The Ford Explorer is smooth and stable on the highway and handles well on winding roads. The available V8 engine offers excellent acceleration out of corners. Ride quality and handling are quite good, greatly improved over pre-2002 models.The Explorer rides on a four-wheel independent suspension with coil springs all around. It's a sophisticated setup and it works very well. Nearly all of Explorer's competitors are independently sprung up front but most use a live axle in the rear. Explorer's more expensive independent rear suspension offers better lateral stiffness yet more fore/aft compliance than a live rear axle. That means both ride and handling are better.
The Explorer delivers a smooth ride on rough roads. Bumpy corners don't upset it, and it feels stable in fast, sweeping turns. The Explorer is very stable at high speeds and feels comfortably secure in bad weather. We felt safe and confident while pulling a trailer on a daylong drive through a violent tropical storm in Tennessee. Just knowing the Explorer had automatic 4WD and ABS was comforting when it was raining buckets. It's still a truck, though. Tire whir is heard; road vibration is felt. But the ride is more comfortable, less jouncy than in some imported SUVs.
The Explorer's standard engine is a modern 4.0-liter V6 with overhead cams and aluminum heads, rated 210 horsepower. Acceleration with the V6 is quite respectable, thanks to the 254 pound-feet of torque it generates at 3700 rpm. You can hear and feel the V6 under full-throttle acceleration and it isn't as smooth as Toyota's V6, but it is entirely within acceptable bounds. You're not likely to need the V8 unless you're towing or live at high altitude.
The optional 4.6-liter V8 provides quick acceleration performance. A modern and sophisticated engine, the V8 is all aluminum for lighter weight, with single overhead camshafts. Like the V6, it makes itself heard and felt under full throttle, but otherwise it's smooth. The V8 produces 239 horsepower at 4750 rpm and 282 pound-feet of torque at 4000 rpm. It performed well while towing an empty car trailer across the U.S., though we felt the weight of the trailer on long, steep grades at higher altitudes. According to the trip computer, I was averaging 14 mpg while pulling the trailer.
The real star in the Explorer drivetrain is its sophisticated five-speed automatic transmission. It's smooth and responsive, quickly downshifting when the gas is mashed. It detects the driver's intentions and upshifts later or earlier, depending on what the driver is doing with the throttle. It's a great transmission and makes the V6 and V8 engines feel strong.
Turning around and maneuvering in crowded parking lots is easy in the Explorer, with its relatively small turning radius. The optional Reverse Sensing System ($255) alerts the driver to objects behind the vehicle and is handy when maneuvering in tight quarters. (It can be turned off when you are pulling a trailer.) Though not billed as such, this system enhances safety by detecting people, including small children, behind you.
Anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes provide stable stopping without drama even at threshold braking (slamming the pedal to the floor and keeping it there until the vehicle stops). Electronic Brake Force Distribution is standard, a great feature as it transfers braking force to the wheels with the best grip to improve stability and reduce stopping distances.
AdvanceTrac, Ford's electronic stability control system, is standard on all Explorers and enhances the capabilities of 4WD models. The system includes electronic traction control that regulates side-to-side torque distribution better than traditional mechanical systems. AdvanceTrac also applies braking selectively when it detects wheelspin. By stopping the spinning wheel, the system sends torque to the wheel that has the best traction.
Off road, the Explorer does not measure up to the Toyota 4Runner, Jeep Grand Cherokee or Land Rover LR3. The Explorer doesn't have their excellent suspension articulation and is otherwise not designed to tackle the Rubicon Trail or any other seriously rugged terrain. The current model is better than the old one, though, and is perfectly capable on primitive roads. In other words, the Explorer makes a fine vehicle for trout fishermen, kayakers, and other outdoor enthusiasts. Ground clearance is a generous 9.4 inches, and relatively short front and rear overhangs offer reasonable approach and departure angles, all of which means you don't scrape the ground as much as you might in an earlier Explorer. If fire roads, deep snow and slippery boat ramps are the extent of your off-road driving, then the Explorer will serve admirably. And Explorer is a nicer vehicle than the Grand Cherokee in most respects, with a better-quality interior, and a smoother, more refined ride.
The optional Control Trac four-wheel-drive system (4WD) works great. We were surprised by the amount of grip the Explorer had on a muddy, snow-covered two-track in the Arizona high country near Sedona. Ford has refined this system to make it more transparent to the driver, while improving its abilities in limited-traction situations. The normal driving mode is Auto 4WD; there is no two-wheel-drive mode. In Auto 4WD, Control Trac directs power according to input from sensors that compare grip between the front and rear wheels. If the rear wheels lose traction, for example, the optimal amount of power is transferred to the front tires where there's more grip. Using a dedicated controller, the system checks for slipping tires 50 times a second and can anticipate situations, such as hard acceleration, that are likely to cause the wheels to spin. This makes the Explorer feel secure on wet pavement, gravel, mud, and snow. When the going gets rougher, press the 4WD HI button, which effectively locks the front and rear driveshafts together. This can be useful for severe off-road or winter conditions, though Auto 4WD does such a great job of transferring torque that 4WD HI is almost irrelevant in practical terms.
Driving on a muddy, primitive trail, I couldn't tell the difference between Auto 4WD and 4WD HI. This is a credit to the seamless operation of the Auto 4WD system. It may be possible to detect subtle slip in Auto 4WD on slippery, snow-covered surfaces, but the bottom line is that you can leave it in Auto 4WD for all but the worst conditions. 4WD Low works well for creeping over truly rugged terrain. We found it does a good job of engine braking down steep grades, and we suspect it would be helpful on slippery boat ramps. I wouldn't hesitate to take a 4WD Explorer down marginal roads and slippery two-tracks. It's easy to modulate the throttle precisely when creeping along; throttle tip-in is gradual so you're not lurching off the line.
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