Then again, few truck-based SUVs can match the 2012 Explorer’s outstanding fuel economy, exceptional cabin comfort, user-focused functionality plus class-leading connectivity, all of which make the Ford Explorer a most accommodating travel mate. Still, we wouldn’t put this vehicle up against a Toyota 4Runner, for example, whose body-on-frame architecture and hi/lo transfer case make it more conducive to serious off-road challenges. Our short time testing the Terrain Management 4-wheel-drive system netted some pretty impressive results, especially considering the Explorer’s modest 7.6 inches of ground clearance and somewhat soft suspension. Match that with a bounty of standard computer-controlled handling aids, impressively weighted electrically-boosted power steering and more than capable anti-lock disc brakes, and the Explorer turns in a world-class open-road experience. Wallpapers Ultrawide Wallpapers Phone Wallpapers.
Cars are grouped by model and sorted by newest first. The stiff body banishes squeaks and rattles from the passenger compartment, while the adept suspension aided by Ford’s Curve Control system tackles winding roads like a lithe sports sedan. Ford wallpapers, specifications & videos of the GT, Mustang, F150, RS200, Focus, Falcon, Fiesta and much more. It takes only a few minutes behind the wheel of the 2012 Ford Explorer to realize this is no old-fashioned truck-based SUV. Ironically, the one vehicle that stands to lose market share to the Explorer is its own sibling, the Ford Flex. The Explorer also relies on a host of innovative electronic and technology triumphs that help it keep one step ahead of the competition. That’s because Ford has chosen to go a more economical route, offering a V6 and a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that provide plenty of power with superior fuel economy. And, where the Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee offer a powerful V8 engine, no such muscle exists under the Explorer’s hood. Set to do battle with the Dodge Durango, Honda Pilot, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse, the Explorer has its work cut out for it. The 2012 Ford Explorer can still hold seven passengers or any number of bulky items, but its interior is now more sophisticated, as is its suspension, engine and available all-wheel-drive system. Instead of a truck chassis, the Explorer is wrapped in a unit body, meaning its construction is stamped and welded into a single frame making it both lighter and stronger. Over its long run the Explorer had its up and downs, but while the Explorer name carries on into the 21st century, the vehicle that now wears it couldn’t be more different from the original. Twenty-odd years ago, Ford’s Explorer introduced America to the new wagon, a truck-based SUV large enough to carry the family and all their gear, but not much larger than average mid-size sedan of the day.