As I stated in my post on the new Ford Fiesta, I’m a big fan of the current gen Ford Explorer. As Frank reports in his latest By The Numbers, the gas-hungry SUVs sales have rolled-over and died (so to speal). They’re down by 53.9 percent in August, off by 37.8 percent year-to-date. From a marketing point-of-view, Ford has walked away from the Explorer. When was the last time you saw an ad for one? Ford’s media site has just 11 pictures of the ’09 model, three of which show the sat nav head unit (the new gas cap also receives an honorable depiction). And yet the Explorer a profitable vehicle for Ford (still). It’s a safe, practical, comfortable, reliable, versatile machine. And it’s cheap (high 20’s to low 30’s for the V8). Is that so hard to understand? Or communicate? My suspicion is that Ford can’t launch a balls-to-the-wall “wouldn’t you really rather be driving an SUV?” ad campaign when it’s busy lobbying for umpteen billion of your tax dollars to, at least in theory, build plug-in electric hybrid diesel-powered E85-compatible hydrogen fuel cell gas sippers. It’s a shame, because the Explorer is exactly the kind of highly-evolved, maximum brand equity vehicle Ford should be building. And selling.
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The Explorer was dying even before gas prices surged. The rollover debacle with the pre-2002s killed the brand. That was the beginning of Ford’s current decline, as it hit them right in the moneymaker.
Michael Karesh:
The Explorer was dying even before gas prices surged. The rollover debacle with the pre-2002s killed the brand. That was the beginning of Ford’s current decline, as it hit them right in the moneymaker.
There’s no such thing as bad publicity. Ford could have used the rollover crisis to call attention to the Explorer’s overall safety. Or something.
As Winston Churchill said, when you’re going through Hell, keep on going.
We have a couple of Explorers at work. They’re great for what we usually use them for – hauling men and equipment over dirt and gravel roads at low speeds. But every time I have to take one on the highway, the SUV craze becomes a deeper mystery. Why people bought these things as family cars is beyond me.
Mehh.. 4Runner’s better and Trailblazer’s cheaper. Exploder’s caught between a rock & hard place.
Now the Escape and Ranger shoud be getting the mammoth pushes. Best (or only) in class and presumably profitable for Ford.
As Frank reports in his latest By The Numbers,
The links not working Robert, all I see if the heading.
EDIT: It’s working now, never mind.
I think the Explorer has already headed down the path of the Pinto after the roll overs and beating it took in the media, it’s kind of late to salvage that no matter how great it might be now.
The Crown Victoria/Marquis/Town Car are also “highly evolved, maximum brand equity” vehicles.
They (and the Explorer/rest of the trucks) are also much of the reason Ford is up to its ass in alligators.
It’s past time for Ford, and the rest of the domestic industry to start selling North American vehicles which reflect contemporary global reality, rather than clinging to these vestiges of the past.
If they can’t muster the talent, vision, or courage to do this, they deserve to die.
morbo, nailed it for the Escape. The vehicle is widely considered to be a great competitor vis-a-vis the imports and the unique 4-cylinder and 5-speed versions are actually a good fit for the younger crowd.
I actually bought a 2001 model for my BIL back when Hurricane Katrina hit. I know it’s hard to believe, but that vehicle actually sold for a premium at the auction. He found a pristine leather interior for $150 on Craigslist, and he now pretty much has an optimally optioned Escape for his travels. Gets 27 mpg highway without a hitch and all the comforts of an upscale ‘compact’ SUV.
There are a number of factors in play here. The whole Firestone/rollover issue is part of it, as are gas prices, but the biggest reason the Explorer doesn’t sell now is because of the Edge.
The Edge gives more interior seating space (albeit there is no 3rd row seat option, but most customers looking for something with a 3rd row are going to the Expedition or Flex anyway), more carelike driving dynamics, arguably a nicer interior, lower starting price, and importantly better fuel economy.
The Explorer is a nice vehicle, and the current one drives the best of any Explorer to date, however most people don’t need the towing or the SUV capabilities, so when looking at an Explorer with 14/20 fuel economy, or an Edge with 16/24, customers are choosing the Edge.
I’ve driven the current generation Explorer and it’s a piece of junk. I owned a 2002 and was neither pleased nor disappointed with it, until I drove something else. The current generation has an unattractive interior (with godawful interior door handles), unimpressive driving dynamics, and laughable powertrains. Oh, sure, the V8 is matched to a six-speed automatic and equals the economy of the V6, but that just drives home how terrible the V6 is in every possible way. Meanwhile its competitors blow it out of the water with smaller, more powerful, more fuel efficient engines, more attractive designs (subjective but I’m writing an opinion piece here), and better driving dynamics. The only reason to buy an Explorer now is if the dealer gives it to you, and even then I’m not sure I would take it.
A local head-on car/SUV wreck resulted in two dead and a third badly injured, all car occupants. The SUV is bent but repairable. The SUV driver’s medical treatment consisted of a band aid above the eye. The car make could not be determined from newspaper photos.
A few extra bucks per fill-up is an unbeatable peace of mind safety investment. My son is looking for a now-affordable 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe. I’ll sleep better knowing the grandchildren are safer. Inherent truck sturdiness may result in fewer repairs and compensate for the extra gasoline cost.
Pinto 4-passenger furnaces, Explorer rollovers, incendiary cruise controls; Ford’s actuarial approach to life and suffering is well known. No thanks.
I owned an ’03 Eddie Bauer V8 AWD Explorer. I bought it because it was a domestic that was much more affordable to purchase (used) & upkeep with parts than an import SUV. I was also very pleased with the EB trim level on it and all the loaded options. The ride quality for the AWD I had was pretty impressive I felt. It wasn’t CUV quality by any means but for what it was it was just fine for the hourly commute I was doing.
When purchases used off a 1 or 2 year lease, the Explorers with an EB or Limited trim level are great bargains, esp. with the V8. The V6’s reportedly have more issues (consumer reports).
I honestly don’t know what you have to be doing to roll one of those over either. I’m not by any means a perfect driver but neither am I a hoon, but the Explorer could move and turn pretty well for what it’s worth.
The WHOLE problem is having geeks like this guy point the way.
I just screwed up my laptop, damn it!.
While he was describing these highlites, my head fell and hit the keyboard!
Does Ford have a lot of these types?!
Good God, I hope not.
He called the look “timeless”?
Just plain old, not timeless.
ppellico – I am with you on that guy, I couldn’t tell if he didn’t exactly know what he was talking about, or if he wanted to just wing the presentation and jumbled up some of what he was trying to say.
I have seen very few customers cross shopping the Escape with the Explorer, it is either the Escape/Edge or the Escape/Fusion. The Escape is a great vehicle though, and with the 2009 refinements (more power, better fuel economy, 6 speed auto, and Sync) is going to continue to be a big seller.
I am not sure why there is a V6 Explorer, the V6 vs V8 fuel economy is 14/20 vs 13/20, for a lot more power, and a more refined engine, the V8 is easily the way to go.
Mr. Farago, please correct the spelling: walked. If corrected please ignore it.
With all the PC BS going around hybrids, being green ans specially anti-SUV, maybe the PR or marketing department thinks it’s not PC to push advertising for the Explorer.
The Explorer is a nice truck. As is the TrailBlazer which has an engine that shines.
TrailBlazer will die soonm sadly. and the Explorer seems to go the same route.
The Explorer is practically synonymous with Ford, and my guess is Ford would like for that not to be the case. Aside from the Explorer’s bad PR, people already associate Ford with trucks and SUVs in the way that people associate cars with Honda. But since they aren’t buying many trucks and SUVs these days, that association doesn’t really help Ford. If I were Ford, I would want people to be thinking about my cars, since clearly their interest in my trucks as waned.
I had an 08 V6 Explorer last week as a loaner for the day while my 06 LR3 was in the shop for an airbag recall. This god-awful styling mess is met full on by an even worse interior and driving experience. I really was surprised at the cheap feel of so many components – the sharp edge on the console handle, the flimsy chrome grille up front, the hard plastics, you name it. I had to double-check the year – yep, an 08.
It was really a sick feeling that it gave me knowing that this is what Ford is currently producing to compete with the Honda Pilot, et al. There is absolutely no way short of blind patriotism that anyone could choose this thing over the competition. No wonder they’re in trouble. This thing looks, feels and drives like it’s from at least a decade ago.
I poked around under the hood, looked at the frame, the seats, the cargo hold, and it is readily apparent that this thing is put together with sub-par materials. My friend and I were having fun with the garage door opener cover. It made the cheapest sound when closing that I think I’ve heard in some time.
I wouldn’t pay $15K for a brand-new one. Serious. Ford may have some quality vehicles, but this one is not standing in that group photo. It reminded me of the Ford “appliances” of yesteryear – especially in white. Cheap gauge cluster, no attention to detail, crap stereo, seats and on and on.
I wasn’t comparing it to the LR3 at nearly twice the price. I was just trying to compare it to something – anything that it might have a chance against. I’ve owned the last gen Pilot. It was so far ahead of this 08 Explorer in every way that I’m still left scratching my head as to how this Ford is actually being sold with a straight face.
If gas were still $2.49 per gallon.
And credit was still cheap and easy.
If unemployment wasn’t a problem. And foreclosure was unheard of…
Explorer would STILL be down.
It’s not because the car is bad, or ugly, or unsafe or any of that.
It’s just plain old out-of-style. So 90’s. So stylistically outclassed. So been-there-done-that.
Almost minivan(ish) in its decline.
Oh, once upon a time, it was all the rage. Like the minivan. Every family had to have one. (We did.)
And then it became the new Model T — every other car on the road was an Explorer. One would pull up to a street light and see seven other Explorers waiting alongside.
It’s simply run its course. With no major reinventions of the model, it’s simply out. Lame. Old. Whatever.
Yes, the roll-over flap was the beginning-of-the-end. But the fad had peaked, tastes changed, and with the change of the economy, the Explorer is dead. Long live Explorer.
Ford could push Explorers hard and bullshit their way through the ensuing public criticism, but they would risk becoming Hummer. It would completely neutralize their greenwashing efforts.
“A few extra bucks per fill-up is an unbeatable peace of mind safety investment.”
Likewise, the few extra bucks it will cost per fillup to have that sharp poison-tipped spear mounted at the end of my Prius will pay off in peace of mind. Sure, like your stupid SUV, it’s a less-than-zero-sum safety investment, since it only makes me a tiny bit safer and makes everybody else a LOT less safe, but I do better in relative terms. And that’s what matters, right?
@ NulloModo
Actually, the I6 becomes even more worthless in 2009 as the V8 is now rated at 15/21 thanks to the work done on it for the F-150 and the I-6 is still 14/20.
Robert, I think the answer you’re looking for is, actually, money. Couple things about the Explorer: it is a unique platform at Ford – and unique platforms can run out their time (Ranger, Crown Vic), but Ford can’t invest in it without a certain amount of volume – and while Regional programs are good for small pockets of demand – national campaigns are no longer viable. And while there will be a new Explorer in early 2010, it will be a fundamental shift: FWD/AWD, Ecoboost, towing limited to 4500-5000 lbs, so there won’t be the same continuity that supports building a brand through recognition of its features – two of them, great off-road capability and towing will be reduced.
In reality, because of an over-staffed plant, Ford is not making that much on each Explorer. There goal should be to optimize their revenue/unit at a specific volume and not just grow their total sales. Mulally’s team has shown amazing fiscal discipline (Ford’s nearly 10% rise in Rev last year amongst a 6% decline in sales worldwide is a good example), so I trust that they have found the right balance for Ford.
What we will likely see is some regional efforts – the 2009 V8 Explorer has the same highway mileage as the 2009 V6 4Runner, so I know some dealer groups will like that one – and that might help boost Explorer sales slightly, but Ford’s going for revenue opportunities, not sales (if that makes sense).
Just my idle thoughts.
It’s past time for Ford, and the rest of the domestic industry to start selling North American vehicles which reflect contemporary global reality, rather than clinging to these vestiges of the past.
I’ve been as harder on the Panthers than most, but as long as vehicle is making money and serving it’s niche well, it deserves to exist until something better comes along.
The Panthers are the perfect fleet car. Where people on both sides of the issue get confused is as follows: just because it makes a good fleet car, doesn’t make a good alternative to a Camry or Taurus for “regular” folk. Conversely, just because the Camry or Taurus are better cars for normal people doesn’t mean they’re a good choice for a police or taxi fleet.
The Explorer is different: it’s niche is much smaller, and as a general-pupose wagonoid it’s eclipsed by car-based offerings. If there was enough of a market for it’s unique abilities, or if it didn’t require compromises, then it might be able to soldier on. But it doesn’t, so, off to the glue factory it goes.
A few extra bucks per fill-up is an unbeatable peace of mind safety investment. My son is looking for a now-affordable 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe. I’ll sleep better knowing the grandchildren are safer. Inherent truck sturdiness may result in fewer repairs and compensate for the extra gasoline cost.
The thing is, the dynamics are very badly compromised in a truck, and it’s mass, not body-on-frame construction, that saves lives. Never mind that, in many BoF vehicles, an impact above the frame causes the of a body to crumple like a tin can.
Don’t believe me? Have a look at the IIHS offset and side-crash results for BoF vehicles as compared to their unibody equivalents. If you watch police cars, they’re quite careful not to take strikes that take the frame out of play.
If you must play the safety-through-mass game, you’d be better-served by something heavy that at least handles well and doesn’t make compromises. The Flex, Pilot, Lambda crossovers and, well, any minivan come to mind.
So do the 7-Series, A8 and S-Class, but hey. :)
Cheap …crap stereo, seats and on and on…
I beg to differ. For three years I had an 05 as my work vehicle, and aside from it’s fuel thirsty ways, it was a good vehicle.
The stereo is, by far, the best sounding factory stereos I’ve ever heard, period (excluding high end systems, of course). Every other vehicle I’ve driven that didn’t have a high-end stereo sounded like a clock radio compared to the Explorer. The only downside was that it lacked an AUX port for my iPod.
The seats and driving position were also quite good, better than some sports sedans I’ve owned. They were quite comfortable and I’ve had no problem spending all day in them—which I’ve had to do often with my job.
The handling belies the fact that I am driving an SUV. I’ve taken cloverleaf on-ramps at speeds that I’d be insane to try in any other truck, and trust me, their stability control is good (otherwise I wouldn’t be typing this right now).
In the three years and 87,000 miles I drove it, I only had two problems. A coilpack failure at 80K, and a slipping transmission (I blame that more on my manager’s refusal to let them fix leaky output seal fixed that Ford had issued a TSB on).
I don’t say this out of blind patriotism. After owning a Probe with a perpetually bad transmission, and an Escort that lasted exactly 100K before everything crumbled, I swore off Detroit iron after I found myself behind the wheel of a Honda CRX. I’ve been given the keys to a Dodge Durango, and a Chevrolet Blazer, and neither of these vehicles hold a candle to the Explorer. This is the vehicle that’s made me reconsider purchasing a Ford the next time I’m in the market for a new car. It’s a shame that it’s a casualty of the SUV fallout, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles, I suppose.
Why does Communications Manager sound like Secretary of Propaganda?
I had my Honda Accord in for service about three weeks ago, and the dealer had a 2009 Pilot parked in the waiting area. As a Honda fan, I was surprised at how cheap the interior materials looked and felt. It was a big disappointment. I’ll take the Explorer interior any day…
Ford’s moved on the the latest flavor.
What with trying to sell the Escape, Expedition, Edge, Freestyle/Taurus X, and now Flex, the Explorer was simply written off. It never really recovered from the rollover debacle, and the last restyle was already in the pipeline when all that broke.
This is another thread where people who have driven a vehicle for 2 days say it’s “crap”
Not sure that the 4Runner is better, only if you mean its “Toyota better” as in “all Toyotas are better, no matter what, because they are Toyotas”
The Trailblazer feels cheaper too and I like the TB.
I would buy an Explorer over an Edge for the towing ability.
I don’t think the rollover controversy has affected the sales any. The rollover issue happened in 2000 for mid 90s Explorers and sales of the Explorer were strong up until 2005. I would blame gas prices, boredom and the Edge if anything.
My local dealer has an Explorer in their showroom, if that means anything.
A friend of mine had a 2003 Lincoln Aviator — the dressed-up version of the Explorer. It was fine during the warranty period, but as soon as the warranty was up, it began to disintegrate. Parts were always in short supply, and despite going to a bunch of different Ford or Lincoln dealerships in the Atlanta area, getting factory service that didn’t cause more problems than it fixed proved impossible. Nothing about it suggested an impression of sturdiness or solidity, and it certainly wasn’t reliable.
Anecdotal, certainly, but with each problem she had, I did some research and found various other people having the same issues. The way it was put together suggested both poor design and poor assembly, and did not inspire any confidence in the company that made it or the network that sold it.
The stereo is, by far, the best sounding factory stereos I’ve ever heard, period (excluding high end systems, of course). Every other vehicle I’ve driven that didn’t have a high-end stereo sounded like a clock radio compared to the Explorer.
Please tell me you’re kidding.
This is another thread where people who have driven a vehicle for 2 days say it’s “crap”
I don’t need to drive a vehicle for two days to have a pretty good idea about the ergonomics, interior quality, styling, ride, etc. I drove only a scant 25 miles, but that was enough. I took a pretty good look back in my driveway at everything from the frame welds, engine components, trim pieces and the like to know that this vehicle was way outclassed by the competition.
The styling alone is reason enough for me to stay far away from it. It’s just plain dated and ungainly – not that it was ever that compelling of a design anyhow, even for an SUV. Add to the equation a boatload of the cheapest materials you can find and you have my reason why I have a problem with it. Did I mention the hideous whitewall tires, running boards and various chintzy chrome bits? I know two out of three of those can be corrected, but come on, it’s just not an attractive vehicle. To each his own though in that area.
I will end on at least one positive note about it. I think that it did have a pretty quiet ride for a body-on-frame SUV.
@Pig_Iron
Because it is.
Ford Territory, inline 6 (soon to be v6). Car platform reasonable priced and when breathed upon by Ford Performance Vehicles, gets up and goes, carries 5+2. Just made for soccer moms and dad’s who want car handling, not truck handling dynamics.
Why would anyone want to buy a vehicle about to go into it’s 8th year of production when there are so many newer and better choices. Also, to anyone praising the Explorer have you been in one since the midlife refresh a couple years ago? The interior is terrible, a definite step backwards from the 2002 which was decent but quite average back then.
The dated styling, chrome bits, whitewall (white letter?) tires and running boards is what I like about the Explorer and other classic SUVs. Not all of us want pointy front, bubble back “crossovers”
My mom’s ’94 Escort just died for good last week. She is driving my Grandpa’s Explorer for the time being. I had to reach in the trunk from the back seat to get something, and when I bent over the seats they felt like stone! They were so hard! I don’t know why they use such cheap, crappy materials. My mom can’t wait to check out the Mazda 6 (’09 or ’08)!
I never liked the Explorer. Initially, it was because everyone had one, but after I got up close and personal with the Explorer, I came to dislike it even more. Something about the squareness of the vehicle bothers me. The interior is kind of cramped for my 6’3″ 300 pound frame. It really doesn’t have that great of a carry capacity nor that great of a towing capacity.
I think one of the reasons the Explorer is doing so badly is the Tahoe managed to position itself as the SUV king just in time for the implosion of SUV sales. So, the Explorer isn’t even the reigning king of SUVs.
The wife and I looked at an Explorer, more as due dilligence than anything else, and it was nice, fairly well appointed, but just too small. For the same fuel mileage, you can get a full Suburban, a much larger, more reliable and safer vehicle. So, we bought a Suburban.
It really was the Tahoe, though, that ended the Explorer. The Tahoe brought the legendary reliability of GM truck bodies to the coolness of the SUV. Chevrolet expended an awful lot of effort to make the Tahoe seem cool in the music business, movies, so on. And, the Tahoe simply outperformed the old Explorer. Better handling, better acceleration, better brakes and much less body roll.
So, yeah, the death of the SUV helped bring on the end of the Explorer, but it was already eclipsed by several competitors before that.
davey49
Personally I don’t care for the Explorer’s styling, but others like you and my wife’s brother, do. And there is still demand for them, albeit a diminished one. He just bought an ’04 for the same reasons you mentioned.
Please tell me you’re kidding.
Nope. The difference between the Explorer’s stereo and everyone else’s? The Explorer speakers had real bass, and lots of it. The various rentals I’ve had, other fleet vehicles, and even my personal cars don’t have that, and when you crank the volume, it’s like turning up the volume on your laptop computer. That makes a big difference, whether you’re listening to Mozart of Mos Def.
A friend has an ’08, and I found that the inside door release handles are quite ergonomic.
gibbleth- good point, the lure of a full size could be too much for the people who want the capability and the deals on the Expedition or Tahoe might lure people that way.