2003 Ford Explorer Review Summaries

What reviewers liked most about the Ford Explorer:

...new rear suspension also allows engineers to lower the floor by seven inches in the back.

-- AutoWeek

...the rear glass window, cut low for easy rear access, swings up separately from the metal door.

-- AutoWeek

A unique feature is optional power adjustable brakes and accelerator pedals.

-- Canadian Driver

...designed for greater towing capacities.

-- Canadian Driver

...larger door openings with a lower step-in height for ease of entry and exit.

-- Edmunds.com

There's more ground clearance and plenty of new safety features.

-- The Car Connection

Braking. No longer sloppy and vague...

-- USA Today

Handling and ride quality are improved with a new frame and an independent rear suspension.

-- New Car Test Drive

...same overall length as the previous model, but it sits on a (two-inch) longer wheelbase and a much wider track, making it more stable and more comfortable.

-- New Car Test Drive

Performance is quicker with new or improved overhead-cam engines.

-- New Car Test Drive

...the biggest news for the Explorer is the availability of third-row seating, allowing it to carry up to seven passengers.

-- New Car Test Drive

The headliner is a new safety canopy... designed to protect occupants during a rollover in addition to protecting them from a side impact by staying inflated for a much longer period of time.

-- New Car Test Drive

All new for 2002, the Ford Explorer is better than the previous version in every respect.

-- New Car Test Drive

... the Ford Explorer is better than the previous version in every respect.

-- New Car Test Drive

What reviewers liked least about the Ford Explorer:

...the V6 is fine for around town. But it's a long time passing Peterbilts on a freeway grade.

-- Popular Mechanics

Unfortunately, some of the [new for 2002] suspension's benefits are lost by the hard, flat seats.

-- Popular Mechanics

Unfortunately, some of the suspension's benefits are lost by the hard, flat seats.

-- Popular Mechanics

Ford Explorer Comparisons:

While it robs storage space, the Explorer's extra seat is more comfortable than the [Dodge] Durango's.

-- Popular Mechanics

Best one-liner about the Ford Explorer:

...3.5 times as stiff in torsion... By modern model-upgrade standards, that's a leap of several quanta.

-- Car and Driver

The mud was slick and deep. [But in the] redesigned Ford Explorer... the goo might as well have been asphalt.

-- USA Today

...Explorer had shed its buckboard behavior." It tamed the wretched path without jostling the occupants.

-- USA Today