Today I rented a 2008 Ford Explorer

[Morris Minor]

It was just a vanilla 2WD V6, but it was interesting to compare a "true" SUV with body on frame with my "wannabe SUV" unibody Pilot.

First thing I noticed was how well-isolated the drivetrain is from the interior: the engine & transmission are quiet & smooth & little road nose intruded. Although the Pilot's engine is well-isolated, it's let down by road noise at highway speeds - something Honda just can't seem to get right.

The second thing was that the Ford's interior is well screwed together; the dash styling is a little odd with a weird mix of surfaces and disjointed themes, but it has a quality look & feel, certainly on a higher plane than Chrysler & GM products I have sampled in the past.

The Ford's ride is definitely truck-like however. It jiggles over rough roads and I had this sense, similar to that I have driving an F150, that the frame wants to do one thing while the body wants to do another. The Pilot feels much more buttoned-down &  is nothing like as teeth-jarring over parking lot speed bumps as the Explorer.

Overall I quite liked the Explorer - it has a chunky industrial feel of toughness, helped by the high ground clearance, that would make it work well as, say, a construction site vehicle. Not sure it would be that great as a commuter's daily driver.

[GoCougs]

Honda just loves that road noise.

I rented an Impala that absolutely towered over my Accord in the ride/road noise department.

[giant_mtb]

We've been driving Explorers since 1996.  We've had a '93, a '98, and now an '02.  The '93 was a tank, then '98 was fine until the transmission went at about 180K, and the '02 we use now is quality and a big improvement over the '98.  The only problem with it is that the rear latch is loose, so the door chime chimes when you go over larger bumps.  Whatever.

[Eye of the Tiger]

A little road noise can tell you a lot. It's good to have a sense of what your tires are doing.

[Colonel Cadillac]

I've started to like the Explorer a lot more lately.

[sparkplug]

I like to Explore a Ford dealership.

[Onslaught]

I can't fit in the current Explorer at all. Something about the seats and head room just don't work for me.

[SVT_Power]

I can't fit in the current Explorer at all. Something about the seats and head room just don't work for me.

but you fit fine in a miata?

[Atomic]

i would hope after the millions of explorers sold, ford would have a more refined vehicle. something relatively new to the market may have some teething problems.

[Tave]

What are you talking about? He liked it.

[Secret Chimp]

What are you talking about? He liked it.

I didn't take it as a resounding verdict of general praise.

[Soup DeVille]

but you fit fine in a miata?

Some cars are just put together weird. I had no trouble getting comfortable in the S2000, but in a new Trailblazer? Forget it.

[SVT_Power]

Some cars are just put together weird. I had no trouble getting comfortable in the S2000, but in a new Trailblazer? Forget it.

 

[2o6]

 

Packaging. It seems like all large fords have a legroom issue for front passengers.

[SVT_Power]

Packaging. It seems like all large fords have a legroom issue for front passengers.

i dunno what qualifies as a "large" ford but either way I'm gonna guess because I'm a pretty short guy, i never find any problems in the explorer

[Vinsanity]

 

I can affirm what Soup says. The S2000's cockpit feels like it's built around the driver. In many other cars, driver position feels more of an afterthought to other packaging concerns (I wouldn't imagine what, though).

[hotrodalex]

I can affirm what Soup says. The S2000's cockpit feels like it's built around the driver. In many other cars, driver position feels more of an afterthought to other packaging concerns (I wouldn't imagine what, though).

The F-150 isn't too comfortable for people with long legs. At least it wasn't when I drove one.

[TBR]

The F-150 isn't too comfortable for people with long legs. At least it wasn't when I drove one.

The only F-150 I have ever driven was a '86, but my dad's F-250 SD isn't very comfortable for me to drive.

[hotrodalex]

The only F-150 I have ever driven was a '86, but my dad's F-250 SD isn't very comfortable for me to drive.

I had problems with my knee hitting the center console or whatever.

[Raza]

I had problems with my knee hitting the center console or whatever.

There's this joint in the center console/transmission tunnel in the new C class that just DIGS into my right knee when driving it.  How about 500 miles of that in one day?  Fuck. 

[AltinD]

Speaking of Explorers, I was with an American guy last night and he was driving a Expedition. He said that when he bought it slightly used over here (Dubai) it cost him 3,000 bucks less then a similarly optioned Explorer of the same model year. What made the thing even more intriguing for me, is that he said he got the same deal in US when he bought his Expedition over there.

How's that?

[ifcar]

Speaking of Explorers, I was with an American guy last night and he was driving a Expedition. He said that when he bought it slightly used over here (Dubai) it cost him 3,000 bucks less then a similarly optioned Explorer of the same model year. What made the thing even more intriguing for me, is that he said he got the same deal in US when he bought his Expedition over there.

How's that?

If he bought during the fuel-price panic, people were more eager to unload the full-size Expedition than the midsize Explorer.

[AltinD]

If he bought during the fuel-price panic, people were more eager to unload the full-size Expedition than the midsize Explorer.

He actually did say: If you drive this vehicle you don't care about fuel economy, if that's what you care for you'd buy a different one, like an ... Explorer.

[TBR]

Eh, the Explorer might do a couple MPGs better, but it is no fuel miser either. If you care about fuel economy you get a crossover.

[hotrodalex]

Eh, the Explorer might do a couple MPGs better, but it is no fuel miser either. If you care about fuel economy you get a crossover.

Flex!

[280Z Turbo]

Eh, the Explorer might do a couple MPGs better, but it is no fuel miser either. If you care about fuel economy you get a crossover.

No, you get a car.

Most crossovers aren't that good either.

[TBR]

No, you get a car.

Most crossovers aren't that good either.

Some people think the need AWD, plus crossovers have more room.

The Rav4 gets 28 mpg, even with the V6, IIRC.

[SVT666]

Some people think the need AWD, plus crossovers have more room.

The Rav4 gets 28 mpg, even with the V6, IIRC.

Rav4 is more SUV then anything.  It might not be body on frame but it's an SUV.

[SVT666]

Flex!

Flex gets worse gas mileage then our Freestyle on which it's based.

[ifcar]

Flex gets worse gas mileage then our Freestyle on which it's based.

But better than the Freestyle did with the Flex engine as the Taurus X.