1992 Ford Explorer XLT 4.0 Liter V6
Summary:
A good SUV for a first time driver.. if they can afford the gas
Faults:
Hardly anything has gone wrong with this SUV. Except for the heater blower motor going out the day that I bought it, and having to replace many fuses for the heater, it does all right. Even with irregular oil changes, it still performs reasonably well. Though it does not get the best gas mileage in the world, you have to consider the overall weight and size of the vehicle.
General Comments:
My only major complaint is the gas mileage, as stated above. It is not uncommon for me to have to fill up twice a week, and that gets expensive! Ford recommends using the highest octane gas that is available, and I regret following that order.
Handling is very good for a vehicle of this size. I can literally turn the steering wheel with my little finger. Though sometimes it is hard to see when you are backing out of a parking space.
Acceleration is poor for the size of the motor. I hate to say it, but my previous car, a Pontiac Grand Am with the 2.3 liter Quad four had more get up and go than the Explorer does. It is also very unsettling that the Explorer starts to shake at about 60 mph.
But where it really comes in handy is when you must use the 4x4. We live out in the country, and the plows never come down this way. It has never left me stranded or worried in any way. In fact, the deepest snow we have had this season was 8 inches, and it went through it like it was nothing.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 7th February, 2004
5th May 2005, 16:20
My fuel pump sucks... Plus I really don't think that it will go perfectly right through 8 inches of snow... I have a '91 Blazer on 31s that got buried in 6 inches of snow...
8th Feb 2006, 11:07
I also have a '92 explorer and mine also will crawl through 6"-8" of snow without a problem. It doesn't matter if you have 31's. If you start to spin them right away, your screwed no matter what size you have. As long as you start slow and keep an even speed you should be fine. You'd be amazed at what the explorer is capable of crawling through.
21st Feb 2006, 21:21
TO the guy who drives the chevy blazer with thirty ones? Well, no one knows why it can't go through snow like an explorer. But I've pushed 10 inches with bfg 235-75-15 size tires and it didn't have a problem going through that. I live in Northern Utah and we get hit with big storms. I've only been stuck in snow one time with a trailer attached and bald stock tires.
23rd Jan 2007, 15:20
Generally speaking, large, fat tires do not work as well in snow as narrower ones that can dig in better. Fat tires tend to float on the surface and therefore do not provide the necessary grip.
30th Mar 2004, 08:30
Mileage with a 5,000+ pound vehicle will not match a 3,000 pound car. Handling may be close in a very well engineered vehicle (the Explorer is certainly that). Acceleration in the heavier SUV will be balanced, by the designers with mileage concerns. The balance struck in the Explorer I find to be wonderful (but I've driven trucks my whole life, and am not independently wealthy). I suppose ease of steering is an element of handling, and this is one area that I feel the Ford engineers didn't quite get right. Ease of steering is balanced with road feel, and more of the latter and less of the former would have been nice.