FORD EXPLORER 4x4 1997‑2001

Owned my Explorer around 6 years ago and had it for 10 months covering about 14k.

Overall I absolutely loved this beast! I bought it as needed something to cart my drum kit around in. This easily did that, in fact I could get the entire bands gear in there, plus the actual band! The storage on it is massive, much more than a Range/X5 etc.

Despite it’s size, it didn’t feel big to drive at all. Obviously reverse parking was a bit tricky at times, but generally it was fine. Steering was light for such a brute, and cornering was excellent with not even a hint of wallow.

The 4.0V6 was pretty good, petrol consumption aside. MPG was awful (as you would expect!) and I would average around 16, getting as low as 9 if I was running late and actually giving it some welly!

The noise it made though was truly incredible! Sounded normal when just driving around, however drive at 50mph, and then plant your foot - auto box would drop down a couple of gears and you would hear the most amazing V6 roar!! Downside of this was that you could pretty much see the fuel needle drop down…

Inside the cabin there were immense amounts of room for driver and passengers. Leather seats were extremely comfy, driving position excellent, and a good level of toys to play with. For the money, the Explorer was literally thousands cheaper than the equivalent Range/X5 etc yet the spec was just as good, if not better.

As you would imagine, it was great in the snow and mud. Pretty much it just drove the same no matter what the surface was!

Reliability wise, it was spot on. Started first time, every time and not a thing went wrong with it through my entire ownership so couldn’t have asked for more!

I miss the car, as it was just so comfy and so easy to drive. Looked mean too! (I had it in black) BUT I am glad I sold it when I did. There’s simply no way I would be able to afford to run it, based on petrol prices these days!

Generally excellent car, bargain for the money, just expensive on petrol - although if you’re buying a 4ltr V6 petrol 4x4 behemoth of a truck, then you must already be expecting this!

Cheap to buy 6.5K five years and ago and cheap to run ( with LPG).

Overall been absolutely delighted with it. Tows beautifully which is what it was bought for and without trailer on the back ( which is rare) does about 250 miles for 38 quids work of lpg. I do drive like a snail however due to years of towing trailers......

Spacious roomy and very well equipped with cruise, air etc.

Can be expensive for spare parts and some parts getting hard to find but e-bay is a great resource. Planning to hang on to mine as long as possible despite hankering after a range rover

The Americans do many things badly but likewise they do many things well. for high end performance turn to Italy or Germany but for blue colar SUV's turn to the US.

Ford explorers have been produced in ther million there and they have got the hang of it. Nothing sophisticated just honest solid basic engineering. This is not to dimish the drive quality which is supurbly comfortable and refined but the simple hard wearing nature of eveything. This is a car that can take any lod you put in it. with one lever the seats flatten and you have van like space. It can take any hill and still waft around town in near silence.

make the right choice, this is not the car to be doing 20k mile a year in as the mgp is 20 with a light foot. if you are limited miles or a weekend car though this is excellent. I have owned 2 and never had a niggle from either

For a big 4x4 it handles very well. Turning circle is excellent and accleration is good with the 4.0 V6 giving good performance for a 2tons plus vehicle. Interior trim is neat and practical and the Voice Sync system is the icing on the cake for using your mobile and mp3 player. I purchased the vehicle in Dubai new and would recommend it to anyone.

Realllllllllllllllllllllly slow and very boring looking to get it replaced asap would probably have not bought it if I HAD ACTUALLY DRIVEN IT 1ST !!

Realy nice car with great dfrive position. 2nd explorer i've had. first 4x4 i've found with a 5 speed box rangie only has 3 so works hard. The engine never works hard will do 70mph at just over 2000 revs. Loads of extras and lots of room. Never complains no mater how big the load. I've pulled a 6ton log out of a lake with ease. Big tyres means you dont get stuck, with the last two years snow I've only had to use 4 wheel drive twice. you dont even have to grt out to engage 4x4 as theres a switch on the dash. BEST BUY. LPG returns up to 40mpg equivalent to diesel but no Co2 and cheaper road tax.

The Explorer is a US 4x4 that has found many admirers in the UK, including myself. Simple, yet very capable, this used to be the quickest 4x4 until the BMW X5 came along. Very comfortable, great view of the road, easy loading of luggage and children, this car has been my vehicle of choice these past 7 years. With a large boot space, and plenty of power on tap, the Explorer is never out of puff, no matter how much you load onto her. The ride quality, although firm, is better than many of it's rivals. It corners sharply and there is virtually no body roll as found in other 4x4s. Being a heavy car, suspension can take a beating, so ball joints, bushes, anti-roll bar links, etc, do tend to need replacing every 1-2 years. The engine is a toughy, apart from a rattly timing chain which is common on some. Running costs of the Explorer can be high especially as they only come with petrol engines. My North Face edition has an LPG system fitted which is a great solution to reigning in fuel costs. Second hand these Explorers can be sourced for around £2000 for a tidy one, great value for a large, capable family 4x4

Wow, what a beast. Huge 4x4 with all the power you need, have towed 2 tonnes of caravan in the mud and never complained. Beautiful leather seats, all electrics and an engine you cannot ignore, turn the radio down and just listen. Downside is fuel economy, insurance is incredibly cheap though. Not used everyday but still fires up even after stood for a month !! If you can stand the fuel bills you won,t be dissapointed with one of these.

The Ford Explorer is a fantastic vehicle. It is spacious, comfortable, and a very nice car to drive. It handles well in all weather conditions and is nice to ride in on long journeys. It is a big powerful vehicle but drives like a luxurious car, very easy to drive with the power steering. It is a brilliant family car and because you sit up so high the kids can see out of the window! It has a large boot space which is ideal for shopping or taking lots of things to the tip!! The roar of the engine when you are driving along sounds great and the sound of it turns many heads. In the time that I have had this vehicle it has never let me down and has proved to be a fantastic work horse!

The negatives of it are that because of the leather seats the childrens car seats tend to slide around a little bit rather than sitting securely. Because it is a tall vehicle it's difficult for small children and elderly parents to get up into it. It only does about 25 miles to the gallon so with the price of petrol today it isn't great.

One the whole though, a fantastic vehicle!

this car drives superdly you have a clear view over and above other cars leather seats a very comfortable ride