2001 Ford Explorer XLT Sport from North America - Comments

No problems to date.

This is a great SUV for the price. Yes it is a SUV so you will pay more in gas, but on the highway it is a lot better than a pick-up. My Ranger would only get about 22 mpg however my Explorer gets about 27 mpg. The wear and tear is great I have leather seats and being in North Dakota I figured the would be cracking and all I do is treat them right before the winter and they haven't even started to crack.

The performance is great with the 4.0L V-6. When I want to get up and go it is more than willing to accommodate my wishes.

To get 27 mpg do you have a GM pull you to your destinations because I had a 2001 Explorer Sport and it sucked gas and got about 18 mpg highway just like all of them.

We have a 2001 explorer and we get 23mpg on the highway cruising at 70-75..around town it gets about 17.5 to 18mpg...

My 2002 Explorer Sport with a 4.0 L SOHC gets over 26 mpg doing 55, gets 23 mpg doing 65-70, and gets 21 mpg in mixed city/short trip driving. I've never gotten below 19 mpg in any combination of driving conditions, including short trips in winter around town (the worst case for mpg). Either the low mpg values are being recorded by people with the V-8, or by people who are too aggressive on the throttle.

2004 Eddie Baur Explorer. Serious problems with transmission, front end, sunroof leaks, occasionally engine stops while in normal intown driving.

We had had two Ford Explorer's 4 Dr's w/4WD Auto. The first was a lease 99'XLS STD 4.0L V6 got about 20mpg hwy,16 city, the second a loaded Limited w/4.0L V6 OHC (215 HP?), quicker than the previous, got about 19 HWY, 15 city but a combined 17-18 MPG mixed driving. I heard the Sport being lighter will give you about 2 MPG avg. more, and a 2WD about 3-4 MPG more. It is possible that a 2WD sport can get 25MPG+ HWY w/very careful driving. The 2002+ yrs have a little better fuel economy also.

If you are handy, Ford Explorer's are safe, cheap alternative if you need a 4WD SUV, considering parts are cheap (they are great in snow!;). They do have electrical problems that are hard to diagnose however (the power doors, locks, horn etc.). I always did the brakes (Limited had all discs-easy to do!), installed radios, did tuneups (but the back two plugs are a b*tch to get at).

I give at least the 99' yr a B- rating, the Limited Exp had 165,000 miles+ when it was involved in a accident - no injuries to the wife/kid (Insur. pd $4500 for restitution, May 08).

That mileage is entirely possible, the little Sports get great mileage if you're not too aggressive.

"My 2002 Explorer Sport with a 4.0 L SOHC gets over 26 mpg doing 55, gets 23 mpg doing 65-70, and gets 21 mpg in mixed city/short trip driving"

I certainly won't criticize the Explorer Sport. Ours were great cars with never a problem. Our 2001 4.0 V-6 never came remotely CLOSE to 26mpg, however. On the interstate with the cruise set on 70 it never got higher than 19. It averaged between 16-18 most of the time. Poor mileage was one reason we opted for a GMC Envoy with the 275 horsepower I-6. More power than the V-8 Explorers and we get 23-24mpg on the highway with it fully loaded. In addition, it will blow the doors off the V-8 Explorers without breathing hard.