Rented a 2010 Ford Explorer/V8; 66k km, as they were out of sedans for the day. "Wood" interior trimming was well done. Liked the power; very smooth. Quiet. Good stereo. Center console straightforward. Seats were comfortable; good support.
However, huge headrest made it hard to shoulder check when switching lanes. Brakes were heavy; you had to really pound on them, and even then they didn't want to stop. Signal stalk was in an awkard position; about 10 or 11 o'clock instead of the standard 9 o'clock position. Weird. Biggest turn off was the quality of the plastics and seat covers (leather). It had that "cracked vinyl" look that really cheapened it.
I guess you always compare it to what you have, but overall I would say the power was much better than my '01 MDX, but the brakes, sightlines, and interior quality were better in my 10 year old SUV. If I had the money, and was looking at used SUV's I would take a look at the Explorer, but it would be a disappointment to spend that kind of cash to get such cheap plastics. Like I said, most of the interior was pretty well done, but the plastics/dash would almost be a deal breaker for me.
Curious to hear from actual owners about their experiences with the ride quality, interiors, driving experience.
