I just drove a 2002...

[JDraper]

I have to agree with Paul on the discomfort of driving a minivan. I'm 6'1" 220lbs, and I am stuck with a 98 D***e Grand Caracrap for a company vehicle. I cannot get the seat to go back far enough to make my legs comfortable. I went as far as to taking out a panel under the dash so I could get my right foot up into a more comfortable position. It has suspension that is too soft, and WAY underpowered, even with the optional V6. NO WAY would I buy one (and this is from a guy who grew up driving his dad's '76 D***e Coronet Wagon)

In it's defense, you can pack most of our county into it. Makes a much better cargo carrier than the explorer, but that's why I have a trailer

 

[Stephen]

Interesting, I'm 6'2" and 200 lbs and I drive my sister's 96 Town and Country quite comfortably. I find the ride superb too.

 

[JDraper]

Could be a difference in leg length or in the seats between the Chrysler and the Dodge for the seating and the spring rates and shocks for the ride. The one I drives seems to bound too much for my liking. (Could be cheap company maintenance too )

 

[ExplorerEB96]

bleck!!!

It's terrible...just a damn shame... I really think they need to just retire the name "Explorer" on that thing and rename it something else and market it as a minivan... it's crazy....about the only thing those Explorers are going to Explore is the Mall parking lot... thumbs down to Ford!!!! We need a revolution!!! We need to voice our big disappointment to Ford for doing this to the best SUV that anyone has ever made..... god forbid....who knows what's next....a sliding side door like the other minivans ......??

We should name our quest.."Please help save the Explorer...they are destroying it"


Karol

 

[Stephen]

Naa, they havent ruined it. They just had to change it to fit what people want. With all the new car based carlike SUVs out there, if the Explorer remained as trucky as the current model is, it would be left behind.

You cant fault them for making a wise marketing decision.

 

[rpenner54]

Originally posted by Stephen
Naa, they havent ruined it. They just had to change it to fit what people want. With all the new car based carlike SUVs out there, if the Explorer remained as trucky as the current model is, it would be left behind.

You cant fault them for making a wise marketing decision.

I keep saying this and have said it for the past year here. Yet some people think that they should market it towards the minority, that would be stupid.

 

[Joseph L. Casey]

to side air-bag; or not to side air-bag!

If we select side air-bags our 2002 Explorer will be produced in May; if we skip the side air-bags, the Explorer will be produced in April

I would be pleased if anyone were to give suggestions, comments, or ideas about this decision as well as any other one related to the new Explorer.

Thanks in advance to anyone how can offer food for thought.

 

[ExplorerEB96]

Oh believe me

I'm not dumb....just angry... I know we are the minority in this... it's just that they are just riding on a name only.... because this Explorer is only like the older models in very , very basic areas..... they are riding on the name only... which is really a damn shame... but like it was said earlier in this thread.... they ruined it because they look like they threw it together.... I test drove it....I was really unimpressed with the interior... it looked cheap.... people might be fooled for the first two or three years...but once they find out that they are getting crap they will start to look elsewhere for quality... then where would they name "Explorer" be?
But that's only my opinion...

Karol

 

[Kris Guilbeaux]

I gave Ford my Opinion on the IRS

I sent a letter to Ford Mo. Co. Just to tell them my opinion on the IRS. I was not mean or harsh, I just told them How it would effect the Next SUV I buy... I got a reply:

Dear Kris,

Thank you for your message of 03/26/01 regarding the 2002 Ford Explorer.
We appreciate the time you have taken to write us concerning this
vehicle.

We are pleased to hear that you have been a major fan of the Ford
Explorer for many years. We hope that you continue to purchase Ford
vehicles. We appreciate your business.

Kris, Ford Motor Company makes every effort to maintain a high standard
of quality control in our manufacturing process. We pride ourselves on
becoming the world's leading consumer company for automotive products
and services.

>From time to time, option packages are added, deleted or modified.
Decisions to make these changes take into account factors such as,
market trends, customer demands, engineering advances, and dealership
input.

We are concerned with the satisfaction of all of our customers. Your
feedback is highly valued by all divisions within Ford Motor Company,
and serves to provide us with insight into areas where we may need
improvement.

When customers send us constructive comments, you help reinforce our
efforts to build the finest automotive products in the industry. We
value you as a customer and wish you continued satisfaction with our
vehicles.

At Ford Motor Company, we consider the satisfaction of our customers as
one of our most important objectives. Kris, if you have any other
inquiries or concerns, please feel free to contact us and we will be
happy to address them.

Thank you for contacting Ford Motor Company.

Sincerely,
Ratna
Ford Motor Company
Customer Relationship Center(amd)

 

[Stephen]

Nice letter. Form letter, but nice.

 

[donkey boy]

Donkey becomes a Jeeper

I finally figured out that the interest rate I'm paying for my used Explorer just is outrageous and that I might be better off trading it for a new vehicle.

My wife and me, we had a look the 2002 Explorer and the Explorer Sport Trac, and at the second Ford dealer, we even managed to testdrive the two cars. Even though I showed up in suit and tie and made them clear, that I'm in the market for a new business car, it seams Ford sold enough vehicles this month or they just did not wanted to get wet in the purring rain. Customer service on both places was ... hmmm .... no comments.

I liked the Sport Trac a lot; a lot of good ideas and neat details, and it's surprisingly roomy inside. I really loved the seats and the cloth they used, also the fact of the rubber flooring with the removable carpets. Just, I would have had some problems justifying towards my headquarters why I bought a pick-up. (They would have supected too much personal use ).

An other story with the 2002 Explorer. There is nothing really wrong with that vehicle I'm actually convinced that Ford will score high and it will be a best seller again. I think it reflects very well of what the majority expects of an SUV today. Just, it is defenately not for me. Price for the 4x4 XLS (available sometime this summer) is not too bad at 27'500, but there are no incentives, and financing of 7.9% is not that great either.

On the way home, there also is a Jeep dealer, and even though it still is a very hard thing to do for an Ex Land Rover person, I stoped by . Customer service is great ( I got to take a Grand Cherokee home over night, just like that), the vehicle is superb, prices are good, financing excellent (0.9% for 36 mts or 1.9% for 60 mts) and when the salesperson offered to exchange the Good Year Wrangler tires for 5 BF Goodrich MTs, I knew it was too late for me .
Yesterday, I ordered my Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo

 

[ExplorerEB96]

OMG

You've just become a <cringe> "Jeeper!!" hehe just kiddin.... well good luck with it.... you can still have fun in the mud ....

Karol

I love their commercial ..... when the jeep shakes all the mud off of itself like a dog would....

 

[FlyAU]

Re: Donkey becomes a Jeeper

Originally posted by donkey boy
Yesterday, I ordered my Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo

TRAITOR!! :fire:

Just kidding...Still wish you had gone with the SportTrac, tho. I know it's a hard thing for a Landy to buy a Jeep. A friend of mine has a 99 Disco and hates Jeeps more than we do.

 

[SteveVB]

Re: Donkey becomes a Jeeper

Originally posted by donkey boy


My wife and me, we had a look the 2002 Explorer and the Explorer Sport Trac, and at the second Ford dealer, we even managed to testdrive the two cars. Even though I showed up in suit and tie and made them clear, that I'm in the market for a new business car, it seams Ford sold enough vehicles this month or they just did not wanted to get wet in the purring rain. Customer service on both places was ... hmmm .... no comments.

Michael, congrats on the Jeep. I dont think the service you got at the Ford dealers was related to FORD, I think its just dealers in general. We just went through a new car purchase also and tried to deal with a few dealerships of different brands , and I dont think your experience is restricted to Ford dealers. I think the individual dealerships mgmnt has more to do with it than branding. JMO.

Congrats on the Jeep, guess youll be spending some time on the JU board!!

 

[donkey boy]

Steve,
I agree with you. It really has more to do with the management of a dealership and the individual salesperson you are dealing with than with a specific brand. Still, I think some brands spend more effort in educating their dealership manager than others about customer service. BTW, my experience with the Lincoln Mercury dealer in Richmond, from where I bought my Exploder, was very good. Unluckily they don't sell any new Fords. What car did you get?

I will spend some time on the JU board (same name, once a donkey, always a donkey ), but I still will be a frequent visitor on the Explorer board. Sorry, you won't get rid of me this easy

Matt
I really liked the Sport Trac, sorry for not staying brand-loyal. But thinking of the two solid axles on coil springs of the Grand Cherokee makes it barable though. BTW, my boss in Switzerland asked me, if I considered the Pontiac Aztec
I :frustrate him that

Karol
You bet I will have fun with that thing in the mud! Now I just need to convince SteveVB to tolerate Jeeps at his GWNF runs

 

[SteveVB]

I like Jeeps...

Michael,

I dont dislike Jeeps, I just ride with them a lot. I will still have to have Explorer only rides though! But there are plenty of Jeep rides, yopu can do all of the Jeep only things now- campJeep, Jeep Jambo etc. Ill let you know of rides to GW no problem.

My wife got a "New 2001" Passat GLX. Its nice - I never get to drive it but she likes it. I wanted the S-60- very nice vehicle. Nicer than the most everything we drove, but couldnt find the deal we were looking for.- sort of settled for the VW. Probably a good thing since its a bit bigger, a little cheaper, and most important my wife likes it.

 

[Stephen]

Congrats on the Jeep Micheal, hope you enjoy it!

Hey Steve, whereabouts in the GWNF are your runs anyway? I was on route 33 through the forest near Harrisonburg, VA the other weekend on my way to Snowshoe and I was wondering.

 

[drmoore71]

i'm sorry to say, but after spending some time wandering around one of the local ford dealerships today and looking at the '02 explorer, i think my next vehicle will be either a discovery or a durango. i really wasn't impressed with anything about the new explorers, and while i didn't drive one, i can just look at it and see that it doesn't have the same type of appeal that our '95 or '97 have to me. i really like the disco a whole lot, and at this point the durango is running a close second. the durango looks pretty sweet with a lift on it. i've been seeing a bunch of them around lately with about four inches of lift and what looks to be 32's or 33's on them. sorry for rambling, i just wanted to join the ranks of somewhat disenchanted explorer owners in this thread. i'll stop now. thanks for listening.

 

[JWood]

2002 Explorer...ho hum!

While my Mustang was being serviced at the Ford dealership I strolled over to look at the "New" Explorer. I must say I was rather "underwhelmed". One thing that struck me was the interior looks so plain, and it's more "boxier" exterior did not appeal to me either.

As someone else commented earlier in this thread, the Expedition has this beat for about the same money!

For now, I will remain happy with my 93 XLT.

 

[///AMG Power]

Didn't drive one yet, but saw one driving behind me on the highway. It looked like a white one, possibly in Limited trim. Looked quite sharp.