Ford Explorer!

[2o6]

Was about to go to bed, but I saw this.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/26/2011-ford-explorer-unveiled-tries-crossing-over-on-road-to-redemption/

[CJ]

SEPARATE WIPER AND TURN SIGNAL STALKS!  FORD FINALLY GOT IT!



I think the whole thing looks like an absolute winner.  It looks fantastic.

[Mustangfan2003]

Only you would notice that.  Anyways, Ford is going in a nice direction with their interiors. 

[68_427]

I hate that steering wheel.  The exterior is great but I'm somewhat let down by the interior.  It's kinda boring.  I like the Flex and Taurus design better and they would better match the Explorer's exterior.

[goldenlover1101]

Love it. Would buy it if ever in the market for an SUV. I love the looks

[Mustangfan2003]

I just saw on their facebook page that someone commented about it not looking stunning, gee what did you expect it to look like a Ferrari?

[3.0L V6]

It looks like the love child of a Flex and an Edge. It takes the best styling elements of each, I think.

However, it does make both the Edge and Flex redundant. How many mid-size crossover vehicles does one company need?

[ifcar]

SEPARATE WIPER AND TURN SIGNAL STALKS!  FORD FINALLY GOT IT!



I think the whole thing looks like an absolute winner.  It looks fantastic.

My car has separate stalks.

[r0tor]

Id buy a smaller version of this... Too bad its a behemoth

[Catman]

Looks awesome.

[omicron]

Hey, that looks good! I have hope for you Americans yet.

[Madman]

It looks like the love child of a Flex and an Edge. It takes the best styling elements of each, I think.

However, it does make both the Edge and Flex redundant. How many mid-size crossover vehicles does one company need?

Am I correct in assuming this is just a reskinned Freestyle/Taurus X?  They're both based on the Five Hundred/Taurus platform, right?

[2o6]

Am I correct in assuming this is just a reskinned Freestyle/Taurus X?  They're both based on the Five Hundred/Taurus platform, right?

No, you aren't. They share platforms with the MKS and MKT, but it's not a "reskin".

[68_427]

Holy shit looks alot bigger from the side.  I hope rental agencies start carrying these.

[Madman]

No, you aren't. They share platforms with the MKS and MKT, but it's not a "reskin".

Well, the MKS and MKT are also Five Hundred/Taurus based.  So if the Explorer is a three-row SUV built on the same platform as the Freestyle/Taurus X and MKT (also three-row SUVs), then there must be a lot of commonality between these vehicles, right?

So the new Explorer is, in essence, the 2011 Freestyle with more "Butch" styling.  Mind you, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that.

[2o6]

Well, the MKS and MKT are also Five Hundred/Taurus based.  So if the Explorer is a three-row SUV built on the same platform as the Freestyle/Taurus X and MKT (also three-row SUVs), then there must be a lot of commonality between these vehicles, right?

So the new Explorer is, in essence, the 2011 Freestyle with more "Butch" styling.  Mind you, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that.

Platform was revised between the 500/Freestyle and the Taurus and Explorer.

[r0tor]

Hold on... Fwd?  Wut?!?!

[2o6]

Hold on... Fwd?  Wut?!?!

So?

[Catman]

I am sure this Explorer will meet the needs of 99% of the families out there.  Looks great.

[SVT_Power]

SEPARATE WIPER AND TURN SIGNAL STALKS!  FORD FINALLY GOT IT!

My car has separate stalks 

[Nethead]

I see a current SHO grille grafted onto an Edge.  The grille is the biggest styling weakness of the SHO, and it doesn't get appreciably better here.

Maybe the Explorer will be exciting to drive.  Unless it squashes the Grand Cherokee in many areas (How likely is that?), I think they'd better keep inventories pretty low on these...

Flex > Edge > Explorer unless the Explorer brings great off-road capabilities to the table.  And even then, why take an Explorer over a Raptor?  The new Explorer's EcoBoost four offers better mileage than any Raptor, but which vehicle would you prefer in the dirt?  The only air you'll ever jerk in the new Explorer will only happen if you smack an IED front-and-center.  

Besides, the crewcab Raptor is on its way, and the EcoBoost V6 Raptor is testing...

[Catman]

I see a current SHO grille grafted onto an Edge.  The grille is the biggest styling weakness of the SHO, and it doesn't get significantly better here.

Maybe the Explorer will be exciting to drive.  Unless it squashes the Grand Cherokee in many areas (How likely is that?), I think they'd better keep inventories pretty low on these...

Flex > Edge > Explorer unless the Explorer brings great off-road capabilities to the table.  And even then, why take an Explorer over a Raptor?  The new Explorer's EcoBoost four offers better mileage than any Raptor, but which vehicle would you prefer in the dirt?  The only air you'll ever jerk in the new Explorer will only happen if you smack an IED front-and-center.  

Besides, the crewcab Raptor is on its way, and the EcoBoost V6 Raptor is testing...

Wrong

[Nethead]

Wrong

I hope so.

[GoCougs]

LOL - Raptor as an alternate to an Explorer? Perhaps Ford would have been better off forgetting about wasting money on a vehicle that virtually no one will buy and in turn sped up development of critical product that is WAY past due - Ranger, Mustang, Fusion, Focus, etc.

[GoCougs]

As to the pluses, good Fordesque styling, good V6 power train (I'm not seeing good things from a turbo-4 in a vehicle like this however), and in general I think it looks overall a more attractive package than the 4Runner, Pilot, or Grand Cherokee (though I don't know if I'd buy it over the first two).

As to the minuses, seems to suffer a bit from high belt line styling affecting (limiting?) the look and function of the Taurus. It also looks big - about first generation Sequoia size. It also seems to get lost in the noise given the existence of the Escape, Edge, Expedition and Flex.

[r0tor]

So?

What's the point of a large suv with fwd?...

Fwd is pathetic for towing and offroading and there are much better choices if you just want a people mover

[GoCougs]

As to FWD or FWD-biased 4WD? Meh - virtually no one off-roads or tows with these types of vehicles and when they do it's small (3,500 lbs or less) which is well within the limits of such vehicles, even "large" ones such as the GM Lambdas, Pilot, CX-9, etc.

[CJ]

My car has separate stalks.

My car has separate stalks 

Your cars are also older.  The current Focus has one gigantic stalk, as does every other current Ford vehicle.  This is the first to break that mold in several years.

[Catman]

As to the pluses, good Fordesque styling, good V6 power train (I'm not seeing good things from a turbo-4 in a vehicle like this however), and in general I think it looks overall a more attractive package than the 4Runner, Pilot, or Grand Cherokee (though I don't know if I'd buy it over the first two).

As to the minuses, seems to suffer a bit from high belt line styling affecting (limiting?) the look and function of the Taurus. It also looks big - about first generation Sequoia size. It also seems to get lost in the noise given the existence of the Escape, Edge, Expedition and Flex.

Nowhere near as big as a Sequoia.  This is more in line with an Acadia.

*Edit - Actually 6 inches shorter than the old Sequoia, pretty close.  The Explorer is 3 inches shorter than the Acadia.

[2o6]

What's the point of a large suv with fwd?...

Fwd is pathetic for towing and offroading and there are much better choices if you just want a people mover

No one uses Explorers for off roading. At least, not many of the current Explorer buyers.