what do you think of the 2002 explorer?

[JWood]

To each his own guys...

Tell me exactly what is that you think is so terrible with Independant Rear Suspension...? The truck drives and rides GREAT!!

 

[JWood]

How about that new Trailbalzer from Chevy...?

The wealth of knowledge available here on this website is absolutely amazing. It truely is astounding! One can only hope that Ford Motor Company engineers view the data on the Explorers they have produced over the years that can lead to improving the product line.

However, it is incredible to read the derogatory comments about the 2002 Explorers. Extreme improvements have been implemented on this redesign for safety, comfort, and overall saleablity of this vehicle.

Other threads here have observed who Ford is targeting to sell Explorers to. And it is not the very narrow market of those that want to modify this vehicle.

Living in the 4th largest city in this nation, I have yet to see a single modified Explorer as described in any single post here on the freeways that is even remotely close to the firebreathing offroad beast everyone seems to lust after. And there are Explorers in every parking lot, street, road, beach, lake area or any where you can think of.

The fact is all 2002 redesigned Ford Explorers will be sold. And the overwhelming majority of them will be driven on concrete. And the overall quality is very high.

The talent is here to will figure out ways to improve on the new design making it suiteable for tougher off road conditions. But come on now, don't just toss out the zingers of what a bad job Ford has done with the new Explorer.

Give us some real ideas to make it the vehicle that you guys want to drive. It's either that or move on to something else. Hey how about that new Trailblazer...?

 

[Doug]

Re: To each his own guys...

Originally posted by JWood
Tell me exactly what is that you think is so terrible with Independant Rear Suspension...? The truck drives and rides GREAT!!

Ill tell you whats wrong with the IRS. ford has taken a good vehicle and let it fall victim to mediocrity. There are no more real trucks unless you want to go fullsize and you cant take them offroad due to thier bulk.

 

[Mike]

Well as far as what i heard form the sales mgr at my local ford dealer he told me.. the new explorers are going for the soccer mom's people looking for a mini van type car.. but in a truck.. and thats what they have... would i ever buy one? no... i dont like the looks... i dont like at all what they have done to them.... as sad as is sounds i think my next truck might be the new jeep comming out in 2003 or an envoy..


just my .02



Mike

 

[Jason_25]

As my next vehicle, unless I get an old beater, it will be a Jeep.

I agree the 02's are safer, more comfortable, and are more refined. All are things I care nothing about. Those are traits I would look for in a minivan, not a workhorse like my current explorer is.

Am I bashing your choice of your new explorer? No. I'm just stating my opinion.

If any of you '02+ owners want to join us for a trailride, come on! We'll show you what it's all about!

 

[Rscotts1]

I have owned my 2002 XLS for about 14 months now (13,500 miles) and here are my opinions/problems so far:

- Paid way too much for it ($28,000.00) but really wanted it. Remember, this was way back in 2001 before the 911 attacks, interest rates were still high and incentives were unheard of (also, only 3 dealers here, did not leave me much choice).

- I really like the body style. Was looking at the 2001's at the time, but in my opnion, the design was outdated. The interior roominess/comfort is good....but way too much plastic is used. I tend to personalize all of my cars anyway, so that does not matter to me.

- The ride is good but not excellent. The shocks/springs are way too stiff, which makes for a rough and jarring ride over even small perfections in the road. Can't wait for the aftermarket to come out with some replacement shocks/springs, because these are the first things to go. As mentioned above the thing does tend to wander on the highway....gotta keep both hands on the wheel.

- Fit and finish......hmmmm....have had to take my X back in twice for problems with the rear glass hatch lineup/alignment issues.

- Engine/trans is excellent. Power is where I need it and the thing shift's sikly smooth. Noted above in an earlier post that the X seemed to lack power at 75mph.....hmmmm, I find the power to be excellent. Passing at this speed or any other speed is great!! Had to take the X back to the dealer twice to have the transmission Computer or PCM reprogrammed (was shifting extremely rough).

- Steering....see above. Also, have had the X back to the shop twice now to replace steering shaft parts. Symptoms were looseness/knocking in the steering wheel along with excessive play. Guess this has been a problem with alot of different year Explorer's.

Overall, I really love this new X. Unfortunately, being a new model I am subject to various new model problems/breakage/etc.

 

[Doug]

heh to bad the 2001 x doesnt have springs or shocks... its got struts like a car..

 

[TwoToneX]

Ya know, I wouldn't mind driving a '02 if I had no intentions of taking it off road. But I was just curious, how do they do with towing? I'm gonna be buying a tow vehicle once I get rich and famous ( ) and I think it'd be funny to tow an Explorer with an Explorer... Plus, I kinda like the looks of 'em with aftermarket appearance mod's...

 

[JWood]

OK, OK, OK......

I agree the 02's are safer, more comfortable, and are more refined. All are things I care nothing about. Those are traits I would look for in a minivan, not a workhorse like my current explorer is.

Damn....did I really buy a minvan in disquise? No wonder it rides so great. Oh well, I'll just have to deal with it

 

[Crankcase]

I don't like it at all. The body looks ugly, and the IFS just sucks.

Even my sister, who has always liked Explorers all along, told me the other day she would get a new Escape befrore a 2002 Explorer...

 

[IAmTodd]

I like it!

My parents have a 2002 XLT with the 4.6L V8! I love it. On-road its ok. It wouldn't stand a chance offroad. For god sakes i can't even pull it in out yard to wash it w/o the 4X4 engaing! My '95 can pull up the sam LITTLE hill in 2WD! But like the looks and the power. But i don't think i'd buy one. Maybe a sport, but not the 4 door. my opinion! TODD

 

[Doug]

Is it just me or is the sport the only truck out there now? it seems to me almost all the suvs made now have ifs/irs i cant think of any that dont except for maybe the trailblazer but im not to sure about that one.

 

[AZ Exployer]

Why cant Ford and GM ever get it right. Look at GMs Blazer replacement, great motor but has the ground clearance of a minivan. Looks like ford has gravitated (no pun intended) towards the same vehicle concept. I think the rationale is most SUV drivers want their vehicles to drive like cars anyway, and since they came from cars they drive them like idiots. I think thats why many SUVs, jeeps, and trucks have roll overs. To the general public these vehicles are new concept. When their are rollovers and publicity and public outrage, why dont they focus the attention on the education of the drivers? I wish the new Exployer had higher ground clearance. What can aftermarket companies possibly do with it now with that rear independent suspension?

 

[RFR2212]

Well, I see 2 sides to this truck.

1. Ford designed it to please the average/typical owner.
2. They're drifting away from anything that is capable of wheeling.

Well, I think Ford built a great truck! My dad's got an 02 limited... I love it, for the street! It's soft, smooth, quick, and the milage kicks ass!

Granted, I wish ford would make a wheelin geared truck, I dont see it comming for a long time. For wheeling, the truck isn't that great, but for on road, pleasing the soccer mom, Ford hit the nail on the head!
Pete

 

[SaleenEXP]

I personnaly think the 02's are sweet. The Explorers look nice, but the Mountaineers look awesome. We had an 02' Mounty for a week when my moms Mounty was in the shop, and I've taken the 02' Mounty out on several test drives. All I can say is SWEET. As much as I like the previous Explorers/Mounty, they seriously pale compared to the new ones. The only area the older ones are better are when moding them for off-road. The 02' Mounty reminds me of an Audi, it rides nice and firm but in no way harsh. And the 4.6 hauls ass, my neighbors 02' 2wd Ex ran a 15.85 at Morosso so I don't know why some of you are saying it lacked power, even the V6 will run consitant times of mid 16's. I love the 5.0, but not as much as the modular engine. Hell the aftermarket is already getting better and they were just introduced last year. Look at how long it took for some one to make parts for the Explorer like a decent charger and other stuff. KenneBell just brought out a twin-screw charger for the 4.6, Borla has a dual catback already unlike that damn single pipe for other explorers. I think the quality is a lot better , and the seats are mad comfortable compared to the previous gen, it handles awsome for a heavy suv, and again I love the sound of that 4.6, has an awsome torque band and doesn't get winded like the 5.0

Got sick of trying to find a Saleen, so we're waiting for our dealership to get an 02' Mineral Grey, Silver, or Black Mounty fully loaded and of course the 4.6 and 3.73 gears

 

[271Ranger]

Well, after 4 months.......

I think my 2002 EB 4.6 4x4 is the best Explorer because

The frame is much stronger. There is no indication
of flex. It is also painted.

The 4.6 and the auto are great. It has the most power
and gets the best mileage of any Explorer I have
ever owned.

I like the looks of the exterior and interior.

The ride is very nice

The 4x4 system is seamless.

Interior noise is non existent.

The IRS is great. I drove it up Hancock pass (east side)
and the rear IRS did a great job of keeping the wheels
on the ground. My experience tells me that the new
Explorer is a better off-roader than the previous
Explorer.

The entry and exit angles are better than before.

 

[SaleenEXP]

Re: Well, after 4 months.......

Originally posted by 271Ranger
I think my 2002 EB 4.6 4x4 is the best Explorer because

The frame is much stronger. There is no indication
of flex. It is also painted.

The 4.6 and the auto are great. It has the most power
and gets the best mileage of any Explorer I have
ever owned.

I like the looks of the exterior and interior.

The ride is very nice

The 4x4 system is seamless.

Interior noise is non existent.

The IRS is great. I drove it up Hancock pass (east side)
and the rear IRS did a great job of keeping the wheels
on the ground. My experience tells me that the new
Explorer is a better off-roader than the previous
Explorer.

The entry and exit angles are better than before.

Same here, guy next door has the same Ex as you but 2wd and loves it. It's damn quick for a heavy SUV by a couple hundred pounds compared to the other Ex/Mounty, 15.85 at Morosso track. They're just awsome, I think it's the best riding SUV out there, all the others are either too soft and floaty (most definitley the Envoy) or too harsh riding. The 02's are perfect, nice and firm and no wind noise when your driving making you think you have a leak (unlike the previous gens), Ford nailed it this time. Same thing offroad, the 02's are better stock vs. stock, better entry and exit angles and an fully independent suspension that is stronger than other SUV's for off-road. For 03' you can get an off-road package on the new Ex's but I'm not sure if it's available for the Mounty's.

Ford is really underrating all their products (which is a good thing I think ) just look at the new Cobra, the sohc is rated around 10sec from Ford, yet every test I've seen has it in the 8.5sec range, and the 4.6 will run in the 7's with 1 or 2 test putting it at about 8. His truck is the same way with gas like yours, rated at 14 in the city, yet he gets about 16mpg in the city and he doesn't drive easily on it. Counting down the days until I get an 02' 4.6 Mounty.

 

[Doug]

My experience tells me that the new
Explorer is a better off-roader than the previous
Explorer.

The entry and exit angles are better than before.

I dunno what kind of experience you have but the new 4dr explorer is in no way comparable to the older generations. The sport would have a chance since all thats really changed is the look but the 4dr would have to chance off road. It has struts its basically a car.

 

[SaleenEXP]

Originally posted by Namitey


I dunno what kind of experience you have but the new 4dr explorer is in no way comparable to the older generations. The sport would have a chance since all thats really changed is the look but the 4dr would have to chance off road. It has struts its basically a car.

He meant stock for stock. The 02' have better entry and exit angles and the indpendent suspension may have struts, but it's 10X stiffer than any other independ suv I can think of offroad and allows perfect wheel placement with none of that live axle boucing motion. All the test that have takin them off-road have said the same thing, the 02 4drs are better, but I'm sure thats stock vs. stock, b/c you can modify a previous gen Ex to kill anything off-road. I think it was Motortrend awile ago that said "not only is the new Ex infinitley better both on and off the road than older Explorers, it's like being in a lincoln off-road. Ford did an awsome job with that suspension, very smooth on the street but stiff enough for offroad use.

Oh yeh, and that frame is stiff as hell, you'd be hard press to get almost any type of rattle or flex out of it. Roads that shake and rattle the hell out of my truck and my mom's 2000 Mounty barley affect the 02 Mounty.

 

[diablo5969]

Originally posted by SaleenEXP
the indpendent suspension may have struts, but it's 10X stiffer than any other independ suv I can think of offroad

Thats great if you compare it to other independent suspension SUVs, but I think Namitey was more talking about SUVs without the independent suspension.

BTW, for the record, I'm not trying to bash the '02s at all, I'm just playing devil's advocate