delmaro313

I had a chance to test drive the new '11 Explorer LTD. FIgured I'd share my impressions. First, the vehicle looks amazing. The car seriously reminds me of a Range Rover. One of the best looking SUVs in its class. Hands down its better looking than a Toyota Sequoia, CX9, Acadia, Enclave, etc... Inside, the vehicle has some of the best craftmanship that you can get outside of the luxury brands such as BMW, Mercedes. I had a chance to compare this car to a Highlander, and immediately you can see the difference. Toyota cared about lowering their costs to increase profits. Ford cared about creating the best car possible. Everything in the interior exudes quality. I used to have a 2004 Audi A4 previously, and would say that the quality is on par. MyFord Touch I know that older people might have trouble with this type of technology, like my parents who are in their 70s. Otherwise, anybody from their 30's - 50's will be fine. The climate control buttons are very responsive and easy to use. With MyFord Touch, the system is easy to use. The only thing I would say is I wish they made dedicated buttons for the heated seats, and also some more of the radio controls such as station presets. There is definitely a learning curve. The responsiveness was good. I think the buttons are slightly small for some features - which might be an issue considering driver distraction. I could see some people being careless and a danger to others on the road. As for the drive, its a big vehicle, but you never feel it. It drives like a much smaller car. The big test was my wife driving it, and I can confidently say she drove it with ease. The blind spot monitoring is absolutely amazing and such a great safety feature. Backing up is also great with the reverse sensors, and the rear view camera. The car for sure is much easier to drive than an Acadia or even a Highlander, which has only a tiny rear view camera screen and no blind spot monitoring. The engine was smooth, and so was the interior noise levels. But I do have to admit that when going from a Lincoln MKS, which is my current car to the Explorer, the noise levels increase. The MKS has to be one of the quietest cars I have ever been in. I intend to get the Explorer for my wife. I've owned foreign cars all my life, but with the new products - I really have to give Ford credit for producing great cars. GM as well, although I think GM has serious issues with blind spots on cars like the Buick Lacrosse.

I know that new '11 Explorers are just starting to trickle into dealerships. I still wanted to get people's opinions regarding the blind spots on the Explorer. I definitely plan on getting the blind spot monitoring system - I think its great that Ford has such a technology. GM is way behind on this - they have the technology on cars like the Lacrosse, but very slow to implement. Still, the Explorer is a big car. I wonder if current owners feel comfortable on the road in knowing what is going on around them - ie cars in their blind spots, cars in other lanes. I'm very careful before switching lanes and always check the blind spots and I switch lanes slowly, but still - cars are getting worse when it comes to rear visibility. Go test drive the Buick Lacrosse and you'll know what I mean. More than anything, I worry about my wife who's tiny driving such a big car and my little daughter in the back seat. Comments greatly appreciated! I went to test drive an Explorer today at Bill Brown Ford in Michigan, but their Explorer was taken by a customer in the morning just before I got to the dealership.

Was wondering if anyone has had a chance to listen to the premium audio system in the XLT versus the Limited for the 2011 Ford Explorer? I enjoy listening to my IPOD on the way to work and having rich and full sound with good details and ample bass. The premium audio system has 8 speakers which is what i have now in my current car and it is sufficient, but am not sure if in a larger vehicle like the Explorer whether this is enough. Am not looking to wake up the neighborhood - only to have a car stereo that sounds good. The other option is to have an aftermarket amplifier installed along with new speakers for the XLT - which still would be cheaper than getting a Limited. Additionally, i'm not too crazy about the body colored grille on the Limited - sometimes being different does not mean being better. Would prefer the look of the XLT