This price range reflects the Kelley Blue Book Suggested Retail value for all trim levels, but not necessarily all available options.
The Kelley Blue Book Suggested Retail value represents the amount an auto dealer might ask for a specific vehicle; the actual sale price will vary. A vehicle's popularity, condition, warranty, color and local market conditions are factors involved in determining a final price. The retail value is not a trade-in or private party value.
The Suggested Retail value assumes that the vehicle has been fully reconditioned and has a clean title history. The Suggested Retail value also allows for advertising, sales commissions, insurance and other costs of doing business as a dealer. Most vehicles offered at this price have passed an inspection, and some may carry a warranty. Vehicle mileage is assumed to be normal or below normal.
Expert Reviews
By Rick Popely
Cars.com National January 28, 2000
Vehicle Overview
The most popular SUV is a carryover from 1999, when it was among the top five vehicles in sales. The Mercury Mountaineer is a clone of the Explorer but comes only in a four-door body style, while the Explorer also comes as a two-door sport model. Explorer buyers can choose from three engines and Mountaineer buyers from two.
This spring, the 2001 edition of the Explorer Sport two-door arrives with new styling, a redesigned interior and other changes, and Ford adds the 2001 Explorer Sport Trac, a four-door model with a 4-foot long open cargo bed like a pickup truck's.
New versions of both the Explorer and Mountaineer are expected during the 2001 model year, and the new ones will not share the same styling.
Interior All models have front bucket seats, but fancier captain's chairs and leather buckets are available. The two-door model comes in a sport trim and seats four. The four-door models hold five, with a three-place rear bench providing the additional position. The rear seatbacks are split and fold for extra cargo room on all models.
Exterior The slow-selling two-door Explorer is shorter by about 10 inches, both in wheelbase and overall length, than the four-door. Both are available with either 2WD or 4WD, and both are regarded as compact SUVs.
Under the Hood The two-door Sport and four-door XL and XLT models come with a 160-horsepower, 4.0-liter V-6, an overhead-valve engine that has been in the Explorer lineup since the vehicle debuted as a 1991 model. A newer 210-horsepower, 4.0-liter V-6 and overhead camshafts are standard on the Eddie Bauer and Limited models and optional on the Sport and XLT. A 5.0-liter V-8 with overhead valves is optional on the Eddie Bauer and Limited.
*Invoice prices are made available by Cars.com and are not dealer advertising. All prices are subject to regional variations. Prices last updated 9/23/10. Click here for more information.
