A front-wheel drive Explorer? WTF????
 

anybody else upset at this? i like the exterior styling of the 5th gen. explorers, but a FRONT WHEEL DRIVE?!?!?! i hope they plan on fixin this.

How, pray tell, would they "fix" it? "4" wheel drive is an option if you need it. Most people don't.

"fix" it by turning the motor 45 degrees. and giving it a driveshaft instead of C.V. axles.

?????????? dont think they have room for that.

give me a sawzall, welder, and some sheetmetal, ill make room!

If they can offer 4wd they can make it RWD.

^^^ditto^^^

its nothing more then a wagon now. the explorer is dead to me :(

Anyone here ever buy a NEW Explorer prior to '11?

I bought a 1996 Eddie Bauer, fully loaded with leather and moon roof, for the Ma-n-law she passed last year, now my second daughter drives it!
Jim:)...& fat Monty}>

WTH is it with you old fogie, old school, stick-in-the-mud Ford truck people??? Ever hear of progress .......... change ......... the new world? Don't you think Ford engineers knew what they were doing when they built the NEW EXPLORER....... killed off the Ranger and Sport Trac ????:-arrgh:-arrgh












They obviously had a rectal-cranial inversion !!!:-X04:-X04:-X04

I've seen how they are set up, and while I don't like the transverse design, they are very solidly built. It is a very robust design. Sure it will be a lot harder to lift, but it actually has great ground clearance as is. It has tons of power, a lot more than the old V8 ever had even with the base 3.5L V6.

You can get stuck up on your old school opinions, but run a stock '11 or newer Explorer against a stock older Explorer, it will out corner, out pull, out run, out off road the old one, plus it looks better and gets better gas mileage too.

Yeah, it's all in what YOU want. But, from the posts on the Explorerforum the 2011's are full of bugs .......... or the new owners are one.......

it sure as hell wont out tow a 2010 V8.


i just spent 2 weeks with a new Taurus with the 3.5, although it is a wonderful power plant. in something larger it would not be awe inspiring.

It sure will. That new 6 speed trans is much tougher, and you are confusing transverse mount engine with FWD. Yes, the base model is FWD, but the model that most people will actually buy who would care will be the 4WD, which does transfer power to all 4 wheels. Between the power and the transmission, I would say these will definitely out tow a V8.

The basic 3.5L found in the Taurus you have spent time in still has as much power and torque as the V8 found in the previous year model. However, the 3.5L in the Explorer produces more power than the one in the Taurus.

Sounds to me like you are making a lot of assumptions about something you have not test driven. I tried one, have to say I am impressed. The transverse layout, while I'm not thrilled with it, it can easily be overlooked unless you plan on doing a lot of hardcore offroad stuff, tasks best left to an older model that you are ok with beating up a little anyway.

Simple fact, at least 90% of Explorers sold will rarely if ever go off road. That being said, fuel economy trumps an antiquated design. Ford has to decide where they stand, to they pander to a minority market? Or do they embrace the future?

Your older Explorers will be around for a while. So at least be greatful that your platform was not entirely discontinued, like the Ranger was.