The 2011 explorer

[Joe Dirt]

I'd honestly be happy enough if they added about 10-12" to the back of the Escape and left the rest the same. If I had that space, I'd probably move to one of those even...

 

[sabasigh]

I'd honestly be happy enough if they added about 10-12" to the back of the Escape and left the rest the same. If I had that space, I'd probably move to one of those even...

Price-wise the Escape is attractive. Wish they would put the 3.5L in there. Am anxious to see the concept for the Escape replacement @ the Detroit Auto show.

Was looking at a 2011 Edge Sport. Close to $40k...geez. 4400lbs too.

 

[FLOffroad]

just sit in your Explorer in the garage and talk to the sync module!

But I hate the SYNC lady! She never shuts up and unless I say "phone" or "bluetooth audio" she usually doesn't understand me! I spend so much time cursing that woman out, but that makes it worse because for some reason she doesn't understand "No b**ch!" but she can understand "No" - it makes no sense.

I was trying to hook up my new phone the other day, and I was definitely giving the suspension a workout in the driveway, pulling back/forth on the steering wheel in rage.

 

[Awsum97]

i think its a sweet looking ride. the bottom line is that much has changed since the explorer ruled the roost in late 90's early 00's SUVs are used to take kids to soccer, pickup groceries and take kids to college in. ford has not been selling many explorers of late and w the truck chassis and how MPGs are so important this had to happen. im sure we will all be on this website 15 yrs from now and singing the praise of the 2011 and how the 2025 is too cute or modern looking (u know im right!!) jsut my humble opinion. change is good

 

[peterk9]

According to the news the other night, the CEO of Shell is betting that the price of gas is going to be $5 a gallon by 2012! If that happens, how many people can afford to go play just because they can?

Price here this morning for regular 87 octane was $5.28 a gallon. Keep in mind that our gallon in Canada = 1.2009 US gallons. It has been over $5 for more than a month.

 

[SGM]

I'm sorry, maybe I'm "old school", but I HATE this new Explorer. I was in shock when I saw one on the lot the other day. I thought it was one of those Freestyle type things. If the mall dwellers want a fuel efficient car, than buy a car! I'll be buying a used 2008-2010 now. I'm not paying more to lose towing capacity and have front wheel drive. And auto parking...what could go wrong there, lol. I can't wait to see that go haywire.
Thank God I have my F-350 Powerstroke to drive around. I'll pay the fuel and drive a "truck".

 

[peterk9]

I'm sorry, maybe I'm "old school", but I HATE this new Explorer. I was in shock when I saw one on the lot the other day. I thought it was one of those Freestyle type things. If the mall dwellers want a fuel efficient car, than buy a car! I'll be buying a used 2008-2010 now. I'm not paying more to lose towing capacity and have front wheel drive. And auto parking...what could go wrong there, lol. I can't wait to see that go haywire.
Thank God I have my F-350 Powerstroke to drive around. I'll pay the fuel and drive a "truck".

I'd take good care of that truck. Even the Cherokee and Durango have gone unibody. Toyota 4Runner and FJ Cruiser are a couple of the true truck frame models left. Properly equipped, the 2011 will still tow 5,000lbs and will use 4WD if and when needed.

 

[alfredfife]

Even Obama is going with a unibody for 2011, but he has not convinced Michelle yet!!!!

 

[thaywood]

The Ranger is badly in need of an overhaul, Explorer style. Keep it body-on-frame because it's still a "truck" but just update it. Four revisions in nearly 30 years isn't gonna cut it. Not against the Tacoma/Dakota/S10/Colorado to name a few.

- Owned 96 and 04 Rangers

Awww c'mon! Make the Ranger a unibody with wrong-wheel-drive and a sideways engine! That's what the "market demands", right?

I'm sorry, maybe I'm "old school", but I HATE this new Explorer. I was in shock when I saw one on the lot the other day. I thought it was one of those Freestyle type things. If the mall dwellers want a fuel efficient car, than buy a car! I'll be buying a used 2008-2010 now. I'm not paying more to lose towing capacity and have front wheel drive. And auto parking...what could go wrong there, lol. I can't wait to see that go haywire.
Thank God I have my F-350 Powerstroke to drive around. I'll pay the fuel and drive a "truck".

Amen, brother!

 

[Explorer nut]

What is not to like on the new X? Go test drive one.Was looking at the GC and am
glad I waited for the new X. What has Chrysler done with the bailout money it received?
How can you spend $40K and not have 3rd row seats?
The Navigation option on the new X is less costly at $800 than on the Flex at$1800
and the leather uprgrade is $1500 less than the GC.

 

[thaywood]

What is not to like on the new X? Go test drive one.Was looking at the GC and am
glad I waited for the new X. What has Chrysler done with the bailout money it received?
How can you spend $40K and not have 3rd row seats?
The Navigation option on the new X is less costly at $800 than on the Flex at$1800
and the leather uprgrade is $1500 less than the GC.

Thanks but no. I won't be test driving a Flexplorer. I'm not going to purposely drive a FWD car of my own free will unless I absolutely have to. I have to drive a FWD car at work because our company cars are Tauruses and Impalas. I have no choice there. But if I have a choice, there's no possible way I will ever choose FWD over RWD...ever. But that's just the way I feel about it. I know that most consumers don't know and don't care which wheels do the pulling/pushing, or whether their engine is mounted correctly or sideways under the hood. But I'm not "most" consumers. My standards are a bit higher. The point is moot anyway because I can't afford a Flexplorer or a GK. That's why I drive a 16 year old Exploder with 145k miles on it. And I love every single minute of it! It's one of the best all around vehicles I've ever owned. And I've owned quite a few cars and trucks in my life.

 

[edge929]

What is not to like on the new X? Go test drive one.Was looking at the GC and am
glad I waited for the new X. What has Chrysler done with the bailout money it received?
How can you spend $40K and not have 3rd row seats?
The Navigation option on the new X is less costly at $800 than on the Flex at$1800
and the leather uprgrade is $1500 less than the GC.

I'm probably one of the few who prefers a third-row delete option. I'm fully aware they fold flat, which is their saving grace, but they still take up storage space I could use folded flat. I'd estimate they eat up 4-5 cubic feet folded flat.

The navigation on the Explorer is actually pretty ingenious. No longer is it a dedicated unit on your dash but rather the data is stored on a secure digital card you insert into the media console and MyFord Touch acts as the operating system for that data. This makes it cheaper and much easier to update (download updates to the card on your PC).

 

[peterk9]

I know that there are some Highlander owners that actually removed their 3 row seats. One went as far as to post step by step instructions on one of the forums. Not sure how or if that would work for the Explorer.

 

[Mishtar]

I'm probably one of the few who prefers a third-row delete option. I'm fully aware they fold flat, which is their saving grace, but they still take up storage space I could use folded flat. I'd estimate they eat up 4-5 cubic feet folded flat.

I agree I would have liked to have had the option for a full size spare tire though where the 3rd row folds flat then the whole back would still fold flat when the 2nd row seats were down.

 

[Joe Dirt]

I had a third row seat in my 2003- I was hauling around tiny hockey players, and that's all that would fit back there anyway. Those seats were useless at worst, and more hassle than they were worth at best, IMHO.

 

[cbx1047]

What a great idea to remove the 3rd row seat! I did not want it but it came with the limited. Then install a matching carpeted panel and hid a full size spare under it...........thinking

 

[thaywood]

This is a great video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZTTn2gq67I

 

[FLOffroad]

Ah good ole Bayerische Autos, it's too bad X-Drive is useless offroad. BMW's basically a road company though and they're pretty happy to stay that way - good on'm.

 

[osteologation]

Why call it something its not? Let the name die or revive it with something deserving of the name. The reason of the sales slump was they kept getting bigger, uglier, and more expensive.

I think the new "vehicle" is nice and has great features that will work great for the majority of owners. I DD a Vue and its a great CAR.

Good luck ford, keep on alienating your die hard blue bloods. Hopefully they will release a simple offroad friendly platform not encumbered by useless electronics and gadgets.

 

[thaywood]

^^Yep