Road Test: 2011 Ford Explorer Review - First Drive

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2NDGENTEG

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Ford reinvents its once-popular SUV, hoping to cross over into renewed success

Do you know what the difference between a crossover and an SUV is? Maybe not, but chances are that if you described what you're looking for in an every day utility vehicle, you'd actually be talking about a crossover.

The distinction between the two is actually quite simple, with an SUV using a truck chassis and a crossover underpinned by a car chassis. More importantly, however, is what this means to how a vehicle handles, drives, what kind of fuel economy it gets and its overall functionality.

The original Explorer was a tremendous success for Ford, delivering what the automaker perceived consumers wanted. But over time car shoppers either changed what they wanted or, more likely, realized what they really were looking for. And despite their love for the Ford SUV (buying 6 million of them), there were a few things they'd change if they could.

While off-road capability and towing are important, Ford canvassed Explorer owners and other new car shoppers to discover that top among the list of demands are things like ride quality, handling and fuel economy.

In the past, meshing these two conflicting lists has brought about 'soft-roaders,' first in the compact class and then in the mid-size segment, with a significant bias towards on-road use. The large vehicle segment, where the Explorer competes, is different and true utility is valued much higher. That being said, Ford did its research in transforming the Explorer from SUV to crossover, attempting to limit the compromises inherent in this change.

To find out just what kind of a job they did, we were invited to the launch of the all-new Explorer in San Diego to test the vehicle's varied capabilities.
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Get more 2011 Ford Explorer Review - First Drive at AutoGuide.com
 
un autre SUV monte trottoir, comme si il y en avait déja pas assez. juste chez ford, ya le edge, le flex, l'escape, l'expedition et l'explorer.
 
Ils devraient mettre autant d'effort à nous pondre des compactes que ce qu'ils déploient pour leurs suv. Vous direz que les comapctes Ford Europe sont abouties, oui, mais le design des Ford US est bien mieux que ford Europe (future focus, fiesta) je trouve (pour une fois).
 
The new Explorer looks awesome and I'm sure it's a great vehicle. However, it's just another 'crossover'... It doesn't bring anything new.
 
What a mistake. The real explorer was one of those last REAL SUV that you could go fishing with, even if it's seven hours past La Tuque lolll. What are we going to do in ten Years to go fishing, hunting or simply get in the woods?! We'll have to buy an old truck, because the new one are soccer-mom-cars-dressed-like-a-truck. I always liked ford because they sticked to their roots. But with this... Good thing the super duty still exists.
 
m_falafel said:
What a mistake. The real explorer was one of those last REAL SUV that you could go fishing with, even if it's seven hours past La Tuque lolll. What are we going to do in ten Years to go fishing, hunting or simply get in the woods?! We'll have to buy an old truck, because the new one are soccer-mom-cars-dressed-like-a-truck. I always liked ford because they sticked to their roots. But with this... Good thing the super duty still exists.
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since the early 2000 the explorer is a soccer mom truck. now to go in the wood, the last real truck is the jeep wrangler. manual tranny, front and rear solid axle and body on frame construction. the last real jap truck is the suzuki samurai 1992. the last real toyota truck is the 4runner/pick-up before 1985. they are really rare also. there is also the nissan xterra, toyota fjcruiser, toyota tacoma, ford ranger and chevrolet colorado, but they are all IFS.
 
22REpower said:
since the early 2000 the explorer is a soccer mom truck. now to go in the wood, the last real truck is the jeep wrangler. manual tranny, front and rear solid axle and body on frame construction. the last real jap truck is the suzuki samurai 1992. the last real toyota truck is the 4runner/pick-up before 1985. they are really rare also. there is also the nissan xterra, toyota fjcruiser, toyota tacoma, ford ranger and chevrolet colorado, but they are all IFS.
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Esque on a besoin de ce genre de véhicule arrièré dans notre quotidien? non.

Très beau camion.
 
Don't freak out, even to go to Latuque or your chalet, a soccer mom suv will work fine. And I guess that an explorer is still a but more heavy duty than a crv.
What is sad is that most people buy this over an AWD wagon, but that's marketing and trend, can't do much :dunno:

Also a few days ago on cote des neiges I saw a Land Rover Defender plow truck :D

Sinon les seuls gens que je connaissais qui avaient un explorer (2002 environ), c'était des retraités ontariens (qui avaient un chalet au Québec), donc rien de bien heavy duty. leur freestyle actuel convient mieux à leurs besoins. Et une fois un couple dans un explorer (Dans la quarantaine) était interessé par ma civic :D
 
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m_falafel said:
What a mistake. The real explorer was one of those last REAL SUV that you could go fishing with, even if it's seven hours past La Tuque lolll. What are we going to do in ten Years to go fishing, hunting or simply get in the woods?! We'll have to buy an old truck, because the new one are soccer-mom-cars-dressed-like-a-truck. I always liked ford because they sticked to their roots. But with this... Good thing the super duty still exists.
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the older ones weren't any better and they were soccer mom content. even a pathfinder and gran cherokee were better.
 
Pour les hommes qui ont une famille et qui ont besoin d'espace, ce sont ces camions qui font éviter les camionnettes!

Metton que pour un 6 ou 7 passagers, si j'avais le choix entre l'explorer et un minivan, le choix serais trop facile!

Très beau cross over selon-moi!

Phil
 
jetg60 said:
Pour les hommes qui ont une famille et qui ont besoin d'espace, ce sont ces camions qui font éviter les camionnettes!

Metton que pour un 6 ou 7 passagers, si j'avais le choix entre l'explorer et un minivan, le choix serais trop facile!

Très beau cross over selon-moi!

Phil
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Camionette genre gmc savana ou dodge caravan? Car une minivam avec un chassis moderne (genre honda odessey) sera sans doute plus excitante à conduire qu'un explorer, et encore plus spacieuse. L'Explorer est grand, plus qu'un wagon, mais reste qu'un wagon avec un gros coffre (genre passat) comblera les besoin des familles de 4 ou 5 sans trop de soucis, quitte à prendre un coffre de toit à l'occasion. Malheureusement les wagon 7 places (comme la fameuse camry wagon 1992-96) ne sont plus légion.

Et je trouve le Ford Flex bien plus aboutit au niveau du style (et de l'espace/aménagement intérieur aussi sans doute) que cet explorer, ça a encore l'air à peu près d'un char, et pas d'un machin haut sur pattes, même s'il est long comme un minivan classique et a un air de corbillard. Un explorer demeure plus cher qu'une minivan aussi.
 
22REpower said:
since the early 2000 the explorer is a soccer mom truck. now to go in the wood, the last real truck is the jeep wrangler. manual tranny, front and rear solid axle and body on frame construction. the last real jap truck is the suzuki samurai 1992. the last real toyota truck is the 4runner/pick-up before 1985. they are really rare also. there is also the nissan xterra, toyota fjcruiser, toyota tacoma, ford ranger and chevrolet colorado, but they are all IFS.
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Put decent tires on it and a new Overland GC can take you anywhere a Wrangler can in a hell of a lot more comfort and style.
 
Frankexr said:
Esque on a besoin de ce genre de véhicule arrièré dans notre quotidien? non.

Très beau camion.
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on a pas besoin d'un V6 turbo ou d'un V8 avec siège en cuir au quotidien non plus. dépent des goûts, moi mes véhicule préfèré c'est des trucks qui porte comme un trailer et qui ont absolument aucun flafla inutile. malheureusement ça existe plus ici.
 
The explorer should have been discontinued. Whats the point of this truck? sorry crossover. They already have the Edge, why build another version of it?

What they should have done was revamp the Time machine. The Ford Ranger.
 
Je trouve ça pas mal chiant moi aussi qu'il arrete le ranger. pour une fois qu'il y avait un petit truck fiable, avec une faible consommation et vraiment pas chère. le ranger va changer de modèle et va continué d'être vendu partout dans le monde sauf en amérique du nord. un ranger répond au besoin de probablement 90% du monde qui on un full-sized, malheureusement le monde sont pas rationnel ici.
 
Nice truck.


Aside from the transmission, bearing, gasket, transfer case, differentials, brake, starter, electronics and all wheel drive problems. My '03 explorer is a fine fine truck.
 
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