New Car Review of the 2004 Ford Explorer Mid-Size Sport Utility Vehicle

Description: Mid-Size Sport Utility Vehicle
Base MSRP Range: $26,600-$37,315
Invoice Price Range: $24,179-$33,715

Ford's wildly successful wagon for the mid-size sport utility vehicle class puts a fold-flat seat in the third row for seven-person capacity of all editions in 2004. Ford's AdvanceTrac computer-controlled anti-skid equipment is now optional for three trims -- XLT, Eddie Bauer and Limited. Also, the Eddie Bauer and Limited editions gain sport buckets on the second row.

Explorer's total trim list extends from the base XLS edition to XLS Sport, XLT, XLT Sport, NBX, Eddie Bauer and Limited series. The NBX trim brings an off-road package with two-tone bumpers, side step bars and tow hooks. For power, Explorer's standard engine, a 4.0-liter single-cam V6, delivers 210 hp through to a five-speed manual transmission or five-speed automatic. An optional 4.6-liter V8 in single-cam design rises to 239 hp.

For entertaining backseat passengers, Explorer offers a DVD-based entertainment kit with wireless headphones and a seven-inch color screen that flips down from the ceiling.