2006 Ford Explorer First Drive

Comfort & Convenience


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2006 Ford Explorer

TO THE POINT What’s New? Ford significantly updates the Explorer with cleaner V6 and more powerful V8 engines, a six-speed automatic transmission, a redesigned frame and suspension, new safety technology, improved payload and towing capacities, a revised and quieter interior, and fresh exterior styling.
Selling Points: Lots of safety features, improved ride and handling, powerful V8 engine, ULEV-II V6 engine, greater payload and towing capacity, redesigned seats with better comfort.
Deal Breakers: Thirsty V8 feels like a big V6, hard and cheap plastic on the dash and doors, tight leg room in both rear rows, less cabin storage space than before.
Our Advice: Though imperfect, the 2006 Ford Explorer remains one of the better midsize SUVs, one that can tackle moderate off-road terrain while providing a supple on-road ride quality and responsive handling.

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Comfort & Convenience Comfort and convenience are two qualities that make vehicle ownership satisfying in the long run, and Ford has made improvements on these fronts in the 2006 Explorer but could do better.

Comfort and convenience are two qualities that make vehicle ownership satisfying in the long run, and Ford has made improvements on these fronts in the 2006 Explorer but could do better. For example, the upper door panels are still made of hard, deeply grained plastic, making them uncomfortable places to rest elbows. Only the driver gets an express-down power window, and it lacks an express-up feature. And we do Ford cheaped out by not including a power recline/power lumbar feature for the power front passenger’s seat on the Limited model.

Nevertheless, the seating is redesigned for enhanced comfort, offering increased thigh support in all three rows of seats. An additional inch of seat track travel is added up front, a bucket seat option is available in the second row, and the third-row seats are split 50/50 for added utility and sit almost two inches higher for a better view out. The end result is comfort for everyone, though leg and foot space is in short supply for the two rearmost rows.

Fold those seats down and unlike in the previous Explorer, the 2006 model features an almost flat cargo floor. Last year’s 10-degree angle to the cargo floor is reduced to two degrees in the 2006 Explorer, though with the rear bucket seat option you’ve still gotta contend with an angled floor and the lid of the center console jutting up in the middle.

Up front, storage is rather limited. The bin under the center armrest is large, but with the gear selector jutting from the middle of the center console, the handy rubberized tray of the 2005 Explorer is gone, and the smaller new tray atop the dash doesn’t make up for the loss since it hasn’t got a rubberized surface and places items right in direct sunlight. The glovebox is small, and the door panel bins aren’t much for holding larger items. But, in the spirit of a modern American vehicle, bottle holders are included in the doors and the cupholders are quite large.

Ergonomically, the 2006 Ford Explorer works nicely. We’re not crazy about the new turn signal stalk, which sits higher than is natural, and you cannot program the navigation system while underway, but in most respects the new Explorer is easy to use.