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2008 Ford Explorer Review

July 23, 2008

STYLING | 8 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

Handsomely styled inside and out
ForbesAutos

Turn signal stalk is mounted at an awkward angle
ConsumerGuide

Interior sports more angular styling along with several new features
Kelley Blue Book

The 2008 Ford Explorer’s five-door SUV styling is clean and uncluttered, while the interior is one of the finest Ford’s put in a truck yet.

With over 5.5 million Explorers sold, Car and Driver writes that Ford Explorers "are so ubiquitous--and so conservatively styled--that few of us even see them anymore" and likens the Ford Explorer 2008 to "the vehicular equivalent of a pair of khaki Dockers." All of the 2008 Ford Explorer's three trims, which Edmunds lists as "XLT, Eddie Bauer and Limited trim levels," feature largely similar external styling, with the only real differences being different-size wheels and "a chrome four-bar grille" on the XLT versus the "chrome three-bar grille" on the Eddie Bauer and Limited models, according to Cars.com. Kelley Blue Book says that both grilles are "inspired by Ford's F-150 pickup," but overall "the 2008 Ford Explorer remains a very obvious descendant of the first Explorer that materialized some 17 years ago."

The interiors of recent Ford Trucks have been the best the company has produced. Details like the trim rings around the gauges and the surprisingly well-designed interior door handle releases show that somebody at Ford is paying attention. Inside the Ford Explorer, 2008 brings an interior that scores well overall with reviewers. Kelley Blue Book writes that the all-around styling of the interior is "more angular" on this Ford Explorer 2008 than on previous models, which most reviewers appreciate. Other than those few gripes, the 2008 Ford Explorer wins praise from Edmunds for its "user-friendly layout" and "sharp two-tone color schemes" that "make this workaday SUV feel a little more upscale."

Conclusion

The 2008 Ford Explorer has uncluttered style, inside and out.

STYLING | 8 out of 10Expert Quotes:Handsomely styled inside and outForbesAutosTurn signal stalk is mounted at an awkward angleConsumerGuideInterior sports more angular styling along with several new featuresKelley Blue Book The 2008 Ford Explorer’s five-door SUV styling is clean and uncluttered, while the interior is one of the finest Ford’s put in a truck yet. With over 5.5 million Explorers sold, Car and Driver writes that Ford Explorers "are so ubiquitous--and so conservatively styled--that few of us even see them anymore" and likens the Ford Explorer 2008 to "the vehicular equivalent of a pair of khaki Dockers." All of the 2008 Ford Explorer's three trims, which Edmunds lists as "XLT, Eddie Bauer and Limited trim levels," feature largely similar external styling, with the only real differences being different-size wheels and "a chrome four-bar grille" on the XLT versus the "chrome three-bar grille" on the Eddie Bauer and Limited models, according to Cars.com. Kelley Blue Book says that both grilles are "inspired by Ford's F-150 pickup," but overall "the 2008 Ford Explorer remains a very obvious descendant of the first Explorer that materialized some 17 years ago." The interiors of recent Ford Trucks have been the best the company has produced. Details like the trim rings around the gauges and the surprisingly well-designed interior door handle releases show that somebody at Ford is paying attention. Inside the Ford Explorer, 2008 brings an interior that scores well overall with reviewers. Kelley Blue Book writes that the all-around styling of the interior is "more angular" on this Ford Explorer 2008 than on previous models, which most reviewers appreciate. Other than those few gripes, the 2008 Ford Explorer wins praise from Edmunds for its "user-friendly layout" and "sharp two-tone color schemes" that "make this workaday SUV feel a little more upscale." ConclusionThe 2008 Ford Explorer has uncluttered style, inside and out.  2008 FORD EXPLORER STYLING | [8 out of 10] ForbesAutos: "Handsomely styled inside and out" ConsumerGuide: "Turn signal stalk is mounted at an awkward angle" Kelley Blue Book: "Interior sports more angular styling along with several new features" The 2008 Ford Explorer’s five-door ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

If you need a rugged and supremely capable SUV, the 2008 Ford Explorer is a good choice. The editors of TheCarConnection.com think it's a much better choice than its traditional competitors from General Motors, the Chevrolet TrailBlazer and GMC Envoy. These models haven't changed significantly since their 2002 introduction.

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See the Ford Explorer in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997

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