- suv 172,051
- Mandan, ND
-
- autoshopper.com
2000 ford explorer review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. America's favorite suv. introductionthe ford explorer is easily the best-selling sport-utility in america. Nearly 2. 8 million suvs were sold in 1998 and some 425,000 of them were ford explorers. About 430,000 explorers were sold in 1999. The explorer outsold its nearest competitor nearly two-to-one. what's the significance of all these numbers? Simply this: ford must be doing something right to sell so many explorers. The xls includes such niceties as power mirrors, locks and windows, an am/fm stereo cassette audio system, and aluminum wheels. With 4-wheel drive, the xls starts at $25,170. explorer drivers can move up to the $27,185 xlt, which adds fog lights, privacy glass and interior trim items; the 4x4 xlt lists for $29,150. further up the explorer hierarchy is the eddie bauer edition for $31,740 with two-wheel drive. This explorer adds 16-inch wheels, automatic temperature controls, electrochromatic rearview mirror, upgraded audio and trim items, including leather upholstery. The eddie bauer 4x4 starts at $33,705, or $34,120 with all-wheel drive. The limited is the top of the explorer line, with more leather plus simulated woodgrain, special wheels and exterior trim, and retails for $31,995 for 4x2, $33,960 for 4x4, $34,375 for awd. walkaroundjust about everything has changed on the explorer since its 1991 introduction. Still, if asked to describe a sport-utility vehicle, most people could save time by just showing a picture of the explorer. the xlt is the typical explorer, well equipped but not overly fancy or too expensive. It features a bright front and rear bumper with an integrated rub strip. Its compound headlamp array includes the headlights plus parking lights, turn signals and side marker lights in a single aero-curved assembly set into the bright grille surround. The grille itself is simple, with a large crossbar decorated with the ford blue oval badge and three smaller vertical bars. The rear bumper echoes the front in appearance, but comes standard with a 3500-pound trailer towing capacity. Tri-color taillights and a liftgate with a flip-open rear window finish off the rear. the explorer uses an independent short/long arm front suspension with torsion bars and a live axle mounted on two-stage variable-rate leaf springs at the rear. A 4. 0-liter pushrod v6 is standard in the xls and can be upgraded to the 4. 0-liter overhead-cam v6 for those wanting more performance. These engines come with a choice of 5-speed manual or 5-speed automatic transmission. The xlt and more expensive models, however, come standard with a 5. 0-liter overhead-valve v8 with a 4-speed automatic. The 215-horsepower v8 cranks out 288 foot-pounds of torque. Ford made its trailer towing package standard on all v8-equipped explorers. interiorthe inside of the ford explorer looks like america's living room, which is appropriate, considering that so many americans spend so much time there. The front passengers get a pair of comfy captain's chairs, covered in a premium cloth for the xlt. Big doors make access easy, though the xlt doesn't have the running boards standard on the eddie bauer and limited models. The dash features full instrumentation in a neatly laid out nacelle. The radio and hvac (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) controls are centered on the dash in a pod; that pod also houses a knob that controls the 4wd operation. The audio and cabin temperature controls are easy enough to use though we'd prefer an old-fashioned twist knob to control station tuning on the radio. The xlt has a handy center console/arm rest. front seat side-impact airbags are optional. Considering the poor rear vision suvs have when backing up, this rear sensing system is an important safety option. driving impressionthe explorer is easier to drive on a daily basis than the bigger suvs in the ford stable. It is far more nimble in crowded parking lots with narrow spaces or on forest roads with tight switchbacks. If a small turning circle is paramount, the 2-door is a better choice, at 34. 7 feet curb to curb, though the 4-door explorer manages a fairly nimble 37. 3 feet. the v6 is the most popular engine. But the 5. 0-liter v8 assures a certain command of the road with an ability to accelerate with all but the sportiest of automobiles, handy for merging or passing. It's the best choice for doing any towing, with reserve power for climbing hills and bucking headwinds. But the explorer is indeed a truck. It's responsive to its rack-and-pinion steering, reacting smartly to a turn of the wheel, but there's no denying the high-mounted center of gravity and overall mass of the vehicle. It handles like a truck. The explorer's relatively heavy tires and live rear axle arrangement also work against a luxury car ride. The explorer shares the cargo-hauling capability of the station wagons of yore, but it adds ground clearance and, in 4x4 versions, the promise of all-season mobility. Power Mirrors✔ AM/FM✔ Air Conditioning✔ Aluminum Wheels
Mandan, NDMandan, ND at autoshopper.com