2006 Explorer – A Functional Gas Guzzling SUV

Author's Rating:

Pros: Smooth SUV . Good ride . Roomy for passengers and luggage

Cons: all or nothing heat/cooling . Poor mileage. Door handles

The Bottom Line: 
Good solid SUV . Plenty of room with a smooth drive. Great for a family of three to five , dinks with dogs etc..

Author's Review

The Top Line


I had the opportunity to drive a rented 2006 Ford Explorer XLT 4 liter V6 for five days through some pretty hot and rugged conditions in Arizona. No tornadoes thank goodness – but some awesome thunderstorms between the 107 degree heat waves. Our family also owns a 1999 Ford Explorer so I’ve included some comparisons and also direct experience about reliability, maintenance and crash survivability. To nett it all out I loved driving this car – it was considerably smoother and car-like than the 99, but was still fun to drive without feeling like a huge boat. Ford have also made some significant improvements over the past few years (and not just replacing the infamous tires). Watch out for the fuel economy though. FORD used to mean Found On Road Dead - but that’s no longer the case with the Explorer.




The Market and History


The Explorer debuted nearly 15 years ago and was an immediate, instant, runaway hit. It practically defined the market and undercut vehicles such as the Nissan Pathfinder on price as a perfect example of market timing. The original Explorer was based upon the Ford Ranger pickup and replaced the Ford Bronco II in the stable. A year later the Eddie Bauer up-market model joined the line-up and a Limited model the year after. The first major remodel occurred in 1995.

Most people’s modern perceptions of the Explorer date back to 2001 when Ford and Firestone blamed each other for the excessive tire failures and rollovers of vehicles equipped with the Wilderness AT tires. It turned out to be a Public Relations nightmare for the textbooks that is now a case study at business schools. Nevertheless it almost sunk the Ford Explorer and sales haven’t been the same since. In 2002 the Explorer was totally redesigned including a longer wheelbase, wider track, independent suspension and a back row of seats to raise passenger carry up to seven.

For 2006 Ford has modified the 4L and 4.6L engines and added a six speed automatic option to the
V8. There have also been significant improvements in the areas of safety, noise reduction and both interior and exterior styling – not enough to categorize the 06 as a redesign, more like a good solid thoughtful upgrade


The Engine


As usual in the Ford SUVs there are two engine options. The Explorer has a standard 4 liter V6 rated at 210HP and 254 ft-lb of torque (which is what my rental and our 99 have), or else a more powerful 4.6 liter V8 rated at 292HP and 300 ft-lbs. The 2006 V8 is a three-valve design rather than the old two-valve system. Unlike the smaller Escape, where you would have to be brain-dead to go with the smaller 2L engine as opposed to the 3L, the choice here isn’t so clear-cut. You really have to figure out what you want from the SUV and how hard you are going to push it. Simply driving around town and acting as a “yuppie SUV” the 4L-V6 is more than adequate – it passes the JC “oomph” test (foot down on the accelerator when you need it to overtake, high-speed merges etc.) without any worries about bladder control. I had 5 adults in the Explorer (say 900 lbs), plus a bunch of luggage in the back and I experienced no appreciable difference in pull or pick-up compared to me driving it on my lonesome. Somehow I always get stuck with driving everyone else around – even when I regress to my English roots and ask which side of the road I am supposed to drive on.

Even in our 1999 I’ve never been in the position when I wished for more engine power or acceleration, except when dreaming of that Porsche, so I guess that’s the ultimate test.

Should you be in the market for towing then the V8 is for you – offering double the capacity at 7140lbs versus the 3400 lbs handled by the V6. Watch out for the towing hitch if installed as its likely to be the lower rated Class II even on the V8.

Fuel economy is not exactly spectacular. Rated at 14-20 city/highway with a 22.5 gallon fuel tank capacity gives you a range approaching 400 miles after you spend $70 filling the tank. Using the new fancy-schmancy trip feature we managed 18.1 mpg on a combination of city and interstate driving. Interestingly enough our 1999, also a 4-speed automatic with overdrive, which has a 21 gallon tank, does about 400 miles per tank.


The Interior


You can either call the interior functional or boring, depending upon your point of view – it certainly isn’t a Lexus. The controls are all easy to find and figure out without the driver having to contort around the steering wheel. For the 06 the steering wheel and gear shift have been ergonomically “modernized” ad have most of the gauges – actually a positive in my view. The driver’s cloth bucket seat has a standard power adjust plus a manual lumbar support knob. The middle console between the two front seats is spacious with slots for coins, CD’s and the entire miscellany I need around me. There is room for two coffee cups, and the holders grip 16oz cups, travel mugs and soda bottles equally well. As usual with Ford’s there is a small glove compartment that is only good for holding … well, a couple of pairs of gloves and your insurance/registration docs. Cabin noise seemed quieter than I expected – but that’s hard to quantify because I knew Ford engineers had added insulation so it may have been wishful thinking.

Usually in my reviews I only have anecdotal evidence from my passengers about the 2nd and 3rd rows, but this time I got smart and had a co-worker drive one evening so I could both try out the rear seats and sample some fine beer at a local restaurant – allowing another co-worker to navigate. Seating in the middle section was just OK, actually being a little tighter and more confined than I expected. Three reasonably sized adults need to start some hip and butt action going to get comfortable even after finding the seatbelts. I found this surprising as whenever we have any kind of family outing our three kids almost want to take the Explorer as it has more room than any of our other vehicles. Although we are past the baby seat stage I’ve heard that putting two infant seats in this row takes up entirely all the space. Other important details are that the middle row can be independently split into thirds and there is full access to radio/CD controls, heating and a power port.

The optional third row of seats is an altogether different story and are really only suitable for smaller children who will love clambering over the middle row of seats rather than tilting one of them forward to get into the back. Anyone over about 5-2 or 120 pounds is going to struggle in the back for anything more than a quick trip to the grocery store. The third-row seats also reduce the amount of cargo space available in the back. (82 cuft3 cargo, 42 cuft3 luggage space).

Having said all that we managed to drive around 300 miles in the Phoenix/Scottsdale locale with five adults – plus a suitcase for everyone , way too many laptop bags and other miscellany and still be able to see out of the rear window.


Driving


The Explorer is a fun vehicle to drive – no question about it. It hugs the road, even in high winds or with light snow on the road with never a hint of lean or roll. Handling is rougher than a car, but not as rough as say a classic Jeep or Land Rover. Brakes are nothing special – they work adequately as I had plenty of opportunities to find out. The driver position gives you plenty of visibility and that “high-up” feeling typical in Ford SUVs. It’s just a pleasant drive, simple as that. The Ford marketing literature notes a stiffened frame for 06 to improve highway riding but I didn’t notice anything better or improved.



Safety


All models come with four wheel antilock disc brakes, front-seat side airbags and other options are standard or available depending upon the trim level. The AdvanceTrac stability control system and Roll Stability Control are now standard 2006 equipment , plus all models can be equipped with a “Safety Canopy” system which includes 1st and 2nd row side curtain airbags and a special sensor for detecting rollover. Power-adjustable pedals are an option on most models, as is a reverse-sensing system.


NHTSA Ratings (for 2005)


Head-on accident Driver EXCELLENT
Head-on accident Passenger EXCELLENT
Side Impact Front/Rear EXCELLENT/EXCELLENT
Rollover Rating AVERAGE


IIHS test


Crash Offset GOOD
Bumper Bash POOR


Personal Story – three years ago a motorcyclist going around 40mph ploughed directly into the driver side door of our Explorer. Fortunately he hit the exact middle of the driver’s door, which probably buckled just enough to save his life after his front tire absorbed a good part of the collision. My daughter, although shaken up, didn’t have a scratch on her, and in fact the door could still be opened and closed




Reliability


No problems at all during my week – although there was an unusual whine in reverse. Our 99 has, fingers crossed and touch wood, been rock solid.

Ford offers a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty and a 5yr/unlimited rust warranty.


Competition


If you are looking at the Explorer then you should also check out, at a minimum, the following. This is not an exhaustive list, but a suggested starting point.


Chevy Trailblazer
GMC Envoy
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Oldsmobile Bravada




Design (leftover from 2005)


If I was designing the next generation of Explorers I would ..


1. Fix the air conditioning/heat so that the rear is a separate section from the front.
2. The radio/CD controls are more accessible.
3. Fat-fingered idiots like myself can adjust the side mirrors
4. Fat-fingered idiots like myself can open the car door without hitting the panic button on the keychain. Ooops.
5. The footpedal for the parking brake doesn’t scratch your shins when driving.
6. Redesign the interior door handles .. aargh !!




Pricing

Depending upon options the XLT is quoted anywhere from $30,000 to $34,000. Ford are currently running a cash rebate promotion and/or a reduced finance rate ; many dealers are also offering an additional $1,000 cash back as of June 2006. A good time to buy a car. Depending on the dealer and inventory, you may be able to get a student/first car or military discount , if you qualify, also included in the final deal.