Ford Explorers

Six months of ownership and the honey-moon hasn't ended. I still smile everytime I drive my new 2002 Explorer. Buried within the 10,000 miles showing on the digital odometer is 1400 miles of towing our fully loaded 2900 lb. tent trailer and an unexpected 2700 mile, 4 day round trip from California to Colorado and return.

We really tested the mettle of the '02 last summer when we loaded up the vehicle with 5 adults, 2 dogs, and our top of the line Palomino tent trailer. The trailer has hard sides in the mid-section, a slide out dinette, shower, toilet, kitchenette, furnace, hot water heater and can sleep up to 8 people in comfort. It also has electric brakes and an RV battery. Empty weight is 2600 lbs. and the listed gross weight is 2900 lbs. With all of our baggage and extras such as a TV and microwave oven, I'm quite sure the trailer was at gross weight when we pulled away from the curb. I estimated our GCVW (gross combined vehicle weight) at about 8300 lbs.; a pretty good load for the 4.0L SOHC V-6.

This was only our second outing with our new tent trailer, and the first time towing with our new '02. Initially, the transmission shifted down at the slightest provocation (when I tow, I unselect over-drive), but after about 100 to 200 miles, the so-called "adaptive shifting technology" buried in the computer adjusted all of the shift points appropriately. After that, the transmission always selected the proper gear for the driving conditions and there was no more "hunting." Generally, I cruised at 60 MPH which resulted in 2500 RPM; 500 RPM less than our old '91 Explorer. The new SOHC V-6 has a much broader RPM range than the old 4.0L pushrod engine. Although the old pushrod 4.0L engine seemed happy up to about 3000 RPM, it seemed strained as it approached its 4800 RPM redline. The new SOHC 4.0L V-6 will spin happily right on up to its 6000 RPM redline without so much as a wimper.

We pulled some long, steep grades (6+%) in 107 degree summer heat and the temperature gauge acted as if it was glued to the mid-point. This is certainly a confidence builder, particularly when one considers that we were down to 15 MPH many times while we negotiated tight switch-back turns. Meanwhile, the dual A/C easily kept the entire interior of the vehicle cool. Remember, there were 5 adults and 2 dogs aboard. Oh yeah; we averaged 14.5 MPG on this trip; 1.5 MPG less than our '91 when it was towing our old, 1900 lb. tent trailer. Not bad at all.

Performance wise, I'm happy with the 4.0L SOHC V-6 engine. The term "standard" is a bit of a misnomer for this engine as it is much more powerful than the old 4.0L pushrod V-6 it replaces. The incredible 5-speed automatic does a great job of getting the best performance out of the available 210 HP and 255 foot pounds of torque, and it does it very, very smoothly.

Due to the events of September 11th, I found myself suddenly making an unplanned trip from California to Colorado to retrieve my stranded wife and daughter. They were aboard their airliner and being pushed back from the terminal when it hit the fan in New York. It soon became apparent that they weren't going to get home anytime soon if they were to rely on Amtrak, Greyhound or rental cars. So, I hopped in our new Explorer and drove the 2700 mile round trip in 4 days.

The first 2 days, of course, were solo. Having driven to Colorado many times during past vacations, I knew the route well. There was much to think about during the trip but I did spend some time becoming better aquainted with my new vehicle. The cruise control is flawless and I especially appreciate the precise step-up and step-down controls as well as the almost instantaneous set feature. The '02 is much quieter than our old '91 and light-years ahead in terms of road handling. The steering is very precise and predictable, thanks to the new IRS (independent rear suspension). There was one stretch of very flat four-lane highway just west of Grand Junction where I decided to see how fast the '02 would go. There were no cars in sight in either direction so, leaving the transmission in over-drive, I slowly pushed the gas pedal down to about 7/8's of its travel. I chickened out at 102 MPH indicated. At that point, the vehicle felt uncannily smooth, solid and quiet. And no vibrations of any type! I believe the '02 could achieve a top end of somewhere between 110 and 115 MPH if the over drive was unselected and the gas pedal was floored, but I have no desire to go there.

I drove almost the entire 2700 miles with the cruise control set somewhere between 75 and 82 MPH. The '02 averaged 21.2 MPG for the entire trip; .2 MPG better than the EPA highway rating. Considering the speeds I was driving, I'm very pleased with that result. I imagine that 23 or 24 MPG would be possible if cruise speeds were held to around 65 MPH or less. We're seeing about 16 MPG in all-city driving which is exactly the EPA rating. Can't complain about that.

The optional 3rd row seat has come in very handy on a few occasions. While I wouldn't ask an adult to spend all day back there, the seat is more than adequate when hauling 7 people to dinner or any other occasion where the destination is reached within an hour. Smaller than average adults will find little to complain about when riding in the 3rd row, even for long periods.

So far, quality and reliability are good. The vehicle was delivered to me with a defect in the center console (crack in plastic), but this was quickly and properly repaired by the dealer. Later, a rattle developed in the steering column that initially proved to be ellusive to the repair department at our dealership. They got it right on the second visit.

To be continued...

Dave

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