[ARCHIVED THREAD] - New Ford Explorer (Page 1 of 3)
Posted: 7/26/2010 5:57:29 AM EDT
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Just got an email from my brother who is on the project team for the redesign of the Ford Explorer. It had a promo video introducing the new Ford Explorer. The video is trying to build up suspense before unveiling the redesigned vehicle. You can go right to the 3:14 mark to catch a preview and skip all the feel good, interview stuff. It looks nice.
Never posted a link before, so I hope it works. If not, I guess you can cut and paste the link into a new browser window. http://action.thefordstory.com/RevealVideo |
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Quoted: Uhhhh no. Quoted: Looks nice. UAW built? No. The Super Duty (  ) is the only Ford vehicle that is UAW built. ETA: I think.... |
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Looks nice. UAW built? No. The Super Duty ( ) is the only Ford vehicle that is UAW built.
ETA: I think.... WTF are you talking about? All Fords are UAW  Not quite - Fusion and Fiesta are Mexican. The new Fiesta is a nice looking subcompact. But I wouldn't be caught dead in any of the Explorers since they ditched the TTB Front Suspension. |
| Nothing earth shattering, looks like they actually "borrowed" some of the design elements from Rover, and from Honda/Acura (Suv). It's nice, but these companies waste far too much time prettying up something that was originally designed to be utilitarian in nature and make it more "pretty" and thus making it far more expensive than it should be. I've actually been looking at getting another "beater" as my current one is pushing high 200K and I've actually been looking at the 2005-2006 Explorers, and they're priced damn good imho. |
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Nothing earth shattering, looks like they actually "borrowed" some of the design elements from Rover, and from Honda/Acura (Suv). It's nice, but these companies waste far too much time prettying up something that was originally designed to be utilitarian in nature and make it more "pretty" and thus making it far more expensive than it should be. I've actually been looking at getting another "beater" as my current one is pushing high 200K and I've actually been looking at the 2005-2006 Explorers, and they're priced damn good imho. 2005-06 Explorers have Independent Suspension Front and Rear, so they may not be up to beater use. The Explorer is an odd compromise of Truck and Car attributes - BOF Construction but CV Jointed Drivetline. It's hard to figure out what they were thinking. It's the mirror image of the old XJ which was Unibody with Solid Axles Front and Rear and and awesome beater vehicle. |
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Don't know anything about Explorers, never owned a Ford, but I keep seeing the Ford CEO, Alan Mulally, on television and one thing strikes me. He has an infectious "can do" attitude I find refreshing.
After the institutional incompetence displayed by the government and the clowns at BP, a dose of positivity is quite a change. I think the guy has turned the company around, and without bailout bucks. |
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Ugh, don't like it.
Doesn't look at all like a Ford Exploder. Looks like a GM Terrain mated with a Mitsubishi or something. I wish Chrysler would make a new fulltime 4WD Ramcharger based on the new RAM 1500 series. That would just plain rock with the 5.7L Hemi. Might look something like this 
I loved my 1979 Ramcharger, if they made something like that again i'd buy one in a split second. |
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I've always wanted a new Taurus wagon, only with the handling of an SUV. Now I can have one! True dat. Front wheel drive (or AWD), based on the Taurus platform. Considering what it had already become, Ford might as well go the Unibody, FWD Platform route. I just wish the old XJ formula would come back - compact lightweight Unibody Wagon Body with Solid Axles Front and Rear. Those were awesome vehicles. Instead, the market gets another bloated CUV. 
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Not sure I like it. Looks like they lowered the roof, which can't be as good for head room. It does look like Ford was trying to see how close they could make it look like a station wagon without it actually being one.
Our '03 Explorer has been nothing short of a fantastic, good looking family vehicle, however. |
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Ford already makes a car-like SUV - the Edge.
Changing the Explorer from a truck frame to a unibody pseudo-truck makes no sense to me. It seems to put it in direct competition with the Edge - though maybe it is bigger? What will Ford make now for people who want a small truck framed SUV? Nothing. I was thinking about getting an Explorer when I retired my Ranger... I guess a Forerunner is in my future. |
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Not bad looking, but kinda has a "Japanese look" with the rear window overhang and "slope" headlights. Obviously, Ford finally succumed to the Japanese design influence on this one.
I've owned many different makes; Chevies, Buick, Fords, Lincoln, BMW, many, many Nissans, Honda and currently an '07 Cadillac and none were better than the Ford's I've owned. I've owned and driven my current '99 F-150 longer than any vehicle. I bought it new and it has 113,000 mi. It's good as new and all I've had to do is normal maintenace. The '05 Explorer we owned was a very nice vehicle as well, and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another. Knock-on-wood, I've had good luck with new vehicles since my first one in 1967. Partly, I think, because I maintained them religiously and changed oil and filters every 3,000 mi. The only lemon was a new '70 MGB GT. |
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It's built on a car platform. I've owned 3 Explorers and liked all of them. I won't own another one if it's a minivan in disguise. Frame based SUVs are going to become niche players. The only thing that a frame based system can do that a unibody system cannot is tackle severe off roading. Unibody SUVs will be designed to be strong enough to manage towing (to the rating) and off roading that most users demand of it. You will have to be an enthusiast to exceed its abilities. Manufacturers know that the benefits of a unibody over a frame are worth the trade of for 97% of buyers. Consider this question, over the past 15 years, how many off roaders have said of the frame based explorer: "Yeah, that's for me!" |
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Quoted: On a related note, I just saw the vehicle doesn't even come with a full-sized spare. This alone shows that Ford has basically conceded that this is not what anyone would consider an "off-road" vehicle.Quoted: It's built on a car platform. I've owned 3 Explorers and liked all of them. I won't own another one if it's a minivan in disguise. Frame based SUVs are going to become niche players. The only thing that a frame based system can do that a unibody system cannot is tackle severe off roading. Unibody SUVs will be designed to be strong enough to manage towing (to the rating) and off roading that most users demand of it. You will have to be an enthusiast to exceed its abilities. Manufacturers know that the benefits of a unibody over a frame are worth the trade of for 97% of buyers. Consider this question, over the past 15 years, how many off roaders have said of the frame based explorer: "Yeah, that's for me!" |