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Explorer gets good review
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August 8, 2001: 4:43 p.m. ET
Consumer Reports terms '02 Ford SUV a promising improvement over old model
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DEARBORN, Mich. (CNN) - The 2002 Ford Explorer is receiving a positive review from a highly regarded consumer shopping guide, bringing welcome news to Ford Motor Co. in the wake of the ongoing Firestone tire controversy.
The redesigned Explorer outscored five of its competitors in performance tests conducted by Consumer Reports magazine for a report in its September 2001 issue.
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Consumer Reports has given a promising rating to the 2002 Ford Explorer. | |
Consumer Reports auto test engineers gave the 2002 Explorer a "promising" rating. Since this is the first year for the redesigned Explorer, its reliability record is unknown.
Reliability for the previous Explorer was rated as "average" and so Consumer Reports could not list the SUV as a "recommended" vehicle, said Doug Love, a spokesman for the publication.
The Explorer remains the top-selling SUV in the world and a key profit driver for Ford (F: Research, Estimates). But U.S. sales for the first seven months of this year dropped nearly 16 percent from the same period last year.
Click here to look at the Firestone-Ford recall special report
The sales dip can be attributed partly to the scrutiny the Explorer name has endured this past year as it was linked to reports of more than 200 fatal accidents and the recall of Firestone Wilderness AT and ATX tires, which were standard equipment on earlier models.
In May Ford announced it would replace 13 million Firestone Wilderness tires on its vehicles, claiming they were prone to a higher failure rate. In response executives of Bridgestone/Firestone charged that Ford was replacing the tire to distract attention from safety design problems with the Explorer that make it more prone to rollovers, a charge Ford executives strenuously denied.
The new model also a few minor recalls due to problems with its tailgate window and minor damage to the sidewall of some of its tires because the new slightly-wider model did not fit on the assembly line. Ford CEO Jac Nasser accepted responsibility Wednesday for problems with the launch of the Explorer and the compact Escape, launched last year.
The Explorer sales were also hit by a general downturn in auto sales, and far more competition in the SUV sector. Total light vehicle sales in the United States are 5 percent below year-earlier levels.
As for the redesigned 2002 version, Consumer Reports considers it a "vast improvement over its predecessor," according to the upcoming article.
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The review states: "This vehicle offers a well-rounded package with a steady ride and versatile, well-designed interior."
One area where the Explorer did not perform well was the off-road test course. Consumer Reports test engineers said the SUV "barely made it up the boulder-strewn hill climb." It was also found to have a "noisy engine" at high speeds.
Overall, the 2002 Explorer beat five of its competitors in the road tests conducted at Consumer Reports' Auto Test Department in East Haddam, Connecticut. Other SUVs tested included the Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota 4Runner SR5, GMC Envoy SLE, Dodge Durango SLT, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo.
Both the Pathfinder and Toyota 4Runner were "recommended" vehicles, meaning they both performed competently and are expected to have at least average reliability.
Full tests and ratings of all six, mid-sized SUVs will appear in the September issue of Consumer Reports, available where magazines are sold starting Aug. 17.
Ford stock lost 38 cents to $24.37 Wednesday. 
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