explorer.