Test drive Ford Explorer 2001 - 2005 SUV

Brothers of Uncle Rimus

There are three most popular American all -terrain vehicles in Russia: fast, persistent and cunning.
 
Love a fairy tale!
Have you ever read tales of Rimus uncle in childhood? I highly recommend: Joel Harris a wonderful writer! The most entertaining thing is that the adventures of brothers rabbit, fox, wolf, bear and others can be read at any age. After all, there is not a single one hundred percent positive, as well as a purely negative character. That's why the most fast one comes to the finish line, and the victory in the spore of strong men is by no means guaranteed to the owner of the largest muscles. And here. You won’t believe it, but the heroes of the fairy tales of Uncle Rimus resemble American all -terrain vehicles. Though you cut me, it is! It is enough to look at the cars more closely. So, the experienced veteran of the jeep-chande, a newcomer of the Russian market for Ford Explorer and yesterday was considered a chevrolet-trailler as a debutant. According to American concepts, they are all compact all -terrain vehicles, in European full -size. Which of these brothers will be the most?
  
Brothers-Rubes
The Europeans are actually full of prejudices (and, between us, far from baseless) about American all-around. But what can not be taken from overseas cars is a representative image. The respectful attitude to all-terrain vehicles-Yanka developed even during the period of accumulation of initial capital. Remember, on black with chrome chests, Made in Yu-Es-Ey, former athletes and other groups of power support traveled? More than others in the craft of the escort machine, of course, succeeded the Grand Count of the then generation. As in the famous joke: against the backdrop of a chiro jeep, everyone else seems rather narrow. In addition to jokes, and now the appearance of the trio of brothers-rollers is invariably accompanied, let’s say, a balanced reaction of others: the right turn signal and from sin are far from the idea that today someone is buying an all-terrain vehicle for the sake of steaming on the roads, but the fact of any of the three remains the fact of any of the three The Americans are a priori respected man. This is purely specifically.
 
Smoley Chuchelko
The brother of the fox went for a walk, scored resins and blinded the man of Smolyani Buchelko from her. That was a real shame for the brother of the rabbit, who stuck to the stuffed man. I must say that in the same way the appearance of the jeep, Ford and Chevrolet attracts customers to these cars. And let him throw a stone at me who does not find charm in the American sport of Utiliti. By golly, the Japanese and Europeans have something to learn!
 
     
 

The Grand Cherki is more likely a sealing sporting rampage to the station wagon than a 2-ton permissive. Round headlights hidden under the lenses of rectangular dispersion, powerful wheel arches, muscular embossed silhouette, neither give a pan athlete.
 
Good and Ford. Not as fascinated and clumsy as forwarding or extension, the explorer pleases with clean, almost elegant lines. Compared to the researcher of the previous generation, the current model has diminished chromium, which, probably, for the better. The more textured half-smile-worship of the front and smooth, almost without substetricians, the sidewalls make the appearance recognizable and finished. The only thing, in my opinion, it looks better in a two -tone version when the main shade is emphasized by a contrasting strip on thresholds, arches, bumpers. The monophonic Ford loses the fraction of sophistication.
 
And what is worse than a traillash? Chevrolet’s design should be recognized as the most aggressive, and this is facilitated by small evil-fara eyes and a transverse us-pound on the radiator grille. At the same time, the pioneer is the most heavy among the American Trinity, but, you see, some chubby even to his face.
 
Skinny news is not waiting at the spot
We honestly warned that among the American all -around, as well as among the heroes of Uncle Rimus, there are no one hundred percent positive heroes. And if with the image and appearance of the brothers, the brothers, everything is curly, then about the interiors you can already be loud.
 
However, it is not necessary to blush the creators of the Grand Counts. The interior of the jeep is quite at the level. Let the design without undertaking, but it is difficult to make a claim for execution. The skin is good, the plas- is soft and textured, the red tree is completely natural. The lever of the selector and the control of all -wheel drive transmission at the usual place for the European. I also liked that folding headrests do not interfere with the review, and folding seats form a flat cargo platform, violated only by tubercles of wheel arches. And the gaps between the panels are minimal, and nothing is noisy anywhere, does not roll.
 
 
   
High -quality and expensive in a nutshell you can describe the interior of the jeep. It’s only a pity that the back row of seats is not as spacious as it might seem

 

   
The inner world of Ford is a golden middle between the expanse, quality of manufacture and selection of finishing materials
   
Chevrolet inside is a little more spacious than competitors, but in terms of the quality of the interior, the trailizer hopelessly loses both the Grand Cheroks and the Esklorer

Minuses? Where without them a short pillow of the front seat, which is by no means striking the back sofa. Well, the rear review merge the gasoline. Passenger mirrors do not allow you to grab the curb, because the parking sensors here are archinel. Remember this word save on the repair of the bumper. However, the last remark is relevant for all three alternate.

 
     
 
Ford designers at the last explorer also tried to please the demanding European tastes. At least partially. And the inserts under the black tree appeared, and the climate control unit is clear, except that it is too low. But no one is going to abandon their own American pride either. The automatic transmission poker on the steering wheel is a holy, countless cup holders and whistles too. The need and ease of use of both are at least doubtful. In any case, from our European point of view. But pleased the successfully arranged on the steering wheel of the music control buttons, air conditioning and cruise control. And the main gift from the inventors of hamburgers electroregulation of the pedal unit, 8 cm back and forth. Funny, but healthy contraption. Surely also popular in the States: after all, all who are not lazy from black-haired bascketball players to yesterday’s schoolgirls about one and a half meters tall.
  
     
 

Only the inner world of the trailbrand is openly disappointed. This winter, on our test, Chevy, according to this component, lost its thoroughbred and prestigious Pajero. But against the backdrop of his fellow tribesmen, the trail is unconvincing. Return reluctantly, therefore in a nutshell. With a full basket of service pies and buns, and the LTZ kit includes everything that the darling of the trailler is hopelessly lags behind rivals for the selection of finishing materials.
 
Count the ribs?
Once, the brother raccoon set such a thrashing of a hunting dog that there was almost nothing left of her, and what was left, and he escaped. In the salon, the Grand Counts, even on a relatively even asphalt, feel like that battered dog. All because the jeep body rests on uncertain dependent beams. Boom-boom-boom poured blows, as if not a rough asphalt under the wheels, but a cobblestone track of a military training ground. It remains only to regret those who choose the Grand Counts as a means of transportation around the city. Despite excellent sound insulation and chic salon, this option for lovers of masochistic entertainment.
 
 
The passages of the independent rear suspension of the escorted were not too convincing

 

Ford and Chevrolet are much more attractive in terms of combing comfort. And the solution to this should also, first of all, look in the design of the suspension. At the explorer, she is independent both in front and behind, for the trailbrail in front. It is not surprising that the flaws of the road surface reach the driver and passengers only by echoes. You will not reproach these all -resistant ones in excessively vocal engines. Although there are all -terrain vehicles on the market are even more comfortable than Ford and Chevrolet, but after the jeep there is quiet, surface, and God's grace.
 
I trudge little by little
It happened that the brother rabbit argued with his brother to the turtle, who was running faster, and I lost this to the fact that the winner in low starts does not necessarily become the one who has more horsepower under the hood.
 
 
American offrouders have always been famous for excess capacity of our trio. The V-shaped eight of Ford with a volume of 4.6 liters develops 242 liters. p., in the harness of a 4.7-liter jeep engine in the forced version of Hai Output (high power) 265 horses, but the Chevrolet record holder is its in-line 4.2-liter six of the Wortek series with a working volume of 4.2 l issues 275 forces. Where are they so much? A fair question, because the temperament of these Sports of the business class will also suit the temperament of these sport.
 
You just think, an explorer, the slowest of the trinity, accelerated to a hundred in 9.8 seconds! And this is on wet asphalt. On dry coating would have turned out even faster. The trailbraise swallowed the same distance into two tenths faster than Ford, and the dynamics of the Grand Country is completely on the other side of good and evil 8.4 s to hundreds! It was true that more than a 100-kilogram handicap in front of the chevrolet in the equipped mass affected. Thank God that the brake dynamics of American all -terrain vehicles are on top. Moreover, even the slowdown of Ford, which was again the least effective, in fact, for such a heavy car, quite commendable. Managing the reverse acceleration is easy and simple. But doubts still remain. It’s one thing to accelerate in a straight line, in a straight line to slow down, but how to control such frauds at high speed, and even God forbid, in corners?
 
The noble, brother bear from you!
Brother Rabbit was right, oh right. Excessively powerful Grand Counts at high speed will not frighten, unless the one who does not understand anything in the ride. And again, the Constitution is to blame, if it was not the way. Without the indigenous revolution, the jeep handling cannot be improved. Well, dependent suspensions for fast driving are not adapted, and that’s it. A shaking that occurs at a speed of about a hundred is only half a bastard. The steering wheel does not give absolutely any idea of \u200b\u200bwhere the car is moving. Therefore, protracted turns on the highway turn, if not in the lottery, then into the tickling nerves of the event. At a speed of 160 there is a burning desire to go out. Imagine what will happen if the owner accelerates the Grand to the maximum two hundred!
 
Explorer on the asphalt is much more handy. Firstly, the creators of the most popular all-terrain vehicle of the world deliberately limited its agility. At high speeds, the sport of UTILITI is dangerous in general, therefore, probably for the better, which, having buried in the limiter of revolutions in the fifth gear, the explorer stops running at the mark of 160 km/h. Moreover, just at the speeds of about a hundred and fifty suspension, it slowly gives up positions to work out all the bumps, and vibrations are transferred to the steering wheel and body. But before that, the researcher holds on a bunch. He dawns in turns much more fun than the jeep. It does not do without rolls, but at least on the trajectory the car can be controlled not by a hunch. True, in steep turns it is better not to play the discharge of gas can easily provoke a deep absence of the rear axle, especially if the all -wheel drive transmission works in automatic mode. But in general, the character of an explorer no longer resembles a truck.
 
The closest to the honorary title of the passenger was the chevrolet. The element of the trailbrand asphalt. And therefore 194 km/h maximum speed here are quite justified. Shevy is the only one of our trinity who does not force to be nervous at maximum speeds that give him an even more powerful motor, he will cope with it. Great filtration of irregularities, no lesions, lack of vibration and vertical swing at high speeds. For an all -terrain vehicle, just excellent behavior. In corners, of course, you need to be careful, especially since the automatic system connecting the front -wheel drive, which responds to the slip, is triggered after a noticeable pause. But even with belatedly, the picking front of the front allowed to easily catch the beginning skid.
 
A thorny bush my home is native!
With full right to repeat these words of the brother of the rabbit, perhaps, only only the Grand Counts. Indeed, for him, it’s a thorns bush, that the mud bath, that the swamp is all one, everything is edible. This is where the dependent design of the suspension is for the good. Model beams shake out of us all our souls on the asphalt, but they will pay off on the off-road. However, before taking mud baths, let's look under the belly.
 
Yeah, everything is in order with geometry. The lowest point rises above the ground by more than 20 cm. A serious conversation. And short overhangs, competently located, and even covered with protection, elements of the suspension and exhaust system on such a belly can crawl. The famous Dzhipovskaya all-wheel drive transmission of the square dares behaves perfectly. In addition to a gentlemanly set of lowering gear, an automatic or hard all -wheel drive, she has another wonderful property system that simulates the blocking of inter -axial differentials. With its help, the lion's fraction of the torque can be transferred to the wheel with the greatest clutch. So armed with toothy tires of the Grand Counts on the off-road is almost invincible. The main thing, in which case, is not afraid to gnaw out, because the pump pumps take time to squeeze the masking wheel.
 
 
Managing all -wheel drive transmission in a jeep is most convenient
 

It is a pity that the same cannot be said about the trailler. This one in the mud looks like a mother of a cow, whose horn is stuck in a finite tree. Moreover, the problems of chevy exponentially. To the pioneer, the pioneer godlessly does not reach 180 mm at the lower point declared by the manufacturer by the manufacturer. A low -hanging front bumper breaks almost out of the blue. Well, at least, the supples tackled his fist, you look, the bumper in place and got up. The trailbraise is not saved by either a long -flowing rear suspension, nor an effective self -locking differential in the rear bridge, nor a reducing gear. There can not be two opinions: Chevrolet experts developed a trailizer exclusively to overcome the city off -road snow, ice, possibly a sandy beach or a viscous primer. It is better not to meddle on a serious off -road without a winch.
 
Explorer again turned out to be somewhere in the middle. To the all -terrain talents of the jeep to him, of course, is far away, but Ford is unlikely to be in the stupid position of the trailbrailizer. In terms of geometric cross-country ability, the explorer will not yield to the Grand Cherki Lower point located even slightly higher and the layout of the bottom deserves praise. And the system of control III connects the front -wheel drive almost imperceptibly for the driver, which is good not only for stability, but also for overcoming off -road. It is a pity that the Fords saved on inter -normal locks precisely because the explorer should be afraid of diagonal hanging. Therefore, it makes sense when buying an additional order to order the rear self -block it costs his money.
  
Chop up on the nose!
The Americans are concerned about the problems of passive safety even more Europeans. But the results of the crash tests conducted by the USNCAP association cannot be called unnecessarily optimistic for our brothers-brolks. The trailbraise performed two fives perfectly in the lateral blow, but for the front, he got two trooks. The explorer of the four to protect the driver and excellent for the front passenger best managed with a frontal blow. But most of the USNCAP testers alerted the so-called rating of a possible coup of grandios. The jeep earned only two stars, meaning that the potential risk of installing the machine on the ears is from 30 to 40%. The last sentence needs to be learned by heart!
  
Korzhiki tastes more pleasant than by ear
It is difficult to disagree with Uncle Rimus. It remains to add that the cakes are tastier, the cheaper they are. However, you will not be able to save in this case anyway. The most expensive of the three Americans are Grand Counts. It is not surprising, because Overland's equipment can be called the flagship of the model row of the jeep. 56 with the hack thousand dollars, of course, is a very large amount. But for it you get everything that can be stuffed with a Grand Cherki, including six airbags, expensive music, genuine leather, wood and much, much more. The options have only an off -road crankcase protection package, distribution and gas tank, metallic painting and cigarette lighter. Oh, this fight against smoking
 
But even in this form, the Grand Countess seems unjustifiably expensive. The acquisition of a turbodiesel jeep in the set of the limit for $ 48,000 is much more logical. There are almost the same bells and whistles there, and the excellent Mercedes diesel is much better suited to the all-terrain character of the Grand Cherka than the crazy-busted gasoline V8.
 
 
    
 
With folded rear seats, even loading platform forms

There is no natural red tree even in Lexus, and as much as you like
 
  
Under the even floor of the trunk, a full -fledged cast reserve awaits its hour

The lever of the central lock is not very convenient

The CD changer is included in the basic configuration of the overland version

 

Ford and Chevrolet also cannot call a budget purchase, but still they are noticeably cheaper than overland. At the same time, the equipment is at the highest level. The skin, a full electric package, four pillows, good music, all-wheel drive transmission and, of course, climate control of all this, both an explorer and a trailbrail. At a price of $ 49,900 and $ 47,000, respectively. Want to save? Having stopped your choice at a 4-liter explorer or trailbrane with the initial level of finish will be within $ 39,000. Almost for nothing.
 
 
    
 
In the rear view mirror, an electronic compass is built

You can drink, smoke, bask from the stove and even listen to music through headphones from behind
 
 
Turnover in the mirror for better visibility and expensive repairs

This switch leads the modes of the work of all -wheel drive transmission
    
 

On top of the door handle, below the wonderful button for adjusting the pedal unit
 
 
A compact independent rear suspension allowed the trunk to be the most spacious

The button to the left of the roomy box can open the fifth door
 
 
To the left of the radio control key of the on -board computer, on the right of all -wheel drive transmission

The button in the end of this poker turns off the fifth increase in the gear

 
As for the operating costs by acquiring a large all-wheel drive car, and even with a multi-liter 68-cylinder American engine, you should not be surprised at the fuel consumption under 20 liters. However, here, the jeep will be a slightly more ruined toy for every hundred kilometers, he will drink 45 liters of 92nd gasoline more.

Chevrolet and Ford in Russia have their own minuses of an annual guarantee. The jeep promises free repairs for two years.
  
We decided:
For three days, American all -terrain vehicles were chasing one after another and bothering everyone, and everyone was borne, but it was time to take stock, and the scatter of assessments was minimal. Everyone has earned an average rating of HHHH in other words, good. Marvelous? Yes, in principle, not very. Everyone is good in their own way, and everyone is by no means perfect. The trailler is the youngest of our three, and that is why his performances outside the asphalt cannot be called impressive. Where is the connection? It’s just that right now everyone was finally convinced: by truly off -road, all -terrain vehicles are traveling only in commercials. But on the asphalt Chevrolet is definitely the best: fast, obedient, comfortable. Well, the spilled brother is a rabbit who, a little that, well, the craving for all the shoulder blades. The Grand Cherki in this case Brother Bear Bear Harshmill construction and an excellent all-wheel drive transmission allow you to be indefinitely off-road. It is only a pity that on the asphalt, the clubfoot shakes the whole soul from the passengers and turns long moves into an unenviable pastime. And finally, the explorer is cunning, like a brother fox. In any of the test categories, Ford did not win the sole victory, but did not lose with a bang anywhere. It is not surprising that an even positive character has gained the explorer of the laurel of the most popular alternate in the world.
 
 
Mikhail Medvedev, photo Maxim Goncharov
 
 
 

Source: Magazine "Limousine" [12/02]