Posted on 07/27/2010 9:06:53 AM PDT by taildragger
As Ford takes the wraps off the new 2011 Explorer today – with a stellar, multi-city “throwback” reveal combined with a social media offensive – it’s easy to see why they’re excited about it. The new Explorer is lighter, much better looking, safer, quieter, exhaustively equipped, technically sophisticated, dramatically more efficient and with light-years better driving dynamics thrown-in for good measure. In short, there is nothing about the 2011 version of the Explorer that bears any resemblance to the vehicle that came before it. The only thing the new vehicle shares with the old one is the name, which has an incredible 96 percent recognition factor among American consumers, according to Ford.
(Excerpt) Read more at autoextremist.com ...
The most anti-PC pro we need real car reads in a long time.
Is is me or has FR been up and down all day long? I haven't been able to respond, I couldn't get on...
My brother in law has a Ford Excursion. he bought a used one specifically to get the 7.3 Diesel engine, because the newer 6.0 is high maintenece. It’s not unusual for any of his and my sister’s offspring to visit, and The big SUV offers plenty of room to haul around my neices and their families and/or my nephew and his bride and their assorted stuff.
His work truck is a LWB F-350 (also with the 7.3), and my sister’s ride is a Toyota Highlander, which they use mostly for running errands around town. It also handles the overflow when all three of the kids and grandkids descend on them at the same time. When it comes time to trade the Toy, I’m betting they will opt for the new Explorer.
- JP
My brother in law has a Ford Excursion. he bought a used one specifically to get the 7.3 Diesel engine, because the newer 6.0 is high maintenece. It’s not unusual for any of his and my sister’s offspring to visit, and The big SUV offers plenty of room to haul around my neices and their families and/or my nephew and his bride and their assorted stuff.
His work truck is a LWB F-350 (also with the 7.3), and my sister’s ride is a Toyota Highlander, which they use mostly for running errands around town. It also handles the overflow when all three of the kids and grandkids descend on them at the same time. When it comes time to trade the Toy, I’m betting they will opt for the new Explorer.
- JP
I’m not sure if the new Explorer is included but I can get anyone a friends and neighbors discount. All I need is your name, address and the last four digits of your social. It isn’t as good as A-plan but a pretty good discount. Just tell your dealer when you go look.
It looks like the offspring of the Edge and the Flex.
In other words, history is repeating itself. It’s the Mustang II (a mate of the Maverick and the Pinto) all over again. The government gets involved, screws everything up, and now Ford has 3 cars that compete for the same buyers.
Wait till the spark plugs start randomly shooting out of it. And someday, I’ll get around to fixing the air conditioning for the THIRD time.
I think I’m going for a Toyota next time. I hear they’re so luxurious that they even do the accelerating for you.
I think the water supply at the Ford design branch still has too many female hormones in it.
Just wondering, anyone have a list of SUVs that you can get with a manual tranny?
I bought a 2007 Explorer Sport Trac. I put close to 65K miles on it and knew I’d put another 65K in the next 3 years. When I heard they’d discontinued the Sport Trac line and turned the Explorer into a Crossover, I bought one of the last 2010s. This has been the best vehicle I’ve ever owned - Extremely versatile, great in the snow and comfortable.
I am a consultant, and so, more or less, have to live on the road. That means my wife has to have a reliable vehicle, since I’m not always available to drive to her rescue.
She loves her ‘10, complete with the sunroof and remote start.
I’ve not driven it (yet), but then it’s not my car. She has to do snow, ice, and what, at least in the northeast, passes for mountains every weekday, commuting forty miles to her work. She liked her first two, but loves this one.
It’s not good that they killed the line. Unless they come up with something like it, we’ll have to go foreign on the replacement, as we will not buy government motors products.
FWIW, my F-350 took me to CA and back, and I’m happy with it, although I do note that the oil changes are really expensive on the diesel.
It does look good. I won’t buy another GM product while Zero owns them and was thinking of a foreign SUV (BMW, Mercedes, Land Rover) to downsize a bit from the Escalade. I’m going to definitely check out the Explorer.
Thanks for the offer, altho I'm all set for now.
Wow. I’ve got a ‘98 Explorer that I’ve had for about 9 years now. The only thing I’ve had to replace so far are the two little vertical stabilizer bars on the front axle, a battery, brakes, tires and a starter.
Pretty run-of-the-mill type stuff, I think. Sorry to hear you’ve had so many problems with yours. Mine’s been pretty good to me (so far.)
Which options did you have? I’ve heard that the V8 full time all wheel drive was pretty good. I had the 4 Liter V6 with the German 5 speed automatic. Lots of different guts from the V8. That wouldn’t have affected the ball joint problem, but if that was the only weakness, it would have been OK.
I didn’t mention the plastic fuel line letting go on a vacation. I told a mechanic friend about this and he said, “Oh, you’re having problems with your Ford Exploder, haha.”
Actually, mine is a stripped down model - manual transmission, no power locks or power windows. It does have AC, PS and PB.
I am starting to have a little difficulty shifting at times, almost like it doesn’t want to go into gear, but so far its minor and nothing more than a small inconvenience.
I use it as a get-to-work-and-back car, and so far it’s been very economical for me.
It has been reasonably reliable for the beating I put it through tho. But still, I don't particularly care for it. I just can't see myself buying a Ford for a personal vehicle.
I've been a GM guy. I think the GM lineup is pretty good, and has some good looking vehicles. And that is too bad. I bought a Chevy Traverse right before the Obama takeover. And it will be my last new GM product after my first in 1988. Cut up my GM Card. Heck with them.
I have an '05 Nissan Frontier that I bought used that is treating me well. The profits when it were built go mostly to Japan. But it gave a bunch of working class people in Tennessee a job, and I expect Nissan will be high on the list when my Traverse needs to be replaced.
The manual transmission model with the regular 4.0 L V6 (not the high output version) was a tried and true solution. It would have lasted longer than mine!
Ya, the Jeep Wrangler has a manual transmission.
I’m a little concerned about the sill height. Is it too high to rest your arm on it? It seems awfully high compared to my ‘97.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.