Faults:

Nothing. It's a Ford. We've never had any problems with any Fords.

General Comments:

Just way too big. We got the car for my wife. She is happy with it, but finds it cumbersome to drive. I cannot drive it because the interior is too big for me to comfortably rest my arm on the door sill or arm rests. Arm fatigue sets in for me after only a few miles. Very poor design for driving comfort.

The build quality is great, as it is with all Ford products. Fit and finish are top-notch. The interior is well appointed and controls are conveniently located. The third row seat are useless and waste space needlessly. They should be an option, not standard. We didn't want them.

The engine is smooth, quiet and responsive. Power is adequate. The automatic transmission shifts very smoothly. Fuel economy is awful. We are averaging only 19 miles per gallon.

The handling is good for a big bulky and top-heavy vehicle.

Overall the car is excellent for my wife. I greatly preferred our smaller Ford Escape turbo, but for an older woman who doesn't care for sporty performance, the Explorer is a good choice. As always we test drove other brands for a comparison, but as always nothing else comes close to Ford in overall quality.