Faults:

- When we rode in this car, the air-con was not working well. Air was just breathing warm air.

- There were also lots of squeaking sounds when we rode in it.

General Comments:

Me and my friends rode in this car only once last year. One of my friends owns this car. It was passed on to him when he started driving. American-size utility vehicles here in the Philippines are considered as status symbols for their performance and luxury. The Explorer is one of them, although this one is the smaller sibling of the Expedition.

Performance of this car is great. A 4.0 V6 engine has already a lot of power and can produce very quick pick-ups. It's great for driving on expressways and open country roads, but not in the traffic jams of Metro Manila.

Comfort is okay. It's better than our 2004 Dodge Durango before. It's not as tight and skimpy as our Durango before.

Driving these kind of cars can be difficult, especially when you are in city like Manila where traffic can be very bad and very unpredictable at the same time. Parking can also be very difficult especially in malls and hotels during the weekends. Like what I mentioned above, this car is meant for country driving but not in the city. Although this car can be very useful in the rainy season when it can get flooded during heavy rains.

Overall, I like this car as well as other big American SUVs despite the cons I mentioned. When owning one, you must get used to higher gasoline and maintenance bills if you wanna enjoy it and keep it for a long time. If given a chance, I'd own these kind of cars again.

Faults:

Had a problem with rear window seal, seal was installed backwards at some point before I bought it. I always heard the vehicles along side and behind me that were traveling in my same direction as me. I fixed it myself. Just simply disconnect the window defroster wires from the clips at the rear window and remove the seal, turn the seal over and reinstall the seal, problem solved. I have heard others with same issue since I have fixed mine.

General Comments:

Great truck.

Faults:

Nothing. Just got it.

Update 2nd April 2007:

At 10k miles the brake shift interlock latch on the shifter broke, causing it to get stuck in park on a few occasions. The temporary cure was to restart the engine several times until it released. Took it to the dealer and had it back within a couple hours, not a big deal.

General Comments:

They redesigned the Explorer for this year and it is much better than the older 2002-2005 version like my relatives had. They updated the suspension and sound insulation to make it ride better and quieter. The commercials don't lie, this thing is as quiet as a luxury car.

Having the independent suspension makes it handle better than our old jeep too. Don't get me wrong, I loved my Jeep, but this truck is impressive. The Explorer is probably faster than the Jeep overall, but it doesn't have the low end torque I was used to, it takes a lot more reving the engine around town to make speed.

They had a deal on the Eddie Bauer model because of its higher residual value, so we went for that instead of the XLT, so it's got some options we weren't used too. The interior is all new for 2006 as well, and it's much better designed than the prior generation. I like how they moved the shifter back to the floor, and the seats are way more comfortable. Plus now roll stability control and skid control are standard, which is a safety bonus.

I'll keep you updated as we put more miles on it, but as of now I'm impressed.

Update 2nd April 2007:

Still impressed with the smooth ride and the quietness of the interior. Handling is top notch for a truck based SUV. To settle aside some comments that knocked the explorer as being unsafe, I once took a sharp left at 35mph and felt like it could do it faster.

After several longer distance trips, the power from the V-6 on the interstate is much better than around town because all of its horsepower and torque is top end.

Gas mileage has averaged from a high of 21.5 on interstate trips with speeds from 70-85, to a low of 17 when windy. City mileage however is terrible, averaging 12-14 depending on the weather.

My only complaint thus far is the front door handles being placed so low on the door panel. Ford has appeared to fixed the issue on 07 models however.