Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, SUVs
2006 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 4X4: In the Autoblog Garage Day 3-4
One great thing about the way we review vehicles is that we get to read all of your comments and address some of them in the second and third parts of our reviews. Russell left a particularly enlightening comment in our first post on the 2006 Ford Explorer that sums up many of our feelings on the 2006 Explorer: “As the number of different models in the market continues to proliferate, vehicles like the jack of all trades Explorer become more focused; in this case, on the powerful psuedo luxurious tow/haul niche. It'll never sell in the volumes it used to and I think that's in large part by Ford's own choosing.”
We couldn’t have said that better ourselves, and as evidence we’d like to present the Explorer’s new interior. It’s more luxurious, more soft-to-the-touch and features more amenities that any of its forbearers, which suggests to us that Ford has deliberately gone and driven its number one selling SUV upmarket.
Many of you have commented that Ford should’ve embraced the Explorer’s pickup truck underpinnings like the Nissan Xterra has with its rough-around-the-edges image and go anywhere attitude. The fact is that it didn’t and instead has created a vehicle upmarket that consumers could possibly grow into after they’ve owned an Escape or an Edge and require something more capable of accommodating their gear and towing their toys.
The new Explorer comes ready to coddle its owner in an interior much more upscale than any previous version. Look around the new interior and your eyes fall upon wood accents (faux though they may be), seats with suede inserts and, of course, the large screen front and center that displays the DVD nav system and audio controls.
While our tester did not come with the optional third row bench, it does feature a 60/40 split folding rear bench. Leg room in the second row is much better than in ye old Explorer and the driver’s seat features 10 ways of power adjustment. Optional adjustable pedals also aid in finding the most comfortable driving position. Trucker butt was never an issue on our aforementioned two and a half hour roadtrip, as the seats were firm and supportive but far from pew-like.
Overall the interior is inoffensive and will thus be an adequate place for most to spend time, although the dash feels less like it was designed and more like it was assembled. Where Ford attempted to infuse the interior with a bit of style is where we think things went wrong. For instance, the problem with faux wood trim is that its lack of organic authenticity is usually obvious. The grain inside the Explorer has an obvious plastic surface that will never be mistaken for a protective clear coat. While the trim is officially described as “Woodgrain accents”, if it did come from a real tree then extra effort must have been spent to replace the natural look of wood with this plastic veneer.
The
other area in which Ford designers decided to try something different was with the vehicle’s door handles.
Reaching for a grab handle on the side of the door will get you no where. Rather than being embedded within the door,
the handles are directly in front of the controls for the windows and door locks and have a cylindrical shape. Opening
the doors requires the same grip as grabbing a metal pipe off the floor, which at first is unintuitive. We got used to
it, but struggled for a reason as to why the designers would risk altering such an elemental and often used component.
The answer became clear thanks to an internet search that
revealed the Explorer’s door handles were designed to prevent a woman’s manicured nails from chipping when
opening the door. I consulted a lady friend of mine about this, and while she did acknowledge that her nails had been
the victim of door handle attacks before, she questioned whether the problem couldn’t have been fixed merely by
altering the grab handle's shape. It’s clear, however, that Ford has recognized the more luxurious the Explorer
becomes, the more women will make up its demographic.
The DVD nav system is an above average unit that features touch screen control, which is fast becoming a must for any nav system worth its weight in maps. Its interface is intuitive enough that cracking open a manual was never necessary, and the audio and nav functions do a good job of sharing the screen real estate without getting in each other’s way.
The stereo system has dibs on the top inch or so of the screen, in which it displays information like the radio station frequency, song name, artist’s name, etc. We’re grateful, however, that there are redundant stereo controls on the steering wheel as operating the unit via the touch screen controls was generally not a rewarding experience. Call us old fashioned, but we like stereos with knobs that can be cranked and buttons that can be pushed. While we appreciated the presence of stereo controls on the wheel, we were bigger fans of the controls found on the steering wheel of the new Ford Fusion, which were both larger and required less contorted finger motions to use.
One place in Ford’s new Explorer where the hand falls quite naturally is on the new gearshift, which was lifted directly from the F-150. The previous gearshift was column-mounted, but relocation was required when the column was redesigned to be safer in a crash. The new location is better anyway and the Explorer benefits from this connection to the tough F-150, regardless of how minor it may seem. It’s like a little pebble in a pile of pillows that reminds you this truck comes from good, hard working stock.
While the new interior in the 2006 Explorer may have some ergonomic issues, our nit picks were generally minor and wouldn’t necessarily carry a lot of weight in a purchasing decision. The design, materials and overall fit and finish of the interior are much better than in previous models, even if we're not prepared to rank them best in class just yet.
Having been on the market so long and sold so many units, the Explorer benefits from having the basics down. In other words, it’s an SUV that excels more in the fundamentals than in the details. In our third and final post we’ll talk about the Explorer’s powertrain and driving dynamics, two fundamental areas that profit greatly from this sport utility vehicle’s 15 years of constant evolution.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Steve C. 9:19AM (1/25/2006)
It's pretty obvious that the target market for a Ford SUV is someone who doesn't care whether gas is $2 or $4 a gallon. Might be a pretty risky strategy given that segment is chock full of very nice, semi-luxurious vehicles.
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Scott B. 9:45AM (1/25/2006)
I read somewhere that the door handles are positioned the way they are to reduce injuries in side impact collisions. I also read that Ford is working on a less awkward design in response to consumer feedback.
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Car-la 9:48AM (1/25/2006)
That's a very nice interior. I like that they repositioned the gearlever to the center console.
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Geoff 9:52AM (1/25/2006)
I'm glad to see that Ford is finally starting to learn how to make a decent looking interior. But I question the wisdom of moving the Explorer upmarket - where does that leave the Mountaineer?
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Aunt Jemima 10:34AM (1/25/2006)
Geoff hit the nail on the head. an upscale Explorer moves into Mountaineer territory.
nevertheless it's good to see the big improvement in the Explorer interior. my mother-in-law's 2003 Explorer has a woeful interior. the worst has to be where the door panels meet the dash. the top of the dash does not line up with the top of the door panel. as a matter of fact, that area on the door panel doesn't have a shape at all. it's a big blob of hard plastic.
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Arizona Slim 11:21AM (1/25/2006)
The Mountaineer is the same as its always been - pointless. Like every other Mercury.
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Junn 11:30AM (1/25/2006)
For a Ford is very good. I like Ford. Is a cheap car and as you see luxury.
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Paul 11:46AM (1/25/2006)
this is a dated looking design. yes the interior looks better but the exterior looks late 1980's.
another weak design that continues to give ford a black eye. and who cares about mercury anyway. mercury designs make Buicks look good. shut this dog down now.
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Christian J 1:05PM (1/25/2006)
Steve C: Not sure why people call this a gas guzzler. It IS NOT compared to the other mid-size SUVs out there, even in V8 form. This one has a 6-speed automatic (The only one in SUVs right now) or a 5-speed auto. GM uses only 4-speeds. The engine is pretty high tech too. Its a detuned version of the VVT mustang engine which puts out strong hp (292) and 320 ft# of torque on 87 octane. Sweet.
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Chris 1:13PM (1/25/2006)
This fall with the redesign of the 2006 Explorer, and subsequent excessive discounting, I leased a black eddie bauer edition for about 1500 out of pocket and 299 a month for 2 years and 24000 miles. This is the first year ford has brought leasing back to new york, because of previous legal issues.
Because ford is basically giving these vehicles away on the lease side of things, I was able to justify putting my custom 350z roadster into storage for 5 months out of the year and having a truck to move around all my toys.
Ford's decidedly more aggressive changes to the sheetmetal on the front, the much improved interior, and the fact that I could actually go off roading or drive on the beach were my reasons for buying this purpose built truck. Maybe its just me, but I'd feel nervous taking a crossover out in softsand or towing a longer boat on it.
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VW-Guy 1:18PM (1/25/2006)
Christian J - Touareg's have 6 speed auto's, I'm sure the Cayanne has the same 6 speed auto box as the Touareg, and I'm sure many of the other imports have them.
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JZeke 1:21PM (1/25/2006)
I see what looks like a great rental car interior, but no more. The original Explorer was typical of the time -- Low-rent -- but it was airy and even a bit fun. Subsequent redesigns just added more plastic and tumor-esque shapes. This is nice... but doesnt have any character aside from the inane grab handles. Is this what people want in general?
At the $38-40,000 this truck demands, are the competitors that much better? I just dont understand why this is desirable vehicle, or an attractive buy.
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SGV 2:53PM (1/25/2006)
Paul # 7
That dog was the one Ford division that gained market share in 2005, unlike Buick, which BTW nobody will ever make look good.
The Explorer problem is erosion of audience. Ford has always had a solid product in the Exporer and, like with so many others, they just fell asleep over their success (another sad example is the American Focus). I am glad to see though that the Explrer wasn't as extensively neglected as the Taurus. I see it regaining the number one spot this year.
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Christian J 3:09PM (1/25/2006)
Didn't know about the Toureg and the Porsche. Those also both eat gas, 91 or 93 octane... Sure and Mercedes has a 7-speed. As for the other imports (asian), you are wrong. Not many, but ZERO. They are all 5-speed auto, without a single exception. Sorry bud, but Ford is ahead of the game here with a 6-speed, up with the German marques and GM is leagues back.
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anthony 4:09PM (1/25/2006)
hey christian, GM help ford build that transmission. It was a joint project they have been working on. GM is going to start using it in the tahoe and surburban later this year.
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iQuack 4:48PM (1/25/2006)
There's no reason at all for anyone to become excited about a tarted-up old box that isn't as good as a Honda, Toyota, Nissan, or whatever other boxes are out there.
Eddie Bauer stores are just fine although a prominent Eddie Bauer location in downtown San Francisco recently closed, so maybe it has more in common with Ford now than in past years.
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Christian J 6:35PM (1/25/2006)
Shut up iQuack. You know jack about cars/trucks, etc. '06 Explorer is just fine. One of the best interiors I've seen on an SUV. Exterior looks better than any asian SUV I've seen. Its more efficient than Toyota and Nissan V8s, maybe more, but much much stronger, dude. Just wait and see. This SUV will win awards for quality.
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KT 6:58PM (1/25/2006)
Yes the VW and Porsche have 6sp autos. But price a V8 Toureg or Porsche with that 6AT and then compare that to the asking price of the Ford. I haven't done this myself but I'm sure the MSRP of the Ford is few thousand lower than the VW and probably 10's of thousands lower than the Porsche.
#13...combine the sales of the Asian brands (mid-size SUV's) you mentioned since their inceptions and compare it to the Explorer's numbers since 1995 (5 years after it's intro). How many more have they sold than Ford. It may not be better but I bet it sells close to as many (if not more) as they have combined.
And why do you think those brands even got in the market...following Ford of course.
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Stephen Lalley 7:40PM (1/25/2006)
Will their NAV system integrate real time traffic data for those cities that have it?
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Scott 7:40PM (1/25/2006)
Anthony, you're getting your facts mixed up. The joint GM/Ford 6-spd auto is for FWD car applications, not RWD applications. This 6-spd has nothing in common with the one you're referring to.
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