2002 Ford Explorer: All new -- brag or fact?

Author's Rating:

Pros: Roomy, comfortable, rides and handles extremely well; all the bells and whistles

Cons: Not the greatest gas mileage, but is getting a little better

Handling And Control:

The Bottom Line: 
Great styling, enhanced performance with the 4.6L V-8, more room, more features, and quiet comfortable ride. This SUV thinks it's a luxury automobile. Buy it now, make your neighbors jealous!

Author's Review
As the proud owner of my fourth Ford Explorer, I can honestly say the 2002 Explorer is absolutely the best model yet!

Ford proudly touts the 2002 as being all new. In fact, there are significant differences in the 2002 that made my 2000 model seem practically obsolete.

New Body Style

The most noticeable difference is the new body style. It's quite a bit larger than previous model, with several enhancements.

The wheelbase is 2 inches long and almost 2-1/2 inches wider. With a more rigid suspension and better insulation, it also provides a noticeably quieter ride.

The independent rear-wheel suspension really helps provide a smoother, more comfortable ride.

And, yes, it looks different. It's definitely bigger and the door handles are completely different.

The rear window/door has been changed, it definitely looks different than previous models. (There's a practical reason for this that makes it easier to pop open the window and have almost full access to the cargo area.)

More Room

Yes, there really is more room inside the 2002 Explorer. I can easily tell the difference in how much room there is between the front bucket seats.

This allows a wider console that easily provides two cups holders, a handy storage tray and a roomy storage compartment with latched top. There is also an outlet for charging my cell phone in the top of the console. This console is very convenient and ergonomically arranged.

There is a tissue holder inside the top of the console. I like this better than the previous models where the tissue was accessible from the outside of the console. There was always a ton of tissue fuzz to deal with.

The hard part about this is finding the travel size Kleenex boxes that fit here. Target has been my best source to find these Junior size boxes.

My husband loves the extra head room it provides. He is very tall and often found his head bumping the top of our 2000 Explorer. He has head room to spare in the 2002 model.

We purchased the optional 3rd-row fold-down seat, so eight people can comfortably ride inside.

The second-row seat folds down in three pieces, giving you six different configurations to aid in hauling cargo.

Lots of Extras

* The CD player holds 6 CDs and is located in the dash. The dash itself seems lower and wider and it's easier to see out.

* Dual climate control allows the driver and front passenger to choose their own temperature settings. You can also set it to display the outside air temperature.

* There are redundant controls on the steering wheel for the sound system and climate control. And of course, there is also cruise control.

* The tilt steering wheel is also height adjustable.

* The electronic monitoring display tells you just about everything you need to know about your car... miles to empty, miles per gallon, fuel level, oil level, wiper fluid level.

* The "Home Link" option lets you pre-program up to three codes. No more worrying about keeping up with a garage door or gate opener. I did notice you have to hold down the button a little longer than expected to get it to open the garage door.

* The electric memory driver seat allows both my husband and I to set the seat positions we prefer, then when we open the doors with our controller everything is set for us. (It's so nice not to constantly readjust the settings between drivers.)

* Heated rear view mirrors come on automatically when you turn on the rear defroster.

* The front seats are electric and adjustable in a variety of ways. And, yes, they're also heated. I never thought I would enjoy a bun warmer but it will be nice in the dead of winter when those leather seats get cold from being in the parking lot all day at work.

And let's not forget the middle seat.

There are air vents and separate temperature controls, as well. Even with two baby seats, there is still plenty of room for an adult to ride in comfort.

There are also additional air vents in the very back for the comfort of any passengers who might be riding in the third row seat.

Easier trunk access is provided by allowing the glass to open lower, making it easy to get groceries or suitcases in and out. The rear seat folds down almost completely flat, allowing 44.5 cu. ft. of storage space.

Even the fuel tank is larger, holding 22.5 gallons of gasoline.

Improved Performance

We purchased the optional 4.6L Triton V-8 engine. With 239 hp and 282 lb-ft of torque, I've had to be careful not to drive too fast. No, I do not have a lead foot.

It really offers a smoother, quieter ride and handles very well. I just thought my previous Explorer drove like a car. This baby is very responsive and handles like a luxury automobile.

Eddie Bauer Version vs. Limited

My 2000 Explorer was a Limited and we had planned to purchase a 2002 Limited, but they were in short supply. After looking closely and comparing features, the primary difference in the two was that the Limited offered certain colors that the Eddie Bauer did not.

The Limited also lets you have monotone leather seats instead of the two-tone Bauer leather seats.

All the other luxury extras (especially Home Link) are now included in the Eddie Bauer. I don't feel that I am missing anything from the luxury or the extras that I had in my previous Limited.

We Love It

My husband and I have owned this car for three months now and we love it. It's extremely comfortable and it is a great looking vehicle.

It's averaging about 16 MPG in the city so far and we got it up to 21 on the highway. It's still breaking in and the mileage seems to be steadily improving.

We recently took a day trip in which we spent about six hours in this vehicle. We kept commenting how much we enjoyed the extra room and the smoother ride. My husband definitely enjoyed the extra head room.

We have the Eddie Bauer model with leather two-tone seats. I wasn't too crazy about the two-tone look at first, but I'm liking it better all the time. I've gotten several compliments on the interior, so that doesn't hurt either!

Ford-Provided Extras

Ford offered several incentives to buy:

* $750 owner loyalty rebate
* 0% financing for 36 months (Look, Ma, no finance charges!)
* A nice tote bag was given to us just for taking a test drive
* We received a tailgate party kit for purchasing -- this included a canopy, grill, and cooking utensils. (We received our gifts last week after mailing in the postage-paid cards Ford provided.)
* Later we received a $75 gift certificate from Eddie Bauer (nice for Christmas shopping)

Highly Recommended

I can't think of a better time to buy than now -- great interest rates, extra incentives, and a really comfortable, good-looking SUV. I really love this great Explorer!