2007 Ford Explorer Review (continued)
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Walkaround

Up front, Ford Explorer looks like an F-150 pickup with finer, scaled-down features. At the same time, its generous use of chrome, big-and-bold lamps, and square-cornered aero mirrors make this latest-generation Explorer look more like a Lexus SUV than a Ford, and we mean that in the most complimentary way.

Between the elaborate lamps front and back, however, Explorer is a big, empty box with five large doors and a whole bunch of space inside.

Each Explorer trim level presents its own visual personality. XLT faces the world with a four-bar chrome grille, black wheel-lip moldings, and black roof rails. Black running boards are optional.

Bauer features a two-tone front bumper and an accent-color rear bumper; a three-bar chrome grille with side nostrils; accent-color wheel lip moldings; body-color exterior mirrors; silver roof rails with black end caps; and Pueblo Gold running boards.

Limited wears body-color front and rear bumpers; a chrome four-bar grille; chrome exterior mirrors; chrome roof rails with black end caps; body-color running boards; and body-color wheel lip moldings.

Interior Features

Everything inside the Ford Explorer was all-new last year, and continues for '07 with only minor detail changes. There are dark wood accents in most models and darker, richer wood for the Eddie Bauer version. The graphics are accented with metal surrounds both shiny and matte. On the downside, we saw a fair amount of glare reflected off the dash top onto the windshield.

The seats are at once more supportive and more comfortable than in older Explorers, where we found them a bit hard. The colors and trims and combinations are elegant and tasteful, the metallic trims just about right, not overdone.

Second-row seats are available as a 60/40 split bench with recline adjustment, or as two bucket seats and a console. The bucket seats are more comfortable for adults, but the bench seats fold down better for cargo.

The third row, when ordered, sits almost two inches higher than in an '05 or earlier Explorer, so kids can see out better. The third row is always a 50/50 split, but is available with manual or power folding and unfolding.

The cargo floor is completely flat when all the seats are folded, with almost no forward rise (2 degrees as opposed to 10 in older models). With three seats, you get 13.6, then 43.9, then 83.7 cubic feet of space as the seats fold down. The five-seater has slightly more room with the seats folded.

The DVD-based navigation system is very easy to use, with excellent colors and graphics, and a big eight-inch display.

Last year we criticized the front door pulls. The door armrest is large (and filled with foam to assist in side crash protection), and we found it got in the way of the door handle. A redesigned door-pull improves the situation.