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Ford reworks Explorer with new shell and more safety systems
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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The route from Santa Fe to Eagles Nest, tucked high in a valley of the Sangre de Cristo Range, follows the snake-winding Rio Grande up a canyon to Taos, then skirts snow-capped Wheeler Peak -- rising 13,161 feet as New Mexico's highest point -- by scaling a series of switchbacks over a 9,107-ft. saddle called Palo Flechado Pass.
A driver measuring the merits of a pre-production Explorer, Ford's sport-utility wagon dramatically revamped for 1995, could not ask for better test roads.
Before reaching Sante Fe, I had steered a plush 4-door Explorer Limited up the 4-lane interstate freeway from Albuquerque, then played pass-and-follow with slow traffic on a narrow dual-lane blacktop path through the river canyon. The ultimate test came when pushing hairpin turns on Palo Flechado, as any vehicle suffers from stress of thin air at altitude where pavement slopes quicken.
To my surprise, Explorer passed slow vehicles with ease and virtually leaped over that high Rocky Mountain hump.
Why the surprise?
Well, Explorer was never noted for its horsepower. When driving earlier versions I occasionally longed for a set of bicycle pedals so I could add my muscle to help this rather bulky wagon muster more juice to top hills briskly or pass a line of cars without fear of failure.
Some rivals in this popular class of sport-utility vehicles pack far more horsepower, and I will confess to more than a tingle of disappointment when I learned last summer that the 1995 Explorer, in its first major revision since a 1990 introduction, would not address this perceived shortcoming in the power department.
Otherwise, Explorer's make-over seems superb. It carries nicely rounded exterior shapes, new conveniences inside, dual airbags and anti-lock brakes for increased safety, plus new front independent suspension components to flush road bumps and quieten the ride quality.
My initial inspection of the new wagon occurred last October when Ross Roberts, who heads the Ford Division of Ford Motor Company, drove a handsome green and tan Eddie Bauer Explorer up Miss Ellie's driveway at Southfork Ranch near Dallas. What a stunning new package, I noted.
During Explorer's official premier the next morning at the Texas State Auto Show, Roberts addressed its power factor: "We improved Explorer's engine to deliver the optimum in driveability, economy and performance."
Replacing aluminum components of the intake manifold with a new composite material, refining cylinder heads and pistons to boost fuel economy, adding a new conical air cleaner to improve filtration and serviceability: The totality of these changes creates a powertrain that feels more lively than its predecessor, despite similar output.
I experienced no-fear passing, even at altitude, and found my test Explorer could easily scoot up steep grades.
The German-built V6, displacing 4.0 liters and connecting to an electronic fuel injection system and Ford's distributorless electronic ignition package, produces 160 hp at 4200 rpm and 225 lbs/ft of torque at 2800 rpm.
Keep in mind that I'm apparently the only one to carp about the previous lack of power. Since its inception as the first sport-utility wagon to provide plush comforts and push-button conveniences of a conventional sedan, Explorer has been a sellout, with one in four SUVs on the market today bearing the oval blue badge of Ford.
Explorer's typical buyer wants fancy features of the higher priced editions and usually uses the vehicle as a family car or commuter carrier. Curiously, of those who purchase optional 4-wheel-drive traction, only a small percentage actually drive the wagon off the pavement.
Still, I had to test new Explorer's prowess on dirt.
In a high-altitude wilderness north of Eagle's Nest, I drove a variety of 2-door and 4-door Explorers rigged with Ford's new Control Trac part-time 4-wheel-drive system, where a dashboard push-button switches from rear 2-wheel to 4-wheel high gear or into 4-wheel low for serious stuff.
Steep hillside ruts covered in snow? No sweat for Explorer. Fields of oozy Rocky Mountain mud? Explorer plowed right through that goo. Bumpy lumps of logs and rocks? It scampered across those too -- and carried me there and back again in sensational comfort.
Dismiss these off-pavement tests, though, because it's the creature comforts that mean so much to Explorer's customers. And Ford has cut no corner to load Explorer with luxurious features.
The ultimate 4-door edition, Explorer Limited, stocks rich leather upholstery, Ford's Automatic Ride Control system that varies shock dampening electronically, an effortless electronic automatic 4-speed transmission, electronic message center displaying various digital messages regarding fuel consumption and mechanical functions, electronic speed control, automatic climate control, power windows and door locks, plus options like a power moonroof, JBL audio system, 6-disc CD changer and voice-activated cellular telephone.
Explorer's 4-door trim levels begin with base XL and climb with equipment added through the more luxurious XLT (traditionally, the most popular Explorer trim level, accounting for 60 percent of all sales), to special Eddie Bauer with 2-tone paint treatment and the opulent Limited.
Three 2-door Explorer models, riding on an abbreviated chassis, include base XL and Sport, plus the new Expedition model outfitted with more serious systems for exploring the off-pavement world.
All new Explorers this year contain quick rack and pinion steering and 4-wheel disc brakes with 4-wheel anti-lock controls. All also employ the new short and long arm independent front suspension which replaces a previous cumbersome twin I-beam arrangement.
All contain twin bucket seats in front and a bench seat in the rear. The back bench of 2-door Explorers is rated to carry three but anyone in the middle may feel squeezed. Even so, Explorer's interior volume adds up to a best-in-class measurement, which translates to increased room for legs, heads and shoulders, cargo too.
For parents who carpool, 4-door Explorers provide an optional integrated child's seat which folds down from the rear bench and includes automatic locking restraints.
Overall, Ford's make-over of Explorer sets new marks for safety, convenience and mechanical improvements, and tweaks to the engine eliminate that previous sluggishness.
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Explorer's prices, while not the lowest in class, equate to high value due to the level of features provided.
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1995 FORD EXPLORER Specs |
| Description: |
Compact sport-utility wagon |
| Model Options: |
Compact sport-utility wagon |
| Wheelbase: |
2-door: 101.7 inches
4-door: 111.5 inches |
| Overall Length: |
2-door: 178.6 inches
4-door: 188.5 inches
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| Engine Size: |
OHV 4.0-L V6
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| Transmission: |
Manual/5, Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Rear, 4x4 |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
17/21 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 19,500 to $ 32,500 |
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