'11 Explorer Revealed!!

[briwayjones]

i hate to say it guys, but they built what people wanted. were all not most people, so we dont count

Except the Edge, Flex and Escape fits that market. So why not keep the Explorer closer to it's roots and let it compete with FJs, Wranglers and Xterras. If you can sell enough FJs, Wranglers and Xterras to keep them in production than you can sell enough Explorers. Just make an Explorer that will sell more than all of the previous combined.

 

[NHarris]

I suppose they may get rid o the escape or flex, the escape because it is older or the flex because it has been such a flop, or at least it has been. I guess well have to wait and see what hppens but my money is on either the escape or flex, or both.
Kendal

The escape is staying here's the next escape:

Currently its the Ford Kuga in europe. But guess what? Its immigrating to america. The escape is too much of a good seller. People want fuel efficiency, the escape delivers that with 4wd. I personally think the flex is on its way out.
And I have to agree with the ****ty wheel covers they put on...SERIOUSLY FORD?
I'd buy the base model and throw some rims on the damn thing.

 

[Garth]

Looks like it will have less cargo than the present escape.

 

[IZwack]

I'd buy the base model and throw some rims on the damn thing.

I hate to say it but its comment like these that has steered the market to where it is - we're all about "looks" and "big rims" these days. IMO, it's a base model, hub caps are fine.

 

[NHarris]

I hate to say it but its comment like these that has steered the market to where it is - we're all about "looks" and "big rims" these days. IMO, it's a base model, hub caps are fine.

-The XLT that my 05 and 98 Xs are they have real rims. Yeah they are the XLT, and yes the 16" rims on my 05 are adequate, and the 15" Rims on my 98 are nice too. I at least want my explorer to look nice.
-You are right in the sense that the big rims and looks steered the market. The day of the rugged SUV is gone...its the stylish street SUV with 20" rims is whats in.
$28,190. Thats the price for the base model. Why would I dare pay that for hub-caps. They should go for the ones below
Now these are some rims for the base model...rugged looking

But who could see the new X with these? :

 

[IZwack]

..rugged looking

My point again, its all about looks.. And I dont mean to pick on you, its just how most of us think these days.

 

[FLOffroad]

If you get the base, just rip the plastic hub caps off - problem solved. You then have perfectly good 17" steelies, you could powdercoat them black if you really wanted to - probably look like a new era cop suv if you did.

 

[NHarris]

My point again, its all about looks.. And I dont mean to pick on you, its just how most of us think these days.

-I know what you mean.
-Why did I get a billet grille...So it looks good. Why am I going to get clear corners...So it looks good... Why am I going to get a grille/brush guard... So it looks rugged. Why am I getting tail light guards...so it looks rugged.
-I know you get the point. I can go on and on with the list of what I'm going to do to my X, and mainly its so it looks good. Like you said its the way we all think about cars.
Who wants to be seen in the bad-looking car? Not many. Who wants to be seen in the cool car? Most everyone.

If you get the base, just rip the plastic hub caps off - problem solved. You then have perfectly good 17" steelies, you could powdercoat them black if you really wanted to - probably look like a new era cop suv if you did.

Ahh...good point. I'd get them chromed. <- And there's the looks thing again.

This is still the best explorer IMO of all times.

 

[FLOffroad]

No offense but....

MY EYES, it burns!

Could you even use that vehicle more than half the year in Utah? Tire chains and 4x4 only roads seems like everyday life every time I'm out there (1-2 a year).

 

[tsilney]

Wheres the sunroof?

I have a 2001 that my wife wants a new one and loves the new ex. But where is the sunroof on the new one???? We are going to keep the 01 to tow our jeep but anyway, I tried to build one on the website. Fully loaded 45k in my area but there is no sunroof option? How can you pay 45K for a car/truck with no sunroof. Anyway, just a thought.

 

[FLOffroad]

Dual panel moonroof might just be as close you'll get. I'd pay $60k for a F250 without a sunroof, but that's a different story.

 

[Joe Dirt]

The Ex that rolled down the dirt for the NYC reveal had the vista roof...

 

[kstrayhorn]

I like the new escape for what it is. It seems like the flex and edge were sort of hybrid cars. The edge being some kind of expedition or explorer/windstar hybrid and the flex being some kind of expedition or explorer/econoline passenger van hybrid.

 

[rhyno]

"Looks like a minivan" , "will never go offroad", ugly, "end of the road for the explorer", etc......

Sounds so familiar

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29987&highlight



:

 

[kstrayhorn]

Yes, but looking back now, the 3rd gens aren't all that different designwise from the 2nd gens. The '11, however is. It actually does look like a minivan. I'm not going to say that it is the end of the road for the explorer, because I have to assume that Ford did their research and provided what consumers wanted, and judging from the report from earlier, it is not completely incapable of offroad activities. I don't know I think it might be starting to grow on me, but definitely not the design, I can't stand it.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Well-linked Rhyno...

I read the first page of comments where the 2002 redesign was eventually compared to an Aztek and started laughing...

kstray- how- I don't think the Gen 3 design is anything like the gen 2... What cues? Just curious since I look at a Gen 2 all day and you see a gen 3 all day...

 

[NHarris]

This fifth gen still has some things in common with the 3rd and especially the 4th generation.

There is a bit of similarity between the two. With this comparision I easily see this X as the next generation X.

 

[NHarris]

No offense but....

MY EYES, it burns!

Could you even use that vehicle more than half the year in Utah? Tire chains and 4x4 only roads seems like everyday life every time I'm out there (1-2 a year).

Yeah. It couldn't be any worse than having a Ford Mustang Coupe or Convertible out here.

 

[kstrayhorn]

I just don't see how the change was that dramatic. Obviously, it is different and new, but I don't think that the 3rd gens look like a minivan at all, as the new ones do. I guess I worded my last post incorrectly. I didn't mean to say that the 2nd gens and 3rd gens looked alike, just that i don't think that the 3rd gens look like a minivan as stated in the link.

I guess that was probably an exaggeration though...

Also, it is starting to make it appear that the angle in the above pic makes the new one have that bubbly minivan look down the side.

 

[Paraphoe]

So this is pretty much the end of the line for Ford offering a traditional SUV? That's really sad. The escape should have become the crossover and left the X the way it was, maybe cuttingback production a bit.