Last June my husband and I were in the market for a new vehicle. We had bought a mini van 3 yrs prior.(A 1991 Ford Areostar). I loved our van and didn't really think we needed a new one, except that the air conditioner never worked and it was starting to get really hot. We decided to lease a brand new vehicle so we wouldn't have to worry about it needing work.
We had never leased before. I had always liked the way the Explorer looked, but what convinced us was after talking to our insurance agent. He told us that because of its safety rating the Explorer was a lot cheaper to insure than the Mitsubishi Montero or the Land Rover etc. Before we got to the dealership, we promised each other we wouldn't go crazy. We wanted to keep the monthly payments as low as possible. Well, we were like kids in a candy store. After seeing a fully loaded one in the show room everything else failed in comparison. needless to say were now paying a pretty high monthly payment and will be doing so for the next 2 1/2 yrs. We do love all our extras though. The moon roof is awesome. But I personally think we could have lived without the 6 cd changer. The ride is great, the leather seats wonderful.(If you have kids, I Highly recommend leather seats). I love that the doors automatically lock when the truck starts moving. I really like the chip in the key(this is a safety feature. If you don't have the key in the ignition, the car wont start, which will deter car thieves). It also has a keyless entry which comes in handy. and I love that you can lock the whole truck from the back, after you get stuff out of the back, very convenient. The Explorer rides Beautiful And handles great especially in the rain & snow. We got a V8 engine, because the dealer convinced us it was great to have, and said he would throw it in for free. he failed to say We would be needing gas more often. We don't tow anything so it really wasn't necessary. I wish it was a little more roomy. There are 5 in my family. Coming from a extended mini van with three row of seats, sometimes it feels like the kids are too close to each other. They fight with each other on long trips and there isn't that much room in the back for big trips, but then again I guess that's what luggage racks are for. I really do LOVE my Explorer, and would recommend it. If your in the market for a new vehicle. Just remember to Get what you need and don't just jump in blindly, especially if your leasing because its such a long term commitment. So I like to say all in all, The Ford Explorer is not just a pretty face, it's got a lot of other great Qualities too.


Amount Paid (US$): 32000/LEASING
Condition: New
Model Year: 1999
Model and Options: XLT