Ford Explorer

For many years, the Ford Explorer has been one of the best-selling SUVs in the market. A capable tow vehicle and off-roader, the Explorer also offers the generous interior space, comfort features and safety technologies necessary for day-to-day tasks.

The Ford Explorer, available at West Herr Ford, carries over with small changes to standard equipment and an efficient ordering strategy. A manual-folding third-row seat is now standard on Eddie Bauer trims, providing seating for up to seven passengers. Additionally, all-wheel drive Explorer models are no longer offered in the Eddie Bauer trim level.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2010 Ford Explorer near Buffalo is a four-door midsize SUV available in XLT, Eddie Bauer and Limited trim levels. Seating capacity jumps from five to seven passengers when it’s equipped with the available third-row seat.

Entry-level XLT models seat five and come with 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, air-conditioning, power windows and door locks, and a CD/MP3 stereo with an auxiliary audio jack. The XLT with the Sport Package adds black exterior accents (including the wheel arches, side-step bars and front fascia) along with 20-inch alloy wheels and white-faced instruments. Compared to the regular XLT, Eddie Bauer models add two-tone paint, 17-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, a power driver seat, heated front seats, a manual third-row seat, auto-dimming rearview mirror, the Sync electronics interface and satellite radio.

The top-of-the-line Explorer Limited features monochromatic paint, 18-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, dual-zone automatic climate control (with a separate rear air-conditioner), perforated leather upholstery, a power front passenger seat, driver memory functions, power-adjustable pedals and a power-folding third-row seat. Also included with the Limited is an upgraded audio system with an in-dash CD changer and steering-wheel-mounted controls.

Powertrains and Performance

The Ford Explorer’s base engine is a 4.0-liter V6 that puts out 210 hp and 254 pound-feet of torque. For 2010, the optional 4.6-liter V8 engine with 292 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque is only offered on Eddie Bauer and Limited models.

A five-speed automatic transmission is standard with the V6 engine, while the V8 comes with a six-speed automatic. Both engines come with standard rear-wheel drive or an optional 4WD system that includes a push-button low-range transfer case designed for negotiating slippery or uneven surfaces on or off road. Also optional is a full-time all-wheel-drive system, but it requires the optional 20-inch wheels. Properly equipped, a V8 2WD Explorer can tow nearly 7,300 pounds.

Safety

All major safety equipment is standard on the 2010 Ford Explorer, including antilock disc brakes, stability control, front-seat side airbags and first- and second-row side curtain airbags. The stability control system includes rollover sensing and trailer sway control.

Ford Cars Available in NY

2012 Ford F-150 Price: $37,900	2012 Ford F-250SD Price: $34,100	2012 Ford Edge Price: $35,120
2012 Ford Fiesta Price: $18,070	2012 Ford F-150 Price: $38,295	2012 Ford Fusion Price: $30,020
2012 Ford Fusion Price: $28,130	2012 Ford Fusion Price: $28,230	2012 Ford Explorer Price: $29,870

Interior Design and Special Features

Most of the climate and audio controls are comprised of lots of similar-looking black buttons, and the regular audio head unit still displays its info in Ford’s old-school, ’80s-look green font. The sharp two-tone color schemes make this workday SUV feel a little more upscale, though, and the optional Sync phone/MP3 voice activation and hard-drive-based navigation systems are both effective and modern.

It’s feasible to carry two adults in the third-row seats, but choosing the third-row option slightly reduces the available cargo space and results in a not-quite-flat load floor. Seven-passenger Ford Explorers max out at 83.7 cubic feet of cargo space, while five-passenger versions offer 85.8 cubic feet. Notably, the back of the second row’s split bench seat reclines only if your Explorer has a third-row seat. The “quad seating” option on Limited models places reclining captain’s chairs in the second row with a storage console between them, but drops passenger capacity to six.

Race into your #1 Ford dealer serving Buffalo, West Herr Ford in New York today!

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