2010 Ford Explorer Overview Change Vehicle

This 2010 Ford Explorer overview explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2010 Ford Explorer, and includes safety, reliability, and fuel economy information for the 2010 Ford Explorer.

With a completely redesigned 2011 Ford Explorer getting ready for its big Facebook reveal in July of 2010, it comes as no surprise to anyone that FoMoCo opts to stop spending cash on the lame-duck 2010 Explorer. Nothing changes in this, the Explorer’s final year as a truck-based, traditional SUV.

This is a great year to get a screaming deal on a 2010 Explorer, as dealers unload the last of stagnant inventories in advance of the arrival of the all-new 2011 model. Serious bargain hunters need look no further than the Explorer XLT, which comes with everything you need, and more. Air conditioning, power windows, power mirrors, power door locks with remote keyless entry, a CD/MP3 player, an auxiliary audio input jack, cruise control, a tilt steering wheel, premium cloth upholstery, a 6-way power driver’s seat, and a message center with a compass and outside temperature display come standard on the XLT. This model also has rear privacy glass, running boards, fog lights, and a Class II trailer hitch. Safety gear includes seat-mounted side-impact airbags, side curtain airbags for the first two rows of seats, AdvanceTrac stability and traction control with Roll Stability Control, Trailer Sway Control, and a tire pressure monitoring system.

In our opinion, the coolest looking Explorer is the XLT Sport model. Available only in vivid hues of blue, red, silver, or black, the XLT Sport has blacked-out exterior trim, unique cloth sport seats, white-faced gauges, and all-weather floor mats. When equipped with the optional 20-inch wheels, this SUV looks terrific.

The Eddie Bauer model wears distinctive two-tone paint, color-matched running boards, 17-inch painted alloys, and a unique grille with ‘nostrils.’ Leather upholstery, fake wood trim, a 10-way power driver’s seat, automatic headlights, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and a touchpad keyless entry system are also included on the Explorer Eddie Bauer.

Luxury seekers will want the Explorer Limited, equipped with a tasteful monotone paint job and machined-finish 18-inch alloy wheels. Inside, owners are coddled by dark fake wood trim, dual-zone automatic climate control, rear seat climate control, a 6-way power front passenger’s seat, and heated front seats. The Limited also has Homelink, a premium Audiophile sound system with a CD changer, and redundant stereo controls on the steering wheel. Added safety features include a reverse sensing system and power adjustable pedals.

Explorer options are dependent on trim level, and include Sync hands-free communication and entertainment, a rear-seat entertainment system, a voice-activated DVD navigation system, rear climate control, a power sunroof, power adjustable pedals, a telescopic steering wheel, and Preferred Suede upholstery.

Skip the Explorer’s standard 4.0-liter V6 if you know what’s good for you. This aged motor, scheduled for discontinuation at the end of this year, musters just 210 horsepower and 254 ft.-lbs. of torque peaking at 3,700 rpm. Driving the rear or all four wheels through a 5-speed automatic transmission, the German-built V6 returns 14 mpg in the city and 20 mpg on the highway with 2WD, and 13 city/19 highway with 4WD.

Instead, opt for the more powerful, and more fuel efficient, 4.6-liter, 292-horsepower V8, with its 315 ft.-lbs. of torque peaking at 4,000 rpm. A standard 6-speed automatic transmission delivers this healthy stable of horses to the rear or all four wheels, returning 15 mpg in the city and 21 mpg on the highway with 2WD, and 14 city/19 highway with 4WD. The maximum tow rating with the V8 is 7,300 pounds, when properly equipped.

The 2010 Ford Explorer proves itself a safe vehicle in crash tests. In the NHTSA battery of tests, the Explorer achieves 5-star ratings for frontal and side impact crashworthiness but manages only a 3-star rating for its propensity to roll in an accident, for both 2WD and 4WD models. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gives the Explorer a Good rating in the offset frontal impact test, an Acceptable rating in the side-impact test, and an Acceptable rating for rear impact protection.

According to Consumer Reports, the 2010 Explorer’s reliability is expected to be average. JDPower.com predicts that the Explorer will prove to be more dependable than most midsize SUVs.

Designed for a different era, and a different buyer mindset, the fundamentally sound 2010 Ford Explorer collects dust on dealer lots. Today’s consumers – people who have realized that putting up with lousy fuel economy, a rough truck-like ride, indifferent handling, and the need to climb up and into a traditional SUV – prefer crossover SUVs like the Ford Flex. Of course, there are still people who need to tow heavy loads, or cross difficult terrain, and for this the Explorer is a decent choice. Especially, the XLT Sport, which is our favorite model. Still, for most people most of the time, the Explorer is overkill, and the all-new, completely re-thought, 2011 Explorer cannot arrive in showrooms fast enough.

By Christian Wardlaw