- suv 45,296
- 24,995 high price
- Spring Valley, CA
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- autoshopper.com
- suv 45,296 gasoline automatic
2012 ford explorer review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. A new kind of explorer gets a new kind of engine. introductionout of the box, the ford explorer has demonstrated itself to be one the best, seven-passenger sport-utility vehicles available. It delivers the function and family friendly features of a minivan with a more rugged emotional appeal, off-road and towing capability for those who need it, and suv mileage that was unheard of back in the day. the venerable explorer was essentially re-invented for 2011, and ford might have taken a pass on further improvements for 2012. The opposite is true. It has more power than the standard v6 in the previous-generation explorer, with half the displacement, and it delivers the highest epa mileage ratings in this class: 20/28 mpg city/highway. this latest-generation explorer has a one-piece, unitized body and frame like the typical sedan, rather than an old-school, ladder-type truck frame with a separate, bolted on body. Both the 2. 0 ecoboost and the standard 3. 5-liter v6 are more powerful than previous-generation engines, yet mileage improves up to 40 percent. the 2012 explorer is available in base, xlt and limited trim levels. All are great looking, rugged in a familiar suv way, but also fresh and aerodynamically refined, and all models seat seven. This big suv actually looks smaller than it is. inside, there is class-leading legroom in the second row, real space for passengers in the third, and up to 80. 7 cubic-feet of cargo space. It can be reconfigured in seconds, with split rear seats that fold with a button on each side and bounce back up with the pull of a lever. The interior is smartly styled and well finished. The materials are good and the build quality great. the base explorer comes well equipped, with all the essentials, plenty of niceties and no overly complicated controls. The leather-upholstered, heated-seat limited is luxury grade. It's offered with nearly all the bells and whistles, including premium audio, navigation and rear-seat dvd entertainment. We prefer the standard 290-horspower v6. It delivers smooth, strong acceleration, and ranks near the top of the class in both horsepower and fuel economy: 17/25 mpg. explorer's chassis is super rigid, using twice as much high-strength steel as the old. That makes for not only great crash-test scores, but also a quiet cabin, excellent ride quality and solid handling that belies the explorer's considerable size. all-wheel drive is available on all models with the v6. The all-wheel drive maximizes traction with a fancy electronic system called terrain management. Even with regular all-season tires rather than specialized tires, the explorer will blast through sand or traverse deep ditches and steep hills, no problem. And it has the smoothest ride we've encountered over such terrain. ford claims the explorer has 10 segment-exclusive features or systems, starting with a couple of safety standouts: the optional inflatable rear seatbelts and standard curve control, which applies braking to individual wheels as needed to correct corner trajectory. Beyond the required complement of front, front-side and head-protection airbags, it has an extra knee-protection airbag for the front passenger and all the electronic traction and stability systems, including rollover mitigation and trailer sway control. lineupthe 2012 ford explorer comes in three models. Each comes standard with a 290-hp, 3. 5-liter v6 engine with a 6-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. Options are limited to ford's sync voice activation and phone connection system 295), satellite radio hardware 195), a cargo shade 135), and a tow package 570). explorer xlt 31,995) adds upgraded cloth seats, leather steering wheel and shift knob, basic sync and satellite radio, a security touchpad on the driver's door, automatic headlamps, heated sideview mirrors with led turn signals and security approach lamps, a backup warning beeper and 18-inch painted aluminum wheels. explorer limited 37,995) adds leather seats, 10-way power driver seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, 390-watt sony audio with cd changer, selectshift manual mode for the 6-speed automatic transmission, power folding outside mirrors, ambient lighting, adjustable pedals with memory, cargo net, a rearview camera, remote start, a 110-volt outlet, 20-inch painted aluminum wheels, and last but not least the myfordtouch driver connect technology. Second-row captain's chairs are available on limited. options for the xlt and limited are plentiful, somewhat confusing and grouped in various packages. One of the most popular is equipment group 202a 2,250) for the xlt, which includes leather seating, the 10-way power driver seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, auto-dimming rearview mirror, rearview camera and ambient lighting. Stand alone options include a voice-activated navigation system 795), a panoramic glass sunroof 1,595), dual-screen rear seat dvd system 1,995) and a power liftgate 495). safety features are headlined by ford's new curve control, which applies braking to individual wheels as needed to correct corner trajectory. It's part of a comprehensive electronics suite, which also includes antilock brakes and ford's activetrack stability system with rollover mitigation and trailer sway control. Standard crash protection starts with dual-threshold front airbags, a front passenger knee protection airbag, front-seat side impact airbags, head-protection curtains for all outboard seats and sos post-crash alert. The insurance institute for highway safety rates the explorer a top safety pick. one optional safety feature is the industry-first inflatable rear seatbelts, which spread impact forces over an area five times greater than conventional seat belts, reducing pressure on the chest and helping to control head and neck motion. Other safety options include the rearview camera and rear obstacle warning, adaptive cruise control with collision warning and brake support, and a blind-sport warning system with cross-traffic alert. All-wheel drive can improve handling stability in slippery conditions. walkaroundthe ford explorer is a looker, rugged but refined, familiar but definitely fresh. Five new metallic paint colors for 2012 enhance its polished appearance. re-invented for 2011, the current explorer is 4 inches longer and 5 inches wider than its body-on-frame predecessor. It's a foot longer than ford's edge crossover, a few inches shorter than the dodge durango suv and about eight inches shorter than the chevy traverse. Yet it's several inches wider than all of them. explorer's width is evident in its confident stance, but its smooth styling cheats the eye. It has beefy but smooth proportions, with fluid lines that are more aerodynamic than before. The amber indicators sweep back like narrow wings atop tidy main projector beams. The plastic grille is gray on the base explorer, body-colored on the xlt (the best looking), and satin-chrome on the limited. The hood looks short from the side but long when looking straight down it. It's got two parallel humps and a scoop in the center, smoother than it sounds. Rear taillights are led, and also look good. We still like body-colored better. the window outline is clean, bold and symmetrical, with blackened a-, b-, and d-pillars, and body-colored c-pillars that slant down and back and impart forward motion to the vehicle. The fender flares are inspired by the mustang, body sides follow the lines of the taurus, and the three-bar grille strikes clearly of range rover (until recently part of the ford family). There's a rich, shiny brownish color called golden bronze metallic that we swear we've seen on range rovers, only it looks even better on the explorer. wheels are 17-inch steel with plastic cov.
24,995 Spring Valley, CASpring Valley, CA at autoshopper.com