Interior styling, zillion-way power seats, excellent factory stereo(however, replaced factory tape deck with a cd player and replaced the factory sub with an 8" Polk Audio), rear veiw mirror has dimmer.

The lifts for the rear door went bad and broke off, almost injuring my brother, but they were replaced (after the recall), can't really appreciate factory stereo without upgrading the deck or adding an eq. Truck has had persistant front end problems, mainly in steering and suspension. This thing sucks down gas, 4.0 6-cylinder seems a bit weak for a truck this heavy.

This is a decent SUV, but due to the few problems I've had with it, and the outrageously high gas prices now, I can't say its the most economical choice. However, The looks are great, esp. the tinted windows and leather interior, and my freinds all compliment me on it.

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Blazer, ranger, i like the explorer better

I have a 97 explorer sport with the OHV engine. Comfortable and looks great. Used this car for personal use and for dj business and lots of room when seats are folded down. Love this car and will always stick with ford.

Everything that is bad on this years model can be fixed. The sway bars on this car are hollow and weak so i replaced them with thick and big ones. Car turns great and is pretty stable. Will be better when i replace the shocks with edelbrochs IAS shocks. The braking is horrible but by adding steel brake lines and aftermarket pads is an inexpensive way to improve braking. Acceleration on the OHV model is pretty slow. SOOO i put a flowmaster exhaust which sounds AWSOME. Plan to put on high flow throttle body, mass air sensor, headers, and maybe a super charger by BBK. All this can be ordered from explorerexpress.com

Like i said i love this car and am trying to make it the nicest one out there. People who write the bad reviews mostly don't have good upkeep of their car which make them fall apart. To keep your explorer going, follow maintenance manual. To talk about your explorer e-mail me at Djvinyi@aol.com

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JEEP- its horrible
Jimmy - don't like it

The body is solid, no squeaks or rattles. 5 speed manual shifts smooth. She has all the important electric gizmos of XLTs, the dash has a full instuments. The stero CD has a full sound. The chrome wheels, step bars, and side flares complete the exterior look. Electric shift-on-the-fly is good feature, kicks in on slippery surfaces. The 4x low got me out of trouble twice. Overall, a quality vehicle. Four wheel discs, ABS, and AT tires complete the package.

I wish the standard engine had a little more zoom in the acceleration department. The first gear seems to wind out a little too quickly, for my tastes.

I bought this truck very late in the model year. She listed for $26,500+ but went for $22,300. On top of that was $500 cash back PLUS 0.9% financing. It was a deal I could not refuse.
The quality of the vehile combined with the price, I believe, makes it a 5 star deal. I do not regret my choice

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I have friends who own other Explores and Expeditions. All are satisfyied owners. Blazers have rear drums and cheap tires, overall not as refined a vehicle. Dakotas, come with v-8's, but with similiar equipment were $3,000 more. Cherokees look their age, have straight 6's and only part-time four wheel drive.

4WD, Looks, Overall great vehicle and we compaired the Jap. stuff and the Jeep.

Vehicle sits too high for its narrow share. Rolls easily ! I know... been there done that... Roof is extremely weak.

Love the vehicle,,, BUT extremely unsafe to drive ! Love the Ford products so we went to the Ford Expedition.

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Jeep, Nissan, Blazer, and others

I loved this vehicle. See my posting from earlier

Some new ones may not be put together very well or have defects. This includes XLT's, Limited and Eddie B.'s.

Just a note. I went car buying since my XLT was stolen. I replaced with a Mercury Mountaineer. No I don't like the name either but it seems to be better built. That is what I noticed that some of the new model Explorers may not be built as well. So be careful and look over the entire to be sure all parts work and the paint is not scratched. Other than that I love my Explorer!!! err... Mountaineer.

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96 XLT, Mountaineer

Upgraded 4.0 SOHC is good.Solid construction with very good fit and finish. Lots of storage room with rear seats down.Very good ride and handling for a truck.

Stock radio is weak,poor sound.Other than that none.

MSRP 24,200 paid 22,200.My explorer is 2 wheel drive so the dealer had to do a 3 state search to locate mine.Hard to find in 2 wheel drive.I didn't want 4 wheel drive because we don't get much snow here anymore and friends who have 4 wheel say they hardly ever use it.Anyway i really like this truck.I have the upgraded engine which is much better than the standard.Upgraded engine is 210 horse vs 160 standard.The explorer feels extremely solid.Ride is very good for a truck.My buddy has a 97 Blazer which rides a little better but otherwise is not nearly as solid feeling or refined as my explorer.Besides 2 recalls i have not had a problem with mine.I just went past 12,000 miles and noticed a slight increase in gas mileage.In general the gas mileage is not very good but its to be expected for a vehicle like this.i had a reception problem with the stereo which the dealer could not fix even with several head unit changes so i upgraded with new head unit and speakers.The stock stereo is poor.Overall a very solid and enjoyable vehicle to own.I would recommend it to anyone looking for a very good SUV.

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None.My first SUV.

Dependable. No problems yet as of 22,000 miles.
V-6 OHC engine is powerful and doesn't guzzle gas
Comfortable ride for an SUV, interior layout is excellent
Good looks. Many different options...you can customize it to your every need/want

Off-road capability is OK, but limited. Took it offroading in Wyoming last summer and handled well on rocky/dirt trail, but doesn't have the ground clearance for the big stuff.
Some sqeakes from chassis during break-in period.
That damn turning signal lever is too sensitive.

Paid about $32,000 for a loaded XLT. Good value, low depreciation.

I feel it is one of the better choices in the SUV market for the $$. I liked the way the Jeep GC looks/drives, but there have been too many problems with their transmissions. After driving the Explorer cross country and back this summer, I'd highly reccommend this SUV.

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Chevy Blazer: fell apart. Engine was solid but everything else needed constant repair

I purchased my 2-door explorer expedition in Jan and have no major problems. My rear wiper has broken off, but other than that it handles very well. You definately can feel the bumps beneath you, but then again, it is a four wheel drive vehicle, not a Lexus.
I also enjoy the fact that I am above most other vehicles on the road and feel more secured. My model included all the extras, moon roof, electric windows/locks, JBL 6 CD changer stereo system, etc. The truck handles very well, with a great turn radius and strong engine.

Three letters - G A S.
I am definately spending more cash for gas than before with my other car, but I knew that before buying the SUV.

With three year power train warranty - paid 13,900. Only had 50,000. I was satisfied with the closing price and was willing to do it since I have wanted a 2-door Explorer for some time. Overall, the car gets 4 stars from me.

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None

looks ok with enough accessories

Just about everything

Bought it used with 60,000 (its a 91). This car is really bad. It costs a lot to keep running. Had to replace brakes, shocks, fan (alternator jammed and torqed the cheap plastic parts ford uses) and everything else you could think of. I could have easily bought a new car for the price this thing has cost me to maintain. Its a typical ford, cant do anything real well but doesnt totally suck (beats the jap crap cars). The custom stereo is not that powerful (500 watts) but the electrical system still cant handle it. The neighbors explorer (99) needed new shocks and transmission before it hit 2000 miles and it was brand new. These cars are crap. total crap.

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Tahoe, blazer

Looks great, handles well, spacious, comfortable, price for what you get

GUZZLES gas, stronger acceleration would help, braking distance

Nowadays, it's not the final pricetag you pay for when leasing, it's what the dealer can get your payment down to. I'm happy with my Explorer for what I'm paying for it.

Couple of things to note about the Explorer. As for mine, I've had engine noise after only a year of ownership. I've had fuses replaced already, and various squeaks and rattles. It only has 13,000 miles on it. I thought it would hold solid at least until 25-30K. All in all, the Explorer does provide for a comfortable 20 mile commute in the mornings and afternoons. Faster acceleration would be a plus, but I don't really feel a void due to the acceleration. I change the oil every 3500-4000 miles and run either Shell or Mobil gas in it. Also, I've got a problem with the driver's side door. It constantly sounds like the window is slighty cracked with the sound of a whistling wind. FORD really needs to go through their SUV line with a fine tooth comb and smooth out all the rough edges. They have a great product, but not an OUTSTANDING product. But, hey, as they say, you get what you pay for.

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Bronco II, Explorers '92,'95,'98