Saw the 2011 Explorer today - "naked"

[2010man]

It just seems to me like whenever a car company comes out with something nice, everyone jumps on the bandwagon and makes something almost identical to it except for the nose and tail looking a tad different. Just like when ford first came out with that awesome chrome front end on the super duty pick-ups with the horizontal bars. The next thing you know, every ford product had that same style bar grill from the fusion to the E series van to the taurus to the edge etc. Maybe it's just me?

 

[GRNMACHINE]

Front end of a Taurus SHO, headlights of an Edge, side profile of an older 4-Runner (slanted forward rear side window) mixed with a BMW X5/Range or Land Rover... I am thinking it should sell, not to an offroad crowd but to a family it could be a hit. Being a Ford stock owner I hope it is a hit. Chicago job market not too good, bringing jobs here is greatly needed and welcomed.

 

[2010man]

Yeh, I heard that anyone who happened to buy Ford stock when the bailout stuff was going on is doing extremely well right now. As luck would have it, I'm not one of those people. It sounds like out of all the car makers, Ford is doing a great job.

 

[Explorer_Science]

Eck That makes me want to run clear of any future Fords! That's gross looking so is the damn Flex. Now the Mustang and Taurus look pretty good but i don't want a car! Omg they are nice inside but the outside is just YUK!

 

[Joe Dirt]

yeh, i heard that anyone who happened to buy ford stock when pizza bailout stuff was going on is doing extremely well right now. As luck would have it, i'm not one of those people. It sounds like out of all pizza car makers, ford is doing a great job.

Umm...

 

[2010man]

OK, so who's the guy editing our posts and putting pizza everywhere. Is Papa John on this thread?

 

[GRNMACHINE]

Yeh, I heard that anyone who happened to buy Ford stock when the bailout stuff was going on is doing extremely well right now. As luck would have it, I'm not one of those people. It sounds like out of all the car makers, Ford is doing a great job.

They are doing really well, I am not one either. Bought stock many years ago. And I agree, Ford seems to be doing really well.

 

[mycaptainchris]

Update spy shots..
http://www.caradvice.com.au/50410/2011-ford-explorer-spy-photos/

Do you think the Cow paint will be an option, you can get flowers on a new fiesta, so why not cow prints on the new explorer?

 

[BSlusser]

i wouldnt have a problem with it, if they didnt call it somthing other than an explorer. but to me it will never be one. however, reaise 2 inches, longe travel front a rear suspension, put 32inch tires and really reinforct the fame with some sorta rol cage, you got your self a mini 6 passenger raptor.

What frame?

 

[BSlusser]

Let's just say, I'm really glad we just ordered a new I'm 50 so I like a rumbly V-8 and old tech!

haha, I'm much, much younger than that and I share the sentiment. IMHO you bought the right truck.

I agree that Ford appears to be doing well. This is all just speculation but I think they were resting on their laurels for a while. Within the past few years they have really gotten their act together and addressed their market more accurately, and I guess it doesn't hurt that one of its major international competitors has really dropped the ball in recent months.

I'll be a Ford guy till the day I die but I don't have to like everything they decide to do. Flowers on a Fiesta is one of those things. In regards to the newest Explorers, if/when I buy a new Ford one day I'll probably be looking at the F-Series...

 

[2010man]

With all of the big rebate incentives etc. going on right now, a guy could probably get a 2010 F-150 super crew cab fully optioned for less then a explorer. Those pick-ups are sweet. I would have looked into one, but the explorer is for the wife and a supercrew pick-up is a touch too big for her liking! Plus she doesn't want to have to put the groceries in the back of a pick-up!

 

[trailblazer295]

It's they had a bunch of Freestyle bodys left over and need something to do with them

Is it just me or does it look like a cross between a FLEX and a freestyle???

 

[dwilsonjr74]

i think you missed something...

 

[FordmoPar69]

What frame?

i got that habit from on the official names for, and alot of time unibodies will have sub frames on them.

 

[FordmoPar69]

lets not forget guys, tanks and air craft are of unibody design, done right they can be stronger that a body on chassis design. but alot of time done right doesnt mean done inexpensively.

 

[2010man]

Unibody crossovers usually = two ugly mufflers hanging beneath the rear floor for the whole world to see. With a little chrome tip in the center of each one of coarse.

 

[kkreit01]

^ and that's worse than 1 ugly, rusty tailpipe? Of all reasons to dislike unibodies, that's and odd one.

 

[2010man]

^ and that's worse than 1 ugly, rusty tailpipe? Of all reasons to dislike unibodies, that's and odd one.

Your right! The tailpipe that came on the last explorers is pretty crappy looking. ( Just looks like a piece of bent galvanized pipe)The 2010 we ordered is not even here yet, but I have a nice shiney Magnaflow cat back sitting in my garage waiting for it that will solve that problem. I have nothing against unibodies. I just like them better on cars and not SUV's. My 94 cobra is a unibody and "I Like it". One odd thing I've been seeing lately is several crossovers that have step bars or runing boards. What's up with that? When the bottom of the car is 8 inchs off of the ground, what do you use a step bar for? It appears to be a crossover trying to look like a SUV.

 

[BWilliams]

I really like it.

<SNIP>

More pics and info:

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/25/spy-shots-2012-ford-explorer-caught-completely-disrobed/

Hrm... I think it's a spiffy looking design, but it's sure as hell no Explorer in my book.

If they put that style of front end on the 3rd/4th gen bodies, they would have a hell of a truck (in fact, I'd probably buy the front end parts to swap onto my '05)... but the whole crossover thing disappoints me.

 

[2010man]

I'm sure it will be a great vehicle, but they should have given it a new name. Maybe they will do what they did with the downsized mustang in 1976 and called it the Mustang II. Now we could have the Explorer II