Explorer XLS - Mediocre at Best
Written: Aug 05 '04
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Pros: Cargo room, driver room, rear seat room, height.
Cons: Annoying parts that wear out too soon. Bad design in many cases.
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| woodgate's Full Review: 2001 Ford Explorer 4WD |
My 2001 Explorer XLS was my third and will be my last. I bought it used with 19,000 kms on it and for the first year it behaved like a new car but by the time we got to 50,000 kms the dealer was proposing $1,500 in brake work. Then I had to replace a thermostat - my wife almost fried the engine trying to get it home. After than it's been one $500 job after another - the latest was the coil spring switch in the steering column. My impression is that Ford designs for 60,000 kms. If you get anything beyond that you're very lucky.
The engine pings mercilessly unless you use injection cleaner or burn premium gas. Acceleration is very poor but then the Explorer has only 3/4 the horsepower of a Blazer. Ford provided a trailer electrical link hookup that looked nice but actually traps water. Guess what I get to replace this weekend?
Ford has turned the Explorer into a big lazy Taurus with about the same reliability and none of the responsiveness. If you're looking for a full size SUV then you can do much better.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 20,000
Condition: Used
Model Year: 2001
Model and Options: XLS
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Epinions.com ID:
woodgate
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Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
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