Roomy, handles good

Gas Milage, Original shocks, Original Tires, Towing Power

Have not had any major problems with it. Bought it at 21000 miles and now has 78000 miles. Have had a couple of check engine occurances. Replaced original shocks (all 5) to Bilstein. Replaced tires to Michelin ATX. World of difference in handling. (side to side motion driving slow over holes and bumps is completely eliminated)

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N/A

A/C, Decent stereo

Brakes, Acceleration, Engine noise, Tires, Electrical system, and sub-par paint job.

I bought this simply to replace my lemon '98 F-150 in May of '99 and it has proven itself to be no better. First, the engine sounds like a diesel, and no dealer will admit to hearing it. I come to find later that it has to do with faulty timing chair cogs but Ford will not admit to this either. The windshield wipers on the back quit working after 20,000, and the front ones went off whenever they wanted to until they actually fixed them. The acceleration is pathetic, especially since I have the 5-speed manual. The paint has chipped on the front of the hood from minor pebbles. To top this off, the tires are now on recall, and Firestone is saying that its the Explorer, not the tire design that is causing the blowouts. I have tried to be loyal to American products in the past, but this along with the 15 trips to the shop for my F-150 in 8 months and the 3 recalls to my Girlfriend's Focus have made me decide to never buy Ford again. To put out continuously inferior products combo'd with horrible service departments leads to very unhappy customers. And to those who may want to chalk this bad review up to lack of maintnance, I am a former mechanic and I take excellent care of my vehicles. All of the aforementioned problems have been from faulty parts- not lackluster care. I did not spend $20,000 on a new car to take it back to the shop all of the time. My advice for a new SUV- Pathfinder or 4Runner. Go with that which has long standing records of reliability.

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1988 Jeep Cherokee

Comfort, roominess, power options, V8 engine, drivability

gas mileage

I bought this vehicle used off a lease with about 23000 miles. It has been quite good. The air conditioning was repaired under warranty with a leak in the system. I drove it on a long highway trip with a trailer full behind it, and it did very well on the highway with a little bit less power than normal, but that's to be expected. I am very happy with the vehicle up to this point.

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none

- V8 power.
- all wheel drive traction.
- interior size.
- handling.
- controls.
- braking.
- in-dash cd/cassette and 6 disk changer both from Ford.
- keyless entry.

- stereo needs a little more power.
- stock tires (replaced w/ Bridgestone Duelers on last 3 Ford trucks.
- ignition key electronically coded. $70.00 for a spare key from Ford.

I bought my 98 Explorer in 1999 for $22,000. It had 31,000 miles and is loaded pretty well: V8, auto, pwr everything, in dash cd/cassette and 6 disk cd changer also. Other than wanting a little more out of the stereo which can be addressed with amps and new speakers, I am very happy with my truck. I would recommend the 6 disk changer and the in dash cd player. It's nice to have the changer full of your favorite cd's, but have the in- dash for the times when you have an want to listen to a cd once and put it away again. The six disk is very easy to load and unload. I have only had the cd players skip over very rough bumps, otherwise they do a very good job.

I will be replacing the stock tires when needed, but they do pretty well with the All Wheel Drive. I can floor the gas on wet pavement and the tires will not spin at all. The cornering lean is not bad for a truck, and I have not been able to get the rear end to kick out at all (and I was trying) except in snow (rain is not problem). I think it is very comfortable/safe to drive.

If you are coming from a car, then yes it will be a rough ride. But coming from trucks previously, and having rode in many other trucks in my lifetime, I would say that the Explorer has a very comfortable ride for a truck. If you like the smooth ride that you get in a car, then I would not recommend a truck. If you can make due with a rougher ride, then check one an Explorer.

If you can get the v-8, do it. I have not noticed much difference between my mileage with the 4.0 liter v-6 and the v-8 that I have now (maybe 2 or 3 miles per gallon). I average around 17-18 miles a gallon driving. Per highway I get around 19-20, city I get 16-17. Not bad for a v-8.

I would recommend this truck to anyone. It can comfortable seat 4 large adults with room for sports gear in the back, or is good for families with childen. Trips with luggage has not been a problem for us.

I have not had any problems with this truck, or with Ford service. The 2 dealers that I use have always went out of their way to be accomodating. It all depends upon the dealership.

I had various problems with the 96 Explorer Sport, but I was able to find out that a company owned the truck before me. It became obvious after I purchased the truck that they did not take care of it. After some repairs right after I bought it, I did not have any other problems with it. My Ranger (which I bought new) ran fine only needing the clutch rebuilt at 85,000 miles, which is normal and the thermostat replaced the following week (which was not a big deal). I sold this truck with 132,000 miles on it. The Explorer Sport was sold with 89,000 miles on it. Based on the limited problems that I have seen with the 3 Ford trucks that I have owned, I would rate the value of the Explorer, and Ford trucks in general, very high.

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1978 Ford Bronco (Full size) w/ 351 Winsor V-8.
- This truck was a monster. Would go around/over/through anything.
- Slow, but tons of torque. Rode like a tank.
- Type of truck you want for off-roading. Better than Explorer off-road.
- Still would take my Explorer though.

1979 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup with a 350 v-8.
- 350 could produce some good power, but I would take my Explorer.
- More room with Explorer and better ride.

1993 Ford Ranger XLT Extended Cab
- the 4.0 liter v-6 was very good with the manual trans
- no match for the v-8 in my Explorer.
- stock tires were horrible. Got stuck in snow pretty often.
- I like the Explorer better for the room and bigger engine.

1996 Ford Explorer Sport
- this truck also had the 4.0 liter v-6.
- again, not bad, but no match for the v-8 I have now.
- truck also had the Bridgestone Duelers put on/made quite a difference
- still like the additional room of the 4 door and the power of the v-8.
- Sport fun to drive. Had a wonderful turning radius.

NEW FRONT END STYLING, COMFORTABLE INTERIOR. ACCELERATION, GAGES ARE WHOTE IN APPEARANCE.

POOR GAS MILEAGE.

26,000 WITH EXTENDED WARRANTY, AND INTERIOR UPGRAGE.
BEAUTIFUL VEHICLE. SMOOTH RIDE, GOOD ACCELERATION AND AFFORDABLE. i HIGHLY RECOMMEND

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TOYOTA 4x4 PICK UP. SLOW AND WEAK. VERY NOISY.

Not much. Adequate room in cargo area. Stereo and a/c controls on steering wheel.

Hmmm, where do I start? Cheap materials. Extremely poor service. Doesn't hold value. Very noisy and bouncy ride.

I purchased this vehicle brand new in July '99, but within 3 months, the fuel pump had to be replaced due to frequent stalling, even while driving - and it's automatic! (I was told that this is a common problem by my service tech) Despite multiple service visits, no one can diagnose the incessant squeeking sound. Everything breaks and Ford Service is the worst I that have ever encountered (and I'm saying this after having a BMW service employee take my car to run his personal errands and leave his trash in it!)
This SUV is fine for running errands around town - but if you have to get on the highway, it sounds like the doors will fall off if you go over 60 mph (which is a requirement on I-95)
As for the workmanship - I don't understand why these things are so popular.
I paid about $30k, and have regretted it ever since. It has depreciated over $12k in just one year despite low miles. Wish that I had seen this site before I made this expensive mistake...

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Rented a Toyota 4 Runner on vacation, and went to test drive that and the Land Cruiser the very day I returned. There just is no comparison between Ford and Toyota quality.

Built tough, Comfort, Upgraded stereo, speed, reliability,and looks

Sucks Gas

Paid 26,385 No problems what so ever have been on multiple 1,000 miles + trips safe reliable and fun to drive, 2nd Ford product after with 200,000 miles with no problems at all.
Compared to:Tahoe(Too Expensive once you get anything on it that you want extra), Blazer(Too small and too expensive for what you get), Xterra(2nd choice), Trooper(Ugly boxy and too expensive),4Runner(Not enough room and too truck like on inside and underpowered. I would suggest the Explorer to anyone thinking about buying a SUV.

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Jeep had before was terrible too many problems will never buy another Chrysler product as long as i live, Love my Explorer

Size.

Everything else. I spent $2500.00 in two years on this vehicle for "nothing major". New brakes, sensors, power windows, repacking 4WD bearings, etc. I got a letter in the mail from the dealership that said come in for your 60,000 mile checkup and left with a 950.00 bill. Ford Service will rip you off BIG TIME. I bought this Explorer in 1996 with 21000 miles on it for $21000. It was a big mistake. I cannot recommend this product to anyone.

I would not recommend this vehicle to anyone.

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None.

great car at a good value- wonderful in the snow

push button 4wd didn't work super well

go and get one of these of a jeep cherokee - good american suv value

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very good car, but i also drove a land rover discovery for a year and a range rover for a year, but that's not really a fair comparison

Felt more solid then the imports.
Layout of interior.

Lack of legroom in backseat.
Firestone tires (uugh).
Stereo sound.

I purchased this truck in December. Had a aftermarket moon roof put in by the dealer and it has rattled ever since. 3 months ago the engine has started to hesitate when cold. It even backfires, took it in for warranty work but hesitation is still there. The 6cyl SOHC is a good engine but I miss the V8. The difference in gas mileage is not that great and I liked the power and sound of the bigger engine. If you can afford it go with the V8, you will be happy you did. I am not thrilled with the Premium stereo and it sounds very flat. The tires are the worse. If you buy new, upgrade to the Michelin LXT M/S. Someone is sleeping with someone at Ford to be using Firestones. I may sell when the PT Cruiser comes in.

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96 XLT V8
90 Bronco