Style, handling, reliability

does not handle rough roads well

I bought this Explorer XLT from an individual with very LITTLE problems.The only major money spent was new a/c which cost $500 to replace.

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Yukon=the Explorer is easier to handle with less gas!

Awesome engine for a ford.The tranny is very smooth.All the bells and whistles you could want in a suv.Styling is exceptional.

Intake manifold gasket and timing chain tensioner problems.Poor suspension.Needs more rear seat leg room.Poor resale value.Poor gas mileage,but most of the time within the manufacturers claims.Front end alignment problems.

Overall I like this SUV.The styling and interior is very nice.The options are tremendous.The gaskets and tensioner problems were fixed for free under an extended warranty.Some problems can be fixed with aftermarket products, such as the shocks and brakes.The 4.0L SOHC has almost as much power as the V-8.

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Nissan Pathfinder and Xterra.Nissan drivetrain probably more reliable but ford explorer is more comfortable.

My mom got me this truck 2 years ago when I was 16. And it's sweet as hell. Very Comfortable, power everything, leather, seats inflate with air, madd room for almost everthing, best air-condtion system of any car I've been in, good handling with goodyear tires, very reliable, and quite. Not sure why some people are having problems, the only thing I've had to replace were the axle bushings besides regular maintnance. Good for towing, I use it to tow our waverunners alot with no problem. Only average power, but flowmaster exhaust and intake took care of that and also improved the gas mileage. I have a sweet audio system that bangs like hell, and there are no rattles heard. You would have thought there'd be rattles by now with the stereo, but with it off the only thing that rattles a little is the tail-gate. Not sure why, but my truck is quieter than my moms 97' Mountaineer and rides alot better, and not only hers but basically every newer explorer I've been in. Although hers hauls a** with a V8 and jet-chip with intake.

Firestone tires, but was given new GoodYears. Made a huge difference in how the truck handled, made it quiter and rode a lot smoother. Gas mileage was bad at first about 160 to a whole tank, but with the mods I get about 240 miles in the city, and can tow the waverunners to our Lake House 2hrs away on half a tank.

Awwsome truck, definetley recomend it, mines tan with black and limo tint on the windows and it looks tight. bUT because of the damn water-restricions here right now I havn't washed it in 3 months. People who are having propblems must just have crap dearlships because ours takes care of everthing. I know other people who have these and have not had one problem with it. I want something sportier now, but can't get used to that sitting low feeling. So think about getting a Saleen Explorer.

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97' Mouintainer, hell of alot faster than mine but the new ones are sweet.
most other cars and trucks. The only time wished I had more power was after my moms friend took me in his Ruff Porsche (for anyone who doesn't know what Ruff is, their a company who modifies Porsche's like how BMW has the M series) he modifed his to 620 horses and nothing on the street can touch that car. Got back in my truck and noticed how slow it was campared to that.

Low Maintenance, good ride for SUV

None

My Explorer now has 153,000 miles and had no problems. Transmission
and front differential now have to be replaced. The AAMCO shop informed
me that normally the transmissions on SUV's have to be rebuilt at
100,000 miles. Great gas mileage for 6-cylinder: 20 in city and
25 on the highway. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone. Normal
service keeps everything running smoothly. Front Power Lumbar seats are a
plus!!!

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1993 Ford Explorer, handling and ride are much better.

size, interior comfort

everything else

bought it because we wanted something big and comfortable to drive on the road, and to haul or two dogs. bought it with 84,000 miles which is low now i am praying that nothing else goes wrong. had the brakes fixed when purchased but the stupid brake light keeps coming on along with the anti lock light. cost 50 dollars for them to tell me what they think is wrong and another $170 to fix it. i say screw it. had the ac converted due to the several leaks in the old one, all of the door handles are loose, other than that seems to run fine on the open road, but i dont want to put alot of in town miles on it because i am worried about the transmission going out. we also own two hondas which we love because they never have problems

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first suv

-comfortable
-4x4 not to bad--when you get it to engage

-lots of little things go out-- sensors,bushings,emission control equipment
-ford service will juice you

The explorer has 90,000 miles on it and I bought it at 73000. As to expect the truck is getting up their so the little things are going to start going out. Overall not a bad truck but if I had my choice it would be a jeep or toyota(toooooooo exspensive). One thing I would say is buy a hand held code reader. This little devise will save you huge dollars in repairs considering Ford horrible service record.......

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None

Very quick 210hp 4.0 V6 (much better than the 150hp 3.0 V6 in my previous Ford Ranger 4X4). Solid feel. Not as loud as expected. Very comfortable 6-way power seat. Sharp front grill design.

Lower than sticker gas mileage (about 16-17 highway, at best).

So far, I feel very happy with my choice. I originally went in to purchase a Ford Escape (a smaller SUV), but the residual value was much better on the Explorer Sport, and I was able to get a more reasonable monthly payment than had I gone with the Escape.

A solid, comfortable, roomy, sporty SUV was what I was looking for, and that is what I received!

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None.

-eddie bauer has power everything
-fairly dependable and low maintinence
-larger cargo capacity than any jeep or blazer

-very poor transmission expect to replace if over 90 or 100000 miles (1st generation explorers are notorious for this)
-4 wheel drive is poor in winter conditions (on 1st generation)
-rusts easily in rear wheel wells and around doors (if in salt in the winter)
-4.0l 6cyl is a little underpwered

EXPLORER
I don't want to talk the explorer down too much because for around town driving it is fine. I wouldn't suggest towing much with it though. we owned this car since it came off of a lease in 95 and it was extremely dependable up to about 110000 miles. after that it began to rust in the places mentioned above. the rear wiper also failed at this time (i consider this basic maintinence though). the only other major problem was the transmission failure at about 135000 miles (i was told by several people that it should have gone out before this). so if youre buying used with higher miles take it to your garage and have it looked at especially the transmission.
CHEROKEE
the cherokee has much better 4 wheel drive system and more torque from the straight six even though it was 5 years older. also was much more resistent to rust than explorer. only probleem i ever had with the jeep was a cracked radiator hose. Both vehicles had 120 to 135000 miles before i got rid of them. the jeep also has a interior spare which is a lot easier to get to than one bolted to the bottom of the vehicle.

overall i think the jeep was a higher quality vehicle and is better for the $ if you dont need the space but explorers are good trucks too. i suggest going for the 2nd generation if you have the cash, ford worked out alot of the bugs on this model (it got a heavier-duty transmission).

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last car was an 88 cherokee limited. more rugged vehicle but less cargo space.

2001 Explorer Sport - Great looks at a great price.

Seats aren't very comfortable (hi-back leather w/ side air bags) - elbows bruised on both sides from plastic door handle & console. Small gas tank & 15-17 mpg... Tailgate leaks!!!

2001 Explorer Sport with every available factory option. Biggest problem is the leaky tailgate which the dealer already tried to fix once. The tailgate also isn't aligned properly (check around the taillights) but I'm told this isn't the reason for the leak. This is a short range vehicle (250-270 miles per tank). Keep those elbows up or wear long sleeves while driving!!! I'm 6' tall 170 pounds & while the seat is plenty wide - the door handles and console are closing in from either side. 6 disc cd player sounds great. Puddle lights are a nice touch. The valet at the Waldorf Astoria liked it very much....

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1992 Jeep Wrangler - falls apart after 5 years but was a lot of fun when new. Explorer is a better ride & more solid vehicle.

The SOHC V-6 4.0-liter 210HP Ford Engine Pulls my 6000 pound boat Heated seats, voice recorder,cd player,6 disc changer,moon roof,compass,all that computerized stuff on the ground nexted to the driver,I finally found a set of speakers that can compare to my Boston multimedia speakers,climate control,all the controls on the stering wheel like fan temperature skip track of on a cd volume control ete,I Can go on and on with Options Its got them all. Another thing is its Huge Compared to the JEEP

Nothing,just tryin to learn all about the features. AND Dont ever forget not to close the moonroof when a storm is coming.

ITS THE BEST SUV ON THE PLANET FORD EXPLORER ROCKS.

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I Have A 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee Its For Sale now, IT RUINED MY REPUTATION.