Would the real Explorer stand up

I agree with you about different journo's having a different view of a particular product. Take the recent driving light comparo in 4wd Monthly.....compare their opinion of the Lightforce 170 driving light with 4X4 Australia's in their September 2002 issue. 4WD Monthly reckon they're fantastic, whereas 4X4 Australia say they weren't very good. I use 240 Blitz's and swear by them for what it's worth.

Which ever one said the Explorer was crap, I would agree with.

These vehicle tests to a large % are just journo's views. Read em all, take from them what you want, test drive the vehicle yourself , then make a decision based on your experiences. Simple really.

Bit like reviewing Movies. I find the movies I like seemed to be ALWAYS bagged by the critics . . . But then no one has accused me of having exceptional taste.

PS. I still think the Explorers are crap.

4WDMonthly has more of and off-road bias than Overlander and 4x4 which are a bit more conservative/touring biased. 4WDMonthly also seems to be a bit more fearless than the others and doesn't shy away from bagging advertisers products. Their testing is also a bit more rigorous than in other mags who usually just tend to quote from manufacturer's promotional material and say how wonderful everything is...

I try to stay away from issues I know nothing about but I have seen first hand a Ford Explorer "melted" on the CSR this year. I have AMAZING photos of the state it was in and the story can be read in our CSR journal - go to the Trip Planning Menu at the top of the site here now, then pull down to Journals and click on the CSR Well 33 - Halls Creek link or take this link to it directly
There's a pic I took on the page of the melted Explorer. We were there first hand and spent at least an hour going over it to determine the cause. We do not believe it was caused by spinifex build up, but indeed a fire with flames licking on beneath the engine bay had been what stopped it. The determined cause was some malfunction in the engine bay/electrics and it was suprising to see how flamable the chasis and engine bay actually was. There was a lot of fyberglass lying around - you know? Certainly wasn't a good wrap for the Explorer in our opinion....Regards Michelle,
Spread the word - ExplorOz.com

whilst trying to find info on the 2003 Navara, Overlander magazine tore threads of the Navara, 4x4 Monthly, correct me if I'm wrong, gave it 4x4 ute of the year....work that one out. I've decided just to look at the pictures from now on!

cheers
mike

I too have had first hand experience with the Ford Explorer as an Emergency Service Vehicle. Since 1988, having driven Landcruiser 80's (great vehicles) & 100's and all the Patrol diesel combos since 1988, I can assure every member of this group, that the most disappointing 4WD vehicle I have ever driven is the Explorer without doubt. The current model Explorer, whilst an improvement over the previous, still falls a long way short of what can ever be considered a real or substantial 4WD.

Some body has already responded to this group stating the Explorer is merely a glorified passenger vehicle. - which I feel is somewhat complimentary. There are far better passenger vehicles out there that use about 40% less fuel!!

The Explorer may be a good tow vehicle, maybe?? I've never towed with an Explore, but the lack of a Diesel Engine option will always hamstring it. But, having said that I must confess to having a bias towards diesels for a myriad of reasons.

If I were going for a proper 4wd of the Exlorer's size, without hesitation, I'd go for a Intercooled 3.0 TD Patrol as it is a slightly better vehicle in the serious stuff than a comparible Cruiser and about $6000 cheaper.

If money was no option I'd go for the Intercooled 4.2 TD Cruiser with over 150kw of power and slightly better comfort. (If going for the Cruiser ditch the standard tyres before you pick it up, because they are utter rubbish.)

But no matter which way you go, the Cruiser and Patrol are so far ahead of the Explorer, the Explorer is truly not worthy of consideration if any off road use is the intention.

People still waste money on 4b mags? 90% ads, and 10% crap.

As you see here, they never state the same thing 2ice.

Like the spotty comparison while back... They were nearly 100% Opposite from one mag to the other.

Did someone mention advertising, like full pages after the comparisons?

I don't know how the Explorer is marketed, but I am not aware that it purports to be an outback tourer or off road vehicle. My understanding is that it is an all wheel drive station wagon for American families, and is sold here as the same concept.
Whoever took one on the CSR made a mistake. It would be like taking a WRX Impreza on the CSR because it is a 4WD vehicle.
As far as flammability goes I think I have seen burned out shells of all the major makes. Whether it burns completely or just a little doesn't make much difference if you can't continue your journey. In fact, it may be an advantage to have the vehicle totally destroyed so the insurer wont be tempted to repair it.Bob